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==Chapter 40== | ==Chapter 40== | ||
'''Of Egil's and Skallagrim's games''' | |||
Skallagrim took much pleasure in trials of strength and games; he liked to talk about such. Ball-play was then a common game. Plenty of strong men there were at that time in the neighbourhood, but not one of strength to match with Skallagrim. He was now somewhat stricken in years. There was a man named Thord, son of Grani, at Granastead, who was of great promise; he was then young; very fond he was of Egil, Skallagrim's son. Egil often engaged in wrestling; he was headstrong and hot-tempered, but all had the sense to teach their sons to give way to Egil. A game of ball was held at White-river-dale in the early winter, to which was a great gathering of people from all the country-side. Thither went many of Skallagrim's household to the game. Chief among them was Thord, Grani's son. Egil asked Thord to let him go with him to the game; he was then in his seventh winter. Thord let him do so, and Egil mounted behind him. But when they came to the play-meeting, then the men made up sides for the play. Many small boys had come there too, and they made up a game for themselves. For this also sides were chosen. | |||
Egil was matched to play against a boy named Grim, son of Hegg, of Hegg-stead. Grim was ten or eleven years old, and strong for his age. But when they played together Egil got the worst of it. And Grim made all he could of his advantage. Then Egil got angry and lifted up the bat and struck Grim, whereupon Grim seized him and threw him down with a heavy fall, and handled him rather roughly, and said he would thrash him if he did not behave. But when Egil got to his feet, he went out of the game, and the boys hooted at him. | |||
Egil went to Thord and told him what had been done. Thord said: | |||
'I will go with you, and we will be avenged on them.' | |||
He gave into his hands a halberd that he had been carrying. Such weapons were then customary. They went where the boys' game was. Grim had now got the ball and was running away with it, and the other boys after him. Then Egil bounded upon Grim, and drove the axe into his head, so that it at once pierced his brain. After this Egil and Thord went away to their own people. The Myramen ran to their weapons, and so did either party. Oleif Halt, with his following, ran to help the Borgarmen, who were thus far the larger number, and they parted without doing more. But hence arose a quarrel between Oleif and Hegg. They fought at Laxfit, by Grims-river; there seven men fell, but Hegg was wounded to death, and his brother Kvig fell. But when Egil came home, Skallagrim said little about it; but Bera said Egil had in him the makings of a freebooter, and that 'twould be well, so soon as he were old enough, to give him a long-ship. Then Egil made a stave: | |||
'Thus counselled my mother, <br> | |||
For me should they purchase <br> | |||
A galley and good oars<br> | |||
To go forth a-roving.<br> | |||
So may I high-standing,<br> | |||
A noble barque steering,<br> | |||
Hold course for the haven,<br> | |||
Hew down many foemen.'<br> | |||
When Egil was twelve years old, he was grown so big that there were but few men howso large and strong that he could not overcome in games. In his twelfth winter he was often at games. Thord Grani's son was then twenty years old; he was very strong. As the winter wore on, if often chanced that the two, Egil and Thord, were matched against Skallagrim. And once in the winter it so befell that there was ball-play at Borg, southwards in Sandvik. Thord and Egil were set against Skallagrim in the game; and he became weary before them, so that they had the best of it. But in the evening after sunset it began to go worse with Egil and his partner. Skallagrim then became so strong and he caught up Thord and dashed him down so violently that he was all bruised and at once got his bane. Then he seized Egil. Now there was a handmaid of Skallagrim's named Thorgerdr Brak, who had nursed Egil when a child; she was a big woman, strong as a man, and of magic cunning. Said Brak: | |||
'Dost thou turn they shape-strength, Skallagrim, against thy son?' | |||
Whereat Skallagrim let Egil loose, but clutched at her. She broke away and took to her heels with Skallagrim after her. So went they to the utmost point of Digra-ness. Then she leapt out from the rock into the water. Skallagrim hurled after her a great stone, which struck her between the shoulders, and neither ever came up again. The water there is now called Brakar-sound. But afterwards, in the evening, when they came home to Borg, Egil was very angry. Skallagrim and everybody else were set at table, but Egil had not yet come to his place. He went into the fire-hall, and up to the man who there had the overseeing of work and the management of moneys for Skallagrim, and was most dear to him. Egil dealt him his deathblow, then went to his seat. Skallagrim spoke not a word about it then, and thenceforward the matter was kept quiet. But father and son exchanged no word good or bad, and so that winter passed. | |||
The next summer after this Thorolf came out, as was told above. And when he had been in Iceland one winter, in the spring following he made ready his ship in Brakar-sound. But when he was quite ready, then one day Egil went to his father, and asked him to give him an outfit. | |||
'I wish,' said he, 'to go out with Thorolf.' | |||
Skallagrim asked if he had spoken at all on that matter with Thorolf. Egil said he had not. Skallagrim bade him do that first. But when Egil started the question with Thorolf, he said: | |||
''Tis not likely that I shall take you abroad with me; if your father thinks he cannot manage you here in his house, I have no confidence for this, to take you with me to foreign lands; for it will not do to show there such temper as you do here.' | |||
'Maybe,' said Egil, 'neither of us will go.' | |||
In the night came on a furious gale, a south-wester. But when it was dark, and now flood-tide, Egil came where the ship lay. He went out on to the ship, and outside the tenting; he cut asunder the cables that were on the seaward side; then, hurrying back to land by the bridge, he at once shot out the bridge, and cut the cables that were upon land. Then the ship was driven out into the firth. But when Thorolf's men were aware that the ship was adrift, they jumped into the boat; but the wind was far too strong for them to get anything done. The ship drifted over to Duck-kyle, and on the islands there; but Egil went home to Borg. | |||
And when people got to know of the trick that Egil had played, the more part blamed it. Egil said he should before long do Thorolf more harm and mischief if he would not take him away. But then others mediated between them, and the end was that Thorolf took Egil, and he went out with him that summer. | |||
When Thorolf came on shipboard, at once taking the axe which Skallagrim had given into his hands, he cast it overboard into the deep so that it nevermore came up. Thorolf went his way in the summer, and his voyage sped well, and they came out to Hordaland. He at once stood northwards to Sogn. There it had happened in the winter that Brynjolf had fallen sick and died, and his sons had shared the heritage. Thord had Aurland, the estate on which his father had dwelt. He had become a liege-man of the king, and was made a baron. Thord's daughter was named Rannveig, the mother of Thord and Helgi, this Thord being father if Ingiridr whom king Olaf had to wife. Helgi was father of Brynjolf, father of Serk, Sogn, and Svein. | |||
==References== | |||
<references /> | |||
==Kafli 40== | ==Kafli 40== | ||
Egill drap mann sjö vetra | '''Egill drap mann sjö vetra''' | ||
Skalla-Grímur henti mikið gaman að aflraunum og leikum. Um það þótti honum gott að ræða. Knattleikar voru þá tíðir. Var þar í sveit gott til sterkra manna í þann tíma en þó hafði engi afl við Skalla-Grím. Hann gerðist þá heldur hniginn að aldri. | Skalla-Grímur henti mikið gaman að aflraunum og leikum. Um það þótti honum gott að ræða. Knattleikar voru þá tíðir. Var þar í sveit gott til sterkra manna í þann tíma en þó hafði engi afl við Skalla-Grím. Hann gerðist þá heldur hniginn að aldri. | ||
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== | ==Tilvísanir== | ||
Revision as of 08:59, 11 November 2011
Egils saga (Table of Contents) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |
61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 |
Chapter 40
Of Egil's and Skallagrim's games
Skallagrim took much pleasure in trials of strength and games; he liked to talk about such. Ball-play was then a common game. Plenty of strong men there were at that time in the neighbourhood, but not one of strength to match with Skallagrim. He was now somewhat stricken in years. There was a man named Thord, son of Grani, at Granastead, who was of great promise; he was then young; very fond he was of Egil, Skallagrim's son. Egil often engaged in wrestling; he was headstrong and hot-tempered, but all had the sense to teach their sons to give way to Egil. A game of ball was held at White-river-dale in the early winter, to which was a great gathering of people from all the country-side. Thither went many of Skallagrim's household to the game. Chief among them was Thord, Grani's son. Egil asked Thord to let him go with him to the game; he was then in his seventh winter. Thord let him do so, and Egil mounted behind him. But when they came to the play-meeting, then the men made up sides for the play. Many small boys had come there too, and they made up a game for themselves. For this also sides were chosen.
Egil was matched to play against a boy named Grim, son of Hegg, of Hegg-stead. Grim was ten or eleven years old, and strong for his age. But when they played together Egil got the worst of it. And Grim made all he could of his advantage. Then Egil got angry and lifted up the bat and struck Grim, whereupon Grim seized him and threw him down with a heavy fall, and handled him rather roughly, and said he would thrash him if he did not behave. But when Egil got to his feet, he went out of the game, and the boys hooted at him.
Egil went to Thord and told him what had been done. Thord said:
'I will go with you, and we will be avenged on them.'
He gave into his hands a halberd that he had been carrying. Such weapons were then customary. They went where the boys' game was. Grim had now got the ball and was running away with it, and the other boys after him. Then Egil bounded upon Grim, and drove the axe into his head, so that it at once pierced his brain. After this Egil and Thord went away to their own people. The Myramen ran to their weapons, and so did either party. Oleif Halt, with his following, ran to help the Borgarmen, who were thus far the larger number, and they parted without doing more. But hence arose a quarrel between Oleif and Hegg. They fought at Laxfit, by Grims-river; there seven men fell, but Hegg was wounded to death, and his brother Kvig fell. But when Egil came home, Skallagrim said little about it; but Bera said Egil had in him the makings of a freebooter, and that 'twould be well, so soon as he were old enough, to give him a long-ship. Then Egil made a stave:
'Thus counselled my mother,
For me should they purchase
A galley and good oars
To go forth a-roving.
So may I high-standing,
A noble barque steering,
Hold course for the haven,
Hew down many foemen.'
When Egil was twelve years old, he was grown so big that there were but few men howso large and strong that he could not overcome in games. In his twelfth winter he was often at games. Thord Grani's son was then twenty years old; he was very strong. As the winter wore on, if often chanced that the two, Egil and Thord, were matched against Skallagrim. And once in the winter it so befell that there was ball-play at Borg, southwards in Sandvik. Thord and Egil were set against Skallagrim in the game; and he became weary before them, so that they had the best of it. But in the evening after sunset it began to go worse with Egil and his partner. Skallagrim then became so strong and he caught up Thord and dashed him down so violently that he was all bruised and at once got his bane. Then he seized Egil. Now there was a handmaid of Skallagrim's named Thorgerdr Brak, who had nursed Egil when a child; she was a big woman, strong as a man, and of magic cunning. Said Brak:
'Dost thou turn they shape-strength, Skallagrim, against thy son?'
Whereat Skallagrim let Egil loose, but clutched at her. She broke away and took to her heels with Skallagrim after her. So went they to the utmost point of Digra-ness. Then she leapt out from the rock into the water. Skallagrim hurled after her a great stone, which struck her between the shoulders, and neither ever came up again. The water there is now called Brakar-sound. But afterwards, in the evening, when they came home to Borg, Egil was very angry. Skallagrim and everybody else were set at table, but Egil had not yet come to his place. He went into the fire-hall, and up to the man who there had the overseeing of work and the management of moneys for Skallagrim, and was most dear to him. Egil dealt him his deathblow, then went to his seat. Skallagrim spoke not a word about it then, and thenceforward the matter was kept quiet. But father and son exchanged no word good or bad, and so that winter passed.
The next summer after this Thorolf came out, as was told above. And when he had been in Iceland one winter, in the spring following he made ready his ship in Brakar-sound. But when he was quite ready, then one day Egil went to his father, and asked him to give him an outfit.
'I wish,' said he, 'to go out with Thorolf.'
Skallagrim asked if he had spoken at all on that matter with Thorolf. Egil said he had not. Skallagrim bade him do that first. But when Egil started the question with Thorolf, he said:
Tis not likely that I shall take you abroad with me; if your father thinks he cannot manage you here in his house, I have no confidence for this, to take you with me to foreign lands; for it will not do to show there such temper as you do here.'
'Maybe,' said Egil, 'neither of us will go.'
In the night came on a furious gale, a south-wester. But when it was dark, and now flood-tide, Egil came where the ship lay. He went out on to the ship, and outside the tenting; he cut asunder the cables that were on the seaward side; then, hurrying back to land by the bridge, he at once shot out the bridge, and cut the cables that were upon land. Then the ship was driven out into the firth. But when Thorolf's men were aware that the ship was adrift, they jumped into the boat; but the wind was far too strong for them to get anything done. The ship drifted over to Duck-kyle, and on the islands there; but Egil went home to Borg.
And when people got to know of the trick that Egil had played, the more part blamed it. Egil said he should before long do Thorolf more harm and mischief if he would not take him away. But then others mediated between them, and the end was that Thorolf took Egil, and he went out with him that summer.
When Thorolf came on shipboard, at once taking the axe which Skallagrim had given into his hands, he cast it overboard into the deep so that it nevermore came up. Thorolf went his way in the summer, and his voyage sped well, and they came out to Hordaland. He at once stood northwards to Sogn. There it had happened in the winter that Brynjolf had fallen sick and died, and his sons had shared the heritage. Thord had Aurland, the estate on which his father had dwelt. He had become a liege-man of the king, and was made a baron. Thord's daughter was named Rannveig, the mother of Thord and Helgi, this Thord being father if Ingiridr whom king Olaf had to wife. Helgi was father of Brynjolf, father of Serk, Sogn, and Svein.
References
Kafli 40
Egill drap mann sjö vetra
Skalla-Grímur henti mikið gaman að aflraunum og leikum. Um það þótti honum gott að ræða. Knattleikar voru þá tíðir. Var þar í sveit gott til sterkra manna í þann tíma en þó hafði engi afl við Skalla-Grím. Hann gerðist þá heldur hniginn að aldri.
Þórður hét son Grana að Granastöðum og var hann hinn mannvænlegasti maður og var á ungum aldri. Hann var elskur að Agli Skalla-Grímssyni. Egill var mjög að glímum. Var hann kappsamur mjög og reiðinn en allir kunnu það að kenna sonum sínum að þeir vægðu fyrir Agli.
Knattleikur var lagður á Hvítárvöllum allfjölmennur á öndverðan vetur. Sóttu menn þar til víða um hérað. Heimamenn Skalla-Gríms fóru þangað til leiks margir. Þórður Granason var helst fyrir þeim. Egill bað Þórð að fara með honum til leiks. Þá var hann á sjöunda vetur. Þórður lét það eftir honum og reiddi hann að baki sér.
En er þeir komu á leikmótið þá var mönnum skipt þar til leiks. Þar var og komið margt smásveina og gerðu þeir sér annan leik. Var þar og skipt til.
Egill hlaut að leika við svein þann er Grímur hét, son Heggs af Heggsstöðum. Grímur var ellefu vetra eða tíu og sterkur að jöfnum aldri. En er þeir lékust við þá var Egill ósterkari. Grímur gerði og þann mun allan er hann mátti. Þá reiddist Egill og hóf upp knatttréið og laust Grím en Grímur tók hann höndum og keyrði hann niður fall mikið og lék hann heldur illa og kveðst mundu meiða hann ef hann kynni sig eigi. En er Egill komst á fætur þá gekk hann úr leiknum en sveinarnir æptu að honum.
Egill fór til fundar við Þórð Granason og sagði honum hvað í hafði gerst.
Þórður mælti: „Eg skal fara með þér og skulum við hefna honum.“ Hann seldi honum í hendur skeggexi eina er Þórður hafði haft í hendi. Þau vopn voru þá tíð. Ganga þeir þar til er sveinaleikurinn var. Grímur hafði þá hent knöttinn og rak undan en aðrir sveinarnir sóttu eftir. Þá hljóp Egill að Grími og rak exina í höfuð honum svo að þegar stóð í heila. Þeir Egill og Þórður gengu í brott síðan og til manna sinna. Hljópu þeir Mýramenn þá til vopna og svo hvorirtveggju. Óleifur hjalti hljóp til þeirra Borgarmanna með þá menn er honum fylgdu. Voru þeir þá miklu fjölmennri og skildust að svo gervu.
Þaðan af hófust deildir með þeim Óleifi og Hegg. Þeir börðust á Laxfit við Grímsá. Þar féllu sjö menn en Heggur varð sár til ólífis og Kvígur féll, bróðir hans.
En er Egill kom heim lét Skalla-Grímur sér fátt um finnast[1] en Bera kvað Egil vera víkingsefni og kvað það mundu fyrir liggja þegar hann hefði aldur til að honum væru fengin herskip. Egill kvað vísu:
Það mælti mín móðir
að mér skyldi kaupa
fley og fagrar árar,
fara á brott með víkingum,
standa upp í stafni,
stýra dýrum knerri,
halda svo til hafnar,
höggva mann og annan.
Þá er Egill var tólf vetra gamall var hann svo mikill vexti að fáir voru menn svo stórir og að afli búnir að Egill ynni þá eigi flesta menn í leikum. Þann vetur er honum var hinn tólfti var hann mjög að leikum. Þórður Granason var þá á tvítugsaldri. Hann var sterkur að afli. Það var oft er á leið veturinn að þeim Agli og Þórði tveimur var skipt í móti Skalla-Grími.
Það var eitt sinn um veturinn er á leið að knattleikur var að Borg suður í Sandvík. Þá voru þeir Þórður í móti Skalla-Grími í leiknum og mæddist hann fyrir þeim og gekk þeim léttara. En um kveldið eftir sólarfall þá tók þeim Agli verr að ganga. Gerðist Grímur þá svo sterkur að hann greip Þórð upp og keyrði niður svo hart að hann lamdist allur og fékk hann þegar bana. Síðan greip hann til Egils.
Þorgerður brák hét ambátt Skalla-Gríms. Hún hafði fóstrað Egil í barnæsku. Hún var mikil fyrir sér, sterk sem karlar og fjölkunnig mjög.
Brák mælti: „Hamast þú nú Skalla-Grímur að syni þínum.“ [2]
Skalla-Grímur lét þá lausan Egil en þreif til hennar. Hún brást við og rann undan en Skalla-Grímur eftir. Fóru þau svo í utanvert Digranes. Þá hljóp hún út af bjarginu á sund. Skalla-Grímur kastaði eftir henni steini miklum og setti milli herða henni og kom hvorki upp síðan. Þar er nú kallað Brákarsund.
En eftir um kveldið er þeir komu heim til Borgar var Egill allreiður. En er Skalla-Grímur hafði sest undir borð og alþýða manna þá var Egill eigi kominn í sæti sitt. Þá gekk hann inn í eldahús og að þeim manni er þar hafði þá verkstjórn og fjárforráð með Skalla-Grími og honum var kærastur. Egill hjó hann banahögg og gekk síðan til sætis síns. En Skalla-Grímur ræddi þá ekki um og var það mál þaðan af kyrrt en þeir feðgar ræddust þá ekki við, hvorki gott né illt, og fór svo fram þann vetur.
En hið næsta sumar eftir kom Þórólfur út sem fyrr var sagt. En er hann hafði verið einn vetur á Íslandi þá bjó hann eftir um vorið skip sitt í Brákarsundi.
En er hann var albúinn þá var það einn dag að Egill gekk til fundar við föður sinn og bað hann fá sér fararefni. „Vil eg,“ sagði hann, „fara utan með Þórólfi.“
Grímur spurði ef hann hefði nokkuð það mál rætt fyrir Þórólfi. Egill segir að það var ekki. Grímur bað hann það fyrst gera.
En er Egill vakti það mál við Þórólf þá kvað hann þess enga von „að eg muni þig flytja með mér á brott. Ef faðir þinn þykist eigi mega um þig tæla hér í híbýlum sínum þá ber eg eigi traust til þess að hafa þig utanlendis með mér því að þér mun það ekki hlýða að hafa þar slíkt skaplyndi sem hér.“
„Vera má,“ sagði Egill, „að þá fari hvorgi okkar.“
Um nóttina eftir gerði á æðiveður, útsynning. En um nóttina er myrkt var og flóð var sjóvar þá kom Egill þar og gekk fyrir utan tjöldin. Hjó hann í sundur festar þær er á útborða voru. Gekk hann þegar sem skjótast upp um bryggjuna, skaut út þegar bryggjunum og hjó þær festar er á land upp voru. Rak þá út skipið á fjörðinn. En er þeir Þórólfur urðu varir við er skipið rak hljópu þeir í bátinn en veðrið var miklu hvassara en þeir fengju nokkuð að gert. Rak skipið yfir til Andakíls og þar á eyrar upp en Egill fór heim til Borgar.
En er menn urðu varir við bragð það er Egill hafði gert þá löstuðu það flestir. Hann sagði að hann skyldi skammt til láta að gera Þórólfi meira skaða og spellvirki ef hann vildi eigi flytja hann í brott. En þá áttu menn hlut að í milli þeirra og kom svo að lyktum að Þórólfur tók við Agli og fór hann utan með honum um sumarið.
Þegar Þórólfur kom til skips þá er hann hafði tekið við exi þeirri er Skalla-Grímur hafði fengið í hendur honum þá kastaði hann exinni fyrir borð á djúpi svo að hún kom ekki upp síðan.
Þórólfur fór ferðar sinnar um sumarið og greiddist vel um hafið og komu utan að Hörðalandi. Stefnir Þórólfur þegar norður til Sogns. En þar höfðu þau tíðindi orðið um veturinn að Brynjólfur hafði andast af sótt en synir hans höfðu skipt arfi. Hafði Þórður Aurland, bæ þann er faðir þeirra hafði búið á. Hafði hann gerst konungi handgenginn og gerst lendur maður.
Dóttir Þórðar hét Rannveig, móðir þeirra Þórðar og Helga. Þórður var faðir Rannveigar, móður Ingiríðar er átti Ólafur konungur. Helgi var faðir Brynjólfs, föður þeirra Serks úr Sogni og Sveins.
Tilvísanir
- ↑ lét sér fátt um finnast: "In any psychological discussion of Egils saga, this paternal indifference would obviously make for a very promising explanation of Egill’s difficult character". Ármann Jakobsson. Troublesome Children in the Sagas of Icelanders (p. 13)
- ↑ Þorgerður brák: „Fjölkynngi hennar gerir hana að verðugum andstæðingi Skalla-Gríms sem „hamast“ þegar sól er sest ... Munurinn liggur í afstöðu þeirra til Egils. Þau takast á um líf drengsins. Þorgerður fórnar lífi sínu fyrir Egil. Faðir hans vildi hins vegar drepa son sinn“ (p. 73). Ármann Jakobsson. Ástin á tímum þjóðveldisins (p. 108).