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"Keep thy seat!" she says, "and keep it too all the time thou art my guest."
"Keep thy seat!" she says, "and keep it too all the time thou art my guest."


Then she sat herself down by Hrut, and they fell to drink, and at even she said, "Thou shalt be in the upper chamber with me to-night, and we two together."
Then she sat herself down by Hrut, and they fell to drink, and at even she said, "Thou shalt be in the upper chamber with me to-night, and we two together."<ref>''' Thou shalt be in the upper chamber with me to-night, and we two together''': "In most sources about Gunnhildur she is given an exotic and far-northern ancestry from which she draws a seductive strength, sexual liaison and magic … she seduces young men to have sexual relationships with her although she is old enough to be the mother of at least some of them. Jómsvíkinga saga describes Gunnhildur as promiscuous, and various sources imply her sexual behavior with young men. Egils saga hints at her sexual relationship with Þórólfur and even more blunt is the description of her sex life in Njáls saga: There can be no doubt of what Gunnhildur has in mind when she gives Hrútr orders" [[Jóna Guðbjörg Torfadóttir. Gunnhildur and the Male Whores]] (p. 3).</ref>


"You shall have your way," he answers.
"You shall have your way," he answers.
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„Sit þú,“ segir hún, „og skalt þú jafnan þessu sæti halda þá er þú ert í boði mínu.“  
„Sit þú,“ segir hún, „og skalt þú jafnan þessu sæti halda þá er þú ert í boði mínu.“  


Síðan settist hún hjá Hrúti og drukku þau. Og um kveldið mælti hún: „Þú skalt liggja í lofti hjá mér í nótt og við tvö saman.“  
Síðan settist hún hjá Hrúti og drukku þau. Og um kveldið mælti hún: „Þú skalt liggja í lofti hjá mér í nótt og við tvö saman.“<ref>''' Þú skalt liggja í lofti hjá mér í nótt og við tvö saman''': "In most sources about Gunnhildur she is given an exotic and far-northern ancestry from which she draws a seductive strength, sexual liaison and magic … she seduces young men to have sexual relationships with her although she is old enough to be the mother of at least some of them. Jómsvíkinga saga describes Gunnhildur as promiscuous, and various sources imply her sexual behavior with young men. Egils saga hints at her sexual relationship with Þórólfur and even more blunt is the description of her sex life in Njáls saga: There can be no doubt of what Gunnhildur has in mind when she gives Hrútr orders" [[Jóna Guðbjörg Torfadóttir. Gunnhildur and the Male Whores]] (s. 3).</ref>


„Þér skuluð slíku ráða,“ sagði hann.  
„Þér skuluð slíku ráða,“ sagði hann.  

Latest revision as of 15:43, 30 August 2016


Chapter 3

At that time Harold Grayfell reigned in Norway; he was the son of Eric Bloodaxe, who was the son of Harold Fair-hair; his mother's name was Gunnhillda, a daughter of Auzur Toti, and they had their abode east, at the King's Crag. Now the news was spread, how a ship had come thither east into the Bay, and as soon as Gunnhillda heard of it, she asked what men from Iceland were abroad, and they told her Hrut was the man's name, Auzur's brother's son. Then Gunnhillda said, "I see plainly that he means to claim his heritage, but there is a man named Soti, who has laid his hands on it."

After that she called her waiting-man, whose name was Augmund, and said, "I am going to send thee to the Bay to find out Auzur and Hrut, and tell them that I ask them both to spend this winter with me. Say, too, that I will be their friend, and if Hrut will carry out my counsel, I will see after his suit, and anything else he takes in hand, and I will speak a good word, too, for him to the king."

After that he set off and found them; and as soon as they knew that he was Gunnhillda's servant, they gave him good welcome. He took them aside and told them his errand, and after that they talked over their plans by themselves. Then Auzur said to Hrut, "Methinks, kinsman, here is little need for long talk, our plans are ready made for us; for I know Gunnhillda's temper; as soon as ever we say we will not go to her she will drive us out of the land, and take all our goods by force; but if we go to her, then she will do us such honour as she has promised."

Augmund went home, and when he saw Gunnhillda, he told her how his errand had ended, and that they would come, and Gunnhillda said, "It is only what was to be looked for; for Hrut is said to be a wise and well-bred man; and now do thou keep a sharp look out, and tell me as soon as ever they come to the town."

Hrut and Auzur went east to the King's Crag, and when they reached the town, their kinsmen and friends went out to meet and welcome them. They asked whether the king were in the town, and they told them he was. After that they met Augmund, and he brought them a greeting from Gunnhillda, saying, that she could not ask them to her house before they had seen the king, lest men should say, "I make too much of them." Still she would do all she could for them, and she went on, "Tell Hrut to be out-spoken before the king, and to ask to be made one of his body-guard;" "and here," said Augmund, "is a dress of honour which she sends to thee, Hrut, and in it thou must go in before the king." After that he went away.

The next day Hrut said, "Let us go before the king."

"That may well be," answered Auzur.

So they went, twelve of them together, and all of them friends or kinsmen, and came into the hall where the king sat over his drink. Hrut went first and bade the king "Good-day," and the king, looking steadfastly at the man who was well-dressed, asked him his name. So he told his name.

"Art thou an Icelander?" said the king.

He answered, "Yes."

"What drove thee hither to seek us?"

Then Hrut answered, "To see your state, lord; and, besides, because I have a great matter of inheritance here in the land, and I shall have need of your help if I am to get my rights."

The king said, "I have given my word that every man shall have lawful justice here in Norway; but hast thou any other errand in seeking me?"

"Lord!" said Hrut, "I wish you to let me live in your court, and become one of your men."

At this the king holds his peace, but Gunnhillda said, "It seems to me as if this man offered you the greatest honour, for methinks if there were many such men in the body-guard, it would be well filled."

"Is he a wise man?" asked the king.

"He is both wise and willing," said she.

"Well," said the king, "methinks my mother wishes that thou shouldst have the rank for which thou askest, but for the sake of our honour and the custom of the land, come to me in half a month's time, and then thou shalt be made one of my body-guard. Meantime, my mother will take care of thee, but then come to me."

Then Gunnhillda said to Augmund, "Follow them to my house, and treat them well."

So Augmund went out, and they went with him, and he brought them to a hall built of stone, which was hung with the most beautiful tapestry, and there too was Gunnhillda's high seat.

Then Augmund said to Hrut, "Now will be proved the truth of all that I said to thee from Gunnhillda. Here is her high seat, and in it thou shalt sit, and this seat thou shalt hold, though she comes herself into the hall."

After that he made them good cheer, and they had sat down but a little while when Gunnhillda came in. Hrut wished to jump up and greet her.

"Keep thy seat!" she says, "and keep it too all the time thou art my guest."

Then she sat herself down by Hrut, and they fell to drink, and at even she said, "Thou shalt be in the upper chamber with me to-night, and we two together."[1]

"You shall have your way," he answers.

After that they went to sleep, and she locked the door inside. So they slept that night, and in the morning fell to drinking again. Thus they spent their life all that halfmonth, and Gunnhillda said to the men who were there, "Ye shall lose nothing except your lives if you say to any one a word of how Hrut and I are going on."

When the half-month was over Hrut gave her a hundred ells of household woollen and twelve rough cloaks, and Gunnhillda thanked him for his gifts. Then Hrut thanked her and gave her a kiss and went away. She bade him "farewell." And next day he went before the king with thirty men after him and bade the king "Good-day." The king said, "Now, Hrut, thou wilt wish me to carry out towards thee what I promised."

So Hrut was made one of the king's body-guard, and he asked, "Where shall I sit?"

"My mother shall settle that," said the king.

Then she got him a seat in the highest room, and he spent the winter with the king in much honour.

References

  1. Thou shalt be in the upper chamber with me to-night, and we two together: "In most sources about Gunnhildur she is given an exotic and far-northern ancestry from which she draws a seductive strength, sexual liaison and magic … she seduces young men to have sexual relationships with her although she is old enough to be the mother of at least some of them. Jómsvíkinga saga describes Gunnhildur as promiscuous, and various sources imply her sexual behavior with young men. Egils saga hints at her sexual relationship with Þórólfur and even more blunt is the description of her sex life in Njáls saga: There can be no doubt of what Gunnhildur has in mind when she gives Hrútr orders" Jóna Guðbjörg Torfadóttir. Gunnhildur and the Male Whores (p. 3).

Kafli 3

Haraldur gráfeldur réð fyrir Noregi. Hann var son Eiríks blóðöxar Haraldssonar hárfagra. Gunnhildur hét móðir hans og var dóttir Össurar tota. Þau höfðu aðsetu austur í Konungahellu.

Nú spurðist skipkoman austur þangað til Víkurinnar. Og þegar er þetta fréttir Gunnhildur spurði hún eftir hvað íslenskra manna væri á skipi. Henni var sagt að Hrútur hét maður og var bróðurson Össurar.

Gunnhildur mælti: „Eg veit gjörla – hann mun heimta erfð sína en sá maður hefir að varðveita er Sóti heitir.“

Síðan kallar hún á skósvein sinn er Ögmundur hét: „Eg vil senda þig til Víkurinnar á fund Össurar og Hrúts og seg að eg býð þeim báðum til mín í vetur og seg að eg vil vera vin þeirra. Og ef Hrútur fer mínum ráðum fram þá skal eg sjá um fémál hans og um það annað er hann tekur að henda. Eg skal og koma honum fram við konunginn.“

Síðan fór hann og kom á fund þeirra. En þegar þeir vissu að hann var sveinn Gunnhildar tóku þeir vel við honum. Hann sagði erindi sín þeim af hljóði.

Síðan töluðu þeir leynilega ráðagerð sína og ræddi Össur við Hrút: „Svo líst mér, frændi, sem nú munum við hafa gert ráð okkað því að eg kann skapi Gunnhildar. Jafnskjótt sem við viljum eigi fara til hennar mun hún reka okkur úr landi en taka fé okkað allt með ráni. En ef við förum til hennar þá mun hún gera okkur slíka sæmd sem hún hefir heitið.“

Ögmundur fór heim og er hann fann Gunnhildi sagði hann erindislok sín og það að þeir mundu koma.

Gunnhildur mælti: „Slíks var von því að Hrútur er vitur maður sagður og vel að sér. En nú hafðu njósn af nær þeir koma til bæjarins og seg mér.“

Þeir Hrútur fóru austur til Konungahellu. En er þeir komu þar gengu í móti þeim frændur og vinir og fögnuðu þeim vel. Þeir spurðu hvort konungur var í bænum. Þeim var sagt að hann var þar. Síðan mættu þeir Ögmundi.

Hann sagði þeim kveðju Gunnhildar og það með að hún mundi ekki bjóða þeim fyrr en þeir hefðu fundið konung fyrir orðs sakir „„að svo þyki sem eg grípi gulli á við þá. En eg mun til leggja slíkt sem mér sýnist og veri Hrútur djarfmæltur við konung og biðji hann hirðvistar.“ Hér eru og tignarklæði er hún sendi þér, Hrútur. Skalt þú í þeim ganga fyrir konunginn.“

Síðan fór hann aftur.

Annan dag eftir mælti Hrútur: „Göngum fyrir konung.“

„Það má vel,“ sagði Össur.

Þeir gengu tólf saman og voru þeir allir frændur þeirra og vinir. Þeir komu í höllina er konungur sat yfir drykkju. Gekk Hrútur fyrst og kvaddi konung. Konungur hugði vandlega að manninum er vel var búinn og spurði hann að nafni. Hann nefnir sig.

„Ertu íslenskur maður?“ sagði konungur.

Hann sagði að svo var.

„Hvað hvatti þig hingað á vorn fund?“

„Að sjá tign yðra, herra, og það annað að eg á erfðamál mikið hér í landi og mun eg yðvar þurfa við að njóta ef eg fæ rétt af.“

Konungur sagði: „Hverjum manni hefi eg heitið lögum hér í landi eða hver eru fleiri erindi þín á vorn fund?“

„Herra,“ sagði Hrútur, „eg vil biðja yður hirðvistar og gerast yðvar maður.“

Konungur þagnar við.

Gunnhildur mælti: „Svo líst mér sem sjá maður bjóði yður hina mestu sæmd því að mér líst svo ef slíkir væru margir innan hirðar sem þá væri vel skipað.“

„Er hann vitur maður?“ sagði konungur.

„Bæði er hann vitur og framgjarn,“ segir hún.

„Það þykir mér sem móðir mín vilji að þú fáir nafnbót slíka sem þú mælir til. En fyrir tignar sakir vorrar og landssiðar þá kom þú til mín á hálfs mánaðar fresti. Skalt þú þá gerast hirðmaður minn en móðir mín haldi þér kost þar til og kom þá á minn fund.“

Gunnhildur sagði: „Ögmundur, fylgdu þeim til húsa minna og ger þeim þar góða veislu.“

Ögmundur gekk út og þeir með honum og fylgdi hann þeim í eina steinhöll. Þar var tjaldað hinum fegursta borða. Þar var og hásæti Gunnhildar.

Þá mælti Ögmundur: „Nú mun það sannast er eg sagði þér frá Gunnhildi. Hér er hásæti hennar og skalt þú í setjast og halda máttu þessu sæti þótt hún komi sjálf til.“

Síðan veitti hann þeim veislu. Þeir höfðu skamma hríð setið áður þar kom Gunnhildur. Hrútur vildi upp spretta og fagna henni.

„Sit þú,“ segir hún, „og skalt þú jafnan þessu sæti halda þá er þú ert í boði mínu.“

Síðan settist hún hjá Hrúti og drukku þau. Og um kveldið mælti hún: „Þú skalt liggja í lofti hjá mér í nótt og við tvö saman.“[1]

„Þér skuluð slíku ráða,“ sagði hann.

Síðan gengu þau til svefns og læsti hún þegar loftinu innan og sváfu þau þar um nóttina. En um morguninn fóru þau til drykkju. Og allan hálfan mánuð lágu þau þar tvö ein í loftinu.

Þá mælti Gunnhildur við þá menn er þar voru: „Þér skuluð engu fyrir týna nema lífinu ef þér segið nokkurum frá um hagi vora.“

Hrútur gaf henni hundrað álna hafnarvoðar og tólf vararfeldi. Gunnhildur þakkaði honum gjöfina. Hrútur gekk í braut og minntist við hana áður og þakkaði henni. Hún bað hann vel fara.

Og um daginn eftir gekk hann fyrir konung við þrjá tigu manna og kvaddi konung.

Konungur mælti: „Nú munt þú vilja að eg efni við þig, Hrútur, það sem eg hét þér.“

Síðan gjörðist hann hirðmaður.

Hrútur mælti: „Hvar skal eg sitja?“

„Móðir mín skal því ráða,“ sagði konungur.

Síðan fékk hún honum hið sæmilegsta sæti og var hann með konungi um veturinn vel metinn.


Tilvísanir

  1. Þú skalt liggja í lofti hjá mér í nótt og við tvö saman: "In most sources about Gunnhildur she is given an exotic and far-northern ancestry from which she draws a seductive strength, sexual liaison and magic … she seduces young men to have sexual relationships with her although she is old enough to be the mother of at least some of them. Jómsvíkinga saga describes Gunnhildur as promiscuous, and various sources imply her sexual behavior with young men. Egils saga hints at her sexual relationship with Þórólfur and even more blunt is the description of her sex life in Njáls saga: There can be no doubt of what Gunnhildur has in mind when she gives Hrútr orders" Jóna Guðbjörg Torfadóttir. Gunnhildur and the Male Whores (s. 3).

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