Egil’s Saga. E. Eddison R.
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all those men who had been at this work with him. There was a man named Baug, Haeng’s fosterbrother, a high-born man and a wealthy. He steered one of the round-ships. So when they were ready and a fair breeze blew, then sailed they out into the main.
A few winters before had Ingolf and Hiorleif2 gone to settle Iceland, and that journey was then much in the talk of men: men said there was right good choice of land there. Haeng sailed west into the main and sought toward Iceland. Now when they were ware of land they were come upon it from the south; and because the gale was fierce, and surf along the land, and nought harbour-like, they sailed west along the land off the sands. But when the gale began to fall and the surf to abate, then was a great river-mouth before them, and they held on there with their ships up into the river and laid them aland on the eastern bank. That river is named now Thursowater: ran then much narrower and was deeper than now it is.3
They unladed the ships: took then and kenned the land from the east along the river and flitted after them their livestock. Haeng was, for the first winter, in the country out beyond the outer Rangriver; but in the spring he kenned the land eastward, and took then land between Thursowater and Markfleet, between fell and foreshore, and dwelt at Hof beside the eastern Rangriver. Ingunn his wife bare a child in the spring, after they had been there their first winter, and the boy was named Hrafn. And when the houses there were pulled down, then was the place called thereafter Hrafntofts.
Haeng gave Baug land in Fleetlithe down from Markriver to the river out beyond Broadlairstead, and he dwelt at Lithend;4 and from Baug is come a great line of kindred in that countryside.
Haeng gave land to his shipmates, but sold to some for a little price, and they are called land-take men.5
Storolf was named a son of Haeng: he had the Knoll and Storolfsfield. His son was Worm the Strong.
Heriolf was named the second son of Haeng: he had land in Fleetlithe marching with Baug, and out as far as Knollslech. He lived under the Brents. His son was Summerlid, father of Weatherlid the skald.6
Helgi was the third son of Haeng. He dwelt at the Field, and had land as far as the upper Rangriver and down to march with his brethren’s.
Vestar was named the fourth son of Haeng. He had land to the east of Rangriver, betwixt that and Thwartwater, and the lower part of Storolfsfield. He had to wife Moeid, daughter of Hildir of Hildisey. Their daughter was Asny, whom Ofeig Grettir had to wife. Vestar dwelt at Moeidsknoll.
Hrafn was the fifth of Haeng’s sons. He was the first Speaker of the Law7 in Iceland. He dwelt at Hof after his father. Thorlaug was Hrafn’s daughter, whom Jorund the Priest had to wife. Their son was Valgard of Hof. Hrafn was the worship-fullest of the sons of Haeng.
CHAPTER XXIV. THE SORROW OF KVELDULF.
KVELDULF heard tell of the fall of Thorolf his son. He became sorrowful with these tidings, so that he laid him in his bed, for grief and old age. Skallagrim came often to him and talked to him: bade him arouse himself: said that all things else were fitter than this, to come to utter worthlessness and lie bed-ridden: “That rather should be our rede, to look for vengeance after Thorolf. May be, that we may come at some of those men that have been at Thorolf’s fall. And if not that, then will there be men, whom we may catch, that the King shall think it much against his liking”.
Kveldulf quoth a stave:1
News from a northern island:
(The Norns are grim!) too early The Thunder-Lord hath chose him: Thorolf lieth low now. Nought swift, for all I strive for’t, Nought swift will be the ’venging: By thowless eld enthralled I’m bann’d From Thing of Odin’s shield-mays.
Harald the King fared that summer to the Uplands, and fared in the autumn west to Valdres and all up to Vors. Oliver Hnufa was with the King, and came oft to speech with the King, if he would be willing to pay boot2 for Thorolf: bestow on Kveldulf and Skallagrim money-boot or some such manly gift as they might be content with. The King did not wholly warn him off from this, if that father and son would come and see him.
And now Oliver started on his journey north into the Firths: stayed not till he came at fall of day to that father and son. They took to him in thankful wise: tarried he there some while.
Kveldulf asked Oliver carefully about those doings that had come about at Sandness when Thorolf fell, of this too, what Thorolf had framed to do before he fell; and this, who bare weapons upon him, and where he had the greatest wounds, and what way his fall was. Oliver said to him all that he asked; this too, that King Harald dealt him that wound that should alone have been enough and more to be the bane of him, and that Thorolf fell nigh upon the feet of the King face downward. Then answereth Kveldulf: “Well hast thou said. For that have men spoken of old, that of that man will be vengeance who fell face downward, and nigh to him will the vengeance come who was in the way of him when he fell. But unlikely it is that unto us should that good luck be fated”.
Oliver said to that father and son that he had hope if they would go and see the King, and seek atonement, that that might turn out an honourable journey, and bade them make hazard of this, and laid many words thereto.
Kveldulf said that he was nought fit for that, for eld’s sake. “I will bide at home,” said he.
“Wilt thou go, Grim?” said Oliver.
“I think this is no errand of mine,” said Grim. “I shall seem to the King nought ready of word. I think I should not stand long bidding atonement of him.”
Oliver said that he should have no need of that: “We shall speak all on thy behalf, so well as we know how”.
And what with Oliver’s much pressing of his suit, Grim promised that he would go on this journey soon as he should deem him ready. He and Oliver fixed a time between them when Grim should come to meet with the King. Fared then Oliver first away, and to the King.
CHAPTER XXV. OF SKALLAGRIM’S GOING TO THE KING.
SKALLAGRIM made him ready for that journey that was aforesaid. He picked him men of his homemen and neighbours, them that were strongest of might bodily and doughtiest of those that were to hand. One man was named Ani, a wealthy bonder: another named Grani: the third Grimolf, and Grim, his brother, homemen of Skallagrim’s, and those brethren Thorbiorn Krumm and Thord Beigaldi. They were called Thorarna’s sons. She dwelt a short way from Skallagrim’s and was learned in wizardry:1 Beigaldi was a sit-by-the-fire.2 One man was named Thorir the Giant and his brother Thorgeir Jardlang: a man named Odd Live-alone; Griss the Freedman. Twelve were they for that journey, and all the strongest men, and many shape-strong.
They had a rowing-ferry that belonged to Skallagrim: fared south along the land: laid their course in into Osterfirth: fared then the land-way up to Vors, to that water which is there, and their road so lay that they must fare over it. They got them a rowing-ship, such as served their turn; and so rowed over the water. And then was it no long way to that farmstead where the King was a-feasting.
Grim and his came there at that hour when the King was gone to table. Grim and his found men to speak to out in the garth,3 and asked what tidings were there; and when that was told them, then Grim bade call to speak with him Oliver Hnufa. That man went into the hall and thither where Oliver sat, and said to him: “Men be here come, outside, twelve together, if men you shall call them. But liker be they to giants in growth and seeming, than to mortal men”.
Oliver stood up straightway and went out. He thought he knew who would be come. Welcomed he well Grim his kinsman, and bade him go in into the hall with him. Grim said to his fellows: “That will here be the way of it, that men go weaponless before the King. We shall go in, six, but other six shall be without and mind our weapons”.
And now go they in. Oliver went before the King. Skallagrim stood at the back of him. Oliver took up the word: “Now is Grim hither come, the son of Kveldulf. We shall now