The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald [10]
tree may woo not -- Two wearisome morrows her outcast. And it slays me, at home to be sitting, So set is my heart on its goddess, As a lawn with fair linen made lovely -- I can linger no third morrow's morn."
After that, Cormac went one day to Reykir and talked with Skeggi, who said the holmgang had been brought to scorn. Then answered Cormac: --
(33) "Forget it, O Frey of the helmet, -- Lo, I frame thee a song in atonement -- That the bringer of blood, even Skofnung, I bare thee so strangely belated. For by stirrers of storm was I wounded; They smote me where perches the falcon: But the blade that I borrowed, O Skeggi, Was borne in the clashing of edges.
(34) I had deemed, O thou Grey of fighting, Of the fierce song of Odin, -- my neighbour, I had deemed that a brand meet for bloodshed I bare to the crossways of slaughter. Nay, -- thy glaive, it would gape not nor ravin Against him, the rover who robbed me: And on her, as the surge on the shingle, My soul beats and breaks evermore."
CHAPTER TWELVE Bersi's Bad Luck At The Thor's-Ness Thing.
In the winter, sports were held at Saurbae. Bersi's lad, Asmund, was there, and likewise the sons of Thord; but they were younger than he, and nothing like so sturdy. When they wrestled Asmund took no heed to stint his strength, and the sons of Thord often came home blue and bleeding. Their mother Thordis was ill pleased, and asked her husband would he give Bersi a hint to make it up on behalf of his son. Nay, Thord answered, he was loath to do that.
"Then I'll find my brother Bork," said she, "and it will be just as bad in the end."
Thord bade her do no such thing. "I would rather talk it over with him," said he; and so, at her wish, he met Bersi, and hinted that some amends were owing.
Said Bersi, "Thou art far too greedy of getting, nowadays. This kind of thing will end in losing thee thy good name. Thou wilt never want while anything is to be got here."
Thord went home, and there was a coolness between them while that winter lasted.
Spring slipped by, until it was time for the meeting at Thor's- ness. By then, Bersi thought he saw through this claim of Thord's, and found Thordis at the bottom of it. For all that, he made ready to go to the Thing. By old use and wont these two neighbours should have gone riding together; so Bersi set out and came to Muli, but when he got there Thord was gone.
"Well," said he, "Thord has broken old use and wont in awaiting me no longer."
"If breach there be," answered Thordis, "it is thy doing. This is nothing to what we owe thee, and I doubt there will be more to follow."
They had words. Bersi said that harm would come of her evil counsel; and so they parted.
When he left the house he said to his men, "Let us turn aside to the shore and take a boat; it is a long way to ride round the waterhead." So they took a boat -- it was one of Thord's -- and went their way.
They came to the meeting when most other folks were already there, and went to the tent of Olaf Peacock of Hjardarholt (Herdholt), for he was Bersi's chief. It was crowded inside, and Bersi found no seat. He used to sit next Thord, but that place was filled. In it there sat a big and strong-looking man, with a bear-skin coat, and a hood that shaded his face. Bersi stood a while before him, but the seat was not given up. He asked the man for his name, and was told he might call him Bruin, or he might call him Hoodie -- which-ever he liked; whereupon he said in verse: --
(35) "Who sits in the seat of the warriors, With the skin of the bear wrapped around him, So wild in his look? -- Ye have welcomed A wolf to your table, good kinsfolk! Ah, now may I know him, I reckon! Doth he name himself Bruin, or Hoodie? -- We shall meet once again in the morning, And maybe he'll prove to be -- Steinar."
"And it's no use for thee to hide
After that, Cormac went one day to Reykir and talked with Skeggi, who said the holmgang had been brought to scorn. Then answered Cormac: --
(33) "Forget it, O Frey of the helmet, -- Lo, I frame thee a song in atonement -- That the bringer of blood, even Skofnung, I bare thee so strangely belated. For by stirrers of storm was I wounded; They smote me where perches the falcon: But the blade that I borrowed, O Skeggi, Was borne in the clashing of edges.
(34) I had deemed, O thou Grey of fighting, Of the fierce song of Odin, -- my neighbour, I had deemed that a brand meet for bloodshed I bare to the crossways of slaughter. Nay, -- thy glaive, it would gape not nor ravin Against him, the rover who robbed me: And on her, as the surge on the shingle, My soul beats and breaks evermore."
CHAPTER TWELVE Bersi's Bad Luck At The Thor's-Ness Thing.
In the winter, sports were held at Saurbae. Bersi's lad, Asmund, was there, and likewise the sons of Thord; but they were younger than he, and nothing like so sturdy. When they wrestled Asmund took no heed to stint his strength, and the sons of Thord often came home blue and bleeding. Their mother Thordis was ill pleased, and asked her husband would he give Bersi a hint to make it up on behalf of his son. Nay, Thord answered, he was loath to do that.
"Then I'll find my brother Bork," said she, "and it will be just as bad in the end."
Thord bade her do no such thing. "I would rather talk it over with him," said he; and so, at her wish, he met Bersi, and hinted that some amends were owing.
Said Bersi, "Thou art far too greedy of getting, nowadays. This kind of thing will end in losing thee thy good name. Thou wilt never want while anything is to be got here."
Thord went home, and there was a coolness between them while that winter lasted.
Spring slipped by, until it was time for the meeting at Thor's- ness. By then, Bersi thought he saw through this claim of Thord's, and found Thordis at the bottom of it. For all that, he made ready to go to the Thing. By old use and wont these two neighbours should have gone riding together; so Bersi set out and came to Muli, but when he got there Thord was gone.
"Well," said he, "Thord has broken old use and wont in awaiting me no longer."
"If breach there be," answered Thordis, "it is thy doing. This is nothing to what we owe thee, and I doubt there will be more to follow."
They had words. Bersi said that harm would come of her evil counsel; and so they parted.
When he left the house he said to his men, "Let us turn aside to the shore and take a boat; it is a long way to ride round the waterhead." So they took a boat -- it was one of Thord's -- and went their way.
They came to the meeting when most other folks were already there, and went to the tent of Olaf Peacock of Hjardarholt (Herdholt), for he was Bersi's chief. It was crowded inside, and Bersi found no seat. He used to sit next Thord, but that place was filled. In it there sat a big and strong-looking man, with a bear-skin coat, and a hood that shaded his face. Bersi stood a while before him, but the seat was not given up. He asked the man for his name, and was told he might call him Bruin, or he might call him Hoodie -- which-ever he liked; whereupon he said in verse: --
(35) "Who sits in the seat of the warriors, With the skin of the bear wrapped around him, So wild in his look? -- Ye have welcomed A wolf to your table, good kinsfolk! Ah, now may I know him, I reckon! Doth he name himself Bruin, or Hoodie? -- We shall meet once again in the morning, And maybe he'll prove to be -- Steinar."
"And it's no use for thee to hide