Read Ebook: Beowulf: An Introduction to the Study of the Poem with a Discussion of the Stories of Offa and Finn by Chambers R W Raymond Wilson

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?? sv? dj?pt, at strauminn braut ? xlinni. ?? hann sterkliga, ?ar til er hann kom at bakkanum ?rum megin, ok fleygir ?eim ? land. S??an sneri hann aptr, ok var ?? h?lfr?kkvit, er hann kom heim til Sandhauga; ok kalla?i til matar. Ok er hann var mettr, ba? hann heimaf?lk fara innar ? stofu. Hann t?k ?? bor? ok lausa vi?u, ok rak um ?vera stofuna, ok ger?i b?lk mikinn, sv? at engi heimama?r komz fram yfir. Engi ?or?i ? m?ti honum at maela, ok ? engum skyldi kretta. Gengit var ? hli?vegginn stofunnar inn vi? gaflhla?it; ok ?ar ?verpallr hj?. ?ar lag?iz Gestr ni?r ok f?r ekki af klae?unum. Lj?s brann ? stofunni gegnt dyrum. Liggr Gestr sv? fram ? n?ttina.

H?sfreyja kom til Eyjardals?r til t??a, ok undru?u menn um fer?ir hennar yfir ?na. Hon sag?iz eigi vita, hv?rt hana hef?i yfir flutt ma?r e?a trll. Prestr kva? mann v?st vera mundu, ??at f?rra maki s?; "ok l?tum hlj?tt yfir," sag?i hann; "m? vera, at hann s? aetla?r til at vinna b?t ? vandrae?um ??num." Var h?sfreyja ?ar um n?ttina.

N? er fr? Gretti ?at at segja, at ?? er dr? at mi?ri n?tt, heyr?i hann ?t dynur miklar. ?v?naest kom inn ? stofuna trllkona mikil. Hon haf?i ? hendi trog, en annarri sk?lm, heldr mikla. Hon litaz um, er hon kom inn, ok s?, hvar Gestr l?, ok hlj?p at honum, en hann upp ? m?ti, ok r??uz ? grimmliga ok s?ttuz lengi ? stofunni. Hon var sterkari, en hann f?r undan koenliga. En allt ?at, sem fyrir ?eim var?, brutu ?au, jafnvel ?ver?ilit undan stofunni. Hon dr? hann fram yfir dyrnar, ok sv? ? anddyrit; ?ar t?k hann fast ? m?ti. Hon vildi draga hann ?t ?r boenum, en ?at var? eigi fyrr en ?au leystu fr? allan ?tidyraumb?ninginn ok b?ru hann ?t ? her?um s?r. ?oef?i hon ?? ofan til ?rinnar ok allt fram at glj?frum. ?? var Gestr ?kafliga m??r, en ?? var? annathv?rt at gera: at her?a sik, ella mundi hon steypa honum ? glj?frin. Alla n?ttina s?ttuz ?au. Eigi ??ttiz hann hafa fengiz vi? ?v?l?kan ?fagna? fyrir afls sakir. Hon haf?i haldit honum sv? fast at s?r, at hann m?tti hv?rigri hendi taka til nkkurs, ?tan hann helt um hana mi?ja kuna. Ok er ?au k?mu ? ?rgljufrit, breg?r hann flag?konunni til sveiflu. ? ?v? var? honum laus hin hoegri hndin. Hann ?reif ?? skj?tt til saxins, er hann var gyr?r me?, ok breg?r ?v?; h?ggr ?? ? xl trllinu, sv? at af t?k hndina hoegri, ok sv?, var? hann lauss. En hon steyptiz ? glj?frin ok sv? ? fossinn. Gestr var ?? bae?i stir?r ok m??r, ok l? ?ar lengi ? hamrinum. Gekk hann ?? heim, er l?sa t?k, ok lag?iz ? rekkju. Hann var allr ?r?tinn ok bl?r.

Ok er h?sfreyja kom fr? t??um, ??tti henni heldr raskat um h?b?li s?n. Gekk hon ?? til Gests ok spur?i, hvat til hef?i borit, er allt var brotit ok boelt. Hann sag?i allt, sem farit haf?i. Henni ??tti mikils um vert, ok spur?i, hverr hann var. Hann sag?i ?? til hit sanna, ok ba? soekja prest ok kvaz vildu finna hann. Var ok sv? grt. En er Steinn prestr kom til Sandhauga, var? hann br?tt ?ess v?ss, at ?ar var kominn Grettir ?smundarson, er Gestr nefndiz. Prestr spur?i, hvat hann aetla?i af ?eim mnnum mundi vera or?it, er ?ar hf?u horfit. Grettir kvaz aetla, at ? glj?frin mundu ?eir hafa horfit. Prestr kvaz eigi kunna at leggja tr?na? ? sagnir hans, ef engi merki maetti til sj?. Grettir segir, at s?f?ar vissi ?eir ?at g?rr. F?r prestr heim. Grettir l? ? rekkju margar naetr. H?sfreyja ger?i vi? hann har?la vel; ok lei? sv? af j?lin. ?etta er sgn Grettis, at trllkonan steyp?iz ? glj?frin vi?, er hon fekk s?rit; en B?r?ardalsmenn segja, at hana daga?i uppi, ?? er ?au gl?mdu, ok spryngi, ?? er hann hj? af henni hndina, ok standi ?ar enn ? konu l?king ? bjarginu. ?eir dalb?arnir leyndu ?ar Gretti.

Um vetrinn eptir j?l var ?at einn dag, at Grettir f?r til Eyjardals?r. Ok er ?eir Grettir funduz ok prestr, maelti Grettir: "S? ek ?at, prestr," segir hann, "at ?? leggr l?tinn tr?na? ? sagnir m?nar. N? vil ek at ?? farir me? m?r til ?rinnar, ok sj?ir, hver l?kendi ??r ?ykkir ? vera."

Prestr ger?i sv?. En er ?eir k?mu til fossins, s?u ?eir sk?ta upp undir bergit; ?at var meitilberg sv? mikit, at hvergi m?tti upp komaz, ok naer t?u fa?ma ofan at vatninu. ?eir hf?u festi me? s?r.

?? maelti prestr: "Langt um ?foert s?niz m?r ??r ni?r at fara."

Grettir svarar: "Foert er v?st; en ?eim mun bezt ?ar, sem ?gaetismenn eru. Mun ek forvitnaz, hvat ? fossinum er, en ?? skalt geyma festar."

Prestr ba? hann r??a, ok keyr?i ni?r hael ? berginu, ok bar at grj?t, .

N? er fr? Gretti at segja, at hann l?t stein ? festaraugat ok l?t sv? s?ga ofan at vatninu.

"Hvern veg aetlar ?? n?," segir prestr, "at fara?"

"Ekki vil ek vera bundinn," segir Grettir, "?? er ek kem ? fossinn; sv? bo?ar m?r hugr um."

Eptir ?at bj? hann sik til fer?ar, ok var f?klaeddr, ok gyr?i sik me? saxinu, en haf?i ekki fleiri v?pn. S??an hlj?p hann af bjarginu ok ni?r ? fossinn. S? prestr ? iljar honum, ok vissi s??an aldri, hvat af honum var?. Grettir kafa?i undir fossinn, ok var ?at torvelt, ?v?at i?a var mikil, ok var? hann allt til grunns at kafa, ??r en hann koemiz upp undir fossinn. ?ar var forberg nkkut, ok komz hann inn ?ar upp ?. ?ar var hellir mikill undir fossinum, ok fell ?in fram af berginu. Gekk hann ?? inn ? hellinn, ok var ?ar eldr mikill ? brndum. Grettir s?, at ?ar sat jtunn gurliga mikill; hann var hrae?iligr at sj?. En er Grettir kom at honum, hlj?p jtunninn upp ok greip flein einn ok hj? til ?ess, er kominn var, ?v?at bae?i m?tti hggva ok leggja me? . Tr?skapt var ?; ?at kllu?u menn ?? heptisax, er ?annveg var grt. Grettir hj? ? m?ti me? saxinu, ok kom ? skaptit, sv? at ? sundr t?k. Jtunninn vildi ?? seilaz ? bak s?r aptr til sver?s, er ?ar hekk ? hellinum. ? ?v? hj? Grettir framan ? brj?stit, sv? at n?liga t?k af alla bringspelina ok kvi?inn, sv? at i?rin steyptuz ?r honum ofan ? ?na, ok keyr?i ?au ofan eptir ?nni. Ok er prestr sat vi? festina, s? hann, at sly?rur nkkurar rak ofan eptir strengnum bl??ugar allar. Hann var? ?? lauss ? velli, ok ??ttiz n? vita, at Grettir mundi dau?r vera. Hlj?p hann ?? fr? festarhaldinu ok f?r heim. Var ?? komit at kveldi, ok sag?i prestr v?sliga, at Grettir vaeri dau?r; ok sag?i, at mikill ska?i vaeri eptir ?v?l?kan mann.

N? er fr? Gretti at segja; hann l?t skamt hggva ? milli, ?ar til er jtunninn d?. Gekk Grettir ?? innar eptir hellinum. Hann kveikti lj?s ok kanna?i hellinn. Ekki er fr? ?v? sagt, hversu mikit f? hann fekk ? hellinum; en ?at aetla menn, at verit hafi nkkut. Dvaldiz honum ?ar fram ? n?ttina. Hann fann ?ar tveggja manna bein, ok bar ?au ? belg einn. Leita?i hann ?? ?r hellinum ok lag?iz til festarinnar, ok hristi hana, ok aetla?i, at prestr mundi ?ar vera. En er hann vissi, at prestr var heim farinn, var? hann ?? at handstyrkja upp festina, ok komz hann sv? upp ? bjargit. F?r hann ?? heim til Eyjardals?r ok kom ? forkirkju belginum ?eim, sem beinin v?ru ?, ok ?ar me? r?nakefli ?v?, er v?sur ?essar v?ru forkunnliga vel ? ristnar:

"Gekk ek ? glj?fr et dkkva gein veltiflug steina, vi? hjrgae?i hr??ar hlunns ?rsvlum munni, fast l? framm ? brj?sti flugstraumr ? sal naumu heldr kom ? her?ar sk?ldi hr? fj?n Braga kv?nar."

Ok en ?essi:

"Lj?tr kom m?r ? m?ti mellu vinr ?r helli; hann fekz, heldr at snnu har?fengr, vi? mik lengi; har?eggjat l?t ek hggvit heptisax af skepti; Gangs klauf brj?st ok bringu bjartr gunnlogi svarta."

?ar sag?i sv?, at Grettir hafi bein ?essi ?r hellinum haft. En er prestr kom til kirkju um morgininn, fann hann keflit ok ?at sem fylgdi, ok las r?narnar. En Grettir haf?i farit heim til Sandhauga.

En ?? er prestr fann Gretti, spur?i hann inniliga eptir atbur?um; en hann sag?i alla sgu um fer? s?na, ok kva? prest ?tr?liga hafa haldit festinni. Prestr l?t ?at ? sannaz. ??ttuz menn ?at vita, at ?essar ?vaettir mundu valdit hafa mannahvrfum ?ar ? dalnum. Var? ok aldri mein af aptrgngum e?a reimleikum ?ar ? dalnum s??an. ??tti Grettir ?ar grt hafa mikla landhreinsan. Prestr jar?a?i bein ?essi ? kirkjugar?i.

TRANSLATION OF EXTRACTS FROM GRETTIS SAGA

To Mr Bl?ndal, who has been at the labour of collating with the MS, for my benefit, both the passages given above, my grateful thanks are due.

There was a man called Thorhall, who lived at Thorhall's Farm in Shadow-dale. Shadow-dale runs up from Water-dale. Thorhall was son of Grim, son of Thorhall, son of Frithmund, who settled Shadow-dale. Thorhall's wife was called Guthrun: their son was Grim, and Thurith their daughter--they were grown up.

Thorhall was a wealthy man, and especially in cattle, so that no man had as much live stock as he. He was not a chief, yet a substantial yeoman. The place was much haunted, and he found it hard to get a shepherd to suit him. He sought counsel of many wise men, what device he should follow, but he got no counsel which was of use to him. Thorhall rode each summer to the All-Thing; he had good horses. That was one summer at the All-Thing, that Thorhall went to the booth of Skapti Thoroddsson, the Law-man.

Skapti was the wisest of men, and gave good advice if he was asked. There was this difference between Skapti and his father Thorodd: Thorodd had second sight, and some men called him underhanded; but Skapti gave to every man that advice which he believed would avail, if it were kept to: so he was called 'Better than his father.' Thorhall went to the booth of Skapti. Skapti greeted Thorhall well, for he knew that he was a prosperous man, and asked what news he had.

Thorhall said, "I should like good counsel from thee." "I am little use at that," said Skapti. "But what is thy need?"

Thorhall said, "It happens so, that it is difficult for me to keep my shepherds: they easily get hurt, and some will not serve their time. And now no one will take on the task, who knows what is before him."

Skapti answered, "There must be some evil being about, if men are more unwilling to look after thy sheep than those of other folk. Now because thou hast sought counsel of me, I will find thee a shepherd, who is named Glam, a Swede, from Sylgsdale, who came out to Iceland last summer. He is great and strong, but not much to everybody's taste."

Thorhall said that he would not mind that, if he guarded the sheep well. Skapti said that if Glam had not the strength and courage to do that, there was no hope of anyone else. Then Thorhall went out; this was when the All-Thing was nearly ending.

Thorhall missed two light bay horses, and he went himself to look for them--so it seems that he was not a great man. He went up under Sledge-hill and south along the mountain called Armannsfell.

Then he saw where a man came down from Gothashaw, bearing faggots on a horse. They soon met, and Thorhall asked him his name, and he said he was called Glam. Glam was tall and strange in bearing, with blue and glaring eyes, and wolf-grey hair. Thorhall opened his eyes when he saw him, but yet he discerned that this was he to whom he had been sent.

"What work art thou best fitted for?" said Thorhall.

Glam said he was well fitted to watch sheep in the winter.

"Wilt thou watch my sheep?" said Thorhall. "Skapti gave thee into my hand."

"You will have least trouble with me in your house if I go my own way, for I am hard of temper if I am not pleased," said Glam.

"That will not matter to me," said Thorhall, "and I wish that thou shouldst go to my house."

"That may I well do," said Glam, "but are there any difficulties?"

"It is thought to be haunted," said Thorhall.

"I am not afraid of such phantoms," said Glam, "and it seems to me all the less dull."

"Thou wilt need such a spirit," said Thorhall, "and it is better that the man there should not be a coward."

After that they struck their bargain, and Glam was to come at the winter-nights . Then they parted, and Thorhall found his horses where he had just been searching. Thorhall rode home and thanked Skapti for his good deed.

Summer passed, and Thorhall heard nothing of his shepherd, and no one knew anything of him; but at the time appointed he came to Thorhall's Farm. The yeoman greeted him well, but all the others could not abide him, and Thorhall's wife least of all. Glam undertook the watching of the sheep, and it gave him little trouble. He had a great deep voice, and the sheep came together as soon as he called them. There was a church at Thorhall's Farm, but Glam would not go to it. He would have nothing to do with the service, and was godless; he was obstinate and surly and abhorred by all.

Now time went on till it came to Yule eve. Then Glam rose early and called for meat. The yeoman's wife answered, "That is not the custom of Christian men to eat meat today, because tomorrow is the first day of Yule," said she, "and therefore it is right that we should first fast today."

He answered, "Ye have many superstitions which I see are good for nothing. I do not know that men fare better now than before, when they had nought to do with such things. It seemed to me a better way when men were called heathen; and I want my meat and no tricks."

The yeoman's wife said, "I know for a certainty that it will fare ill with thee today, if thou dost this evil thing."

Glam bade her bring the meat at once, else he said it should be worse for her. She dared not do otherwise than he willed, and when he had eaten he went out, foul-mouthed.

Now it had gone so with the weather that it was heavy all round, and snow-flakes were falling, and it was blowing loud, and grew much worse as the day went on. The shepherd was heard early in the day, but less later. Then wind began to drive the snow, and towards evening it became a tempest. Then men came to the service, and so it went on to nightfall. Glam did not come home. Then there was talk whether search ought not to be made for him, but because there was a tempest and it was pitch dark, no search was attempted. That Yule night he did not come home, and so men waited till after the service . But when it was full day, men went to search, and found the sheep scattered in the snow-drifts, battered by the tempest, or strayed up into the mountains. Then they came on a great space beaten down, high up in the valley. It looked to them as if there had been somewhat violent wrestling there, because the stones had been torn up for a distance around, and the earth likewise. They looked closely and saw where Glam lay a little distance away. He was dead, and blue like Hel and swollen like an ox. They had great loathing of him, and their souls shuddered at him. Nevertheless they strove to bring him to the church, but they could get him no further than the edge of a ravine a little below, and they went home leaving matters so, and told the yeoman what had happened. He asked what appeared to have been the death of Glam. They said that, from the trodden spot, up to a place beneath the rocks high in the valley, they had tracked marks as big as if a cask-bottom had been stamped down, and great drops of blood with them. So men concluded from this, that the evil thing which had been there before must have killed Glam, but Glam must have done it damage which had been enough, in that nought has ever happened since from that evil thing.

The second day of Yule it was again essayed to bring Glam to the church.

Beasts of draught were harnessed, but they could not move him where it was level ground and not down hill, so they departed, leaving matters so.

The third day the priest went with them, and they searched all day, but Glam could not be found. The priest would go no more, but Glam was found when the priest was not in the company. Then they gave up trying to carry him to the church, and buried him where he was, under a cairn.

A little later men became aware that Glam was not lying quiet. Great harm came to men from this, so that many fell into a swoon when they saw him, and some could not keep their wits. Just after Yule, men thought they saw him at home at the farm. They were exceedingly afraid, and many fled away. Thereupon Glam took to riding the house-roofs at nights, so that he nearly broke them in. He walked almost night and day. Men hardly dared to go up into the dale, even though they had business enough. Men in that country-side thought great harm of this.

In the spring Thorhall got farm-hands together and set up house on his land. Then the apparition began to grow less frequent whilst the sun's course was at its height; and so it went on till midsummer. That summer a ship came out to Hunawater. On it was a man called Thorgaut. He was an outlander by race, big and powerful; he had the strength of two men. He was in no man's service, and alone, and he wished to take up some work, since he had no money. Thorhall rode to the ship, and met Thorgaut. He asked him if he would work for him. Thorgaut said that might well be, and that he would make no difficulties.

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