The Norse discoverers of America : $b the Wineland sagas translated & discussed — John Shaqi
The Norse discoverers of America : $b the Wineland sagas translated & discussedGathorne-Hardy, G. M. (Geoffrey Malcolm)
History
The Norse discoverers of America : $b the Wineland sagas translated & discussed
Gathorne-Hardy, G. M. (Geoffrey Malcolm)
America -- Discovery and exploration -- Norse
Thorstein looked for lodgings for the party, and got them for all his
crew, but he and his wife were houseless. So they remained behind by
the ship some two nights. Christianity was still new then in Greenland.
One day some men came to their tent early in the morning. So these
men who were there asked what persons were in the tent. Thorstein
replied: ‘Two persons,’ he said, ‘but who are you who ask?’ ‘My name
is Thorstein,’ (said one of the men), ‘and I am called Thorstein the
Black, but my errand here is to invite both of you to lodge with me.’
Thorstein said that he wished to consult his wife, but she told him
to decide, whereupon he accepted. ‘Then,’ (said the man), ‘I will come
for you to-morrow with a carthorse, for I have plenty of room to take
you in; but it is very dull to stay with me, for there are just the
two of us, my wife and I, and I am of a very obstinate disposition. I
hold a different faith from you, though I consider that which you hold
is superior.’ So then he came for them in the morning with a horse,
and they went to lodge with Thorstein the Black, and he treated them
well. Gudrid was a woman of striking appearance, and a clever woman
who could get on well with strangers. Early in the winter a plague
attacked Thorstein Ericson’s party, and many of his companions died
there. Thorstein ordered coffins to be made for the bodies of those who
died, and directed that they should be taken to the ship and looked
after, ‘for’, he said, ‘I wish to remove all the bodies to Ericsfjord
in the summer.’ Now after a short interval plague attacked Thorstein’s
house, and his wife, whose name was Grimhild, was the first to fall
ill. She was very energetic, and as strong as a man, yet the plague
got the better of her, and soon afterwards Thorstein Ericson caught
the plague, and they were both laid up at the same time: and Grimhild,
wife of Thorstein the Black, died. Now when she was dead Thorstein
(the Black) went out of the room for a plank to lay the body on. Then
Gudrid spoke: ‘Do not stay away long, my Thorstein,’ she said. He said
it should be as she wished. Then said Thorstein Ericson, ‘Wonderful
things are happening to our hostess now, for she is raising herself
up with her elbows, and moving her feet from the bench, and groping
for her shoes’: and with that Thorstein the owner of the place came
in, whereupon Grimhild laid herself down, and every beam in the room
creaked. Now Thorstein made a coffin for Grimhild’s body, and took
it away and made preparations. He was a big man and strong, but he
needed all this before he got her out of the house. Now the illness
of Thorstein Ericson grew worse, and he died. Gudrid his wife hardly
realized it. They were all in the room at the time. Gudrid had seated
herself on a chair before the bench on which Thorstein her husband
had been laid. Then Thorstein the owner of the house took Gudrid from
the chair in his arms, and sat on another bench with her opposite
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account