The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Story Of Gunnlaug The Worm-Tongue And
Raven The Skald, by Anonymous

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Title: The Story Of Gunnlaug The Worm-Tongue And Raven The Skald
1875

Author: Anonymous

Translator: Eirikr Magnusson And William Morris

Release Date: January 25, 2008 [EBook #24421]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORY OF GUNNLAUG ***

Produced by David Widger

THE STORY OF GUNNLAUG THE WORM-TONGUE AND RAVEN THE SKALD.

Translated From The Icelandic By Eirikr Magnusson And William Morris

1875

[Transcriber's Note: Thought to be written in the 13th Century]

_EVEN AS ARI THORGILSON THE LEARNED, THE PRIEST, HATH TOLD IT, WHO WAS
THE MAN OF ALL ICELAND MOST LEARNED IN TALES OF THE LAND'S INHABITING
AND IN LORE OF TIME AGONE_.

CHAPTER I. Of Thorstein Egilson and his Kin.

There was a man called Thorstein, the son of Egil, the son of
Skallagrim, the son of Kveldulf the Hersir of Norway. Asgerd was the
mother of Thorstein; she was the daughter of Biorn Hold. Thorstein dwelt
at Burg in Burg-firth; he was rich of fee, and a great chief, a wise
man, meek and of measure in all wise. He was nought of such wondrous
growth and strength as his father Egil had been; yet was he a right
mighty man, and much beloved of all folk.

Thorstein was goodly to look on, flaxen-haired, and the best-eyed of
men; and so say men of lore that many of the kin of the Mere-men, who
are come of Egil, have been the goodliest folk; yet, for all that, this
kindred have differed much herein, for it is said that some of them have
been accounted the most ill-favoured of men: but in that kin have been
also many men of great prowess in many wise, such as Kiartan, the son of
Olaf Peacock, and Slaying-Bardi, and Skuli, the son of Thorstein. Some
have been great bards, too, in that kin, as Biorn, the champion of
Hit-dale, priest Einar Skulison, Snorri Sturluson, and many others.

Now, Thorstein had to wife Jofrid, the daughter of Gunnar, the son of
Hlifar. This Gunnar was the best skilled in weapons, and the lithest of
limb of all bonderfolk who have been in Iceland; the second was Gunnar
of Lith