frozen thatch--and he fell open-armed backwards out of the
house with Grettir over him.

It was bright moonlight without, with drift scudding over the moon; at
that instant the moon's face cleared, and Glam glared up against her.
By that sight only Grettir confessed himself dismayed beyond all that
he had ever seen; nor, for weariness and fear together, could he draw
his sword to strike off Glam's head withal. But Glam was crafty beyond
other ghosts, so that now he spoke: 'Exceeding eager hast thou been to
meet me, Grettir, but it will be deemed no wonder if this meeting work
thee harm. This must I tell thee, that thou now hast but half the
strength and manhood which was thy lot if thou hadst not met me; I may
not take from thee the strength that was thine before, but this may I
rule--that thou shalt never be mightier than thou now art. Hitherto
thou hast earned fame by thy deeds, but henceforth will wrongs and
manslayings fall on thee, and the most part of thy doings will turn to
thy woe and ill-hap, an outlaw shalt thou be made, and ever shall it
be thy lot to dwell abroad. Therefore this fate I lay upon thee, ever
in those days to see these eyes of mine with thine eyes, and thou wilt
find it hard to be alone, and that shall drag thee unto death.'
Grettir's wits came back to him, and therewith he drew his short
sword, cut off Glam's head, and laid it at his thigh. Glam's body was
burnt, the ashes put into a beast's skin and buried. Thorhall,
overjoyed at the deliverance, treated Grettir handsomely, giving him a
good horse and decent clothes, for his own had been torn to pieces in
the struggle. Grettir's fame spread far abroad for this deed, and none
was deemed his equal for boldness and prowess. Yet Glam's curse began
already to work, for Grettir dared not go out after nightfall, for
then he seemed to see all kinds of horrors. It became a proverb in the
land that Glam gives Glam-sight to those who see things otherwise than
as they are, which we now express by the word 'glamour.'

Now Grettir had a strong wish to go to Norway, for Earl Svein had fled
the country after being beaten in a battle, and Olaf the Saint held
sole rule as king. There was also a man named Thorir of Garth who had
been in Norway, and was a friend of the king; this man was anxious to
send out his sons to become the king's men. The sons accordingly
sailed, and came to a haven at Stead, where they remained some days,
during stormy weather. Grettir a