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INDEX
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WE are told that as the autumn went on Astrida
came and spoke to Glum another morning, and, waking him up, asked him
to give directions about the work, for the haymaking, she said, would
be finished this day if all was ordered as it ought to be. Sigmund and
Thorkel had already finished their hay, and they had gone early in the
morning to the field "Sure-giver;’ "and they are no doubt very well pleased
in having that field, which we should have, if all were as it should be."
Then Glum got up, but he was not ready before nine o’clock. He took his
blue cloak, and his spear with gold about it in his hand, and got his
horse saddled. But Astrida said to him, "You take a good deal of pains
about your dress, my son, for haymaking." His answer was, "I do not often
go out to labour, but I shall do a good stroke of work, and I will be
well dressed for it. However, I am not able to give directions for the
farm-work, and I shall ride up to Hole and accept the invitation of my
brother Thorstein." So he crossed over to the south side of the river,
and as he came to the field he took the brooch out of his cloak. Vigdis
and her husband Sigmund were in the field, and when she saw Glum she came
towards him and greeted him, saying, "We are sorry that our intercourse
as relations is so little, and we wish in everything to do our part to
increase it." Glum told her, "I have turned in here because the brooch
is gone from my cloak, and I want you to put a stitch in it for me." She
said she would do it with pleasure, and did it accordingly. Glum looked
over the field and remarked, "Sure-giver has not yet lost his character."
Then he put on his cloak again, took his spear in his hand, and turned
sharp on Sigmund, with it uplifted. Sigmund sprang up to meet him, but
Glum struck him on the head so that he needed no second blow. 1 Then he went up
to Vigdis, and told her to go home, "and tell Thorkel, on Glum’s part,
nothing is yet done which will necessarily hinder our being on the footing
of kinsmen, but that Sigmund is unable to leave the field." Glum rode
on to Hole, and said nothing to his brother of what had happened; but
when Thorstein saw how he was equipped, and how he had his cloak and spear,
and perceived the blood in the ornaments of the weapon, 2 he asked him
if he had used it within a short time. "Oh," cried Glum, "it is quite
true; I forgot to mention it, I killed Sigmund, Thorkel’s son, with it
to-day." "That will be some news," replied Thorstein, "for Thorkel and
his kinsmen at Espihole." "Yes," said glum; "however, as the old saying
is, ‘The nights of blood are the nights of most impatience.’ No doubt
they will think less of it as time goes on." He staid three nights at
his brother’s house, and then got ready to return home. Thorstein was
preparing to ride with him, but Glum told him, "Look after your won household--I
shall ride the straight path home to Thverá; they will not be so very
keen in this business." So he went home to Thverá. Footnotes1 Glum’s spear was probably a sort of halberd, with which he could either cut or thrust; such as is called "höggspiót," in Chapter xxii. 2 The words of the text are that he saw the blood "I málunum," which may mean in "the marks--letters--or ornaments of the weapon." Runes or letters were sometimes engraved on the blade of a sword or spear. In the Edda, the sword which Sigurd lays on the bridal bed between himself and Brynhilda is called "mćki málfáinn," which is interpreted "ornamented" (Sigurdarkvida iii. stanz 4), and again a similar epithet is applied to the sword which Skirnir shows to Gerda (Skirnismál, stanza 23). In both cases it may mean "bearing runes or letters chased on the blade."
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Family TreesDedicationPrefaceChapter IChapter IIChapter IIIChapter IVChapter VChapter VIChapter VIIChapter VIIIChapter IXChapter XChapter XIChapter XIIChapter XIIIChapter XIVChapter XVChapter XVIChapter XVIIChapter XVIIIChapter XIXChapter XXChapter XXIChapter XXIIChapter XXIIIChapter XXIVChapter XXVChapter XXVIChapter XXVIIChapter XXVIIISupplementary Note |