AS time went on, Thorstein Egilson married his daughter
Helga to a man called Thorkel, son of Hallkel, who lived west in Hraundale.
Helga went to his house with him, but loved him little, for she cannot cease to
think of Gunnlaug, though he be dead. Yet was Thorkel a doughty man, and
wealthy of goods, and a good skald.
They had children together not a few, one of them was called
Thorarin, another Thorstein, and yet more they had.
But Helga's chief joy was to pluck at the threads of that
cloak, Gunnlaug's gift, and she would be ever gazing at it.
But on a time there came a great sickness to the house of
Thorkel and Helga, and many were bed-ridden for a long time. Helga also fell
sick, and yet she could not keep abed.
So one Saturday evening Helga sat in the fire-hall, and
leaned her head upon her husband's knees, and had the cloak Gunnlaug's gift
sent for; and when the cloak came to her she sat up and plucked at it, and
gazed thereon awhile, and then sank back upon her husband's bosom, and was
dead. Then Thorkel sang this:—
"Dead
in mine arms she droopeth,
My
dear one, gold-rings bearer,
For
God hath changed the life-days
Of
this Lady of the linen.
Weary pain hath pined her,
But unto me, the seeker
Of
hoard of fishes highway,
Abiding here is wearier."
Helga was buried in the church there, but Thorke dwelt yet
at Hraundale: but a great matter seemed the death of Helga to all, as was to be
looked for.
AND HERE ENDETH
THE STORY
----------------------
From: THE STORY/SAGA OF GUNNLAUG THE WORM-TONGUE AND RAVEN THE SKALD
Translated
From The Icelandic EIRIKR MAGNUSSON & WILLIAM MORRIS
A percentage of the profits from the sale of this book will
be donated to UNICEF.
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