English Translation

16a had to go, she took out the sword of her ancestor Jökul under the cloak and gave it to him. — Mother, said Grettir, there are perhaps greater jewels in the world, none of them will be as dear to me as this gift of yours. 9 Grettim protects Thorfinn's house Grettin went to sea with a ship of his father's friend Haflidi. One night the ship Haflidis landed on an archipelago on the coast of Norway and sank. Gauvorsteher Thorfinn Karssohn rescued the crew with a boat. Grettir, however, stayed with Thorfins. He liked it there, and he did not ask if he would like it himself. At that time a band of robbers disturbed the landscape to deep into Norway. At their head were two brothers, Thorir Archer's tendon and Ögmund Evil, mighty men, like towers large and fearless to the king's court. Neither Jarl Hakon nor his brother Svein, who was now his governor, could become their master; Jarl Hamon had laid them peaceless, but no one found himself willing to stand them. Now the farmer Thorfinn had a second farm on the Norwegian coast, where he used to celebrate the julfest, and he passed over with thirty men. His wife remained behind, as the daughter was bedridden, and with her some maids, eight servants and Grettir. The day before Christmas was clear, beautiful weather, Grettirs sat on a cliff and watched the ships passing by. Towards evening one came to the island, with shields port and shields starboard, and just on Thorfinn's shed it stopped. Twelve men jumped out, immediately took Thorfinns' large ship out of the shed, on which thirty men otherwise towed, and carried their own for it. Then knew to the Grettir, what kind of men had invited themselves here sélber. Guest. He took a humble attitude, walked up to the twelve, greeted them, and asked for names and leaders, and really they were Thorir bowstrings and Ögmund evil with their companions. — Ow, Grettir cried, but you are lucky! Bauer Thorfinn has travelled with all the householders over the Jultage and his housewife alone with the daughter. Don't you have a small bill with Thorfins? Wasn't he there when Jarl Hakon laid you peaceless? Well, here's everything, ham, bread and beer and other things that make your heart happy. Come on in the house and make yourself comfortable! — The twelve had not been received so kindly since their birth, they thought that they had found here a man who had only been waiting to go with them, and who had to be very dissatisfied with his farmer. Thorfinn's wife was just about to decorate the walls for the Julfest, when Grettir entered and introduced Thorir by the hand and was happy as never before. Housewife, I bring you the farmer Thorir with his own, he said, they want to do us the honor of staying here on Julfest, and that's good, because otherwise it would have been plentiful empty with us. — His large, clear eyes looked at them meaningfully, and Thorfinn's wife could have guessed what he really meant, but angry eyes are blind. She had cherished and cared for the Grettir, and now he brought her 20