The Eyrbyggja Saga on Thorgunna

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 50 - Of Thorgunna And How She Came To Frodis-Water.

• attestation: Thorgunna was a South-island woman aboard the ship who possessed extraordinarily fine goods

  "among her folk was a South-island woman named Thorgunna, and of her the shipmen told that she had such things among her faring-goods that the like of them would be hard to get in Iceland"

• attestation: Thorgunna refused to sell her goods but agreed to come live at Frodis-water as a capable worker

  "Thorgunna answered: "I have good will to go dwell with thee, but I give you to know that I am loth to pay much for myself, because I am exceeding handy at work, and willing enough thereto; but no wet work will I do""

• attestation: Thorgunna's bed-gear included English sheets, a silken quilt, and bed-curtains of unprecedented quality

  "She covered over the bed with English sheets and a silken quilt, and took from the ark bed-curtains and all other bed-gear withal; and so good an array that was, that men deemed that of such goods they had never seen the like"

• attestation: Thorgunna refused to sell her bed-gear to Thurid, saying she would not lie in straw for anyone

  ""Nay, I will not lie in straw for thee, courteous though thou be, and grand of array.""

• attestation: Thorgunna was physically imposing: thick, tall, dark-browed, narrow-eyed, with abundant dark-red hair, and estimated to be in her sixties

  "Thorgunna was a woman great of growth, thick and tall, and right full of flesh; dark-browed and narrow-eyed; her hair dark-red and plenteous"

• attestation: Thorgunna was devoutly Christian, attending church daily before starting work

  "of exceeding good manners was she in her daily ways, and she went every day to church before she went about her work"

• attestation: Thorgunna was estimated to be about sixty years old but remained in excellent health

  "Most men deemed that Thorgunna must have come into her sixth ten of years, yet was she the halest of women"

• attestation: Thorgunna was emotionally attached to Kiartan, the goodman's son, but he was cold to her, which made her cross-tempered

  "Kiartan the goodman's son was the one with whom Thorgunna would have most dealings, and she loved him much, yet was he cold to her, wherefore she was often cross-grained of mood"

• attestation: Thorgunna worked at weaving daily and switched to haymaking in the home-meadow during dry weather, insisting on a special rake only she could handle

  "Thorgunna worked at the weaving day by day when no haymaking was, but when it was dry she worked at the saving of hay in the home- mead, and let make for herself a rake, which she alone must handle"

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 51 - It Rains Blood At Frodis-Water. Of Thorgunna, And How She Died And Was Buried At Skalaholt.

• attestation: The blood dried off all the hay except Thorgunna's portion and her rake, which remained bloodied

  "the blood dried off all the hay but that which Thorgunna had spread; that dried not, or the rake either which she had handled"

• attestation: Thorgunna interpreted the blood rain as an omen of someone's death at the homestead

  ""But that seems to me most like," says she, "that it will be the weird of some one of those that are here.""

• attestation: Thorgunna returned home that evening, changed her bloodied clothes, and fell gravely ill

  "Thorgunna went home in the evening and into her berth, and put off her bloodied clothes, and then lay down in her bed and sighed heavily, and men deemed that she had fallen sick"

• attestation: Thorgunna told Thorod she believed she was dying and that her instructions must be followed to prevent grave consequences

  ""I deem it will avail but little to turn away from my behests; for things have begun in such wise, that to no narrow ends deem I they will come, if strong stays be not raised thereagainst.""

• attestation: Thorgunna chose Thorod as the most trustworthy person at the homestead to execute her dying wishes

  ""I deem thee the wisest man of the homestead, therefore will I tell thee all my will as to what I would have made of the goods I leave behind me and of myself""

• attestation: Thorgunna refused to rake up her hay despite being ordered, and it was left in ridges

  "Thorgunna brought hers into ridges, nor would she fall to rake it up though she were so bidden"

• attestation: Thorgunna requested burial at Skalaholt, prophesying it would become the most venerated place in Iceland

  ""I would be borne to Skalaholt if I die of this sickness, because my mind tells me that that stead will be for one while the most worshipped stead in the land""

• attestation: Thorgunna anticipated that priests would be available at Skalaholt to sing over her remains

  ""and I wot also," says she, "that there will be priests to do the singing over me""

• attestation: Thorgunna willed the scarlet cloak to Thurid specifically to appease her about the disposal of the other goods

  ""from my undivided goods shall Thurid have the scarlet cloak that I own; and this I do to the end that she may be content that I see to my other goods in such wise as I will""

• attestation: Thorgunna ordered her bed and bed-hangings burned because they would bring no good to anyone

  ""I will that my bed and my bed-hangings be burned up with fire, for that they will be of no good to any man""

• attestation: Thorgunna warned that ignoring her instructions about the bed-gear would cause severe trouble

  ""I deem it ill that folk should have so much heavy trouble from me, as well I wot will be, if ye turn away from that which I now ordain.""

• attestation: Thorgunna died after a short illness of only a few days

  "the sickness grew on her after that, and Thorgunna lay there not many days before she died"

• attestation: Thorgunna left a gold ring to accompany her to church for burial

  "A gold ring I have which shall go to church with me"

• attestation: Thorgunna's corpse was wrapped in linen but left unsewn and placed in a chest for transport

  "The body was swathed in linen, but not sewn up, and then laid in the chest."

• attestation: Thorgunna's ghost appeared naked in the buttery, preparing food for the travelers who had been denied hospitality

  "when they came to the buttery there was to behold a tall woman, naked, with nothing on her, busied at bringing out victuals. So when they saw her, they were so afeard they durst go nowhere anigh."

• attestation: The corpse-bearers recognized the apparition as Thorgunna and chose not to interfere with her

  "thither was Thorgunna come, and good it seemed to all not to meddle with her."

• attestation: Thorgunna's ghost served food in the hall and laid the table, compelling the farmer to finally offer hospitality

  "she bore meat into the hall, and laid the table and set out meat thereon."

• attestation: Thorgunna vanished once the farmer agreed to host the travelers and was never seen again during the journey

  "when the goodman had bidden them good cheer, Thorgunna went out of the hall and out adoors, and was not seen after."

• attestation: No one suffered harm from eating the food that Thorgunna's ghost had prepared

  "the guests eat the meat, and none had harm therefrom, though Thorgunna had set it out."

• attestation: Word of Thorgunna's haunting spread, and subsequent hosts along the route provided generous hospitality out of fear

  "wheresoever these haps were known, there it seemed best rede to most folk to give them all the cheer they stood in need of."

• attestation: Thorgunna was buried at Skalaholt after the priests there accepted her body and the gifts she had bequeathed

  "when they came to Skalaholt, the good things were yielded up which Thorgunna had given thereto, and the priests took them, corpse and all, gladly enow, and there was Thorgunna laid in earth"

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 53 - Now Men Die At Frodis-Water, More Wonders.

• attestation: The seal apparition glared at Thorgunna's bed-gear and kept rising despite being struck

  "it rose up under the blow, and glared up at Thorgunna's bed-gear."