Grettir the Strong [82]
he is in a bad case whose life is entrusted to your keeping."
Glaum looked up and said: "They are going on as usual. Do you think my freedom such a great thing while I am lying here in the cold?"
Angle said: "Have you lost your wits? Don't you see that your enemies are upon you and about to kill you all?"
Glaum said nothing, but on recognising the men cried out as loud as he could.
"Do one thing or the other," said Angle; "either be silent this moment and tell me all about your household, or be killed."
Glaum was as silent as if he had been dipped in water.
Thorbjorn said: "Are the brothers in the hut? Why are they not about?"
"That would not be so easy," said Glaum, "for Grettir is sick and nigh to death and Illugi is sitting with him."
Thorbjorn asked about his condition, and what had happened. Then Glaum told him all about Grettir's wound.
Angle laughed and said: "True is the ancient saying that Old friends are the last to break away, and also this, that It is ill to have a thrall for your friend -- such a one as you, Glaum! You have shamefully betrayed your liege lord, though there was little good in him."
Then the others cast reproaches at him for his villainy; they beat him almost helpless and left him lying there. Then they went on to the hut and knocked violently at the door.
Illugi said: "Greybelly (1) is knocking at the door, brother."
"He is knocking rather loud," said Grettir; "most unmercifully." Then the door broke in pieces. Illugi rushed to his arms and defended the door so that they could not get in. They assailed it long, but could get nothing in but the points of their spears, all of which Illugi severed from their shafts. Seeing that they could do nothing, they sprang on to the roof and began to break it in. Then Grettir got on to his feet, seized a spear and thrust it between the rafters. It struck Kar, Halldor's man from Hof, and went right through him. Angle told them to go to work warily and be careful of themselves. "We shall only overcome them," he said, "if we act with caution."
Then they laid open the end of one of the timbers and bore upon it until it broke. Grettir was unable to rise from his knees, but he seized the sword Karsnaut at the moment when they all sprang in from the roof, and a mighty fray began. Grettir struck with his sword at Vikar, a man of Hjalti the son of Thord, reaching his left shoulder as he sprang from the roof. It passed across his shoulder, out under his right arm, and cut him right in two. His body fell in two parts on the top of Grettir and prevented him from recovering his sword as quickly as he wished, so that Thorbjorn Angle was able to wound him severely between the shoulders. Grettir said: "Bare is his back who has no brother!"
Illugi threw his shield before Grettir and defended him so valiantly that all men praised his prowess.
Grettir said to Angle: "Who showed you the way to the island?"
"Christ showed us the way," he said.
"I guess," said Grettir, "that it was the wicked old woman, your foster-mother, who showed you; hers were the counsels that you relied upon."
"It shall now be all the same to you," said Angle, "upon whom I relied."
They returned to the attack; Illugi defended himself and Grettir courageously, but Grettir was unfit for fighting, partly from his wounds, partly from his illness. Angle then ordered them to bear Illugi down with their shields, saying he had never met with his like amongst older men than he. They did so, and pressed upon him with a wall of armour against which resistance was impossible. They took him prisoner and kept him. He had wounded most of those who were attacking him and killed three. Then they went for Grettir, who had fallen forward on his face. There was no resistance in him for he was already dead from his wounded leg; his thigh was all mortified up to the rectum. Many more wounds they gave him, but little or no blood flowed.
When they thought he was quite dead Angle took hold of his sword, saying he had borne it long enough, but Grettir's fingers were so tightly locked around
Glaum looked up and said: "They are going on as usual. Do you think my freedom such a great thing while I am lying here in the cold?"
Angle said: "Have you lost your wits? Don't you see that your enemies are upon you and about to kill you all?"
Glaum said nothing, but on recognising the men cried out as loud as he could.
"Do one thing or the other," said Angle; "either be silent this moment and tell me all about your household, or be killed."
Glaum was as silent as if he had been dipped in water.
Thorbjorn said: "Are the brothers in the hut? Why are they not about?"
"That would not be so easy," said Glaum, "for Grettir is sick and nigh to death and Illugi is sitting with him."
Thorbjorn asked about his condition, and what had happened. Then Glaum told him all about Grettir's wound.
Angle laughed and said: "True is the ancient saying that Old friends are the last to break away, and also this, that It is ill to have a thrall for your friend -- such a one as you, Glaum! You have shamefully betrayed your liege lord, though there was little good in him."
Then the others cast reproaches at him for his villainy; they beat him almost helpless and left him lying there. Then they went on to the hut and knocked violently at the door.
Illugi said: "Greybelly (1) is knocking at the door, brother."
"He is knocking rather loud," said Grettir; "most unmercifully." Then the door broke in pieces. Illugi rushed to his arms and defended the door so that they could not get in. They assailed it long, but could get nothing in but the points of their spears, all of which Illugi severed from their shafts. Seeing that they could do nothing, they sprang on to the roof and began to break it in. Then Grettir got on to his feet, seized a spear and thrust it between the rafters. It struck Kar, Halldor's man from Hof, and went right through him. Angle told them to go to work warily and be careful of themselves. "We shall only overcome them," he said, "if we act with caution."
Then they laid open the end of one of the timbers and bore upon it until it broke. Grettir was unable to rise from his knees, but he seized the sword Karsnaut at the moment when they all sprang in from the roof, and a mighty fray began. Grettir struck with his sword at Vikar, a man of Hjalti the son of Thord, reaching his left shoulder as he sprang from the roof. It passed across his shoulder, out under his right arm, and cut him right in two. His body fell in two parts on the top of Grettir and prevented him from recovering his sword as quickly as he wished, so that Thorbjorn Angle was able to wound him severely between the shoulders. Grettir said: "Bare is his back who has no brother!"
Illugi threw his shield before Grettir and defended him so valiantly that all men praised his prowess.
Grettir said to Angle: "Who showed you the way to the island?"
"Christ showed us the way," he said.
"I guess," said Grettir, "that it was the wicked old woman, your foster-mother, who showed you; hers were the counsels that you relied upon."
"It shall now be all the same to you," said Angle, "upon whom I relied."
They returned to the attack; Illugi defended himself and Grettir courageously, but Grettir was unfit for fighting, partly from his wounds, partly from his illness. Angle then ordered them to bear Illugi down with their shields, saying he had never met with his like amongst older men than he. They did so, and pressed upon him with a wall of armour against which resistance was impossible. They took him prisoner and kept him. He had wounded most of those who were attacking him and killed three. Then they went for Grettir, who had fallen forward on his face. There was no resistance in him for he was already dead from his wounded leg; his thigh was all mortified up to the rectum. Many more wounds they gave him, but little or no blood flowed.
When they thought he was quite dead Angle took hold of his sword, saying he had borne it long enough, but Grettir's fingers were so tightly locked around