Egla, 89

Chapter 89

Grim takes the Christian faith

Grim of Moss-fell was baptized when Christianity was established by law in Iceland. He had a church built there, and 'tis common report that Thordis had Egil moved to the church. And this proof there is thereof, that later on, when a church was built at Moss-fell, and that church which Grim had built at Bush-bridge taken down, the churchyard was dug over, and under the altar-place were found human bones. They were much larger than the bones of other men. From the tales of old people it is thought pretty sure that these were Egil's bones. Skapti the priest, Thorarin's son, a wise man, was there at the time. He took then the skull of Egil, and set it on the churchyard fence. The skull was wondrous large, but still more out of the common way was its heaviness. It was all wave-marked on the surface like a shell. Skapti then wished to try the thickness of the skull. He took a good-sized hand-axe, and brandishing it aloft in one hand, brought down the back of it with force on the skull to break it. But where the blow fell the bone whitened, but neither was dinted nor cracked. Whence it might be gathered that this skull could not easily be harmed by the blows of weak men while skin and flesh were on it. The bones of Egil were laid in the outer part of the churchyard at Moss-fell.

Kafli 89

Grímur tók trú

Grímur að Mosfelli var skírður þá er kristni var í lög leidd á Íslandi. Hann lét þar kirkju gera. En það er sögn manna að Þórdís hafi látið flytja Egil til kirkju og er það til jartegna að síðan er kirkja var ger að Mosfelli en ofan tekin að Hrísbrú sú kirkja er Grímur hafði gera látið þá var þar grafinn kirkjugarður. En undir altarisstaðnum þá fundust mannabein. Þau voru miklu stærri en annarra manna bein. Þykjast menn það vita af sögn gamalla manna að mundu verið hafa bein Egils.

Þar var þá Skafti prestur Þórarinsson, vitur maður. Hann tók upp hausinn Egils og setti á kirkjugarðinn. Var hausinn undarlega mikill en hitt þótti þó meir frá líkindum hve þungur var. Hausinn var allur báróttur utan svo sem hörpuskel. Þá vildi Skafti forvitnast um þykkleik haussins. Tók hann þá handexi vel mikla og reiddi annarri hendi sem harðast og laust hamrinum á hausinn og vildi brjóta en þar sem á kom hvítnaði fyrir en ekki dalaði né sprakk, og má af slíku marka að haus sá mundi ekki auðskaddur fyrir höggum smámennis meðan svörður og hold fylgdi. Bein Egils voru lögð niður í utanverðum kirkjugarði að Mosfelli.