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Page 20
"Many a trifle happens at eve," he replied.
Then he brought out all the treasure which he had taken from the
howe and laid it on the table. One thing there was upon which
more than anything else Grettir cast his eyes, a short sword,
which he declared to be finer than any weapon which he had ever
seen. It was the last thing that he showed. Thorfinn opened his
eyes when he saw the sword, for it was an heirloom of his family
and had never been out of it.
"Whence came this treasure?" he asked.
Grettir then spake a verse:
"Scatterer of gold! 'twas the lust of wealth
that urged my hand to ravish the grave.
This know; but none hereafter, I ween,
will be fain to ransack Fafnir's lair."
Thorfinn said: "You don't seem to take it very seriously; no one
ever before had any wish to break open the howe. But since I
know that all treasure which is hidden in the earth or buried in
a howe is in a wrong place I hold you guilty of no misdeed,
especially since you have brought it to me."
Grettir answered:
"The monster is slain! in the dismal tomb
I have captured a sword, dire wounder of men.
Would it were mine I a treasure so rare
I never would suffer my hand to resign."
"You have spoken well," Thorfinn answered. "But before I can
give you the sword you must display your prowess in some way. I
never got it from my father whilst he lived."
Grettir said: "No one knows to whom the greatest profit will
fall ere all is done."
Thorfinn took the treasure and kept the sword in his own custody
near his bed. The winter came on bringing Yule-tide, and nothing
more happened that need be told of.
CHAPTER XIX
BERSERKS AT HARAMARSEY
The following summer jarl Eirik the son of Hakon was preparing to
leave his country and sail to the West to join his brother-in-law
King Knut the Great in England, leaving the government of Norway
in the hands of Hakon his son, who, being an infant, was placed
under the government and regency of Eirik's brother, jarl Sveinn.
Before leaving Eirik summoned all his Landmen and the larger
bondis to meet him. Eirik the jarl was an able ruler, and they
had much discussion regarding the laws and their administration.
It was considered a scandal in the land that pirates and berserks
should be able to come into the country and challenge respectable
people to the holmgang for their money or their women, no
weregild being paid whichever fell. Many had lost their money
and been put to shame in this way; some indeed had lost their
lives. For this reason jarl Eirik abolished all holmgang in
Norway and declared all robbers and berserks who disturbed the
peace outlaws. Thorfinn the son of Kar of Haramarsey, being a
man of wise counsel and a close friend of the jarl, was present
at the meeting.
The worst of these ruffians were two brothers named Thorir Paunch
and Ogmund the Bad. They came from Halogaland and were bigger
and stronger than other men. When angry they used to fall into
the berserk's fury, and nothing escaped that was before them.
They used to carry off men's wives, keep them for a week or two
and then send them back. Wherever they came they committed
robberies and other acts of violence. Jarl Eirik had declared
them outlaws throughout Norway. The man who had been most active
in getting them outlawed was Thorfinn, and they were determined
to pay him out in full for his hostility.
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