The Saga of Grettir the Strong (Penguin Classics)

Description

Composed at the end of the fourteenth century by an unknown author, The Saga of Grettir the Strong is one of the last great Icelandic sagas. With a mesmerizing combination of pagan ideals and Christian faith, it relates the tale of Grettir, an eleventh- century warrior struggling to hold on to the values of a heroic age as they are eclipsed by Christianity and a more pastoral lifestyle. Unable to settle into a community of farmers, Grettir becomes the aggressive scourge of both honest men and evil monsters—until, following a battle with the sinister ghost Glam, he is cursed to endure a life of tortured loneliness away from civilization, fighting giants, trolls, and berserks. Table of Contents......Page 2 Author unknown......Page 5 II. THE BATTLE OF HAFRSFJORD......Page 7 III. MEETING OF DEFEATED CHIEFS IN THE WEST AND MARRIAGE OF ONUND......Page 8 IV. FIGHT WITH VIKINGS VIGBJOD AND VESTMAR......Page 9 VI. DEATH OF BJORN; DISPUTES OVER HIS PROPERTY IN NORWAY......Page 10 VII. MURDER OF ONDOTT CROW, AND THE VENGEANCE THEREFOR......Page 11 IX. ONUND SETTLES IN KALDBAK......Page 12 XI. DEATH OF ONUND. DISPUTES BETWEEN THE SONS OF ONUND AND OF EIRIK......Page 13 XII. BATTLE AT RIFSKER......Page 14 XIII. THORGRIM SETTLES AT BJARG AND MARRIES. HIS SON ASMUND VISITS NORWAY AND MARRIES TWICE......Page 16 XIV. ASMUND'S CHILDREN. GRETTIR'S CHILDH00D......Page 17 XV. GAMES AT MIDFJORDVATN......Page 19 XVI. GRETTIR KILLS SKEGGI AND IS OUTLAWED FOR THREE YEARS......Page 20 XVII. GRETTIR SAILS FOR NORWAY AND IS WRECKED ON HARAMARSEY......Page 22 XVIII. ADVENTURE IN THE HOWE OF KAR THE OLD......Page 24 XIX. BERSERKS AT HARAMARSEY......Page 26 XX. THORFINN'S RETURN. GRETTIR VISITS THE NORTH......Page 30 XXI. ADVENTURE WITH A BEAR......Page 31 XXII. GRETTIR KILLS BJORN AND IS SUMMONED BEFORE JARL SVEINN......Page 33 XXIII. GRETTIR KILLS HJARRANDI......Page 34 XXIV. GRETTIR KILLS GUNNAR. HIS FRIENDS RALLY ROUND HIM AND SAVE HIM FROM THE VENGEANCE OF THE JARL......Page 35 XXV. EVENTS IN ICELAND. THORGILS MAKSSON ATTACKED BY THE FOSTER- BROTHERS AND SLAIN......Page 36 XXVII. SENTENCES ON THE FOSTER-BROTHERS......Page 37 XXVIII. GRETTIR'S VISIT TO AUDUN IN VIDIDAL; OFFERS HIS SERVICES TO BARDI......Page 39 XXIX. HORSE-FIGHT AT LANGAFIT......Page 40 XXX. THORBJORN OXMAIN AND THE FRAY AT HRUTAFJARDARHALS......Page 41 XXXI. GRETTIR'S VAIN ENDEAVOUR TO PROVOKE BARDI......Page 42 XXXII. THE SPOOK AT THORHALLSSTAD. GLAM THE SHEPHERD KILLED BY A FIEND. HIS GHOST WALKS......Page 44 XXXIII. DOINGS OF GLAM'S GHOST. AWFUL CONDITION OF VATNSDAL......Page 46 XXXIV. GRETTIR VISITS HIS UNCLE JOKULL......Page 47 XXXV. THE FIGHT WITH GLAM'S GHOST......Page 48 XXXVII. GRETTIR SAILS FOR NORWAY AND KILLS THORBJORN SLOWCOACH......Page 50 XXXVIII. GRETTIR FETCHES FIRE -- THE SONS OF THORIR ARE BURNT......Page 51 XXXIX. GRETTIR APPEARS BEFORE THE KING AND FAILS TO UNDERGO THE ORDEAL......Page 53 XL. ADVENTURE WITH THE BERSERK SNAEKOLL......Page 54 XLI. THORSTEINN DROMUND'S ARMS......Page 55 XLIII. THE SONS OF THORIR OF SKARD ARE SLAIN BY ATLI AND GRIM......Page 56 XLIV. SETTLEMENT OF THE FEUD AT THE HUNAVATN THING......Page 57 XLV. ATLI MURDERED BY THORBJORN OXMAIN......Page 58 XLVII. GRETTIR RETURNS TO BJARG -- SVEINN AND HIS HORSE SADDLE-HEAD......Page 59 XLVIII. DEATH OF THORBJORN OXMAIN......Page 62 L. GRETTIR WINTERS WITH THORGILS AT REYKJAHOLAR IN COMPANY WITH THE FOSTER-BROTHERS......Page 63 LI. GRETTIR'S CASE OVERBORNE AT THE ALL-THING......Page 65 LII. GRETTIR IS CAPTURED BY FARMERS AND RELEASED BY THORBJORG......Page 66 LIV. ADVENTURE WITH LOPT......Page 69 LVI. TREACHERY AND DEATH OF THORIR REDBEARD......Page 71 LVII. ATTACK ON GRETTIR BY THORIR OF GARD WITH EIGHTY MEN REPULSED WITH THE AID OF HALLMUND......Page 73 LVIII. GRETTIR VISITS BJORN THE HITDALE WARRIOR AND TAKES REFUGE IN THE FAGRASKOGAFJALL......Page 74 LIX. THE CHASTISEMENT OF GISLI......Page 75 LX. THE BATTLE WITH THE MYRAMEN......Page 77 LXI. GRETTIR WINTERS UNDER THE GEITLAND GLACIER......Page 78 LXII. HALLMUND IS KILLED BY A FOREST-MAN NAMED GRIM......Page 79 LXIII. GRETTIR'S MEETING WITH THORIR ON THE REYKJA HEATH......Page 80 LXIV. GHOSTS IN BARDARDAL......Page 81 LXV. ADVENTURE WITH A TROLL-WOMAN......Page 82 LXVI. GRETTIR SLAYS A GIANT......Page 83 LXVII. VISIT TO GUDMUND THE MIGHTY......Page 84 LXVIII. FIGHT WITH THORODD THE SON OF SNORRI......Page 85 LXIX. GRETTIR'S LAST VISIT TO BJARG AND JOURNEY WITH ILLUGI TO DRANGEY......Page 86 LXX. THE PEOPLE OF SKAGAFJORD......Page 87 LXXI. THE BONDIS CLAIM THEIR PROPERTY IN DRANGEY......Page 88 LXXII. GRETTIR VISITS THE THING AT HEGRANES......Page 89 LXXIII. VISIT OF THORBJORN ANGLE TO DRANGEY......Page 91 LXXV. GRETTIR SWIMS TO THE MAINLAND FOR FIRE......Page 92 LXXVI. ADVENTURE OF HAERING IN DRANGEY......Page 93 LXXVIII. THORBJORN'S FOSTER-MOTHER......Page 94 LXXIX. THE SPELL TAKES EFFECT......Page 96 LXXX. THE SPELL CONTINUES TO WORK......Page 97 LXXXI. THORBJORN AGAIN VISITS DRANGEY......Page 98 LXXXII. THE LAST BATTLE -- DEATH OF GRETTIR AND ILLUGI......Page 99 LXXXIII. THORBJORN VISITS GRETTIR'S MOTHER AT BJARG......Page 101 LXXXIV. THORBJORN IS EXILED AT THE THING......Page 102 LXXXV. THORBJORN GOES TO NORWAY AND CONSTANTINOPLE......Page 103 LXXXVI. GRETTIR'S DEATH AVENGED BY HIS BROTHER THORSTEINN DROMUND......Page 104 LXXXVII. THE LADY SPES......Page 105 LXXXVIII. ADVENTURES OF THORSTEINN AND SPES......Page 106 LXXXIX. THE ORDEAL......Page 109 XC. THORSTEINN AND SPES RETURN TO NORWAY......Page 110 XCII. THE END OF THORSTEINN AND SPES......Page 111 XCIII. THE TESTIMONY OF STURLA THE LAWMAN......Page 112