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pubOne.info thank you for your continued support and wish to present you this new edition. although parts may be based on a now lost 12th century saga.

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Publié par	Pub One Info
Date de parution	27 septembre 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9782819924241
Langue	English

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LIFE AND DEATH OF CORMAC THE SKALD
By Unknown Author
Originally written in Icelandic sometimebetween 1250 - 1300 A.D.
although parts may be based on a now lost 12thcentury saga.
Translation by W.G. Collingwood & J.Stefansson (Ulverston, 1901).
CHAPTER ONE. Cormac's Fore-Elders.
Harald Fairhair was king of Norway when this talebegins. There was a chief in the kingdom in those days and his namewas Cormac; one of the Vik-folk by kindred, a great man of highbirth. He was the mightiest of champions, and had been with KingHarald in many battles.
He had a son called Ogmund, a very hopeful lad; bigand sturdy even as a child; who when he was grown of age and cometo his full strength, took to sea-roving in summer and served inthe king's household in winter. So he earned for himself a goodname and great riches.
One summer he went roving about the British Islesand there he fell in with a man named Asmund Ashenside, who alsowas a great champion and had worsted many vikings and men of war.These two heard tell of one another and challenges passed betweenthem. They came together and fought. Asmund had the greaterfollowing, but he withheld some of his men from the battle: and sofor the length of four days they fought, until many of Asmund'speople were fallen, and at last he himself fled. Ogmund won thevictory and came home again with wealth and worship.
His father said that he could get no greater gloryin war, — “And now, ” said he, “I will find thee a wife. Whatsayest thou to Helga, daughter of Earl Frodi? ”
“So be it, ” said Ogmund.
Upon this they set off to Earl Frodi's house, andwere welcomed with all honour. They made known their errand, and hetook it kindly, although he feared that the fight with Asmund waslikely to bring trouble. Nevertheless this match was made, and thenthey went their ways home. A feast was got ready for the weddingand to that feast a very great company came together.
Helga the daughter of Earl Frodi had a nurse thatwas a wise woman, and she went with her. Now Asmund the vikingheard of this marriage, and set out to meet Ogmund. He bade himfight, and Ogmund agreed.
Helga's nurse used to touch men when they went tofight: so she did with Ogmund before he set out from home, and toldhim that he would not be hurt much.
Then they both went to the fighting holm and fought.The viking laid bare his side, but the sword would not bite uponit. Then Ogmund whirled about his sword swiftly and shifted it fromhand to hand, and hewed Asmund's leg from under him: and threemarks of gold he took to let him go with his life.
CHAPTER TWO. How Cormac Was Born and Bred.
About this time King Harald Fairhair died, and EricBloodaxe reigned in his stead. Ogmund would have no friendship withEric, nor with Gunnhild, and made ready his ship for Iceland.
Nor Ogmund and Helga had a son called Frodi: butwhen the ship was nearly ready, Helga took a sickness and died; andso did their son Frodi.
After that, they sailed to sea. When they were nearthe land, Ogmund cast overboard his high-seat-pillars; and wherethe high-seat-pillars had already been washed ashore, there theycast anchor, and landed in Midfiord.
At this time Skeggi of Midfiord ruled thecountryside. He came riding toward them and bade them welcome intothe firth, and gave them the pick of the land: which Ogmund took,and began to mark out ground for a house. Now it was a belief oftheirs that as the measuring went, so would the luck go: if themeasuring-wand seemed to grow less when they tried it again andagain, so would that house's luck grow less: and if it grewgreater, so would the luck be. This time the measure always grewless, though they tried it three times over.
So Ogmund built him a house on the sandhills, andlived there ever after. He married Dalla, the daughter of Onund theSeer, and their sons were Thorgils and Cormac. Cormac wasdark-haired, with a curly lock upon his forehead: he was bright ofblee and somewhat like his mother, big and strong, and his mood wasrash and hasty. Thorgils was quiet and easy to deal with.
When the brothers were grown up, Ogmund died; andDalla kept house with her sons. Thorgils worked the farm, under theeye of Midfiord-Skeggi.
CHAPTER THREE. How Cormac Fell In Love.
There was a man named Thorkel lived at Tunga(Tongue). He was a wedded man, and had a daughter called Steingerdwho was fostered in Gnupsdal (Knipedale).
Now it was one autumn that a whale came ashore atVatnsnes (Watsness), and it belonged to the brothers, Dalla's sons.Thorgils asked Cormac would he rather go shepherding on the fell,or work at the whale. He chose to fare on the fell with thehouse-carles.
Tosti, the foreman, it was should be master of thesheep-gathering: so he and Cormac went together until they came toGnupsdal. It was night: there was a great hall, and fires for mento sit at.
That evening Steingerd came out of her bower, and amaid with her. Said the maid, “Steingerd mine, let us look at theguests. ”
“Nay, ” she said, “no need”: and yet went to thedoor, and stepped on the threshold, and spied across the gate. Nowthere was a space between the wicker and the threshold, and herfeet showed through. Cormac saw that, and made this song:—
(1)
"At the door of my soul she is standing,
So sweet in the gleam of her garment:
Her footfall awakens a fury,
A fierceness of love that I knew not,
Those feet of a wench in her wimple,
Their weird is my sorrow and troubling,
— Or naught may my knowledge avail me—
Both now and for aye to endure. "
Then Steingerd knew she was seen. She turned asideinto a corner where the likeness of Hagbard was carved on the wall,and peeped under Hagbard's beard. Then the firelight shone upon herface.
“Cormac, ” said Tosti, “seest eyes out yonder bythat head of Hagbard? ”
Cormac answered in song:—
(2)
"There breaks on me, burning upon me,
A blaze from the cheeks of a maiden,
— I laugh not to look on the vision—
In the light of the hall by the doorway.
So sweet and so slender I deem her,
Though I spy bug a glimpse of an ankle
By the threshold:— and through me there flashes
A thrill that shall age never more. "
And then he made another song:—
(3)
"The moon of her brow, it is beaming
'Neath the bright-litten heaven of her forehead:
So she gleams in her white robe, and gazes
With a glance that is keen as the falcon's.
But the star that is shining upon me
What spell shall it work by its witchcraft?
Ah, that moon of her brow shall be mighty
With mischief to her— and to me? "
Said Tosti, “She is fairly staring at thee! ”— Andhe answered:—
(4)
"She's a ring-bedight oak of the ale-cup,
And her eyes never left me unhaunted.
The strife in my heart I could hide not,
For I hold myself bound in her bondage.
O gay in her necklet, and gainer
In the game that wins hearts on her chessboard,—
When she looked at me long from the doorway
Where the likeness of Hagbard is carved. "
Then the girls went into the hall, and sat down. Heheard what they said about his looks, — the maid, that he was blackand ugly, and Steingerd, that he was handsome and everyway as bestcould be, — “There is only one blemish, ” said she, “his hair istufted on his forehead:”— and he said:—
(5)
"One flaw in my features she noted
— With the flame of the wave she was gleaming
All white in the wane of the twilight—
And that one was no hideous blemish.
So highborn, so haughty a lady
— I should have such a dame to befriend me:
But she trows me uncouth for a trifle,
For a tuft in the hair on my brow! "
Said the maid, “Black are his eyes, sister, and thatbecomes him not. ” Cormac heard her, and said in verse:—
(6)
"Yes, black are the eyes that I bring ye,
O brave in your jewels, and dainty.
But a draggle-tail, dirty-foot slattern
Would dub me ill-favoured and sallow.
Nay, many a maiden has loved me,
Thou may of the glittering armlet:
For I've tricks of the tongue to beguile them
And turn them from handsomer lads. "
At this house they spent the night. In the morningwhen Cormac rose up, he went to a trough and washed himself; thenhe went into the ladies' bower and saw nobody there, but heard folktalking in the inner room, and he turned and entered. There wasSteingerd, and women with her.
Said the maid to Steingerd, “There comes thy bonnyman, Steingerd. ”
“Well, and a fine-looking lad he is, ” said she.
Now she was combing her hair, and Cormac asked her,“Wilt thou give me leave? ”
She reached out her comb for him to handle it. Shehad the finest hair of any woman. Said the maid, “Ye would give adeal for a wife with hair like Steingerd's, or such eyes! ”
He answered:—
(7)
"One eye of the far of the ale-horn
Looking out of a form so bewitching,
Would a bridegroom count money to buy it
He must bring for it ransom three hundred.
The curls that she combs of a morning,
White-clothed in fair linen and spotless,
They enhance the bright hoard of her value, —
Five hundred might barely redeem them! "
Said the maid, “It's give and take with the two ofye! But thou'lt put a big price upon the whole of her! ” Heanswered:—
(8)
"The tree of my treasure and longing,
It would take this whole Iceland to win her:
She is dearer than far-away Denmark,
And the doughty domain of the Hun-folk.
With the gold she is combing, I count her
More costly than England could ransom:
So witty, so wealthy, my lady
Is worth them, — and Ireland beside! "
Then Tosti came in, and called Cormac out to somework or other; but he said:—
(9)
"Take my swift-footed steel for thy tiding,
Ay, and stint not the lash to him, Tosti:
On the desolate downs ye may wander
And drive him along till he weary.
I care not o'er mountain and moorland
The murrey-brown weathers to follow, —
Far liefer, I'd linger the morning
In long, cosy chatter with Steingerd. "
Tosti said he would find it a merrier game, and wentoff; so Cormac sat down to chess, and right gay he was. Steingerdsaid he talked better than folk told of; and he sa