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    The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald
    The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald
    The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald
    Ebook118 pages1 hour

    The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald

    By W. G. (William Gershom) Collingwood and Jón Stefánsson

    ()

    Read preview
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateNov 25, 2013
    The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald

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      Book preview

      The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald - W. G. (William Gershom) Collingwood

      Project Gutenberg's The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald, by Unknown

      This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with

      almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or

      re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included

      with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

      Title: The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald

             Anonymous Icelandic Epic, 1250-1300 A.D., Although Parts

                    may be Based on a now Lost 12th Century Saga

      Author: Unknown

      Translator: W.G. Collingwood and J. Stefansson

      Release Date: July 3, 2008 [EBook #265]

      Last Updated: January 15, 2013

      Language: English

      *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE AND DEATH OF CORMAC ***

      Produced by Doublas B. Killings and David Widger

      LIFE AND DEATH OF CORMAC THE SKALD

      By Unknown Author

      Originally written in Icelandic sometime between 1250 - 1300 A.D.

      although parts may be based on a now lost 12th century saga.

      Translation by W.G. Collingwood & J. Stefansson (Ulverston, 1901).

      CONTENTS

      CHAPTER ONE.   Cormac's Fore-Elders.

      CHAPTER TWO.   How Cormac Was Born and Bred.

      CHAPTER THREE.   How Cormac Fell In Love.

      CHAPTER FOUR.   How Cormac Liked Black-Puddings.

      CHAPTER FIVE.   They Waylay Cormac: And The Witch Curses Him.

      CHAPTER SIX.   Cormac Wins His Bride and Loses Her.

      CHAPTER SEVEN.   How Steingerd Was Married To Somebody Else.

      CHAPTER EIGHT.   How Cormac Chased Bersi And His Bride.

      CHAPTER NINE.   Of Another Witch, And Two Magic Swords.

      CHAPTER TEN.   The Fight On Leidarholm.

      CHAPTER ELEVEN.   The Songs That Were Made About The Fight.

      CHAPTER TWELVE.   Bersi's Bad Luck At The Thor's-Ness Thing.

      CHAPTER THIRTEEN.   Steingerd Leaves Bersi.

      CHAPTER FOURTEEN.   The Bane Of Thorkel Toothgnasher.

      CHAPTER FIFTEEN.   The Rescue Of Steinvor Slim-ankles.

      CHAPTER SIXTEEN.   How Vali Fell Before An Old Man And A Boy.

      CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.   How Steingerd Was Married Again.

      CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.   Cormac's Voyage To Norway.

      CHAPTER NINETEEN.   How Cormac Fought In Ireland, And Went Home

      CHAPTER TWENTY.   Of A Spiteful Song That Cormac Never Made

      CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.   How Thorvard Would Not Fight

      CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO.   What The Witch Did For Them In Their Fights.

      CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE.   How Cormac Beat Thorvard Again.

      CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR.   How They All Went Out To Norway.

      CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.   How They Cruised With The King's Fleet

      CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX.   How Cormac Saved Steingerd Once More From Pirates

      CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN.     The Swan-Songs of Cormac.

      CHAPTER ONE. Cormac's Fore-Elders.

      Harald Fairhair was king of Norway when this tale begins. There was a chief in the kingdom in those days and his name was Cormac; one of the Vik-folk by kindred, a great man of high birth. He was the mightiest of champions, and had been with King Harald in many battles.

      He had a son called Ogmund, a very hopeful lad; big and sturdy even as a child; who when he was grown of age and come to his full strength, took to sea-roving in summer and served in the king's household in winter. So he earned for himself a good name and great riches.

      One summer he went roving about the British Isles and there he fell in with a man named Asmund Ashenside, who also was a great champion and had worsted many vikings and men of war. These two heard tell of one another and challenges passed between them. They came together and fought. Asmund had the greater following, but he withheld some of his men from the battle: and so for the length of four days they fought, until many of Asmund's people were fallen, and at last he himself fled. Ogmund won the victory and came home again with wealth and worship.

      His father said that he could get no greater glory in war,—And now, said he, I will find thee a wife. What sayest thou to Helga, daughter of Earl Frodi?

      So be it, said Ogmund.

      Upon this they set off to Earl Frodi's house, and were welcomed with all honour. They made known their errand, and he took it kindly, although he feared that the fight with Asmund was likely to bring trouble. Nevertheless this match was made, and then they went their ways home. A feast was got ready for the wedding and to that feast a very great company came together.

      Helga the daughter of Earl Frodi had a nurse that was a wise woman, and she went with her. Now Asmund the viking heard of this marriage, and set out to meet Ogmund. He bade him fight, and Ogmund agreed.

      Helga's nurse used to touch men when they went to fight: so she did with Ogmund before he set out from home, and told him that he would not be hurt much.

      Then they both went to the fighting holm and fought. The viking laid bare his side, but the sword would not bite upon it. Then Ogmund whirled about his sword swiftly and shifted it from hand to hand, and hewed Asmund's leg from under him: and three marks of gold he took to let him go with his life.

      CHAPTER TWO. How Cormac Was Born and Bred.

      About this time King Harald Fairhair died, and Eric Bloodaxe reigned in his stead. Ogmund would have no friendship with Eric, nor with Gunnhild, and made ready his ship for Iceland.

      Nor Ogmund and Helga had a son called Frodi: but when the ship was nearly ready, Helga took a sickness and died; and so did their son Frodi.

      After that, they sailed to sea. When they were near the land, Ogmund cast overboard his high-seat-pillars; and where the high-seat-pillars had already been washed ashore, there they cast anchor, and landed in Midfiord.

      At this time Skeggi of Midfiord ruled the countryside. He came riding toward them and bade them welcome into the firth, and gave them the pick of the land: which Ogmund took, and began to mark out ground for a house. Now it was a belief of theirs that as the measuring went, so would the luck go: if the measuring-wand seemed to grow less when they tried it again and again, so would that house's luck grow less: and if it grew greater, so would the luck be. This time the measure always grew less, though they tried it three times over.

      So Ogmund built him a house on the sandhills, and lived there ever after. He married Dalla, the daughter of Onund the Seer, and their sons were Thorgils and Cormac. Cormac was dark-haired, with a curly lock upon his forehead: he was bright of blee and somewhat like his mother, big and strong, and his mood was rash and hasty. Thorgils was quiet and easy to deal with.

      When the

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