The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald [Iceland] | Page 6

mows in the meadow?It met with the gay painted buckler,?When I came to encounter a goddess?Who carries the beaker of wine.?Beware! for I warn you of evil?When warriors threaten me mischief.?It shall not be for nought that I pour ye?The newly mixed mead of the gods."
And when he could find Steingerd nowhere, he made this song: --
(15)?"She has gone, with the glitter of ocean?Agleam on her wrist and her bosom,?And my heart follows hard on her footsteps,?For the hall is in darkness without her.?I have gazed, but my glances can pierce not?The gloom of the desolate dwelling;?And fierce is my longing to find her,?The fair one who only can heal me."
After a while he came to the outhouse where Steingerd was, and burst it open and had talk with her.
"This is madness," cried she, "to come talking with me; for Thorveig's sons are meant to have thy head."
But he answered: --
(16)?"There wait they within that would snare me;?There whet they their swords for my slaying.?My bane they shall be not, the cowards,?The brood of the churl and the carline.?Let the twain of them find me and fight me?In the field, without shelter to shield them,?And ewes of the sheep should be surer?To shorten the days of the wolf."
So he sat there all day. By that time Thorkel saw that the plan he had made was come to nothing; and he bade the sons of Thorveig waylay Cormac in a dale near his garth. "Narfi shall go with ye two," said he; "but I will stay at home, and bring you help if need be."
In the evening Cormac set out, and when he came to the dale, he saw three men, and said in verse: --
(17)?"There sit they in hiding to stay me?From the sight of my queen of the jewels:?But rude will their task be to reave me?From the roof of my bounteous lady.?The fainer the hatred they harbour?For him that is free of her doorway,?The fainer my love and my longing?For the lass that is sweeter than samphire."
Then leaped up Thorveig's sons, and fought Cormac for a time: Narfi the while skulked and dodged behind them. Thorkel saw from his house that they were getting but slowly forward, and he took his weapons. In that nick of time Steingerd came out and saw what her father meant. She laid hold on his hands, and he got no nearer to help the brothers. In the end Odd fell, and Gudmund was so wounded that he died afterwards. Thorkel saw to them, and Cormac went home.
A little after this Cormac went to Thorveig and said he would have her no longer live there at the firth. "Thou shalt flit and go thy way at such a time," said he, "and I will give no bloodmoney for thy sons."
Thorveig answered, "It is like enough ye can hunt me out of the countryside, and leave my sons unatoned. But this way I'll reward thee. Never shalt thou have Steingerd."
Said Cormac, "That's not for thee to make or to mar, thou wicked old hag!"
CHAPTER SIX?Cormac Wins His Bride and Loses Her.
After this, Cormac went to see Steingerd the same as ever: and once when they talked over these doings she said no ill of them: whereupon he made this song: --
(18)?"There sat they in hiding to slay me?From the sight of my bride and my darling:?But weak were the feet of my foemen?When we fought on the island of weapons.?And the rush of the mightiest rivers?Shall race from the shore to the mountains?Or ever I leave thee, my lady,?And the love that I feast on to-day!"
"Say no such big words about it," answered she; "Many a thing may stand in the road."
Upon which he said: --
(19)?"O sweet in the sheen of thy raiment,?The sight of thy beauty is gladdening!?What man that goes marching to battle,?What mate wouldst thou choose to be thine?"
And she answered: --
(20)?"O giver of gold, O ring-breaker,?If the gods and the high fates befriend me,?I'd pledge me to Frodi's blithe brother?And bind him that he should be mine."
Then she told him to make friends with her father and get her in marriage. So for her sake Cormac gave Thorkel good gifts.?Afterwards many people had their say in the matter; but in the end it came to this, -- that he asked for her, and she was?pledged to him, and the wedding was fixed: and so all was quiet for a while.
Then they had words. There was some falling-out about?settlements. It came to such a pass that after everything was ready, Cormac began to cool off. But the real reason was, that Thorveig had bewitched him so that they should never have one another.
Thorkel at Tunga had a grown-up son, called Thorkel and by-named Tooth-gnasher. He had been abroad some time, but