Автор литература - Njal's Saga

Glum was willing enough to do that. So Thorarin went down to the

south of that district, and Glum and his wife stayed behind

there, and lived in the house at Varmalek.

Now Hallgerda got a household about her; she was prodigal in

giving, and grasping in getting. In the summer she gave birth to

a girl. Glum asked her what name it was to have?

“She shall be called after my father’s mother, and her name shall

be Thorgerda,” for she came down from Sigurd Fafnir’s-bane on the

father’s side, according to the family pedigree.

So the maiden was sprinkled with water, and had this name given

her, and there she grew up, and got like her mother in looks and

feature. Glum and Hallgerda agreed well together, and so it went

on for a while. About that time these tidings were heard from

the north and Bearfirth, how Swan had rowed out to fish in the

spring, and a great storm came down on him from the east, and how

he was driven ashore at Fishless, and he and his men were there

lost. But the fishermen who were at Kalback thought they saw

Swan go into the fell at Kalbackshorn, and that he was greeted

well; but some spoke against that story, and said there was

nothing in it. But this all knew that he was never seen again

either alive or dead. So when Hallgerda heard that, she thought

she had a great loss in her mother’s brother. Glum begged

Thorarin to change lands with him, but he said he would not;

“but,” said he, “if I outlive you, I mean to have Varmalek to

myself.” When Glum told this to Hallgerda, she said, “Thorarin

has indeed a right to expect this from us.”

15. THIOSTOLF GOES TO GLUM’S HOUSE

Thiostolf had beaten one of Hauskuld’s housecarles, so he drove

him away. He took his horse and weapons, and said to Hauskuld,

“Now, I will go away and never come back.”

“All will be glad at that,” says Hauskuld.

Thiostolf rode till he came to Varmalek, and there he got a

hearty welcome from Hallgerda, and not a bad one from Glum. He

told Hallgerda how her father had driven him away, and begged her

to give him her help and countenance. She answered him by

telling him she could say nothing about his staying there before

she had seen Glum about it.

“Does it go well between you?” he says.

“Yes,” she says, “our love runs smooth enough.”

After that she went to speak to Glum, and threw her arms round

his neck and said, “Wilt thou grant me a boon which I wish to ask

of thee?”

“Grant it I will,” he says, “if it be right and seemly; but what

is it thou wishest to ask?”

“Well,” she said, “Thiostolf has been driven away from the west,

and what I want thee to do is to let him stay here; but I will

not take it crossly if it is not to thy mind.”

Glum said, “Now that thou behavest so well, I will grant thee thy

boon; but I tell thee, if he takes to any ill he shall be sent

off at once.”

She goes then to Thiostolf and tells him, and he answered, “Now,

thou art still good, as I had hoped.”

After that he was there, and kept himself down a little while,

but then it was the old story, he seemed to spoil all the good he

found; for he gave way to no one save to Hallgerda alone, but she

never took his side in his brawls with others. Thorarin, Glum’s

brother, blamed him for letting him be there, and said ill luck

would come of it, and all would happen as had happened before if

he were there. Glum answered him well and kindly, but still kept

on in his own way.

16. GLUM’S SHEEP HUNT

Now once on a time when autumn came, it happened that men had

hard work to get their flocks home, and many of Glum’s wethers

were missing. Then Glum said to Thiostolf, “Go thou up on the

fell with my housecarles and see if ye cannot find out anything

about the sheep.”

“‘Tis no business of mine,” says Thiostolf, “to hunt up sheep,

and this one thing is quite enough to hinder it. I won’t walk in

thy thralls’ footsteps. But go thyself, and then I’ll go with

thee.”

About this they had many words. The weather was good, and

Hallgerda was sitting out of doors. Glum went up to her and

said, “Now Thiostolf and I have had a quarrel, and we shall not

live much longer together.” And so he told her all that they had

been talking about.

Then Hallgerda spoke up for Thiostolf, and they had many words

about him. At last Glum gave her a blow with his hand, and said,

“I will strive no longer with thee,” and with that he went away.

Now she loved him much, and could not calm herself, but wept out

loud. Thiostolf went up to her and said, “This is sorry sport

for thee, and so it must not be often again.”

“Nay,” she said, “but thou shalt not avenge this, nor meddle at

all whatever passes between Glum and me.”

He went off with a spiteful grin.

17. GLUM’S SLAYING

Now Glum called men to follow him, and Thiostolf got ready and

went with them. So they went up South Reykiardale and then up

along by Baugagil and so south to Crossfell. But some of his

band he sent to the Sulafells, and they all found very many

sheep. Some of them, too, went by way of Scoradale, and it came

about at last that those twain, Glum and Thiostolf, were left

alone together. They went south from Crossfell and found there a

flock of wild sheep, and they went from the south towards the

fell, and tried to drive them down; but still the sheep got away

from them up on the fell. Then each began to scold the other,

and Thiostolf said at last that Glum had no strength save to

tumble about in Hallgerda’s arms.

Then Glum said, “`A man’s foes are those of his own house.’

Shall I take upbraiding from thee, runaway thrall as thou art?”

Thiostolf said, “Thou shalt soon have to own that I am no thrall,

for I will not yield an inch to thee.”

Then Glum got angry, and cut at him with his hand-axe, but he

threw his axe in the way, and the blow fell on the haft with a

downward stroke and bit into it about the breadth of two fingers.

Thiostolf cut at him at once with his axe, and smote him on the

shoulder, and the stroke hewed asunder the shoulderbone and

collarbone, and the wound bled inwards. Glum grasped at

Thiostolf with his left hand so fast, that he fell; but Glum

could not hold him, for death came over him. Then Thiostolf

covered his body with stones, and took off his gold ring. Then

he went straight to Varmalek. Hallgerda was sitting out of

doors, and saw that his axe was bloody. He said, “I know not

what thou wilt think of it, but I tell thee Glum is slain.”

“That must be thy deed,” she says.

“So it is,” he says.

She laughed and said, “Thou dost not stand for nothing in this

sport.”

“What thinkest thou is best to be done now?” he asked.

“Go to Hrut, my father’s brother,” she said, “and let him see

about thee.”

“I do not know,” says Thiostolf, “whether this is good advice;

but still I will take thy counsel in this matter.”

So he took his horse, and rode west to Hrutstede that night. He

binds his horse at the back of the house, and then goes round to

the door, and gives a great knock. After that he walks round the

house, north about. It happened that Hrut was awake. He sprang

up at once, and put on his jerkin and pulled on his shoes. Then