A summer in northern lands; the journal of a trip to Scandinavia . s. The old houses hereare built around a court, have a big door-way leading out into the street and only afew small windows high up, that look outon the thoroughfare. Therefore, I judgethey are built on the same plan as the housesthat existed in the town over nine hundredyears ago, one of which houses is referredto in the following quotation from Gret-tirs Saga, where an event that took placeone afternoon, long ago, in the old town, isvividly described. It happened one day when Grettir andArnbiorn were walking through some stre
A summer in northern lands; the journal of a trip to Scandinavia . s. The old houses hereare built around a court, have a big door-way leading out into the street and only afew small windows high up, that look outon the thoroughfare. Therefore, I judgethey are built on the same plan as the housesthat existed in the town over nine hundredyears ago, one of which houses is referredto in the following quotation from Gret-tirs Saga, where an event that took placeone afternoon, long ago, in the old town, isvividly described. It happened one day when Grettir andArnbiorn were walking through some streetsfor their sport, that as they came past acertain court gate, a man bounded forththerefrom with axe borne aloft, and draveit at Grettir with both hands; he was all un-awares of this, and walked on slowly; Arn-biorn caught timely sight of the man, andseized Grettir, and thrust him on so hardthat he fell on his knee; the axe smote theshoulder-blade, and cut sideways out underthe arm-pit, and a great wound it was. Gret-tir turned about nimbly, and drew the short-. ffi A SUMMER IN NORTHERN LANDS 71 sword, and saw that there was the axe stuck fast in the road, and itwas slow work for Hiarandi to draw it tohim, and in this very nick of time Grettirhewed at him, and the blow fell on the upperarm, near the shoulder, and cut it off; thenthe fellows of Hiarandi rushed forth, fiveof them, and a fight forthwith befell, andspeedy change happened there, for Grettirand Arnbiorn slew those who were withHiarandi, all but one, who got off,and forthwith went to the Earl to tellhim these tidings. Grettir, let me add, wasa tourist from Iceland and he had a hottime in the old town, if we may believe hisSaga. As another thunder storm was threat-ening the family decided to go back to thehotel. Seeing the striped pole of a barberacross the Market Square, I went over andentered the shop to avoid the rain and spendthe time profitably by getting my hair washedand cut, for it had need for bo
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