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Page 27
GRETTIR KILLS BJORN AND IS SUMMONED BEFORE JARL SVEINN
In the spring Grettir went North to Vagar with Thorkell's men.
They parted with friendship. Bjorn went West to England in
Thorkell's ship, of which he was master, staying there for the
summer and transacting the business which Thorkell had entrusted
to him. In the end of the autumn he returned from the western
parts. Grettir stayed in Vagar till the trading ships left, and
then sailed South with some of the traders, as far as the port of
Gartar at the mouth of the Thrandheim's Fjord, where he set up
the awnings to make a stay. When they were settled down a ship
came up along the coast from the South, which they at once
recognised as one of the ships from England. She made fast
further out off the coast and her crew landed. Grettir went out
with his companions to visit them. On their meeting Grettir
found Bjorn amongst the company and said: "It is well that we
meet here, for now we can continue our former quarrel. I should
like to try which of us is the better man."
Bjorn said that was all past now, as far as he was concerned.
"But," he said, "if there has been anything between us I will pay
you such compensation that you shall be satisfied." Grettir spoke
a verse:
"Time was when the bear was slain by my hand;
my cloak in tatters was torn.
A rascally knave was the cause of it all
but now he shall make me amends."
Bjorn said that weightier matters than this had been settled by
payment. Grettir said that few men had any reason to act
maliciously towards him; he had accepted no money-atonement, nor
would he do so now; that if he had his way they should not both
go away unhurt, and that if Bjorn refused to fight he would brand
him as a coward. Bjorn saw that excuses would not avail him, so
he took his arms and went out. They rushed at each other and
fought; soon Bjorn was wounded and then he fell dead to the
ground. On seeing that, his men went on board their ship, sailed
away to the North along the coast to Thorkell's place and told
him what had happened. He said it had not come sooner than he
expected. Directly afterwards he sailed to the South to
Thrandheim where he found jarl Sveinn.
Grettir, after slaying Bjorn, went to More to his friend Thorfinn
and told him exactly what had happened. Thorfinn received him in
a most friendly way. "I am glad," he said, "that you will now
have need of a friend. You must stay with me until this affair
is finished."
Grettir thanked him for his invitation and said he would accept
it.
Jarl Sveinn was staying at Steinker in Thrandheim when he heard
of the Slaying of Bjorn. With him was a brother of Bjorn named
Hjarrandi, as one of his bodyguard. On hearing of Bjorn's death
he became very angry and begged the jarl for his support in the
matter, which the jarl promised that he should have. He sent
messengers to Thorfinn to summon both him and Grettir to appear
before him. Immediately on receiving the jarl's commands they
both made ready and came to Thrandheim. The jarl held a council
on the matter and ordered Hjarrandi to be present. Hjarrandi
said he was not going to weigh his brother against his purse, and
that he must either follow him or avenge him.
When the case was looked into, it became evident that Bjorn had
given Grettir many provocations. Thorfinn offered to pay a fine
such as the jarl thought suitable to the position of his kinsman,
and dwelt at length upon Grettir's achievement in killing the
berserks, and how he had delivered the men in the North from
them.
The jarl answered: "Truth do you speak, Thorfinn! that was
indeed a cleansing! It would befit us well to accept the
compensation for your sake. Grettir, too, is a fine fellow, and
noted for his strength and valour."
Hjarrandi, however, would accept no compensation, and the meeting
came to an end. Thorfinn appointed one of his kinsmen, Arnbjorn,
to accompany Grettir every day, for he knew that Hjarrandi was
plotting against his life.
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