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Viga-Glum's Saga

CHAPTER XXI

ONE day Arngrim asked Steinolf if he would go down with him to Grund to a club-feast, and stay two or three nights. He replied, “I will stay at home now and go some other time when you are here.” Arngrim expressed a hope that he would wait for his return, if he would not accompany him, and he went on to Grund, but Steinolf stayed over the night. In the morning Steinolf was sitting by the fire, with some work in hand; it was a certain casket which belonged to the lady of the house. At that moment Arngrim returned home with Thorvald the crooked, and as they came into the sitting-room Steinolf was bending down over his work. Then Arngrim struck him on the head in such a way as to cause his death; but the mistress of the house came up to him and exclaimed, “Wretch that thou are to strike this blow! This is the work of wiser men than thou art; but from this day I will never be they wife.” She went to the house of Arnor Kerlingarnef and never came together with Arngrim again; but before she rode off she said, “It will be some consolation, Arngrim, that your days are to be few, for those which are to come will be worse for you.” Afterwards she became the wife of Asgrim, Ellidagrim’s son.
Arngrim and Thorvald rode to Espihole and told Thorarin what had happened, asking for his protection, and adding that whilst they had neither the wisdom nor the popularity to hold their own against Glum, he (Thorarin) had abundance of both. He replied to them and said that the deed seemed to be bad, and one from which apprehended evil consequences. Thorvald thought it was no use to find fault with what had been done, and that if he did not support them, he would soon have greater difficulties on his hands. They hoped to get other people to help them, if he would speak on their behalf. “My counsel,” says Thorarin, “is that you should both remove from Grund and Mödrufell, and that we should collect men as soon as we may, and join our households together, before Glum is informed of it.” They did this before Glum heard what had occurred; but when he learnt it he assembled his people, who proceeded to attack them. However, there was no opportunity for doing so with effect, as the men of Espihole had the larger force, and so they remained quiet for the winter. Glum, on the other hand, was never to be got at; he was so cautious about himself that he never slept in the bed which had been prepared for him. Very often he rested little at night, but he and Márr walked up and down and talked about lawsuits. One night Márr asked him how he had slept, and Glum answered by a stanza--

“ ‘Mid all this strife and tumult now
Sleep doth mine eyelids flee.
These men will find it hard, I trow,
To make their peace with me,

Before upon their crests shall ring
My sword in battle-fray.
I’ve slain men for a small thing,
And why not these, I pray?

Now I will tell you of my dream. Methought I went out of the homestead here by myself and without arms, and Thorarin seemed to come at me with a large whetstone in his hand, and I felt ill prepared for our meeting; but whilst I was thinking about it I saw another whetstone lying close by me, so I cuaght it up and attacked him, and when we met either tried to strike the other, but the two stones came against one another and there was a tremendous crash.” “Was it such,” asked Márr, “as might be considered a conflict between the two houses?” “More than that,” replied Glum. “Did it seem that it might represent a conflict between the two districts?” “Yes,” said Glum, “the omen may well be reckoned such, for I thought the crash could be heard all over the district, and when I woke I sung as follows

“I thought this night to see in sleep
that chief, who o’er the sea
guides the fierce raven of the deep,
Smite with a stone at me.

“The lord of Limafirth’s broad strand
Came on in all his pride,
I met him fearless hand to hand
And dash’d the blow aside.

Márr observed it was very likely the old saying would come true, “Each of you will smite the other with and evil stone before it is over.” “Yes,” said Glum, “it is not improbable; there are many bodings tending that way. There is another dream to tell you. Methought I was standing out of doors, and that I saw two women who had a trough between them, and they took their stations at Hrisateig and sprinkled the whole district with blood. I woke up, and I think this portends something which is to happen. Then I sung these verses--

“The gods--methought, they swept along
Across the path of men.
the clash of swords and the javelin’s song
We shall hear full soon again.

“I saw the maids of carnage stand,
In grim and vengeful mood,
As the battle rag’d, and they drench’d the land
In slaughter’d warriors blood.”

That morning Márr rode to Mödrufell, with seventeen other men, to summon Arngrim for the death of Steinolf; but Glum remained at home with five men besides himself, and told them to be quick in getting back again. In the house with Glum were Jöd, and Eyiolf, the son of Thorleif the tall, Thorvald Tafalld, Glum’s nephew, and two thralls.

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