United States or North Korea ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
There could be no stronger or more successful way to repulse them; but only twenty men out of all the king's company were rescued by the intervention of this archery; the rest were torn in pieces by the monsters. The survivors returned to the river, and were ferried over by Gudmund, who entertained them at his house.
But when Thorir of Garth heard certain rumours of Grettir being in Bard-dale, he sent men for his head; then men gave him counsel to get him gone therefrom, so he took his way to the west. Now when he came to Maddervales to Gudmund the Rich, he prayed Gudmund for watch and ward; but Gudmund said he might not well keep him.
They wished to go over it, but Gudmund restrained them, telling them that by this channel nature had divided the world of men from the world of monsters, and that no mortal track might go further.
Gudmund perceived that Thorkill was shrewder than he at every point; so, despairing to accomplish his treachery, he carried them all across the further side of the river, and let them finish their journey. They went on; and saw, not far off, a gloomy, neglected town, looking more like a cloud exhaling vapour.
He took his way into the hall, for he had heard clamorous doings there as they were struggling together; he asked what was in the hall. Grettir named himself, "But who asks thereof?" quoth he. "Bardi am I hight," said the new comer. "Art thou Bardi, the son of Gudmund, from Asbiornsness?" "That very man am I," said Bardi; "but what art thou doing?"
Bardi Gudmundson was then eighteen winters old; he was a great and strong man. The sons of Olaf asked Bardi, their nephew, to go home with them, and added many pressing words to the invitation. Hall, the son of Gudmund, was not in Iceland then. Bardi took up their bidding gladly, for there was much love between those kinsmen. Bardi rode west from the Thing with the sons of Olaf.
Nor is it said in story that he and Kormak met ever again after these things betid. <i>How Grettir met Bardi, the Son of Gudmund, as he came back from the Heath-slayings</i>. Bardi, the son of Gudmund, and his brothers, rode home to Asbiornsness after their parting with Grettir. They were the sons of Gudmund, the son of Solmund.
Now Easter passed, and after that Kjartan and Olaf made ready a great feast. At the appointed time Asgeir and Kalf came from the north as well as Gudmund and Hall, and altogether there were sixty men. Olaf and Kjartan had already many men gathered together there. Kjartan was so merry at the feast that he entertained every one with his talk, telling of his journey.
Grettir said he did not know where such a place was. "There is an island," Gudmund said, "in Skagafjord, called Drangey. It is excellent for defence; no one can get up to it without a ladder. If once you can reach it there is no chance of any one attacking you there with arms or with craft, so long as you guard the ladder well." "That shall be tried," said Grettir.
Hervor proceeded to the court of King Gudmund, and there one day, as she was playing at tables with the king, one of the servants chanced to take up and draw Tirfing, which shone like a sunbeam. But Tirfing was never to see the light but for the bane of men, and Hervor, by a sudden impulse, sprang from her seat, snatched the sword, and struck off the head of the unfortunate man.
Word Of The Day