Viking Tales of the North
The Saga of Thorstein Viking's Son
Chapter XIX
Now our saga must turn to Thorstein at the time when he was returning
home from his warfare, bound for Grim the bonde, for his brother Thorer
resided in that island. Jokul got news of Thorstein’s voyages. He spoke
to Ogautan, asking him to try his tricks and by witchcraft bring about
a storm against Thorstein, in order that he might be drowned, together
with all his men. Ogautan said he would try, mo matter what the result
might be. Then, with his incantations, he caused so tremendous a storm
against Thorstein that his ships were wrecked amid the tumultuous waves,
and all his crew perished. Thorstein held out well a long time, but at
last he became tired of swimming, and then he had reached the surf and
was beginning to sink down. At this moment he saw an old woman, of very
great stature, wading from the shore out toward him. She wore a shriveled
skin-cloak, which fell to her feet in front, but was very short behind,
and her face was very large and like that of a monster. She stepped over
to him and, seizing him up from the sea, said: Will you accept life from
me, Thorstein? Answered he: Why should I not, or what is your name Said
she: My name is uncommon; it is Skellenefja; but you will have to make
some sacrifice in return for your life. Said he: What is it? Made answer
she That you grant me the favor that I ask of you. Said thorstein: You
will ask nothing from me that will not bring me good luck; but when shall
the favor be granted: Answered she: Not yet. Then she bore him ashore,
and now he had come to that island governed by Grim. She then wrestled
with him till he grew warm, whereupon they parted, each wishing to the
other success. Then she walked on, for she said she had other places to
call at. But Thorstein went home to the byre, and his meeting there with
his brother was the cause of great joy to both of them; and so Thorstein
remained there during the winter, and very much was made of him. Now we
must turn to Jokul and Ogautan as they were sailing homeward. One very
fine day it happened that their ship was suddenly shrouded in darkness,
accompanied by such a biting frost and cold that nobody on board dared
to turn his face against the wind. They covered their faces with their
clothes; but when the weather had cleared off again they saw Ogautan hanging
in the hole of the mast-head, and he was dead. Jokul looked upon his death
as a great loss, and returning to his kingdom he remained quite. Early
the next spring Thorstein and Thorer busked themselves for a voyage, intending
to visit their father, Viking; and when they came as far as to Deep River,
before they knew of it, Jokul came there to them with thirty men. A combat
between them straightway began. Jokul was very eager in the fight, and
so was his brother Grim. Thorer and thorstein defended themselves bravely,
and a long time passed before these brothers received any wounds from
Jokul and his men, for not only did Thorstein deal heavy blows, but Angervadil
also bit iron as well as cloth. Thorer defended himself excellently, although
he did not have his kesia, which he had left at home. He and Grim met,
and they fought very bravely; still the end of the fight was that Grim
fell to the ground, dead. By this time Thorstein had slain eighteen men,
but, as might be expected, he was both tired and wounded, and so was Thorer.
Then the brothers turned their backs together and still defended themselves
well. Now Jokul, with his eleven men, pursued them and made so valiant
an attack that Thorer fell. Then Thorstein defended himself manfully until
there remained no more than Jokul and three of his men. But then Jokul
stabbed Thorstein with his sword, wounding him in the upper part of the
thigh; and Jokul being a strong man, and bearing on the sword with all
his might while he stabbed him, thorstein, who was very tired, and was
standing on the very edge of the riverbank, fell down from the crag, while
it was all that Jokul could do to stop himself so that he did not fall
also. After this Jokul went home, thinking he had slain Thorstein and
Thorer; and having come home he remained quiet. But now it is to be told
of Thorstein, that he, having fallen from the crag, alighted upon a grassy
spot among the rocks; but, being tired and wounded, he was unable to more,
and yet he was in his full senses after he had fallen. Angervadil fell
out of his hand and down into the river. Thorstein was lying there betwixt
life and death, and expecting soon to breathe his last. But before he
had lain thus very long he saw Skellinefja coming; she was clad in her
skin-gown, and looked no fairer than before. She approached the place
where Thorstein was lying, and said: it seem to me, Thorstein, that your
misfortunes will never come to an end, and now you seem already to be
breathing your last, or will you now grant me the favor upon which we
formerly agreed: Said Thorstein: I do not now find myself able to render
much of any service to you. Made answer she: My request is that you promise
to marry me, and then I will try to heal your wounds. Said Thorstein:
I do not know as I had better make that promise, for to me you look like
a monster. Said she: Still you have your choice between these two things.
You must either marry me or lose your life; and in the latter case, you
break, in the bargain, the oath which you swore to me when you pledged
yourself to grant my favor after I had saved you at Grim’s Island. Said
Thorstein: There is much truth in your words, and it is better to keep
one’s promise; hence I vow that I will marry you, and you will prove to
be my best helper in time of need; still I should like to stipulate with
you that you get me my sword back, so that I may wear it in case my life
is prolonged. Says she: So be it. And having taken him up in her skin-gown,
she leaped, as if quite unencumbered, up over the crags and proceeded
until a large cave was before them. Having entered the cave, she bandaged
Thorstein’s wounds and laid him on a soft bed, and within seven nights
he was almost healed. One day Skellinefja had left he cave, and in he
evening she came back with the sword, which was then dripping wet, and
she gave it to thorstein. Said she: Now I have saved your life twice and
given you your sword back, of which you are fonder than of aught else;
and a fourth thing, which is of great importance to both of us, is that
I hanged Ogautan. And yet you have completely rewarded me, for you have
delivered me from the spell-bound condition into which Ogautan enchanted
me. My name is Ingeborg; I am the daughter of king Skate and the sister
of Bele, but my only means of delivery from bondage was that some man
of noble birth should promise to marry me. Now you have done this, and
I am freed form bondage. Now you must busk yourself for leaving he cave
and follow my advices, and you will find my brother Bele and four men
with him. Among the latter will be his land-warden, Thorgrim Kobbe. From
Jokul they have received some money. Offered as a price for your head,
and they will being a battle with you. I do not care if you do kill Thorgrim
and his companions, but spare the life of my brother Bele, for I should
like to have you become his foster-brother; and if you have a mind to
marry me, then go with him home to Sogn and woo me. I shall be there before
you, and it may be that I will look otherwise to you then that now. Then
they parted, and he had not gone far before he met Bele, accompanied by
four men, and, at their meeting, Thorgrim said: It is good, Thorstein,
that we have found each other. Now we shall try to win the price put upon
your head by Jokul. Said Thorstein: it seems possible to me that you may
lose the fee and forfeit your life too.
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