The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald [11]
thy name, thou in the bearskin," said he.
"No more it is," he answered. "Steinar I am, and I have brought money to pay thee for Cormac, if so be it is needed. But first I bid thee to fight. It will have to be seen whether thou get the two marks of silver, or whether thou lose them both."
Upon which quoth Bersi: --
(36) "They that waken the storm of the spear-points -- For slaughter and strife they are famous -- To the island they bid me for battle, Nor bitter I think it nor woeful; For long in that craft am I learned To loosen the Valkyrie's tempest In the lists, and I fear not to fight them -- Unflinching in battle am I.
"Well I wot, though," said he, "that ye and your gang mean to make away with me. But I would let you know that I too have something to say about it -- something that will set down your swagger, maybe."
"It is not thy death we are seeking," answered Steinar; "all we want is to teach thee thy true place."
Bersi agreed to fight him, and then went out to a tent apart and took up his abode there.
Now one day the word went round for bathing in the sea. Said Steinar to Bersi, "Wilt try a race with me, Bersi?"
"I have given over swimming," said he, "and yet I'll try."
Bersi's manner of swimming was to breast the waves and strike out with all his might. In so doing he showed a charm he wore round his neck. Steinar swam at him and tore off the lucky-stone with the bag it was in, and threw them both into the water, saying in verse: --
(37) "Long I've lived, And I've let the gods guide me; Brown hose I never wore To bring the luck beside me. I've never knit All to keep me thriving Round my neck a bag of worts, -- And lo! I'm living!"
Upon that they struck out to land.
But this turn that Steinar played was Thord's trick to make Bersi lose his luck in the fight. And Thord went along the shore at low water and found the luck-stone, and hid it away.
Now Steinar had a sword that was called after Skrymir the giant: it was never fouled, and no mishap followed it. On the day fixed, Thord and Steinar went out of the tent, and Cormac also came to the meeting to hold the shield of Steinar. Olaf Peacock got men to help Bersi at the fight, for Thord had been used to hold his shield, but this time failed him. So Bersi went to the trysting-place with a shield-bearer who is not named in the story, and with the round target that once had belonged to Thorveig.
Each man was allowed three shields. Bersi cut up two, and then Cormac took the third. Bersi hacked away, but Whitting his sword stuck fast in the iron border of Steinar's shield. Cormac whirled it up just when Steinar was striking out. He struck the shield-edge, and the sword glanced off, slit Bersi's buttock, sliced his thigh down to the knee-joint, and stuck in the bone. And so Bersi fell.
"There!" cried Steinar, "Cormac's fine is paid."
But Bersi leapt up, slashed at him, and clove his shield. The sword-point was at Steinar's breast when Thord rushed forth and dragged him away, out of reach.
"There!" cried Thord to Bersi, "I have paid thee for the mauling of my sons."
So Bersi was carried to the tent, and his wound was dressed. After a while, Thord came in; and when Bersi saw him he said: --
(38) "When the wolf of the war-god was howling Erstwhile in the north, thou didst aid me: When it gaped in my hand, and it girded At the Valkyries' gate for to enter. But now wilt thou never, O warrior, At need in the storm-cloud of Odin Give me help in the tempest of targes -- Untrusty, unfaithful art thou.
(39) "For when I was a stripling I showed me To the stems of the lightning of battle Right meet for the mist of the war-maids; -- Ah me! that was said long ago. But now, and I may not deny it My neighbours in earth must entomb me, At the spot I have sought for grave-mound
"No more it is," he answered. "Steinar I am, and I have brought money to pay thee for Cormac, if so be it is needed. But first I bid thee to fight. It will have to be seen whether thou get the two marks of silver, or whether thou lose them both."
Upon which quoth Bersi: --
(36) "They that waken the storm of the spear-points -- For slaughter and strife they are famous -- To the island they bid me for battle, Nor bitter I think it nor woeful; For long in that craft am I learned To loosen the Valkyrie's tempest In the lists, and I fear not to fight them -- Unflinching in battle am I.
"Well I wot, though," said he, "that ye and your gang mean to make away with me. But I would let you know that I too have something to say about it -- something that will set down your swagger, maybe."
"It is not thy death we are seeking," answered Steinar; "all we want is to teach thee thy true place."
Bersi agreed to fight him, and then went out to a tent apart and took up his abode there.
Now one day the word went round for bathing in the sea. Said Steinar to Bersi, "Wilt try a race with me, Bersi?"
"I have given over swimming," said he, "and yet I'll try."
Bersi's manner of swimming was to breast the waves and strike out with all his might. In so doing he showed a charm he wore round his neck. Steinar swam at him and tore off the lucky-stone with the bag it was in, and threw them both into the water, saying in verse: --
(37) "Long I've lived, And I've let the gods guide me; Brown hose I never wore To bring the luck beside me. I've never knit All to keep me thriving Round my neck a bag of worts, -- And lo! I'm living!"
Upon that they struck out to land.
But this turn that Steinar played was Thord's trick to make Bersi lose his luck in the fight. And Thord went along the shore at low water and found the luck-stone, and hid it away.
Now Steinar had a sword that was called after Skrymir the giant: it was never fouled, and no mishap followed it. On the day fixed, Thord and Steinar went out of the tent, and Cormac also came to the meeting to hold the shield of Steinar. Olaf Peacock got men to help Bersi at the fight, for Thord had been used to hold his shield, but this time failed him. So Bersi went to the trysting-place with a shield-bearer who is not named in the story, and with the round target that once had belonged to Thorveig.
Each man was allowed three shields. Bersi cut up two, and then Cormac took the third. Bersi hacked away, but Whitting his sword stuck fast in the iron border of Steinar's shield. Cormac whirled it up just when Steinar was striking out. He struck the shield-edge, and the sword glanced off, slit Bersi's buttock, sliced his thigh down to the knee-joint, and stuck in the bone. And so Bersi fell.
"There!" cried Steinar, "Cormac's fine is paid."
But Bersi leapt up, slashed at him, and clove his shield. The sword-point was at Steinar's breast when Thord rushed forth and dragged him away, out of reach.
"There!" cried Thord to Bersi, "I have paid thee for the mauling of my sons."
So Bersi was carried to the tent, and his wound was dressed. After a while, Thord came in; and when Bersi saw him he said: --
(38) "When the wolf of the war-god was howling Erstwhile in the north, thou didst aid me: When it gaped in my hand, and it girded At the Valkyries' gate for to enter. But now wilt thou never, O warrior, At need in the storm-cloud of Odin Give me help in the tempest of targes -- Untrusty, unfaithful art thou.
(39) "For when I was a stripling I showed me To the stems of the lightning of battle Right meet for the mist of the war-maids; -- Ah me! that was said long ago. But now, and I may not deny it My neighbours in earth must entomb me, At the spot I have sought for grave-mound