Gisli Sursson's Saga and the Saga of the People of Eyri by Martin S. Regal & Judy Quinn

Author:Martin S. Regal & Judy Quinn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fairy Tales; Folk Tales; Legends & Mythology, Classics, Sagas, Literary Criticism, Ancient & Classical
Publisher: Penguin UK
Published: 2003-09-25T05:23:47+00:00

20 The mistress of the house at Mavahlid, Geirrid, sent word to Bolstad that she had found out that it was Odd Kotluson who had chopped off Aud’s hand. She claimed to have Aud’s own word on this, and she also said that Odd had boasted about it to his friends. When Thorarin and Arnkel heard this news they rode from home out to Mavahlid with ten men, and stayed the night there. The following morning they rode towards Holt where their approach could be seen from the farmstead. There was not a man on the farm except Odd.

Katla sat on the cross-bench spinning yarn. She told Odd to sit beside her, ‘and be quiet and still.’

She told the women to stay in their places, ‘and be quiet. I will speak for us all.’

When Arnkel and the others arrived, they went straight inside. As they came into the main room Katla greeted Arnkel and asked him the news. Arnkel said he did not have any, and asked where Odd was.

Katla said he had gone south to Breidavik bay, ‘but he wouldn’t have avoided seeing you if he were at home, because we believe you to be honourable men.’

‘That may well be,’ said Arnkel, ‘but we want to search your house.’

‘Do as you please,’ said Katla, and asked the cook to carry a light for them, and to unlock the storeroom, ‘that is the only locked room on the farm.’

They noticed that Katla was spinning yarn on her distaff. They searched the buildings but could not find Odd and after that they left.

When they had ridden a little distance from the farm buildings, Arnkel stopped and said: ‘Is it possible that Katla could have pulled the wool over our eyes? Could that have been her son Odd who appeared to us to be her distaff?’

‘She’d be quite capable of that,’ said Thorarin, ‘so let’s go back.’

And they did. When the people at Holt saw that men were returning, Katla said to the women, ‘You should still stay in your places, but Odd and I are going outside.’

When they reached the front door, Katla went into the hallway directly opposite the door and started combing her son’s hair and cutting it. Arnkel and the others ran through the door and saw Katla playing with a goat there, trimming its forelock and beard and grooming its coat. Arnkel and his men went into the main room but could not see Odd. Katla’s distaff was lying there on the bench. They were now convinced that Odd had not been there, and so they went out and rode away.

But when they reached the spot where they had turned back before, Arnkel said, ‘Don’t you suspect that Odd could have been disguised as a goat?’

‘Who knows,’ said Thorarin, ‘but if we go back now we should take hold of Katla.’

‘Let’s try once more,’ said Arnkel, ‘and see what happens.’

Once again, they turned back.

When Katla saw them returning, she asked Odd to come with her for a walk.

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