The Grettir's Saga on Glam

The Saga Of Grettir The Strong > Chapter Xxxii. The Spook At Thorhallsstad. Glam The Shepherd Killed By A > Fiend. His Ghost Walks

• attestation: Thorhall encountered Glam at Armannsfell — a big man with large grey eyes, wolfgrey hair, and an extraordinary expression

  "He was a big man with an extraordinary expression of countenance, large grey eyes and wolfgrey hair."

• attribution: Glam insisted on freedom in his service, saying he was crossgrained when not well pleased

  ""My service will only be of use to you if I am free to do as I please," he said. "I am rather crossgrained when I am not well pleased.""

• attribution: Glam declared he was not afraid of ghosts and would find haunting less dull than ordinary work

  ""I am not afraid of ghosts. It will be the less dull.""

• attestation: Glam arrived at Thorhallsstad in autumn as agreed and was disliked by the entire household except Thorhall

  "at the appointed time he appeared at Thorhallsstad. Thorhall treated him kindly, but all the rest of the household disliked him, especially the mistress."

• attestation: Glam had a loud hoarse voice that made all the livestock flock together when he shouted

  "He had a loud hoarse voice. The beasts all flocked together whenever he shouted at them."

• attestation: Glam never attended church, abstained from mass, had no religion, and was stubborn and surly

  "There was a church in the place, but Glam never went to it. He abstained from mass, had no religion, and was stubborn and surly. Every one hated him."

• attribution: On Christmas Eve, Glam demanded food despite the mistress saying Christians should fast that day

  ""You have many superstitions," he said; "but I do not see that much comes of them. I do not know that men are any better off than when there was nothing of that kind. The ways of men seemed to me better when they were called heathen. I want my food and no foolery.""

• attestation: Glam went out to tend sheep on Christmas Eve despite warnings; a terrible blizzard set in that day

  "When he had eaten he went out, his breath smelling abominably. It was very dark; there was driving snow, the wind was howling and it became worse as the day advanced."

• attestation: Glam was found dead with his body black as Hel and swollen to the size of an ox

  "they came upon Glam lying on the ground a short distance off. He was dead; his body was as black as Hel and swollen to the size of an ox."

• attestation: The ground showed signs of a violent struggle, with stones and earth torn up, suggesting Glam fought an evil spirit

  "The stones and earth were torn up all about as if there had been a violent tussle."

• attestation: Glam's body proved impossible to carry to church — oxen could not move him on level ground, and a priest could not find him

  "They yoked oxen to him, but directly the downward incline ceased and they came to level ground, they could not move him"

• attestation: Glam was buried under a cairn of stones rather than in consecrated ground

  "So they gave up the attempt to bring him to the church and buried him where he was under a cairn of stones."

• attestation: Glam rose from his grave and terrorized the district — riding on rooftops at night and causing people to flee

  "Next he began to ride on the house-tops by night, and nearly broke them to pieces. Almost night and day he walked, and people would scarcely venture up the valley"

• attestation: Many people who saw Glam's ghost were struck senseless or lost their wits

  "Many men suffered severe injuries; some who saw him were struck senseless and some lost their wits."

The Saga Of Grettir The Strong > Chapter Xxxiii. Doings Of Glam'S Ghost. Awful Condition Of Vatnsdal

• attestation: After Thorgaut's death, Glam became even more rampageous and everyone fled Thorhallsstad except Thorhall and his wife

  "Glam became more rampageous than ever. He was so riotous that at last everybody fled from Thorhallsstad, excepting the bondi and his wife."

• attestation: Glam raided every farm up the valley as far as Tunga after Thorhall's departure

  "After that Glam went right up the valley and raided every farm as far as Tunga"

• attestation: No one could venture up the valley with a horse or dog, as Glam killed animals instantly

  "No one could venture up the valley with a horse or a dog, for it was killed at once."

The Saga Of Grettir The Strong > Chapter Xxxv. The Fight With Glam'S Ghost

• attestation: On the second night Glam still did not appear, but broke into the stable and killed Grettir's horse, breaking every bone

  "the stable broken open, the horse dragged outside and every bone in his body broken."

• attestation: Glam rode on the roof kicking until the timbers cracked, then entered the hall stretching his enormous head through the door

  "Something was going up on to the building, riding above the hall and kicking with its heels until the timbers cracked again."

• attestation: Glam stood upright in the doorway reaching to the roof, then peered along the hall resting his arms on the cross-beam

  "Glam moved slowly in, and on passing the door stood upright, reaching to the roof. He turned to the hall, resting his arms on the cross-beam and peering along the hall."

• attestation: Glam fell backward out of the house tearing away the lintel and shattering the roof with Grettir on top of him

  "he reeled backwards and tumbled hind-foremost out of the door, tearing away the lintel with his shoulder and shattering the roof, the rafters and the frozen thatch."

• attestation: Glam cursed Grettir: he would possess only half his decreed strength and firmness of heart because of their fight

  "you shall possess only half the strength and firmness of heart that were decreed to you if you had not striven with me."

• attestation: Glam prophesied that exile and battle would fall upon Grettir, his deeds would turn to evil, and his guardian-spirit would forsake him

  "henceforward there shall fall upon you exile and battle; your deeds shall turn to evil and your guardian-spirit shall forsake you."

• attestation: Glam cursed Grettir to always dwell alone and be haunted by Glam's eyes until death

  "And this I lay upon you, that these eyes of mine shall be ever before your vision. You will find it hard to live alone, and at last it shall drag you to death."

• attestation: The expression 'Glam's eyes' or 'Glam visions' entered common speech to describe things appearing other than they are

  "men speak of "Glam's eyes" or "Glam visions" when things appear otherwise than as they are."