The Eyrbyggja Saga on Katla

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 15 - Of Snorri The Priest, Of The Mewlithe-Folk.

• attestation: Katla, a fair but divisive widow, lived at Holt west of Mewlithe with her son Odd, a large brawling slanderer

  "At Holt, west of Mewlithe, dwelt a widow who was called Katla. She was fair to look upon, but yet not to all men's minds. Her son was called Odd; he was a big man and of good pith, a mighty brawler, and babbling, slippery, and slanderous."

• attestation: Katla jealously taunted Gunnlaug about visiting Geirrid, claiming other women besides Geirrid had magical knowledge

  "Katla answered: "I did not deem that we were so like herein; but it matters not," said she; "ye men deem that there is no woman beside Geirrid, but more women know somewhat than she alone.""

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 18 - Men Will Ransack At Mewlithe; Thorarin Falls To Fight.

• attestation: At Holt, Katla dressed her son Odd in a newly made earth-brown kirtle before the party continued to Mewlithe

  "when they came to Holt to Katla, she did on Odd her son an earth-brown kirtle, which she had then newly made"

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 20 - The End Of Katla And Odd.

• attestation: Katla used sorcery to disguise her son Odd as a rock on her distaff when Arnkel's men first searched the house

  "Whether now has Katla cast a hood over our heads, and was Odd her son there whereas we saw but a rock?"

• attestation: On the second search, Katla disguised Odd as a he-goat she appeared to be grooming in the porch

  "Katla was, and played with a he-goat of hers, and stroked his head and beard, and combed out his fell"

• attestation: On the third attempt, Katla hid Odd under the ash-heap outside the farmstead

  "she went to the ash-heap, and bade Odd lie down thereunder"

• attestation: Katla claimed Odd had gone south to Broadwick when Arnkel first asked about his whereabouts

  "Katla said he had gone south to Broadwick"

• attestation: Katla professed trust in Arnkel's manliness and said Odd would not have missed meeting him

  "Nor would he have foregone meeting thee if he had been at home, for that we trust thee well for thy manliness"

• attestation: Katla recognized Geirrid by her colored cloak and acknowledged that glamour would be useless against the approaching sorceress

  "Must not Geirrid the troll be coming there? Then may glamour only nowise be brought to bear"

• attestation: Katla hid Odd in a hollow space beneath the dais, concealed under a removable lid and seat

  "she got up from the dais, and took the seat from under her, and there was a lid under that, and the dais was hollow within; therein she made Odd to go"

• attestation: Katla confessed to harming Gunnlaug Thorbiornson, claiming that act was the root cause of all the troubles

  "it is my will that all ye may have ill hap from me, and I hope withal that that may come to pass; nor shall it be hidden from you that I wrought that harm to Gunnlaug Thorbiornson wherefrom all these troubles have arisen"

• attestation: Katla cursed Arnkel, prophesying that his father would bring him worse fortune than she had brought Odd

  "from thy father thou mightest have a lot as much the worse than Odd has had from me, as thou hast the more to risk than he; and I hope that this may be said before all is over, that thou hast an ill father"

• attestation: Katla was executed by stoning beneath Buland's-head

  "they stoned her with stones that she died under the Head there"