Epic and Romance: Essays on Medieval LiteratureKer, W. P. (William Paton)
History
Epic and Romance: Essays on Medieval Literature
Ker, W. P. (William Paton)
Epic poetry -- History and criticism; Literature, Medieval -- History and criticism; Romances -- History and criticism
Eyjolf saw that the attack was beginning to flag, and grew
afraid that the countryside might be raised upon them; so
they brought up the fire. John of Bakki had a tar-pin with
him; they took the sheepskins from the frames that stood
outside there, and tarred them and set them on fire. Some
took hay and stuffed it into the windows and put fire to it;
and soon there was a great smoke in the house and a choking
heat. Gizur lay down in the hall by one of the rows of
pillars, and kept his nose on the floor. Groa his wife was
near him. Thorbjorn Neb was lying there too, and he and
Gizur had their heads close together. Thorbjorn could hear
Gizur praying to God in many ways and fervently, and thought
he had never before heard praying like it. As for himself,
he could not have opened his mouth for the smoke. After that
Gizur stood up and Groa supported him, and he went to the
south porch. He was much distressed by the smoke and heat,
and thought to make his way out rather than be choked
inside. Gizur Glad was standing at the door, talking to
Kolbein Grön, and Kolbein was offering him quarter, for
there was a pact between them, that if ever it came to that,
they should give quarter to one another, whichever of them
had it in his power. Gizur stood behind Gizur Glad, his
namesake while they were talking, and got some coolness the
while. Gizur Glad said to Kolbein, "I will take quarter for
myself, if I may bring out another man along with me."
Kolbein agreed to this at once, excepting only Gizur and his
sons.
Then Ingibjorg, Sturla's daughter, came to Groa at the door;
she was in her nightgown, and barefoot. She was then in her
fourteenth year, and tall and comely to see. Her silver belt
had tangled round her feet as she came from her bedroom.
There was on it a purse with many gold rings of hers in it;
she had it there with her. Groa was very glad to see her,
and said that there should be one lot for both of them,
whatever might befall.
When Gizur had got himself cooled a little, he gave up his
thought of dashing out of the house. He was in linen
clothes, with a mail-coat over them, and a steel cap on his
head, and his sword _Corselet-biter_ in his hand. Groa was
in her nightgown only. Gizur went to Groa and took two gold
rings out of his girdle-pocket and put them into her hand,
because he thought that she would live through it, but not
he himself. One ring had belonged to Bishop Magnus his
uncle, and the other to his father Thorvald.
"I wish my friends to have the good of these," he says, "if
things go as I would have them."
Gizur saw that Groa took their parting much to heart.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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