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==Chapter 49==
==Chapter 49==
'''Slaying of Thorvald Proud'''
Eyvind Skreyja and Alf were the names of two brothers of Gunnhilda, sons of Auzur Toti. They were tall and strong, and great traders. They were then made much of by king Eric and Gunnhilda. Not generally liked were they; at this time they were young, but fully grown to manhood. It so befell in the spring that a great sacrifice was fixed to be held in the summer at Gaular. Here was the most renowned chief temple. Thither flocked numbers from the firths and from the fells, and from Sogn, and almost all the great men. King Eric went thither. Then spoke Gunnhilda with her brothers: 'I would fain that you two should so manage matters in this crowded gathering, that ye get to slay one of the two sons of Skallagrim, or, better still, both.'
They said it should be done.
Lord Thorir made ready to go thither. He called Arinbjorn to speak with him. 'Now will I,' said he, 'go to the sacrifice, but I will not that Egil go thither. I know the craft of Gunnhilda, the vehemence of Egil, the power of the king; no easy task were it to watch these all at once. But Egil will not let himself be hindered, unless you stay behind. Now Thorolf and the rest of his company shall go with me; Thorolf shall sacrifice and pray for happiness for his brother as well as himself.'
Whereupon Arinbjorn told Egil that he meant to stay at home; 'and you shall be with me,' said he.
Egil agreed that it should be so.
But Thorir and the rest went to sacrifice, and a very great multitude was there, and there was much drinking. Thorolf went with Thorir wheresoever he went, and they never were apart day or night. Eyvind told Gunnhilda that he could get no chance at Thorolf. She bade him then slay some one of Thorolf's men rather than let everything fail.
It chanced one evening, when the king had gone to rest, as had also Thorir and Thorolf, but Thorfid and Thorvald still sate up, that the two brothers Eyvind and Alf came and sat down by them, and were very merry. First they drank as one drinking-party; but presently it came to this, that each should drink half a horn, Eyvind and Thorvald being paired together to drink, and Alf and Thorfid.
Now as the evening wore on there was unfair drinking; next followed bandying of words, then insulting language. Then Eyvind jumped up, drew a sword, and thrust at Thorvald, dealing him a wound that was his death. Whereupon up jumped on either side the king's men and Thorir's house-carles. But men were all weaponless in there, because it was sanctuary. Men went between and parted them who were most furious; nor did anything more happen that evening.
Eyvind had slain a man on holy ground; he was therefore made accursed, and had to go abroad at once. The king offered a fine for the man; but Thorolf and Thorfid said they never had taken man-fine, and would not take this. With that they parted. Thorir and his company went home. King Eric and Gunnhilda sent Eyvind south to Denmark to king Harold Gormsson, for he might not now abide on Norwegian soil. The king received him and his comrades well: Eyvind brought to Denmark a large war-ship. He then appointed Eyvind to be his coastguard there against freebooters, for Eyvind was a right good warrior.
In the spring following that winter Thorolf and Egil made them ready to go again a-freebooting. And when ready, they again stood for the eastern way. But when they came to Vik, they sailed then south along Jutland, and harried there; then went to Friesland, where they stayed for a great part of the summer; but then stood back for Denmark. But when they came to the borderland where Denmark and Friesland meet, and lay by the land there, so it was that one evening when they on shipboard were preparing for sleep, two men came to Egil's ship, and said they had an errand to him. They were brought before him. They said that Aki the wealthy had sent them thither with this message: 'Eyvind Skreyja is lying out off Jutland-side, and thinks to waylay you as you come from the south. And he has gathered such large force as ye cannot withstand if ye encounter it all at once; but he himself goes with two light vessels, and he is even now here close by you.'
But when these tidings came before Egil, at once he and his took down their tenting. He bade them go silently; they did so. They came at dawn to where Eyvind and his men lay at anchor; they set upon them at once, hurling both stones and spears. Many of Eyvind's force fell there; but he himself leapt overboard and got to land by swimming, as did all those of his men who escaped. But Egil took his ships, cargo, and weapons.
They went back that day to their own company, and met Thorolf. He asked wither Egil had gone, and where he had gotten those ships with which they came. Egil said that Eyvind Skreyja had had the ships, but they had taken them from him. Then sang Egil:
'In struggle sternly hard <br>
We strove off Jutland-side:<br>
Well did the warrior fight,<br>
Warder of Denmark's realm.<br>
Till, with his wights o'erborne,<br>
Eastwards from wave-horse high<br>
To swim and seek the sand<br>
Swift Eyvind Skreyja leapt.'<ref>'''Swift Eyvind Skreyja leapt.''': "Vér sjáum glöggt, hvernig Egill fer að: hann skjalla Eyvind í öðru hverju orðinu, en hæðist að honum í hinu." [[Finnbogi Guðmundsson. Gamansemi Egluhöfundar]] (p. 54).</ref><br>
Thorolf said: 'Herein ye have so wrought, methinks, that it will not serve us as our autumn plan<ref>'''our autumn plan''': "No matter what Þórólfr might think, the reader is tempted to surmise that Egill, tormented by jealousy, wanted to prevent Þórólfr from rejoining his wife". [[Torfi H. Tulinius. An Attempt at Application: Interpreting Egils saga]] (p. 258).</ref> to go to Norway.'
Egil said it was quite as well, though they should seek some other place.
==References==
<references />


==Kafli 49==
==Kafli 49==
Line 46: Line 91:
snarfengr með lið drengja<br>  
snarfengr með lið drengja<br>  
austur frá unnar hestum <br>
austur frá unnar hestum <br>
Eyvindr of hljóp skreyja.<br>
Eyvindr of hljóp skreyja.<ref>'''Eyvindr of hljóp skreyja''': "Vér sjáum glöggt, hvernig Egill fer að: hann skjalla Eyvind í öðru hverju orðinu, en hæðist að honum í hinu." [[Finnbogi Guðmundsson. Gamansemi Egluhöfundar]] (s. 54).</ref><br>


Þórólfur segir: „Þetta ætla eg yður svo hafa gert að oss mun ekki haustlangt ráð að fara til Noregs.“
Þórólfur segir: „Þetta ætla eg yður svo hafa gert að oss mun ekki haustlangt ráð<ref>'''ekki haustlangt ráð''': "No matter what Þórólfr might think, the reader is tempted to surmise that Egill, tormented by jealousy, wanted to prevent Þórólfr from rejoining his wife". [[Torfi H. Tulinius. An Attempt at Application: Interpreting Egils saga]] (s. 258).</ref> að fara til Noregs.“


Egill sagði að það var vel þótt þeir leituðu þá í annan stað.
Egill sagði að það var vel þótt þeir leituðu þá í annan stað.




<ref>REFERENCE TEXT(Fræðigrein:[[PAGE NAME|DISPLAY AS]] OTHER INFO)</ref>


==References==
 
==Tilvísanir==





Latest revision as of 11:50, 26 May 2016


Chapter 49

Slaying of Thorvald Proud

Eyvind Skreyja and Alf were the names of two brothers of Gunnhilda, sons of Auzur Toti. They were tall and strong, and great traders. They were then made much of by king Eric and Gunnhilda. Not generally liked were they; at this time they were young, but fully grown to manhood. It so befell in the spring that a great sacrifice was fixed to be held in the summer at Gaular. Here was the most renowned chief temple. Thither flocked numbers from the firths and from the fells, and from Sogn, and almost all the great men. King Eric went thither. Then spoke Gunnhilda with her brothers: 'I would fain that you two should so manage matters in this crowded gathering, that ye get to slay one of the two sons of Skallagrim, or, better still, both.'

They said it should be done.

Lord Thorir made ready to go thither. He called Arinbjorn to speak with him. 'Now will I,' said he, 'go to the sacrifice, but I will not that Egil go thither. I know the craft of Gunnhilda, the vehemence of Egil, the power of the king; no easy task were it to watch these all at once. But Egil will not let himself be hindered, unless you stay behind. Now Thorolf and the rest of his company shall go with me; Thorolf shall sacrifice and pray for happiness for his brother as well as himself.'

Whereupon Arinbjorn told Egil that he meant to stay at home; 'and you shall be with me,' said he.

Egil agreed that it should be so.

But Thorir and the rest went to sacrifice, and a very great multitude was there, and there was much drinking. Thorolf went with Thorir wheresoever he went, and they never were apart day or night. Eyvind told Gunnhilda that he could get no chance at Thorolf. She bade him then slay some one of Thorolf's men rather than let everything fail.

It chanced one evening, when the king had gone to rest, as had also Thorir and Thorolf, but Thorfid and Thorvald still sate up, that the two brothers Eyvind and Alf came and sat down by them, and were very merry. First they drank as one drinking-party; but presently it came to this, that each should drink half a horn, Eyvind and Thorvald being paired together to drink, and Alf and Thorfid.

Now as the evening wore on there was unfair drinking; next followed bandying of words, then insulting language. Then Eyvind jumped up, drew a sword, and thrust at Thorvald, dealing him a wound that was his death. Whereupon up jumped on either side the king's men and Thorir's house-carles. But men were all weaponless in there, because it was sanctuary. Men went between and parted them who were most furious; nor did anything more happen that evening.

Eyvind had slain a man on holy ground; he was therefore made accursed, and had to go abroad at once. The king offered a fine for the man; but Thorolf and Thorfid said they never had taken man-fine, and would not take this. With that they parted. Thorir and his company went home. King Eric and Gunnhilda sent Eyvind south to Denmark to king Harold Gormsson, for he might not now abide on Norwegian soil. The king received him and his comrades well: Eyvind brought to Denmark a large war-ship. He then appointed Eyvind to be his coastguard there against freebooters, for Eyvind was a right good warrior.

In the spring following that winter Thorolf and Egil made them ready to go again a-freebooting. And when ready, they again stood for the eastern way. But when they came to Vik, they sailed then south along Jutland, and harried there; then went to Friesland, where they stayed for a great part of the summer; but then stood back for Denmark. But when they came to the borderland where Denmark and Friesland meet, and lay by the land there, so it was that one evening when they on shipboard were preparing for sleep, two men came to Egil's ship, and said they had an errand to him. They were brought before him. They said that Aki the wealthy had sent them thither with this message: 'Eyvind Skreyja is lying out off Jutland-side, and thinks to waylay you as you come from the south. And he has gathered such large force as ye cannot withstand if ye encounter it all at once; but he himself goes with two light vessels, and he is even now here close by you.'

But when these tidings came before Egil, at once he and his took down their tenting. He bade them go silently; they did so. They came at dawn to where Eyvind and his men lay at anchor; they set upon them at once, hurling both stones and spears. Many of Eyvind's force fell there; but he himself leapt overboard and got to land by swimming, as did all those of his men who escaped. But Egil took his ships, cargo, and weapons.

They went back that day to their own company, and met Thorolf. He asked wither Egil had gone, and where he had gotten those ships with which they came. Egil said that Eyvind Skreyja had had the ships, but they had taken them from him. Then sang Egil:

'In struggle sternly hard
We strove off Jutland-side:
Well did the warrior fight,
Warder of Denmark's realm.
Till, with his wights o'erborne,
Eastwards from wave-horse high
To swim and seek the sand
Swift Eyvind Skreyja leapt.'[1]

Thorolf said: 'Herein ye have so wrought, methinks, that it will not serve us as our autumn plan[2] to go to Norway.'

Egil said it was quite as well, though they should seek some other place.

References

  1. Swift Eyvind Skreyja leapt.: "Vér sjáum glöggt, hvernig Egill fer að: hann skjalla Eyvind í öðru hverju orðinu, en hæðist að honum í hinu." Finnbogi Guðmundsson. Gamansemi Egluhöfundar (p. 54).
  2. our autumn plan: "No matter what Þórólfr might think, the reader is tempted to surmise that Egill, tormented by jealousy, wanted to prevent Þórólfr from rejoining his wife". Torfi H. Tulinius. An Attempt at Application: Interpreting Egils saga (p. 258).

Kafli 49

Dráp Þorvalds ofsa

Eyvindur skreyja og Álfur askmaður hétu bræður Gunnhildar, synir Össurar tota. Þeir voru menn miklir og allsterkir og kappsmenn miklir. Þeir höfðu þá mest yfirlát af Eiríki konungi og Gunnhildi. Ekki voru þeir menn þokkasælir af alþýðu, voru þá á ungum aldri og þó fullkomnir að þroska.

Það var um vorið að blót mikið skyldi vera að sumri á Gaulum. Það var ágætast höfuðhof. Sótti þangað fjölmenni mikið úr Fjörðum og af Fjölum og úr Sogni og flest allt stórmenni. Eiríkur konungur fór þangað.

Þá mælti Gunnhildur við bræður sína. „Það vil eg að þið hagið svo til í fjölmenni þessu að þið fáið drepið annanhvorn þeirra sona Skalla-Gríms og best að báðir væru.“

Þeir sögðu að svo skyldi vera.

Þórir hersir bjóst til ferðar þeirrar. Hann kallaði Arinbjörn til máls við sig. „Nú mun eg,“ sagði hann, „fara til blótsins en eg vil ekki að Egill fari þangað. Eg kann ræðum Gunnhildar en kappsemd Egils en ríki konungs, að þess mun eigi hægt að gæta alls saman. En Egill mun ekki letjast láta nema þú sért eftir. En Þórólfur skal fara með mér,“ sagði hann, „og aðrir þeir förunautar. Skal Þórólfur blóta og leita heilla þeim bræðrum.“

Síðan sagði Arinbjörn Agli að hann mun heima vera „og við báðir,“ sagði hann. Egill kvað svo vera skyldu.

En þeir Þórir fóru til blótsins og var þar allmikið fjölmenni og drykkjur miklar. Þórólfur fór með Þóri hvar sem hann fór og skildust aldregi dag né nótt.

Eyvindur sagði Gunnhildi að hann fékk ekki færi við Þórólf. Hún bað hann þá drepa einhvern manna hans „heldur en allt beri undan.“

Það var eitt kveld þá er konungur var til svefns genginn og svo þeir Þórir og Þórólfur en þeir sátu eftir Þorfinnur og Þorvaldur, þá komu þeir þar bræður Eyvindur og Álfur og settust hjá þeim og voru allkátir, drukku fyrst sveitardrykkju. Þá kom þar er horn skyldi drekka til hálfs. Drukku þeir saman Eyvindur og Þorvaldur en Álfur og Þorfinnur. En er á leið kveldið þá var drukkið við sleitur og því næst orðahnippingar og þá stóryrði. Þá hljóp Eyvindur upp og brá saxi einu og lagði á Þorvaldi svo að það var ærið banasár. Síðan hljópu upp hvorirtveggju, konungsmenn og húskarlar Þóris, en menn voru allir vopnlausir inni því að þar var hofshelgi og gengu menn í milli og skildu þá er óðastir voru. Varð þá ekki fleira til tíðinda það kveld.

Eyvindur hafði vegið í véum og var hann vargur orðinn og varð hann þegar brott að fara. Konungur bauð bætur fyrir manninn en Þórólfur og Þorfinnur sögðu að þeir höfðu aldregi tekið mannbætur og þeir vildu ekki þær taka, skildust að svo búnu. Fóru þeir Þórir heim.

Eiríkur konungur og þau Gunnhildur sendu Eyvind suður til Danmerkur til Haralds konungs Gormssonar því að hann mátti þá eigi vera í norrænum lögum. Konungurinn tók vel við honum og föruneyti hans. Eyvindur hafði til Danmarkar langskip allmikið. Síðan setti konungur Eyvind þar til landvarnar fyrir víkingum. Eyvindur var hermaður hinn mesti.

En er vor kom eftir vetur þann þá búast þeir Þórólfur og Egill enn að fara í víking. En er þeir voru búnir þá halda þeir enn í Austurveg. En er þeir koma í Víkina þá sigla þeir suður fyrir Jótland og herja þar og þá fara þeir til Fríslands og dveljast mjög lengi um sumarið en þá halda þeir enn aftur til Danmerkur.

En er þeir koma til landamæris þar er mætist Danmörk og Frísland og lágu þá við land þá var það eitt kveld er menn bjuggust til svefns á skipum að menn tveir komu á skip Egils og sögðu að þeir áttu við hann erindi. Var þeim fylgt til hans. Þeir segja að Áki hinn auðgi hafði sent þá þangað með þeim erindum að „Eyvindur skreyja liggur úti fyrir Jótlandssíðu og ætlar að sæta yður þá er þér farið sunnan og hefir hann lið mikið saman dregið svo að þér hafið engi áhöld við ef þér hittið lið hans allt. En hann sjálfur fer með léttiskipum tveimur og er nú hér skammt frá yður.“

En er tíðindi þessi komu fyrir Egil þá láta þeir þegar af sér tjöldin, bað þá fara hljóðlega. Þeir gerðu svo. Þeir komu í dögun að þeim Eyvindi þar er þeir lágu um akkeri, lögðu þegar að þeim, létu ganga bæði grjót og vopn. Féll þar lið margt af Eyvindi en hann sjálfur hljóp fyrir borð og komst með sundi til lands og svo allt það lið er undan komst.

En þeir Egill tóku skipin og föt þeirra og vopn, fóru þá aftur um daginn til liðs síns, hittu þá Þórólf. Spyr hann hvert Egill hafði farið eða hvar hann hafði fengið skip þau er þeir fara með. Egill segir að Eyvindur skreyja hafði haft skipin og þeir höfðu af honum tekið. Þá kvað Egill:

Gerðum helsti harða
hríð fyrir Jótlandssíðu.
Barðist vel, sá er varði,
víkingr, Dana ríki
áðr á sund fyr sandi
snarfengr með lið drengja
austur frá unnar hestum
Eyvindr of hljóp skreyja.[1]

Þórólfur segir: „Þetta ætla eg yður svo hafa gert að oss mun ekki haustlangt ráð[2] að fara til Noregs.“

Egill sagði að það var vel þótt þeir leituðu þá í annan stað.



Tilvísanir

  1. Eyvindr of hljóp skreyja: "Vér sjáum glöggt, hvernig Egill fer að: hann skjalla Eyvind í öðru hverju orðinu, en hæðist að honum í hinu." Finnbogi Guðmundsson. Gamansemi Egluhöfundar (s. 54).
  2. ekki haustlangt ráð: "No matter what Þórólfr might think, the reader is tempted to surmise that Egill, tormented by jealousy, wanted to prevent Þórólfr from rejoining his wife". Torfi H. Tulinius. An Attempt at Application: Interpreting Egils saga (s. 258).

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