THE SAGA OF GISLI THE OUTLAW - A Viking Saga E-Book

Anon E. Mouse

• Herausgeber: Abela Publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

THE EVENTS described in the saga of Gisli the Soursop reach from about the year AD930 to AD980, in a time when the law of Iceland had not yet been established.  Men were ruled by their conscience and Gisli, a champion of Iceland, was outlawed for murder by the Chieftain Bork at the Thorsness Thing, or Council Meeting.  But besides his sentence he was doomed, even before his birth. He and his kin were under a curse, for they had kept the broken bits of "Graysteel", bits of the thrall's good sword, which came with a withering spaedom, or divination. So under sentence and under a curse Gisli went on the run. For fourteen years with the help of family, friends and those who really knew the truth, he managed to evade Bork’s men and bounty hunters alike.To the end Gisli fought hard, taking with him eight of the fourteen who eventually cornered him one snowy night on the crags. It has been said by many that there never was a more famous and honourable defence made by one man in times of which the truth is known. Even as death approached Gisli managed to compose and sing one final verse to his wife who stood nearby.As with many champions through the ages, Gisli was also a true poet and his verses have genuine thought and feeling lying underneath, as you will frequently find in this volume.It has also been said that this is one of the finest, if it be not the very finest, of the lesser Sagas. When translating it is difficult to grasp the full spirit of the story, but here it has been accomplished with the detail of scenery and costume thoroughly mastered.33% of the net profit from the sale of this book will be donated to Charities.TAGS: Viking, Norse, Saga, adventure, action, Northern, Northmen, chase, on the run, curse, sentence, graysteel, Bork, cruel leader, Iceland, Norway, Scandinavia, divination, fight, freedom, bounty hunter, search, verse,

Leseprobe

THE SAGA

OF

GISLI THE OUTLAW

from the Icelandic

BY

GEORGE WEBBE DASENT D.C.L.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY

C. E. ST. JOHN-MILDMAY

Originally published by

EDMONSTON AND DOUGLAS

EDINBURGH

[1866]

* * * * * * *

Resurrected by

ABELA PUBLISHING

LONDON

[2017]

The Saga of Gisli the Outlaw

Typographical arrangement of this edition

© Abela Publishing 2017

This book may not be reproduced in its current format in any manner in any media, or transmitted by any means whatsoever, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, or mechanical ( including photocopy, file or video recording, internet web sites, blogs, wikis, or any other information storage and retrieval system) except as permitted by law without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Abela Publishing,

London

United Kingdom

2010

ISBN-13: 978-X-XXXXXX=XX-X

email

[email protected]

website

www.AbelaPublishing.com

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Publisher acknowledges the work that

George Webbe Dasent

did in translating and publishing

Gisli the Outlaw

in a time well before any electronic media was in use.

* * * * * * *

33% of the net from the sale from this book

will be donated to charities.

NOTICE

THIS English version of the Gisli Saga is formed out of a fusion of the two Icelandic texts which have come down to us; the elder text having been generally followed, and the younger used to supply deficiencies.

It is needless to speak of the story unless it can speak for itself in the English tongue. It is enough, therefore, to say that this is one of the finest, if it be not the very finest, of the lesser Sagas, among which it holds the same rank as Njala among those of greater length.

In one respect it is perhaps superior to any Saga. Gisli was a true poet, and his verses, though full of the periphrases and involutions common in that class of Icelandic composition, have genuine thought and feeling lying underneath them. It is hoped, if the English renderings run smoother than the Icelandic originals, the spirit which warms them may not be found utterly wanting. In this, as in other respects, Gisli must speak for himself.

But one thing may surely here be spoken of--the kind deeds and help of friends. To the skilful hand that drew the illustrations which adorn this volume the Translator and the reader owe special thanks. It is seldom that the spirit of a story has been so fully grasped, and details of scenery and costume so thoroughly mastered.

To his friend Guðbrandr Vigfússon, an Icelander of profound knowledge in the language and literature of his country, the Translator's thanks for many valuable explanations and suggestions are most justly due and most heartily given.

The sword on the title-page has been most daintily drawn from an original, just such as "Graysteel" must have been, by the accomplished pencil of Mr. Drummond. To him, too, a meed of praise is due.

December 15, 1865.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHRONOLOGY OF THE SAGA.

GISLI THE OUTLAW

CHAPTER 1 THE THRALL'S CURSE

CHAPTER II KOLBEIN'S KILLING

CHAPTER III THE BURNING OF THE OLD HOUSE

CHAPTER IV THE SOURSOPS IN ICELAND

CHAPTER V THE SOURSOPS ABROAD

CHAPTER VI GISLI AND THORKEL PART

CHAPTER VII VESTEIN COMES BACK TO ICELAND

CHAPTER VIII VESTEIN'S SLAYING

CHAPTER IX THORGRIM'S SLAYING

CHAPTER X GISLI BETRAYS HIMSELF

CHAPTER XI GISLI AN OUTLAW

CHAPTER XII GISLI BEGINS TO DREAM

CHAPTER XIII GISLI GOES TO INGIALLD

CHAPTER XIV GISLI SLIPS THROUGH BORK'S FINGERS

CHAPTER XV THORKEL'S SLAYING

CHAPTER XVI SPY-HELGI AND HAVARD

CHAPTER XVII GISLI'S EVIL DREAMS

CHAPTER XVIII GISLI'S SLAYING

CHAPTER XIX THORDISA'S WELCOME TO EYJOLF

MAPS

ILLUSTRATIONS

GRAYSTEELFrontispiece

GISLI IN SÆBOL

THORKEL AT AUDA AND ASGERDA'S BOWER

FORGING THE SPEAR-HEAD

THORGRIM'S SLAYING

THE DREAM-WIFE

GISLI SLIPS THROUGH BORK'S FINGERS

GISLI, AUDA, AND GUDRIDA

Maps

 1. GENERAL MAP OF ICELAND

 2. NORTH-WESTERN PORTION OF ICELAND

INTRODUCTION

THE events described in the Saga of Gisli the Soursop reach from the end of Harold Fairhair's reign to the middle of the reign of Earl Hacon the Bad, or from about the year 930 to 980. Nothing can be livelier or more truthful than the account contained in it of Norwegian and Icelandic life and manners during those fifty years. In Norway itself, about the beginning of that period, Harold Fairhair, now grown old, had shared the kingdom which he had won with so much toil and blood among his sons, to be ruled over by Eric Bloody-axe as overking. Eric's incapacity and his wife Gunnhillda's cruelty soon lost what his politic father had won. He was forced to fly the land, and was succeeded by Hacon, another son of Harold Fairhair, who was called Hacon Athelstane's Fosterchild, because he had been sent by his father to be fostered by that famous English king. Of this prince, whose memory was held very dear by his people as Hacon the Good, the Saga of Gisli Soursop contains a sketch which, as a mere interpolation, has been banished from the body of the text, but which well deserves to stand here:--"As soon as he heard of his father's death Hacon came west from England and went straight north to Drontheim, where he sought out first Sigurd the jarl of Hladir, and promised to give him up the jarldom which his father had held if he would back his claim as king. 'Methinks,' he said, 'that would be a good bargain if thou put me forward as king, and I gave thee such honour as thy father held before thee. Then thou wouldst be free and not fettered, as all now are in this land.' It had been one of, the imposts of Harold Fairhair that he claimed as his own all the soil in Norway, both tilled and untilled, and the sea and lakes as well. Every man was to be his tenant and vassal. Now the jarl thinks over the matter; and it seemed to him that Hacon spoke fair, and so they struck a fast friendship. Then the jarl calls together a Thing of the three districts round Drontheim; and as soon as the Thing was set, up rises Hacon and spoke thus:--'It is well known to all men who have now come hither how Harold Fairhair laid all Norway under his feet--all the way north from Finmark down to the Gotha-Elf. He was, in truth, absolute king over all men. He had, too, as ye well know, a host of sons, most of them proper men; but he loved them very unevenly. Some he sent away to other lands, but some be kept with him about his court; and of all of them it was Eric Bloody-axe whom he weened would rule first and foremost of all his sons. So all obeyed him well in that matter as long as he lived; but now my kinsman Eric has wrought very many things which are beyond bearing. And so I will ask this boon of all ye good men of Drontheim, that ye shall try to stay and strengthen him who will be more forbearing to the people, and who will rather let his kinsmen and the folk lift their heads a little, than him who strives to pull the people down. As for me, I wish to make it known that I will give up their freeholds to all those men who will cling to me and call me king.'