The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue by (tr) Katrina C Attwood (Penguin Little Black Classics 03) (retail) (epub)

Author:(tr) Katrina C Attwood (Penguin Little Black Classics 03) (retail) (epub)
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141397870
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2014-12-26T05:00:00+00:00

10

Now we return to Gunnlaug, who left Sweden for England in the same summer as Hrafn went back to Iceland. He received valuable gifts from King Olaf when he left. King Ethelred gave Gunnlaug a very warm welcome. He stayed with the king all winter, and was thought well of.

In those days, the ruler of Denmark was Canute the Great, the son of Svein. He had recently come into his inheritance, and was continually threatening to lead an army against England, since his father, Svein, had gained considerable power in England before his death there in the west. Furthermore, there was a huge army of Danes in Britain at that time. Its leader was Heming, the son of Earl Strut-Harald and the brother of Earl Sigvaldi. Under King Canute, Heming was in charge of the territory which King Svein had previously won.

During the spring, Gunnlaug asked King Ethelred for permission to leave.

‘Since you are my follower,’ he replied, ‘it is not appropriate for you to leave me when such a war threatens England.’

‘That is for you to decide, my lord,’ Gunnlaug replied. ‘But give me permission to leave next summer, if the Danes don’t come.’

‘We’ll see about it then,’ the king answered.

Now that summer and the following winter passed, and the Danes did not come. After midsummer, Gunnlaug obtained the king’s permission to leave, went east to Norway and visited Earl Eirik at Lade in Trondheim. The earl gave him a warm welcome this time, and invited him to stay with him. Gunnlaug thanked him for the offer, but said that he wanted to go back to Iceland first, to visit his intended.

‘All the ships prepared for Iceland are gone now,’ said the earl.

Then a follower said, ‘Hallfred the Troublesome Poet was still anchored out under Agdenes yesterday.’

‘That might still be the case,’ the earl replied. ‘He sailed from here five nights ago.’

Then Earl Eirik had Gunnlaug taken out to Hallfred, who was glad to see him. An offshore breeze began to blow, and they were very cheerful. It was late summer.

‘Have you heard about Hrafn Onundarson’s asking for permission to marry Helga the Fair?’ Hallfred asked Gunnlaug.

Gunnlaug said that he had heard about it, but that he did not know the full story. Hallfred told him everything he knew about it, and added that many people said that Hrafn might well prove to be no less brave than Gunnlaug was. Then Gunnlaug spoke this verse:

10. Though the east wind has toyed

with the shore-ski this week

I weigh that but little –

the weather’s weaker now.

I fear more being felt

to fall short of Hrafn in courage

than living on to become

a grey-haired gold-breaker.

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