Part 4

In the saga of Hervör [Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks], Odainsakur is mentioned, and there without any visible addition of Christian elements. Gudmund (Goðmundr) was the name of a king in Jötunheim. His home was called Grund, but the district in which it was situated was called the Glittering Plains (Glæsisvellir). He was wise and mighty, and in a heathen sense pious, and he and his men became so old that they lived many generations. Therefore, the story continues, the heathens believed that Odainsakur was situated in his country. "That place (Odainsakur) is for everyone who comes there so healthy that sickness and age depart, and no one ever dies there."

According to the saga-author, Jötunheim is situated north from Hálogaland, along the shores of Gandvík. The wise and mighty Gudmund died after he had lived half a thousand years. After his death the people worshipped him as a god, and offered sacrifices to him.

The same Gudmund is mentioned in Bósa saga ok Herrauðs, as a ruler of the Glittering Plains, who was very skilful in the magic arts. The Glittering Plains are here said to be situated near Bjarmaland, just as in Þorsteins þáttur Bæjarmagns, in which king Gudmund's kingdom, Glittering Plains, is a country tributary to Jötunheim, whose ruler is Geirröðr.

In the history of Ólafr Tryggvason, as it is given in Flateyjarbók, the following episode is incorporated [Helga þáttur Þórissonar]. The Northman Helgi Þórisson was sent on a commercial journey to the far North on the coast of Finmark, but he got lost in a great forest. There he met twelve red-clad young maidens on horseback, and the horses' trappings shone like gold. The chief one of the maidens was Ingibjörg, the daughter of Gudmund on the Glittering Plains. The young maidens raised a splendid tent and set a table with dishes of silver and gold. Helgi was invited to remain, and he stayed three days with Ingibjörg. Then Gudmund's daughters got ready to leave; but before they parted Helgi received from Ingibjörg two chests full of gold and silver. With these he returned to his father, but mentioned to nobody how he had obtained them. The next Yule night there came a great storm, during which two men carried Helgi away, none knew whither. His sorrowing father reported this to Ólafr Trygggvason. The year passed. Then it happened at Yule that Helgi came in to the king in the hall, and with him two strangers, who handed Ólafr two gold-plated horns. They said they were gifts from Gudmund on the Glittering Plains. Ólafr filled the horns with good drink and handed them to the messengers. Meanwhile he had commanded the bishop who was present to bless the drink. The result was that the heathen beings, who were Gudmund's messengers, cast the horns away, and at the same time there was great noise and confusion in the hall. The fire was extinguished, and Gudmund's men disappeared with Helgi, after having slain three of King Ólafr's men. Another year passed. Then there came to the king two men, who brought Helgi with them, and disappeared again. Helgi was at that time blind. The king asked him many questions, and Helgi explained that he had spent most happy days at Gudmund's; but King Ólafr's prayers had at length made it difficult for Gudmund and his daughter to retain him, and before his departure Ingibjörg picked his eyes out, in order that Norway's daughters should not fall in love with them. With his gifts Gudmund had intended to deceive King Ólafr; but upon the whole Helgi had nothing but good to report about this heathen.