The The Story of Gunnlaug the Worm-Tongue and Raven the Skald on Raven
The Story Of Gunnlaug The Worm-Tongue And Raven The Skald. > CHAPTER V. Of Raven and his Kin.
- attestation: Onund's sons were Raven, Thorarin, and Eindridi; Raven was foremost among them — big, strong, handsome, and a good skald who traveled widely and was well esteemed.
"Their sons were Raven, and Thorarin, and Eindridi; they were all hopeful men, but Raven was in all wise the first of them. He was a big man and a strong, the sightliest of men and a good skald; and when he was fully grown he fared between sundry lands, and was well accounted of wherever he came."
The Story Of Gunnlaug The Worm-Tongue And Raven The Skald. > CHAPTER IX. Of the Quarrel between Gunnlaug and Raven before the Swedish King.
- attestation: Raven warned Gunnlaug before leaving Sweden that their friendship was ended because Gunnlaug shamed him before great men, and promised to pay him back in equal shame.
"when Raven was ready to go, he spake to Gunnlaug, and said, "Now shall our friendship be ended, for that thou must needs shame me here before great men; but in time to come I shall cast on thee no less shame than thou hadst will to cast on me here.""
The Story Of Gunnlaug The Worm-Tongue And Raven The Skald. > CHAPTER X. How Raven came home to Iceland, and asked for Helga to Wife.
attestation: Raven returned from Sweden to Norway that spring, then sailed to Iceland arriving at Leiruvag below the Heath; his friends and kinsmen were glad to see him.
"Now this spring Raven came from the east to Thrandheim, and fitted out his ship, and sailed in the summer to Iceland. He brought his ship to Leiruvag, below the Heath, and his friends and kinsmen were right fain of him."
attestation: Raven asked his kinsman Skapti the law-man to support his wooing of Helga from Thorstein, arguing the three-year waiting period had passed and Gunnlaug was too reckless to honor it.
"Then said Raven to him, "Thine aid would I have to go a-wooing to Thorstein Egilson, to bid Helga his daughter."
Skapti answered, "But is she not already vowed to Gunnlaug Worm-tongue?"
Said Raven, "Is not the appointed time of waiting between them passed by? And far too wanton is he withal, that he should hold or heed it aught.""
The Story Of Gunnlaug The Worm-Tongue And Raven The Skald. > CHAPTER XIII. Of the Winter-Wedding at Skaney, and how Gunnlaug
attestation: After the wedding, Raven took Helga to live at Mossfell; while Raven slept he dreamed he was hewn by Gunnlaug and that his bed was reddened with blood.
"Now Raven went home to Mossfell with Helga his wife. When they had been there a little while, one morning early before they rose up, Helga was awake, but Raven slept, and fared ill in his sleep."
attestation: After the encounter at Skaney, both men rode home and the winter passed quietly; Raven had no fellowship from Helga after her meeting with Gunnlaug.
"Hereafter both rode home, and all was quiet and tidingless that winter through; but Raven had nought of Helga's fellowship after her meeting with Gunnlaug."
The Story Of Gunnlaug The Worm-Tongue And Raven The Skald. > CHAPTER XIV. Of the Holmgang at the Althing.
- attestation: Raven struck first and broke his sword near the hilt on Gunnlaug's shield; the point flew up and grazed Gunnlaug's cheek; their fathers then ran between them.
"He hewed at the upper part of Gunnlaug's shield, and the sword brake asunder just beneath the hilt, with so great might he smote; but the point of the sword flew up from the shield and struck Gunnlaug's cheek, whereby he got just grazed; with that their fathers ran in between them"
The Story Of Gunnlaug The Worm-Tongue And Raven The Skald. > CHAPTER XV. How Gunnlaug and Raven agreed to go East to Norway,
attestation: Raven came to Gilsbank with twelve armed men to challenge Gunnlaug to a new holmgang abroad in Norway, where their kinsmen would not interfere; Gunnlaug accepted gladly.
"Raven spake, "Thou art in risk of no hurt this time," quoth he, "but my errand hither is what thou shalt now hear: Thou didst call me to a holmgang last summer at the Althing, and thou didst not deem matters to be fairly tried therein; now I will offer thee this, that we both fare away from Iceland, and go abroad next summer, and go on holm in Norway, for there our kinsmen are not like to stand in our way.""
attestation: Raven's kinsmen Grim and Olaf sailed with him from Leiruvag; they were sisters' sons of Onund and both doughty men.
"two men are named that went with him, sisters' sons of his father Onund, one hight Grim, the other Olaf, doughty men both."
attestation: Raven sailed first and arrived in Thrandheim where he waited a winter and more at Lifangr, hearing nothing of Gunnlaug's whereabouts.
"So Raven put to sea, when he had wind at will, and brought his ship to Thrandheim, and was there that winter and heard nought of Gunnlaug that winter through; there lie abode him the summer following: and still another winter was he in Thrandheim, at a place called Lifangr."
attestation: Raven told his kinsmen he had challenged Gunnlaug because he could have no joy of Helga while the rivalry persisted; he said one must fall before the other.
"All the kinsmen of Raven thought it great scathe when he went away, but he said he had challenged Gunnlaug to the holmgang because he could have no joy soever of Helga; and he said, withal, that one must fall before the other."
The Story Of Gunnlaug The Worm-Tongue And Raven The Skald. > CHAPTER XVI. How the two Foes met and fought at Dingness.
attestation: Raven and five companions took stand on the ness called Dingness, between two waters on flat meads called Gleipni's meads; Raven offered Gunnlaug choice of single combat or all-on-all fight.
"Raven had got to a place where were two waters, and between them flat meads, and they are called Gleipni's meads: but into one water stretched a little ness called Dingness. There on the ness Raven and his fellows, five together, took their stand."
attestation: Raven treacherously struck Gunnlaug in the head with his sword while Gunnlaug fetched him water in his helm, claiming he could not bear Gunnlaug lying in Helga's bosom.
"Raven stretched forth his left hand to take it, but with his right hand drave his sword into Gunnlaug's head, and that was a mighty great wound.
Then Gunnlaug said, "Evilly hast thou beguiled me, and done traitorously wherein I trusted thee."
Raven answers, "Thou sayest sooth, but this brought me to it, that I begrudged thee to lie in the bosom of Helga the Fair.""