Complete works of willia.., p.614
Complete Works of William Morris, page 614
“A sister we have,” said they, “so fair and courteous, that her like is not to be found; and we will do for thee which thou wilt; either give her to thee as a wife, or let thee have her as a concubine: so come, we bid thee thither to guest with us.”
The master thought this a thing to be desired, so he said he would go thither; and tells them withal what errand he had in Iceland; and they liked the thing well: and now all bind themselves as fellows in the plot.
A little after went the ship-master home to Foss; forsooth clean against the will of Holmkel the goodman: but so it had to be. In a little while withal the shipmaster got to be great friends with Thorbiorg; for he gave her many goodly things.
So on a time this Hakon fell to talk with the mother and sons, and asked where the woman was whereof the brethren had told him; “for I would see her,” says he.
They said she was being fostered with Olof at Ingialdsknoll; so he bade them see to it and have her home: “For,” said he, “I trust full well to have thy furtherance in the getting of my will of her, because of our friendship.”
So a little after this Thorbiorg fell a-talking with goodman Holmkel. “I will,” she said, “that my daughter Ketilrid come home to me.”
“Well,” said the goodman, “I deem it better that she be left in peace where she is gotten to.”
“Nay, it shall not be,” says she; “rather will I go fetch her myself, than that she should have such rumour from Viglund as now lieth on her: yea, I will rather wed her to Hakon; for that methinks were a seemly match.”
Therewith they make an end of talking; and Holmkel thought he could see, that Thorbiorg would send after Ketilrid, and he deems it better to go fetch her himself. So he rode to Ingialdsknoll, and had good welcome there.
But when he was come thither Viglund went to Ketilrid and spake thus with her: “Thy father is come hither; and methinks he is come after thee to bring thee home with him, and he must needs have his will. But now, Ketilrid, I am full fain that thou keep in memory all the privy talk we have had together, for indeed I know that thou wilt never be out of my mind.”
Then said Ketilrid, sore weeping: “Long have I seen that we might not long have this joy in peace; and now belike it were better that we had not said so much: but not all so sure it is that thou lovest me better than I love thee; though my words be less than thine. But now herein do I see the redes of my mother; because for a long while I have had but little love of her; and most like it is that the days of our bliss are over and done if she may have her will of me: nevertheless should I be well content if I wist that all went well with thee. But howsoever it be, we shall never come together in bliss, but if the will of my father prevail; and a heavy yoke he has to drive, whereas my mother and brothers are afield, for in all things will they be against me. But thou, let all these things slip from off thee!”
Then went Viglund to Ketilrid and kissed her; and it was easily seen of her, yea and of both of them, how hard it was for them to part as at that time.
Moreover, Viglund sang a stave: —
“Young now I shall not ever
Love any silken goddess,
That son of man shall say it,
Save thee alone, O Sweetlingl
Therefore fair maid remember
The oath we swore aforetime,
Howso that woman wilful
Would waste the love between us.”
Then Ketilrid went into the house to her father, who straightway told her that she must away home with him. Ketilrid says that he must have his will; “But good,” says she, “would I deem it to abide here ever: yet must it be even as it must.”
A great matter it was to all to part with Ketilrid, for she was a joy to the heart of every man.
But now they ride home to Foss: and the shipmaster was wondrous fain of her coming home: but Thorbiorg her mother appointed her to serve Hakon; which thing she would in nowise do, but told her father thereof weeping; and he said: “Thou shalt not serve Hakon but if thou wilt: yea that alone shalt thou do which thou wiliest, and thou shalt be by me both day and night.”
She said she was right glad of that: and so the time wore away a space, in such wise that Hakon got never a word with her.
CHAPTER XIII. BALL-PLAY ON ESJA-TARN.
NOW was ball-play set up on Esja-tarn, and the Foss-men were the setters forth of the sport: and the first day when men came home from these games, Ketilrid asked if none had come thither from Ingialdsknoll; and she was told that they had all been there, both the father and sons, and Olof and her daughter Helga: so Ketilrid craved of her father next day that she might go to the play; he said yea thereto; and so they went all together that day, and great was the glee: for Thorgrim’s sons were come and none other from Ingialdsknoll.
So the brethren went up on to the bank whereas the women sat; and Ketilrid stood up to meet them, and greeted them lovingly, and they sat down on either hand of her, Viglund and Trusty.
Then spake Ketilrid: “Now will I be just as kind to one of you as the other, and hoodwink folk thereby.”
Therewith she gazed ever on Viglund and said; “Thy name will I lengthen this day, and call thee Viglund the FAIR; and this ring I will give thee, which my father gave me as a toothing-token, and it shall be to thee a naming-token.”
So he took the ring and drew it on to his hand; and gave her again the ring Harold’s-gift, for his father had given it to him. And so, long was their talk drawn out: but when the Foss-men saw that, they took it sore to heart.
So either fare home that evening; and Hakon fell to speech with Thorbiorg, and bade her forbid her daughter to go to any more such meetings of men-folk, in such a mood as she was. She assented thereto, and told Holmkel the goodman not to let his daughter go to any play; but let her abide at home in peace rather: and he did so, and Ketilrid’s gladness departed from her. Then her father said, she should be ever by him at home if she thought it better so; and she said it pleased her well.
But men go to the play as aforetime; and one had one side, one the other in the play, the Foss-folk and Thorgrim’s sons. And on a time Viglund drave the ball out beyond Jokul. Jokul waxed wroth thereat, and when he got the ball, he took it and drave it into Viglund’s face, so hard that the skin of his brow fell down over his eyes. Then Trusty ripped a rag from his shirt, and bound up his brother’s brow, and when that was done the Foss-folk were departed.
So the brethren went home; and when they came into the hall, Thorgrim cried out as he sat on the dais, “Welcome, dear son and daughter!”
“Why dost thou make women of us, father?” said Trusty.
“Belike,” said Thorgrim, “a coif-wearer should be a woman.”
“No woman am I,” said Viglund. “Yet mayhappen I am not so far short of it.”
“Why didst thou not pay Jokul back?” said Thorgrim.
“They were gone,” said Trusty, “by then I had bound up his face.” And so the talk came to an end.
The next day both the brethren went to the play; and so when it was least to be looked for, Viglund drave the ball right into Jokul’s face, so that the skin burst. Then Jokul went to smite Viglund with his bat, but Viglund ran in under the blow and cast Jokul down on the ice, so that he lay long swooning; and therewith were they parted, and either side went home. Jokul had no might to get a-horseback, and was borne home betwixt the four corners of a cloth: but he mended speedily, and the play was set up at Foss. So Thorgrim’s sons arrayed them for the play. Thorgrim would have stayed them, saying that he deemed sore troubles would come of it; but they went none the less.
So when they came into the hall at Foss the play was begun, but folk were all in their seats in the hall. So Viglund went in and up to the dais, whereon sat the goodman and his daughter; and Ketilrid greeted him well.
He took her up from her seat, and sat himself down therein, and set her on his knee. But when the goodman saw that, he edged away and gave place, and then Ketilrid sat her down between them, and they fell to talk together.
Then let the goodman get them a pair of tables, and there they played daylong.
Hakon was ill at ease at that; and ever that winter had he been talking to goodman Holmkel and craving his daughter; but Holmkel answered ever in one wise, and said it might not be.
So wore the day till the brethren got them ready to go; but when they were on the causeway, lo, Ketilrid was in the path before them, and bade them not fare home that night. “Because,” quoth she, “I know that my brethren will waylay you.”
But Viglund said he would go as he had been minded afore, and they did so; and each of them had his axe in his hand. But when they came to a certain stackgarth, lo the Foss-folk, twelve in company.
Then said Jokul: “Good that we have met, Viglund; now shall I pay thee back for stroke of ball and felling on the ice.”
“I have nought to blame my luck herein,”said Viglund.
So they fell on the two brethren, who defended themselves well and manly. Viglund fought no great while before he had slain a man, and then another, and Trusty slew a third.
Then said Jokul: “Now let us hold our hands, and lay all these feuds on those brethren.”
So did they, and either side went their ways home; and Jokul tells his father that Viglund and Trusty had slain three of his homemen. “But we,” quoth he, “would do nought against them till we had seen thee.”
Now Holmkel was exceeding wroth at this tale.
CHAPTER XIV. KETILRID BETROTHED TO HAKON.
JOKUL kept on egging his father to wed Ketilrid his daughter to Hakon; so, what with the urging of those brethren, Holmkel did betroth her to him, but utterly against her will. Hakon was well minded to abide in Iceland, whereas he saw he could not bring to pass the slaying of Thorgrim the Proud.
So this was heard of at Ingialdsknoll, and Viglund took it much to heart.
But when Holmkel knew the very sooth about the waylaying of the brethren, he deemed he had done overmuch in giving Ketilrid to Hakon.
Now still came the sons of Thorgrim to the games at Foss as heretofore; and Viglund had speech of Ketilrid, and blamed her much with hard words in that she was betrothed. But when they arrayed them to go that night, lo, Hakon had vanished, and the sons of Holmkel, and many others with them. Then spake the goodman with Viglund: “I would,” said he, “that ye went not home to-night; for meseemeth the departure of those brethren looks untrustworthy.”
But Viglund said he would go, as he had afore been minded: but when they came out a-doors, there was Ketilrid in the way before them, who prayed Viglund to go another road. “No great things will I do for thy word,” said he; and sang withal: —
“Stem where the gathered gold meets,
All trust I gave unto thee:
Last thought of all thoughts was it
That thou couldst wed another.
But now no oaths avail us,
Nought are our many kisses;
Late learn we of women: —
Her word to me is broken.”
“I think not that I have done any such thing,” said Ketilrid; “but indeed I would that thou wentest not!”
“It shall not be,” said Viglund; “for I have more mind to try the matter out with Hakon, than to let him cast his arms about thee, while I am alive to see it.” And he sang: —
“I would abide the bale-fire,
Or bear the steel-tree’s smiting,
As other men may bear it;
But heavy maidens’ redes are:
Sorely to me it seemeth,
Gold spoilers’ shoulder-branches,
The sweet that was my maiden
Other than mine entwining”
CHAPTER XV. THE BATTLE OF THE FOSS-FOLK AND THORGRITRIS SONS.
SO they went on their way till they came to the O stackgarth, whereas they had had to do before: and there were the Foss-folk, twelve in company.
Then the sons of Thorgrim gat them up on to the hay, which was in the garth, so that the others were not ware of them, till they had torn up great store of the frozen turf.
But when they had so done, they saw Thorgrim’s sons, and fell on them, and there befell the fiercest of fights: till the Foss-folk saw that they made way slowly against Thorgrim’s sons whiles they were up on the hay: then cried Jokul: —
“Thou wert well counselled, Viglund, not to slink away; and we shall hold for certain that thou art no good man and true, but if thou come down from the hay there, and try the matter to its end.”
So, because of Jokul’s egging on, Viglund leapt down from the hay with Trusty his brother, and they met fiercely; and all the men of Hakon and those brethren fell, so that of the Foss-dwellers these alone stood on their feet, Jokul, Einar, and Hakon, with two men more who were hurt and unmeet for fight.
Thus said Jokul: “Now let us set to work in manly and generous wise; let Trusty and Einar fight together, and Viglund and Hakon, and I will sit beside the while.”
Now Trusty was both sore and weary; and they fought, Trusty and Einar, till either fell.
Then fell to fight Viglund and Hakon; and Viglund was exceeding weary, but unwounded.
The fight was both hard and long, because Hakon was strong and stout-hearted, but Viglund strong of hand, and skilled in arms and eager of heart: but the end of their dealings was, that Hakon fell dead to earth, while Viglund was sore hurt.
Then up sprung Jokul, fresh, and without a hurt, and turned against Viglund, and they fell to fight: and a long space they fought, and hard enow, till none could see which would win the day; then Viglund sees that it is a hard matter to prevail against Jokul to the end because of his wounds and weariness; and so being as good with one hand as the other, he cast aloft axe and shield, and caught his shield with his right hand and his axe with his left, in such wise that Jokul noted it not, and then smote the right arm from off him at the crook of the elbow. Then Jokul took to flight, nor might Viglund follow after him; but he caught up a spear from the ground, whereas many lay beside him, and cast it after Jokul; and that spear smote him, and went in at the shoulders and out at the breast of him; and Jokul fell down dead.
But Viglund was grown faint with the flow of blood, and hefell swooning and lay there as one dead.
Then the two Foss-men who were left, crawled away to their horses and rode home to Foss, and got into the hall; and there sat the goodman, with his wife on one side and his daughter on the other: then they tell out the tidings: that Hakon is fallen and the brethren, and seven other men besides, and the sons of Thorgrim withal.
When Ketilrid heard that, she fell fainting, and when she came to herself, her mother laid heavy words on her”Now,” quoth she, “is thy light-o-love well seen, and the desire thou hadst toward Viglund: — good it is that ye must needs be parted now.”
Then said the goodman: “Why must thou needs turn this blame on her? She loved her brethren so well, that she may well be astonied at hearing of their fall.”
“Maybe that it is so,” said Thorbiorg; “yet surely I think not. But now the business in hand is to gather a company of men and go slay Thorgrim the Proud, as swiftly as may be.”
“Yea, is that our due business?” said Holmkel. “Meseems he at least is sackless of the slaying of those brethren; and as for his sons, they can lose no more than their lives; and soothly, it was but their due to defend themselves.”
CHAPTER XVI. KETTIL’S SONS COME OUT TO ICELAND.
NOW Viglund and Trusty lay among the slain, till Viglund came to himself, and sought after his brother, and found there was yet life in him; wherefore he was minded to do what he might for him there, for he looked not to be of might to bear him to a dwelling: but now he heard the sound of ice breaking on the way, and lo, their father coming with a sledge. So Thorgrim brought Trusty into the sledge and drave him home to Ingialdsknoll; but Viglund rode unholpen. So he set them into an earth-dug house under his bed, and there Olof awaited them, and bound their wounds: there they abode privily, and were fully healed in the end, though they lay full a twelvemonth wounded.
Holmkel let set his sons in mound, and those men who had fallen with them, and that place is now called Mound-knowes.
These things were now told of far and wide, and all thought it great tidings, deeming it wellnigh sooth that Thorgrim’s sons were slain.
Thorgrim and Holmkel met, nor did this matter depart their friendship, and they made peace on such terms that the case should not be brought to law or judgment. But when Thorbiorg wist thereof, she sent privily toher father Einar, and bade him take up the feud after her sons; and follow up the sons of Thorgrim for full penalty, if yet they lived: and albeit Einar were old, yet he threw himself into this case, and beguilted the sons of Thorgrim to the full at the Thorsness-thing.
And all this came home to the ears of the countryside.
Now Hakon’s shipmates sailed away in the summer when they were ready, and made Norway, and coming to Ketil told him throughout how all things had gone: wherefore it seemed to him that the revenge on Thorgrim and his sons was like to be tardy. Gunnlaug and Sigurd, the sons of Ketil, were come from a viking cruise in those days, and were grown most famous men: Gunnlaug the Masterful had sworn this oath, never to deny to any man a berth in his ship, if so be his life lay thereon; and Sigurd the Sage had sworn never to reward good with evil.
So Ketil told his sons of the fall of Hakon, and bade them fare to Iceland and revenge his shame, and slay Thorgrim the Proud.
They came into this tardily, yet for the prayer’s sake of their father they went; but as soon as they came into the main sea there drave a storm down on them, and a mighty wind, and they weltered about right up to winter-nights. They came on Snowfellness amidst a great fog, and struck on Onverdaness, and were wrecked; so all men got a-land alive, but of the goods was little saved.
Now Thorgrim heard hereof, and who the men were, and rode to meet them, and bade them home to him with all their men; and they took that joyfully, and abode there the winter through.
