Færeyinga Saga
Introduction
Now we take up the second tale,
Northward to Swiney fast they sail.
In Swiney there dwells a mighty man,
And Franklin Bearney is his name.
Sigmund seaward his course will keep, (21)
And the ship she well-nigh sunk in the deep,
The waves they broke in the race so hard,
But Sigmund was not a whit afeard.
Sigmund up Swiney firth he stood,
The strakes they buckled like hoops of wood;
The strakes they buckled like hoops of wood,
The iron grew black as the black peat-sod; (22)
They cast their anchor all in the white sand,
And Sigmund first set foot on the land.
Harold fell on his bended knee,
"Fast brother, let me come with thee!"
"Thou shalt not come with me this time,
But thou shalt keep this ship of mine."
When they came to the franklin's yard
All the household were sleeping hard;
Sigmund he drew out his knife so thin,
And nimbly back he slipt the pin.
"O I never have been in Swiney afore,
And now I must break in the goodman's door!"
Bearne knew nought of what should betide
Till Sigmund stood at his bedside.
The goodwife she stood up in her smock,
"It is ill of an old man to make your mock;
"It is ill of an old man to make your game;
To slay an old man will do you shame!"
"If Bearne will but christened be,
He gets neither harm nor hurt from me.
"Why to seek me here art thou come?
It is Össur that sits in thy father's room!"
"Bearne, come out on the green grass plain,
Show me how my father was slain."
"Thrond he would thy father kill,
It was not done with my goodwill."
This was the goodman's foremost word,
He bade them spread a cloth on the board.
They spread the board with clothes so fine,
Of silken stuff and scarlet twine.
This was the goodman's second word,
He bade them set the meat on the board.
Dishes seven on the board they laid,
A bullock's loin and cakes of bread.
This was the goodman's third good word,
He bade them set the drink on the board.
They bore in the drink so fine
Ale in cups and mead and wine.
Of game and glee no lack was there,
Sigmund and Bearne drank in a pair.
They made merry with game and play,
They danced and drank for nine long days.
Before that Sigmund his leave has ta'en,
He has christened Bearne and all his men.
III.
Now we will take up the thirdmost tale.
Southward to Dimun fast they sail.
In Dimun there lives a mighty man,
Franklin Össur is his name.
Sigmund up Skuvey ford he stood,
And the strakes they buckled like hoops of wood.
"O there stand rocks so cruel to behold,
Between the islands east we will hold."
"West at Ratt we will make the land,
There is ever a goodly strand."
Sigmund went on the left-hand board,
And stood hard under Greeny-score.
Torbeorn (23) caught Sigmund by the hand,
"Fast-brother, let me be the first to land!"
"I will not let thee land this time,
But thou shalt watch this ship of mine."
Sigmund took a line in his hand,
His ready spear he cast to the land;
He shot up to the green, green field,
But the spear-point down on the rock it yelled. (24)
The cliff stood thirty fathoms high,
But Sigmund drew himself up in a line.
Two strong men were walking the path,
Both of them there have gotten their death.
Sigmund made neither stop nor stay
Till he was come to Scoreshay.
Goodwife Gudrun came in at the door:
"I saw a tall man on the path from the shore.
"Fair he was of growth to see,
And the gold it shone on his arm so free."
"Didst see a tall man coming this way?
Was it not here at Yule he lay?
"Didst see a tall man on the path to the west?
It needs must be an unknown guest!"
"It was not here at Yule he lay;
It is no time now to sleep, I say."
Össur fetches his nine bags out
And barrels four that he had got;
He dealt out the weapons to every man,
To the hold with his nine men he ran;
Nine men and twelve in brass,
And they shall keep the hold so fast.
Össur stood in the gate of his hold,
And a broad axe in his hand he bore.
"Össur, come out on the green, green plain,
And show me where my father was slain!"
"I gave thee life, and that was well:
It was Thrond that would thy father kill."
Sigmund brandished his sword on high:
"Thou art putting thyself in jeopardy!
"Wilt thou, Össur, but christened be,
Thou gettest nor harm nor hurt from me."
Sigmund turned him back and fro,
Every turn a man he slew;
Sigmund turned him back and fro,
East (25) of the hold a man he slew;
East of the hold he slew a man,
Össur stood and looked thereon;
Össur stood and looked thereon:
"There shall no more go as he has gone."
Verily it was no child's play
When Sigmund and Össur met that day.
They fought together for long days twain,
Neither could yet the mastery gain;
They fought together for long days three,
Neither could make the other flee.
But when the third day's eve was come,
Sigmund gave Össur a deadly wound.
"Now I shall take to a trick I know,
King Olave he taught it me long ago."
Both front and back he smote a stroke,
And Össur's good right hand off he took.
He shifted his shield and sword in the air, (26)
And he smote off the foot and the hand as well.
Össur spoke in his wounds as he lay,
"I never thought to have died this way!"
Össur spoke in his sore distress,
"Bear me out to the rock at the west!"
This was Össur's latest word,
"My head shall be turned to Greeny-score,
"My feet lie in and my head lie out,
That I may look on the shore about;
"And this is the rede thou shalt take from me,
West on the rocks thou yet shalt lie." (27)
Now Sigmund sits in Skuvey so blithe,
But Thrond he lay in wait for his life.
Sigmund lived in honour good,
But evil men they sought his blood.
For the love of God and his own good worth
Sigmund must swim the Southrey firth;
He won to the Southreys in evil hour,
And Thore hound was his murderer. (28)
North in Skuvey was Sigmund bred,
But in Qualwick they did him to death;
South in Southrey he was slain,
And north in Skuvey was buried again.
Notes:
21. There seems a couplet lacking here in both the texts. [Back]
22. "Jarnager" is of doubtful meaning. Jón Thorkelsson would make it "hero." [Back]
23. This, of course, should be Thore, if the Saga be right. [Back]
24. The spear, with a line attached to it, caught in a rock cleft. [Back]
25. One text reads "west." [Back]
26. The ballad here preserves, under a corruption, the original feat of casting shield and sword in the air and shifting them as they fell. [Back]
27. This verse is doubtful, but occurs in one version. [Back]
28. Thorgrim ill, says the Saga. But the local tradition is not necessarily mistaken: it further declares he was called "dog," or "hound," because once, having no weapon to hand, he tore out a foe's throat with his teeth. [Back]
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