. The book of romance; . Next morning they crossed the sound, but found nohouse, only a great heap of ashes, and therein many bonesof men. They asked if Grettir had done this misdeed; buthe said it had happened even as he had expected. Themen said wherever they came that Grettir had burnt thosepeople; and the news soon spread that the victims werethe sons of Thorir of Garth. Grettir therefore now grewinto such bad repute that he was driven from the ship, andscarcely anyone would say a good word for him. As matterswere so hopeless he determined to explain all to the king,and offer to free himse
. The book of romance; . Next morning they crossed the sound, but found nohouse, only a great heap of ashes, and therein many bonesof men. They asked if Grettir had done this misdeed; buthe said it had happened even as he had expected. Themen said wherever they came that Grettir had burnt thosepeople; and the news soon spread that the victims werethe sons of Thorir of Garth. Grettir therefore now grewinto such bad repute that he was driven from the ship, andscarcely anyone would say a good word for him. As matterswere so hopeless he determined to explain all to the king,and offer to free himself from the slander by handling hotiron without being burned. His ill-luck still pursued him,for when all was ready in the church where the ceremonywas about to take place, a wild-looking lad, or, as somesaid, an unclean spirit, started up from no one knewwhere, and spoke such impertinent words to Grettir thathe felled him with a blow of his fist. After this the kingwould not allow the ceremony to go on: Thou art far too. 1 (:ttir, overthrows thqrir. rldbeakd STORY OF GRETTIR THE STRONG 375 luckless a man to abide with us, and if ever man has beencursed, of all men must thou have been, said he; andadvised him to go back to Iceland in the summer. Mean-while Asmund the Greyhaired died, and was buried atBiarg, and Atli succeeded to his goods, but was soonafterwards basely murdered by a neighbouring chief whobore him ill-will for his many friendships, and grudgedhim his possessions. Thorir of Garth brought a suit atthe Thing to have Grettir outlawed for the burning of hissons; but Skapti the Lawman thought it scarcely fair tocondemn a man unheard, and spoke these wise words: Atale is half told if one man tells it, for most folk arereadiest to bring their stories to the worser side whenthere are two ways of telling them. Thorir, however, wasa man of might, and had powerful friends; these betweenthem pushed on the suit, and with a high hand ratherthan according to law obtained th
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectarthurk, bookyear1902
