Gunnlaug Worm-Tongue was, as is aforesaid, whiles at Burg
with Thorstein, whiles with his father Illugi at Gilsbank, three winters
together, and was by now eighteen winters old; and father and son were now much
more of a mind.
There was a man called Thorkel the Black; he was a
house-carle of Illugi, and near akin to him, and had been brought up in his
house. To him fell an heritage north at As, in Water-dale, and he prayed
Gunnlaug to go with him thither. This he did, and so they rode, the two
together, to As. There they got the fee; it was given up to them by those who had
the keeping of it, mostly because of Gunnlaug's furtherance.
But as they rode from the north they guested at Grimstongue,
at a rich bonder's who dwelt there; but in the morning a herdsman took
Gunnlaug's horse, and it had sweated much by then he got it back. Then Gunnlaug
smote the herdsman, and stunned him; but the bonder would in nowise bear this,
and claimed boot therefor. Gunnlaug offered to pay him one mark. The bonder
thought it too little.
Then Gunnlaug sang,—
"Bade
I the middling mighty
To
have a mark of waves' flame;
Giver of grey seas? glitter,
This gift shalt thou make shift with.
If
the elf sun of the waters
From out of purse thou lettest,
O
waster of the worm's bedy
Awaits thee sorrow later."
So the peace was made as Gunnlaug bade, and in such wise the
two rode south.
Now, a little while after, Gunnlaug asked his father a
second time for goods for going abroad.
Illugi says, "Now shalt thou have thy will, for thou
hast wrought thyself into something better than thou wert." So Illugi rode
hastily from home, and bought for Gunnlaug half a ship which lay in Gufaros,
from Audun Festargram—this Audun was he who would not flit abroad the sons of
Oswif the Wise, after the slaying of Kiartan Olafson, as is told in the story
of the Laxdalemen, which thing though betid later than this.—And when Illugi
came home, Gunnlaug thanked him well.
Thorkel the Black betook himself to seafaring with Gunnlaug,
and their wares were brought to the ship; but Gunnlaug was at Burg while they
made her ready, and found more cheer in talk with Helga than in toiling with
chapmen.
Now one day Thorstein asked Gunnlaug if he would ride to his
horses with him up to Long-water-dale. Gunnlaug said he would. So they ride
both together till they come to the mountain-dairies of Thorstein, called
Thorgils-stead. There were stud-horses of Thorstein, four of them together, all
red of hue. There was one horse very goodly, but little tried: this horse
Thorstein offered to give to Gunnlaug. He said he was in no need of horses, as
he was going away from the country; and so they ride to other stud-horses.
There was a grey horse with four mares, and he was the best of horses in
Burgfirth. This one, too, Thorstein offered to give Gunnlaug, but he said,
"I desire these in no wise more than the others; but why dost thou not bid
me what I will take?"
"What is that?" said Thorstein.
"Helga the Fair, thy daughter," says Gunnlaug.
"That rede is not to be settled so hastily," said
Thorstein; and therewithal got on other talk.
And now they ride homewards down along Long-water.
Then said Gunnlaug, "I must needs know what thou wilt
answer me about the wooing."
Thorstein answers: "I heed not thy vain talk,"
says he.
Gunnlaug says, "This is my whole mind, and no vain
words."
Thorstein says, "Thou shouldst first know thine own
will. Art thou not bound to fare abroad? and yet thou makest as if thou wouldst
go marry. Neither art thou an even match for Helga while thou art so unsettled,
and therefore this cannot so much as be looked at."
Gunnlaug says, "Where lookest thou for a match for thy
daughter, if thou wilt not give her to the son of Illugi the Black; or who are
they throughout Burg-firth who are of more note than he?"
Thorstein answered: "I will not play at
men-mating," says he, "but if thou wert such a man as he is, thou
wouldst not be turned away."
Gunnlaug said, "To whom wilt thou give thy daughter
rather than to me?"
Said Thorstein, "Hereabout are many good men to choose
from. Thorfin of Red-Mel hath seven sons, and all of them men of good
manners."
Gunnlaug answers, "Neither Onund nor Thorfin are men as
good as my father. Nay, thou thyself clearly fallest short of him—or what hast
thou to set against his strife with Thorgrim the Priest, the son of Kiallak,
and his sons, at Thorsness Thing, where he carried all that was in
debate?"
Thorstein answers, "I drave away Steinar, the son of
Onund Sioni, which was deemed somewhat of a deed."
Gunnlaug says, "Therein thou wast holpen by thy father
Egil; and, to end all, it is for few bonders to cast away my alliance."
Said Thorstein, "Carry thy cowing away to the fellows
up yonder at the mountains; for down here, on the Meres, it shall avail thee
nought."
Now in the evening they come home; but next morning Gunnlaug
rode up to Gilsbank, and prayed his father to ride with him a-wooing out to
Burg.
Illugi answered, "Thou art an unsettled man, being
bound for faring abroad, but makest now as if thou wouldst busy thyself with
wife-wooing; and so much do I know, that this is not to Thorstein's mind."
Gunnlaug answers, "I shall go abroad all the same, nor
shall I be well pleased but if thou further this."
So after this Illugi rode with eleven men from home down to
Burg, and Thorstein greeted him well. Early in the morning Illugi said to
Thorstein, "I would speak to thee."
"Let us go, then, to the top of the Burg, and talk
together there," says Thorstein; and so they did, and Gunnlaug went with
them.
Then said Illugi, "My kinsman Gunnlaug tells me that he
has begun a talk with thee on his own behalf, praying that he might woo thy
daughter Helga; but now I would fain know what is like to come of this matter.
His kin is known to thee, and our possessions; from my hand shall be spared
neither land nor rule over men, if such things might perchance further
matters."
Thorstein said, "Herein alone Gunnlaug pleases me not,
that I find him an unsettled man; but if he were of a mind like thine, little
would I hang back."
Illugi said, "It will cut our friendship across if thou
gainsayest me and my son an equal match."
Thorstein answers, "For thy words and our friendship
then, Helga shall be vowed, but not betrothed, to Gunnlaug, and shall bide for
him three winters: but Gunnlaug shall go abroad and shape himself to the ways
of good men; but I shall be free from all these matters if he does not then
come back, or if his ways are not to my liking."
Thereat they parted; Illugi rode home, but Gunnlaug rode to
his ship. But when they had wind at will they sailed for the main, and made the
northern part of Norway, and sailed landward along Thrandheim to Nidaros; there
they rode in the harbour, and unshipped their goods.
----------------------
From: THE STORY/SAGA OF GUNNLAUG THE WORM-TONGUE AND RAVEN THE SKALD
Translated
From The Icelandic EIRIKR MAGNUSSON & WILLIAM MORRIS
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