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CHAPTER XI
WE must now bring into the story the man named
Arnor, who was called "Red-cheek," the son of Steinolf, the son of Ingiald
and first cousin of Glum. He had been long abroad, but was highly esteemed,
and constantly with Glum when he was in Iceland. He suggested to Glum
to get him a wife. Glum asked him what woman he wished to woo? He replied,
"Thordis, the daughter of Gizor, who was refused to Thorgrim, the son
of Thorir." "Well," said Glum, "that seems to me a hopeless proposal,
for there is nothing to choose betwixt you two personally; but Thorgrim
has a good establishment, plenty of money, and many kinsmen to back him,
whereas you, on the other hand, have no household and not much property.
I do not want to offer an unequal match to Gizor, so as to prevent him
doing the best for his daughter, as he wishes, for Gizor deserves well
at my hands." Arnor answered him, "I get the benefit of having good friends,
if I make a better match in consequence of your urging my suit. Promise
him your friendship, and then he will give me the girl. Indeed, it might
have been called a fair match enough, if she had not been already refused
to so good a man as Thorgrim." Glum allowed himself to be persuaded and
went with Arnor to Gizor and pressed the matter on his behalf. Gizor’s
answer was, "It may be, Glum, that people will say I have made a mistake,
if I give to Arnor, your kinsman, my daughter, whom I did not choose to
give to Thorgrim." "Well," said Glum, "there is some reason in that; but
it may also be said, if you will give proper weight to what I say, that
my hearty friendship is to be thrown into the balance." Gizor replied,
"Yes; but, on the other side, I suspect there will be the emnity of other
people." "Well," said Glum, "you see your way before you; but I tell you
that what you do makes a great difference in my disposition towards you."
Then said Gizor, "You shall not go away this time without succeeding;"
so he gave him his and, and the girl was betrothed to Arnor. Glum insisted
on one condition--that the bridal was to be at Thverá in the autumn; and
they parted on this understanding.
Now Arnor had some malt
out at Gásar, and he himself and one of his men were to fetch it. 1 Thorgrim, son
of Thorir, went to the warm spring on the very day on which they were
expected in with the malt, and he was at the bath at Hrafnagil with six
of his own men in his company. So when Arnor was coming up and wanted
to cross the river, Thorgrim exclaimed, "Is not this a lucky hit, now,
to stumble on Arnor? Do not let us miss the malt, at any rate, if we have
missed the lady." They went at them with their swords uplifted, and Arnor,
when he saw what the difference in their number was, jumped right into
the river and got across; but his pack-horses remained on the west side
of the stream. "Ah!" exclaimed Thorgrim, "we are not altogether out of
luck; we shall drink the ale, if they get the wife." So he rode off to
South Espihole. Thorir was then quite blind, and Thorgrim’s companions
were very merry and laughed aloud. Then Thorir asked what seemed so laughable
to them. They said they did not know which party would have thier feast
first; and they told him what they had got, and how the owners of the
malt had been driven off, and how the bridegroom had jumped into the water.
When Thorir heard the story he said, "Do you think you have made a good
business of it now, that you laugh so heartily? How do you suppose you
will get out of it? Do you imagine you will sleep quietly here to-night
and want nothing else? Do you not know what Glum’s disposition will be,
if he approves of his kinsman’s journey? I say it is good counsel to get
our men together; it is most probable that Glum has already assembled
a good many of his."
There was at that time
a ford in the river at the place where now there is none. In the course
of the night they collected some eighty good men, and stationed them on
the edge of the rising ground, because the ford was just at that very
point. On the other hand, it is to be told how Arnor found Glum and gave
him an account of his expedition. "Yes," answered Glum, "this is pretty
much what I expected; I did not think they would be quiet; and the matter
is somewhat difficult to handle. If we do nothing there is disgrace for
us, and the honour is not so clear if we try to set it right. However,
we must get our men together." So when day broke Glum came to the river
with sixty men and wanted to ride across, but the men of Espihole pelted
them with stones, so that they did not advance; and Glum turned back whilst
they fought with stones and missiles across the water. A good many men
were wounded, but their names are not recorded. When the men of the district
became aware of what was going on they came up in the course of the day
and interfered, and the two parties came to a parley about terms. The
men of Espihole were asked what satisfaction they would make for the insult
offered to Arnor, and they said that no satisfaction was due from them,
though Arnor had run away from his malt-sacks. Then a proposal was made
that Glum should take part in asking, on behalf of Thorgrim, for Herpruda,
the other daughter of Gizor, and that the marriage of Arnor and Thordis
should take place only on condition of Glum’s getting this second match
agreed to. In fact, the one who was to be married to Thogrim was thought
to have the best bargain. In consequence of the intervention of so many
people, Glum promised his assistance in this matter, and he went to Gizor
and spoke to him upon it. "It may seem," he said, "to be officiousness
on my part, if I take on myself to woo a wife for my own kinsman and for
the men of Espihole too; but in order to stop disturbances in our district,
I think I am bound to pledge my faith and friendship to you, if you will
do as I wish." Gizpr replied, "It seems best to me that you should have
you way, inasmuch as the offer to my daughter is a good one;" and so both
matches were agreed on. Arnor went to live at Upsal, and Thorgrim at Mödrufell.
Shortly after this Gizor died, and Saldis moved her household to Upsal.
Arnor had a son by Thordis, who was called Steinolf, and Thorgrim had
one who was named Arngrim, and was, as he grew up, a promising lad.
Footnotes
1 Malt had to be
imported into Iceland from Denmark or from England. See Laing, Heimskringla,
i. p. 58. This malt apparently had been landed, and was waiting to be
carried up the country.
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Chapter XI
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