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Page 42
When the thrall had spoken the faintness which had come over
Grettir left him. He drew his short sword, cut off Glam's head
and laid it between his thighs. Then the bondi came out, having
put on his clothes while Glam was speaking, but he did not
venture to come near until he was dead. Thorhall praised God and
thanked Grettir warmly for having laid this unclean spirit. Then
they set to work and burned Glam to cold cinders, bound the ashes
in a skin and buried them in a place far away from the haunts of
man or beast. Then they went home, the day having nearly broken.
Grettir was very stiff and lay down to rest. Thorhall sent for
some men from the next farms and let them know how things had
fared. They all realised the importance of Grettir's deed when
they heard of it; all agreed that in the whole country side for
strength and courage and enterprise there was not the equal of
Grettir the son of Asmund.
Thorhall bade a kindly farewell to Grettir and dismissed him with
a present of a fine horse and proper clothes, for all that he had
been wearing were torn to pieces. They parted in friendship.
Grettir rode to Ass in Vatnsdal and was welcomed by Thorvald, who
asked him all about his encounter with Glam. Grettir told him
everything and said that never had his strength been put to trial
as it had been in their long struggle. Thorvald told him to
conduct himself discreetly; if he did so he might prosper, but
otherwise he would surely come to disaster. Grettir said that
his temper had not improved, that he had even less discretion
than before, and was more impatient of being crossed. In one
thing a great change had come over him; he had become so
frightened of the dark that he dared not go anywhere alone at
night. Apparitions of every kind came before him. It has since
passed into an expression, and men speak of "Glam's eyes" or
"Glam visions" when things appear otherwise than as they are.
Having accomplished his undertaking Grettir rode back to Bjarg
and spent the winter at home.
CHAPTER XXXVI
THORBJORN SLOWCOACH AT HOME
Thorbjorn Oxmain gave a great feast in the autumn at which many
were assembled, whilst Grettir was in the North in Vatnsdal.
Thorbjorn Slowcoach was there and many things were talked about.
The Hrutafjord people inquired about Grettir's adventure on the
ridge in the summer. Thorbjorn Oxmain praised Grettir's conduct,
and said that Kormak would have had the worst of it if no one had
come to part them. Then Thorbjorn Slowcoach said: "What I saw
of Grettir's fighting was not famous; and he seemed inclined to
shirk when we came up. He was very ready to leave off, nor did I
see him make any attempt to avenge the death of Atli's man. I do
not believe there is much heart in him, except when he has a
sufficient force behind him."
Thorbjorn went on jeering at him in this way. Many of the others
had something to say about it, and they thought that Grettir
would not leave it to rest if he heard what Thorbjorn was saying.
Nothing more happened at the festivities; they all went home, and
there was a good deal of ill-will between them all that winter,
though no one took any action. Nothing more happened that
winter.
CHAPTER XXXVII
GRETTIR SAILS FOR NORWAY AND KILLS THORBJORN SLOWCOACH
Early in the spring, before the meeting of the Thing, there
arrived a ship from Norway. There was much news to tell, above
all of the change of government. Olaf the son of Harald was now
king, having driven away jarl Sveinn from the country in the
spring which followed the battle of Nesjar. Many noteworthy
things were told of King Olaf. Men said that he took into favour
all men who were skilled in any way and made them his followers.
This pleased many of the younger men in Iceland and made them all
want to leave home. When Grettir heard of it he longed to go
too, deeming that he merited the king's favour quite as much as
any of the others. A ship came up to Gasar in Eyjafjord; Grettir
engaged a passage in her and prepared to go abroad. He had not
much outfit as yet.
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