The Book: Sagas of Warrior-Poets
The Author: Various bards of the thirteenth century.
This text: Paperback anthology from a 1997 translation by various scholars
Price: Well, I paid $16.95 according to the sticker. (Penguin Classics. Amazon has an etext which is slightly cheaper, and there are probably earlier translations around.)
The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue
When Helga Thorsteindottir was born, it was
prophesied that she would cause the death of two men before marrying a
third. Thorstein gave orders that she should be exposed, to save himself any trouble that might result, but his wife Jofrid sent her in secret
to a fostering. Many years later, Thorstein is introduced to Helga and
told that she is his daughter. He repents his previous stupidity and
takes her home with him.
Shortly after, two brothers are fostered with
Thorstein. One is a promising chief-in-the-making called Hermund, the
other is the promising if acerbic poet named Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue.
The fostering has come about because twelve-year-old
Gunnlaug has asked his father Illugi for trade goods to fund an
international trading expedition, and Illugi reckons he's too young and needs to learn a bit of Icelandic law.
Gunnlaug and Helga fall in love over a mutual love
of board games, and also because Helga is the most beautiful woman in
Iceland. Thorstein teaches Gunnlaug all about Icelandic law. Gunnlaug
practices the betrothal process on Helga, to
everyone's amusement, except, perhaps, Thorstein's.
Some time later, Thorstein offers Gunnlaug a horse.
Gunnlaug refuses, saying that he's planning on going overseas and can't possibly take a horse, and
suggests Thorstein offers him his daughter instead. Thorstein says that
he considers him too young and reckless, and
besides, he's going overseas and can't possibly take his wife. There are some complicated negotiations,
and it is agreed that Gunnlaug will be allowed to marry Helga if he returns from his
overseas jaunt within three years.
Gunnlaug's overseas jaunt starts badly when he
insults the Earl of Norway. However, he soon finds favour with King
Ethelred of England, and takes service with him as warrior and poet.
When Gunnlaug runs afoul of the thug and bandit Thororm,
King Ethelred presents him with a sword to duel him with. Thororm has a
charm that lets him blunt any weapon he looks at; therefore Ethelred
recommends Gunnlaug show him a different sword before the duel. Gunnlaug
does so, and wins great favour in England
by slaying Thororm.
Gunnlaug travels a bit here and there, befriending
the kings of Ireland and Sweden. In the Swedish court he meets Hrafn
Onundson, who hails from the same part of Iceland as he does. The two
get on pretty well, until Gunnlaug insults Hrafn's
poetry before the king. Hrafn says that this will not stand. Hrafn
returns home to Iceland, and Gunnlaug goes back to England.
Gunnlaug is coming to the end of his three years,
but England is threatened by Canute of Denmark. King Ethelred doesn't
let him go. When another summer passes without a Danish invasion, the
king relents, and Gunnlaug hightails it back to
Iceland. On the way back, he meets Hallfred Troublesome-Poet, who tells
him that Hrafn intends to seek Helga's hand. Gunnlaug heads back to
Iceland, but is too late: Helga is married to Hrafn.
Illugi and Hermund tell Gunnlaug that there are
plenty more fish in the cold northern seas, but Gunnlaug will have none
of it. He spends as much time as he can with Helga, giving her gifts.
Helga has no love at all for Hrafn, and Hrafn
blames Gunnlaug. At the Althing, they bicker, and Gunnlaug challenges
Hrafn to a duel. Hrafn hits Gunnlaug's shield so hard that his sword
breaks, scratching Gunnlaug's cheek as it shatters. Gunnlaug claims a
technical victory because Hrafn is disarmed; Hrafn
claims the same because Gunnlaug is wounded. Neither is satisfied, but
the Althing votes to outlaw duelling, so that was the last duel ever
fought in Iceland.
But not the last fought in Norway: Hrafn and
Gunnlaug agree to continue the duel overseas. Gunnlaug chops of Hrafn's
leg, but Hrafn doesn't yield. Gunnlaug says he won't duel with someone
who can't actually stand up. Hrafn says he'll be
alright, if he can just have a drink of water. Gunnlaug agrees to fetch
him water in his helmet. Hrafn stabs him in the head.
They fight longer, and Gunnlaug gets a technical victory in that Hrafn dies first, but neither survives the duel.
News reaches Illugi and Hermund, and they kill and
maim a couple of Hrafn's kinsmen in vengeance for Gunnlaug. Helga is
married to someone else, but never quite gets over her first love. She
eventually dies of grief, and also plague.
Next: Bjorn's Saga.
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