The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald [3]
(12) "Black-puddings boiled, quoth Ogmund's son, Are a dainty, -- fair befall them!"
And in the evening when Cormac made ready to go home he saw Narfi, and bethought him of those churlish words. "I think, Narfi," said he, "I am more like to knock thee down, than thou to rule my coming and going." And with that struck him an axe- hammer-blow, saying: --
(13) "Why foul with thy clowning and folly, The food that is dressed for thy betters? Thou blundering archer, what ails thee To be aiming thy insults at me?"
And he made another song about: --
(14) "He asked me, the clavering cowherd If I cared for -- what was it he called them? -- The worms of the kettle. I warrant He'll be wiping his eyes by the hearth-stone. I deem that yon knave of the dunghill Who dabbles the muck on the meadow -- Yon rook in his mud-spattered raiment -- Got a rap for his noise -- like a dog."
CHAPTER FIVE They Waylay Cormac: And The Witch Curses Him.
There was a woman named Thorveig, and she knew a deal too much. She lived at Steins-stadir (Stonestead) in Midfiord, and had two sons; the elder was Odd, and the younger Gudmund. They were great braggarts both of them.
This Odd often came to see Thorkel at Tunga, and used to sit and talk with Steingerd. Thorkel made a great show of friendship with the brothers, and egged them on to waylay Cormac. Odd said it was no more than he could do.
So one day when Cormac came to Tunga, Steingerd was in the parlour and sat on the dais. Thorveig's sons sat in the room, ready to fall upon him when he came in; and Thorkel had put a drawn sword on one side of the door, and on the other side Narfi had put a scythe in its shaft. When Cormac came to the hall-door the scythe fell down and met the sword, and broke a great notch in it. Out came Thorkel and began to upbraid Cormac for a rascal, and got fairly wild with his talk: then flung into the parlour and bade Steingerd out of it. Forth they went by another door, and he locked her into an outhouse, saying that Cormac and she would never meet again.
Cormac went in: and he came quicker than folk thought for, and they were taken aback. He looked about, and no Steingerd: but he saw the brothers whetting their weapons: so he turned on his heel and went, saying: --
(14) "The weapon that mows in the meadow It met with the gay painted buckler, When I came to encounter a goddess Who carries the beaker of wine. Beware! for I warn you of evil When warriors threaten me mischief. It shall not be for nought that I pour ye The newly mixed mead of the gods."
And when he could find Steingerd nowhere, he made this song: --
(15) "She has gone, with the glitter of ocean Agleam on her wrist and her bosom, And my heart follows hard on her footsteps, For the hall is in darkness without her. I have gazed, but my glances can pierce not The gloom of the desolate dwelling; And fierce is my longing to find her, The fair one who only can heal me."
After a while he came to the outhouse where Steingerd was, and burst it open and had talk with her.
"This is madness," cried she, "to come talking with me; for Thorveig's sons are meant to have thy head."
But he answered: --
(16) "There wait they within that would snare me; There whet they their swords for my slaying. My bane they shall be not, the cowards, The brood of the churl and the carline. Let the twain of them find me and fight me In the field, without shelter to shield them, And ewes of the sheep should be surer To shorten the days of the wolf."
So he sat there all day. By that time Thorkel saw that the plan he had made was come to nothing; and he bade the sons of Thorveig waylay Cormac in a dale near his garth. "Narfi shall go with ye two," said he; "but I will stay at home, and bring
And in the evening when Cormac made ready to go home he saw Narfi, and bethought him of those churlish words. "I think, Narfi," said he, "I am more like to knock thee down, than thou to rule my coming and going." And with that struck him an axe- hammer-blow, saying: --
(13) "Why foul with thy clowning and folly, The food that is dressed for thy betters? Thou blundering archer, what ails thee To be aiming thy insults at me?"
And he made another song about: --
(14) "He asked me, the clavering cowherd If I cared for -- what was it he called them? -- The worms of the kettle. I warrant He'll be wiping his eyes by the hearth-stone. I deem that yon knave of the dunghill Who dabbles the muck on the meadow -- Yon rook in his mud-spattered raiment -- Got a rap for his noise -- like a dog."
CHAPTER FIVE They Waylay Cormac: And The Witch Curses Him.
There was a woman named Thorveig, and she knew a deal too much. She lived at Steins-stadir (Stonestead) in Midfiord, and had two sons; the elder was Odd, and the younger Gudmund. They were great braggarts both of them.
This Odd often came to see Thorkel at Tunga, and used to sit and talk with Steingerd. Thorkel made a great show of friendship with the brothers, and egged them on to waylay Cormac. Odd said it was no more than he could do.
So one day when Cormac came to Tunga, Steingerd was in the parlour and sat on the dais. Thorveig's sons sat in the room, ready to fall upon him when he came in; and Thorkel had put a drawn sword on one side of the door, and on the other side Narfi had put a scythe in its shaft. When Cormac came to the hall-door the scythe fell down and met the sword, and broke a great notch in it. Out came Thorkel and began to upbraid Cormac for a rascal, and got fairly wild with his talk: then flung into the parlour and bade Steingerd out of it. Forth they went by another door, and he locked her into an outhouse, saying that Cormac and she would never meet again.
Cormac went in: and he came quicker than folk thought for, and they were taken aback. He looked about, and no Steingerd: but he saw the brothers whetting their weapons: so he turned on his heel and went, saying: --
(14) "The weapon that mows in the meadow It met with the gay painted buckler, When I came to encounter a goddess Who carries the beaker of wine. Beware! for I warn you of evil When warriors threaten me mischief. It shall not be for nought that I pour ye The newly mixed mead of the gods."
And when he could find Steingerd nowhere, he made this song: --
(15) "She has gone, with the glitter of ocean Agleam on her wrist and her bosom, And my heart follows hard on her footsteps, For the hall is in darkness without her. I have gazed, but my glances can pierce not The gloom of the desolate dwelling; And fierce is my longing to find her, The fair one who only can heal me."
After a while he came to the outhouse where Steingerd was, and burst it open and had talk with her.
"This is madness," cried she, "to come talking with me; for Thorveig's sons are meant to have thy head."
But he answered: --
(16) "There wait they within that would snare me; There whet they their swords for my slaying. My bane they shall be not, the cowards, The brood of the churl and the carline. Let the twain of them find me and fight me In the field, without shelter to shield them, And ewes of the sheep should be surer To shorten the days of the wolf."
So he sat there all day. By that time Thorkel saw that the plan he had made was come to nothing; and he bade the sons of Thorveig waylay Cormac in a dale near his garth. "Narfi shall go with ye two," said he; "but I will stay at home, and bring