eric brighteyes-第3部分

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wife；　nor　have　anything　to　do　with　her；　and　this　for　thine　own　sake：

for；　if　thou　dost；　she　will　be　thy　death。　Dost　thou　swear？〃



〃I　swear　it；〃　he　said。



〃It　is　well；　but；　husband；　if　thou　dost　break　thine　oath；　either　in

the　words　or　in　the　spirit　of　the　words；　evil　shall　overtake　thee　and

all　thy　house。　Now　bid　me　farewell；　for　I　die。〃



He　bent　over　her　and　kissed　her；　and　it　is　said　that　Asmund　wept　in

that　hour；　for　after　his　fashion　he　loved　his　wife。



〃Give　me　the　babe；〃　she　said；　〃that　it　may　lie　once　upon　my　breast。〃



They　gave　her　the　babe　and　she　looked　upon　its　dark　eyes　and　said：



〃Fairest　of　women　shalt　thou　be；　Gudrudafair　as　no　woman　in　Iceland

ever　was　before　thee；　and　thou　shalt　love　with　a　mighty　loveand　thou

shalt　loseand；　losing；　thou　shalt　find　again。〃



Now；　it　is　said　that；　as　she　spoke　these　words；　her　face　grew　bright

as　a　spirit's；　and；　having　spoken　them；　she　fell　back　dead。　And　they

laid　her　in　earth；　but　Asmund　mourned　her　much。



But；　when　all　was　over　and　done；　the　dream　that　he　had　dreamed　lay

heavy　on　him。　Now　of　all　diviners　of　dreams　Groa　was　the　most　skilled；

and　when　Gudruda　had　been　in　earth　seven　full　days；　Asmund　went　to

Groa；　though　doubtfully；　because　of　his　oath。



He　came　to　the　house　and　entered。　On　a　couch　in　the　chamber　lay　Groa；

and　her　babe　was　on　her　breast　and　she　was　very　fair　to　see。



〃Greeting；　lord！〃　she　said。　〃What　wouldest　thou　here？〃



〃I　have　dreamed　a　dream；　and　thou　alone　canst　read　it。〃



〃That　is　as　it　may　be；〃　she　answered。　〃It　is　true　that　I　have　some

skill　in　dreams。　At　the　least　I　will　hear　it。〃



Then　he　unfolded　it　to　her　every　word。



〃What　wilt　thou　give　me　if　I　read　thy　dream？〃　she　said。



〃What　dost　thou　ask？　Methinks　I　have　given　thee　much。〃



〃Yea；　lord；〃　and　she　looked　at　the　babe　upon　her　breast。　〃I　ask　but　a

little　thing：　that　thou　shalt　take　this　bairn　in　thy　arms；　pour　water

over　it　and　name　it。〃



〃Men　will　talk　if　I　do　this；　for　it　is　the　father's　part。〃



〃It　is　a　little　thing　what　men　say：　talk　goes　by　as　the　wind。

Moreover；　thou　shalt　give　them　the　lie　in　the　child's　name；　for　it

shall　be　Swanhild　the　Fatherless。　Nevertheless　that　is　my　price。　Pay

it　if　thou　wilt。〃



〃Read　me　the　dream　and　I　will　name　the　child。〃



〃Nay；　first　name　thou　the　babe：　for　then　no　harm　shall　come　to　her　at

thy　hands。〃



So　Asmund　took　the　child；　poured　water　over　her；　and　named　her。



Then　Groa　spoke：　〃This　lord；　is　the　reading　of　thy　dream；　else　my

wisdom　is　at　fault：　The　silver　dove　is　thy　daughter　Gudruda；　the

golden　snake　is　my　daughter　Swanhild；　and　these　two　shall　hate　one　the

other　and　strive　against　each　other。　But　the　swan　is　a　mighty　man　whom

both　shall　love；　and；　if　he　love　not　both；　yet　shall　belong　to　both。

And　thou　shalt　send　him　away；　but　he　shall　return　and　bring　bad　luck

to　thee　and　thy　house；　and　thy　daughter　shall　be　blind　with　love　of

him。　And　in　the　end　he　shall　slay　the　eagle；　a　great　lord　from　the

north　who　shall　seek　to　wed　thy　daughter；　and　many　another　shall　he

slay；　by　the　help　of　that　raven　with　the　bill　of　steel　who　shall　be

with　him。　But　Swanhild　shall　triumph　over　thy　daughter　Gudruda；　and

this　man；　and　the　two　of　them；　shall　die　at　her　hands；　and；　for　the

rest；　who　can　say？　But　this　is　truethat　the　mighty　man　shall　bring

all　thy　race　to　an　end。　See　now；　I　have　read　thy　rede。〃



Then　Asmund　was　very　wroth。　〃Thou　wast　wise　to　beguile　me　to　name　thy

bastard　brat；〃　he　said；　〃else　had　I　been　its　death　within　this　hour。〃



〃This　thou　canst　not　do；　lord；　seeing　that　thou　hast　held　it　in　thy

arms；〃　Groa　answered；　laughing。　〃Go　rather　and　lay　out　Gudruda　the

Fair　on　Coldback　Hill；　so　shalt　thou　make　an　end　of　the　evil；　for

Gudruda　shall　be　its　very　root。　Learn　this；　moreover：　that　thy　dream

does　not　tell　all；　seeing　that　thou　thyself　must　play　a　part　in　the

fate。　Go；　send　forth　the　babe　Gudruda；　and　be　at　rest。〃



〃That　cannot　be；　for　I　have　sworn　to　cherish　it；　and　with　an　oath　that

may　not　be　broken。〃



〃It　is　well；〃　laughed　Groa。　〃Things　will　befall　as　they　are　fated；　let

them　befall　in　their　season。　There　is　space　for　cairns　on　Coldback　and

the　sea　can　shroud　its　dead！〃



And　Asmund　went　thence；　angered　at　heart。







II



HOW　ERIC　TOLD　HIS　LOVE　TO　GUDRUDA　IN　THE　SNOW　ON　COLDBACK



Now；　it　must　be　told　that；　five　years　before　the　day　of　the　death　of

Gudruda　the　Gentle；　Saevuna；　the　wife　of　Thorgrimur　Iron…Toe；　gave

birth　to　a　son；　at　Coldback　in　the　Marsh；　on　Ran　River；　and　when　his

father　came　to　look　upon　the　child　he　called　out　aloud：



〃Here　we　have　a　wondrous　bairn；　for　his　hair　is　yellow　like　gold　and

his　eyes　shine　bright　as　stars。〃　And　Thorgrimur　named　him　Eric

Brighteyes。



Now；　Coldback　is　but　an　hour's　ride　from　Middalhof；　and　it　chanced；　in

after　years；　that　Thorgrimur　went　up　to　Middalhof；　to　keep　the　Yule

feast　and　worship　in　the　Temple；　for　he　was　in　the　priesthood　of

Asmund　Asmundson；　bringing　the　boy　Eric　with　him。　There　also　was　Groa

with　Swanhild；　for　now　she　dwelt　at　Middalhof；　and　the　three　fair

children　were　set　together　in　the　hall　to　play；　and　men　thought　it

great　sport　to　see　them。　Now；　Gudruda　had　a　horse　of　wood　and　would

ride　it　while　Eric　pushed　the　horse　along。　But　Swanhild　smote　her　from

the　horse　and　called　to　Eric　to　make　it　move；　but　he　comforted　Gudruda

and　would　not；　and　at　that　Swanhild　was　angry　and　lisped　out：



〃Push　thou　must；　if　I　will　it；　Eric。〃



Then　he　pushed　sideways　and　with　such　good　will　that　Swanhild　fell

almost　into　the　fire　of　the　hearth；　and；　leaping　up；　she　snatched　a

brand　and　threw　it　at　Gudruda；　firing　her　clothes。　Men　laughed　at

this；　but　Groa；　standing　apart；　frowned　and　muttered　witch…words。



〃Why　lookest　thou　so　darkly；　housekeeper？〃　said　Asmund；　〃the　boy　is

bonny　and　high　of　heart。〃



〃Ah；　he　is　bonny　as　no　child　is；　and　he　shall　be　bonny　all　his　life…

days。　Nevertheless；　she　shall　not　stand　against　his　ill　luck。　This　I

prophesy　of　him：　that　women　shall　bring　him　to　his　end；　and　he　shall

die　a　hero's　death；　but　not　at　the　hand　of　his　foes。〃







And　now　the　years　went　by　peacefully。　Groa　dwelt　with　her　daughter

Swanhild　up　at　Middalhof　and　was　the　love　of　Asmund　Asmundson。　But；

though　he　forgot　his　oath　thus　far；　yet　he　would　never　take　her　to

wife。　The　witchwife　was　angered　at　this；　and　she　schemed　and　plotted

much　to　bring　it　about　that　Asmund　should　wed　her。　But　still　he　would

not；　though　in　all　things　else　she　led　him　as　it　were　by　a　halter。







Twenty　full　years　had　gone　by　since　Gudruda　the　Gentle　was　laid　in

earth；　and　now　Gudruda　the　Fair　and　Swanhild　the　Fatherless　were　women

too。　Eric；　too；　was　a　man　of　five…and…twenty　years；　and　no　such　man

had　lived　in　Iceland。　For　he　was　strong　and　great　of　stature；　his　hair

was　yellow　as　gold；　and　his　grey　eyes　shone　with　the　light　of　swords。

He　was　gentle　and　loving　as　a　woman；　and　even　as　a　lad　his　strength

was　the　strength　of　two　men；　and　there　were　none　in　all　the　quarter

who　could　leap　or　swim　or　wrestle　against　Eric　Brighteyes。　Men　held

him　in　honour　and　spoke　well　of　him；　though　as　yet　he　had　done　no

deeds；　but　lived　at　home　on　Coldback；　managing　the　farm；　for　now

Thorgrimur　Iron…Toe；　his　father；　was　dead。　But　women　loved　him　much；

and　that　was　his　banefor　of　all　women　he　loved　but　one；　Gudruda　the

Fair；　Asmund's　daughter。　He　loved　her　from　a　child；　and　her　alone　till

his　day　of　death；　and　she；　too；　loved　him　and　him　only。　For　now

Gudruda　was　a　maid　of　maids；　most　beautiful　to　see　and　sweet　to　hear。

Her　hair；　like　the　hair　of　Eric；　was　golden；　and　she　was　white　as　the

snow　on　Hecla；　but　her　eyes　were　large　and　dark；　and　black　lashes

drooped　above　them。　For　the　rest　she　was　tall　and　strong　and　comely；

merry　of　face；　yet　tender；　and　the　most　witty　of　women。



Swanhild　also　was　very　fair；　she　was　slender；　small　of　limb；　and　dark

of　hue；　having　eyes　blue　as　the　deep　sea；　and　brown　curling　hair；

enough　to　veil　her　to　the　knees；　and　a　mind　of　which　none　knew　the

end；　for；　though　she　was　open　in　her　talk；　her　thoughts　were　dark　and

secret。　This　was　her　joy：　to　draw　the　hearts　of　men　to　her　and　then　to

mock　them。　She　beguiled　many　in　this　fashion；　for　she　was　the

cunningest　girl　in　matters　of　love；　and　she　knew　well　the　arts　of

women；　with　which　they　bring　men　to　nothing。　Nevertheless　she　was　cold

at　heart；　and　desired　power　and　wealth　greatly；　and　she　studied　magic

much；　of　which　her　mother　Groa　also　had　a　store。　But　Swanhild；　too；

loved　a　man；　and　that　was　the　joint　in　her　harness　by　which　the　shaft

of　Fate　entered　her　heart；　for　that　man　was　Eric　Brighteyes；　who　loved

her　not。　But　she　desired　him　so　sorely　that；　without　him；　all　the

world　was　dark　to　her；　and　her　soul　but　as　a　ship　driven　rudderless

upon　a　winter　night。　Therefore　she　put　out　all　her　strength　to　win

him；　and　bent　her　witcheries　upon　him；　and　they　were　not　few　nor

small。　Nevertheless　they　went　by　him　like　the　wind；　for　he　dreamed

ever　of　Gudruda　alone；　and　he　saw　no　eyes　but　hers；　though　as　yet　they

spoke　no　word　of　love　one　to　the　other。



But　Swanhild　in　her　wrath　took　counsel　with　her　mother　Groa；　though

there　was　little　liking　between　them；　and；　when　she　had　heard　the

maiden's　tale；　Groa　laughed　aloud：



〃Dost　think　me　blind；　girl？〃　she　said；　〃all　of　this　I　have　seen；　yea

and　foreseen；　and　I　tell　thee　thou　art　mad。　Let　this　yeoman　Eric　go

and　I　will　find　thee　finer　fowl　to　fly　at。〃



〃Nay；　that　I　will　not；〃　quoth　Swanhild：　〃for　I　love　this　man　alone；

and　I　would　win　him；　and　Gudruda　I　hate；　and　I　would　overthrow　her。

Give　me　of　thy　counsel。〃



Groa　laughed　again。　〃Things　must　be　as　they　are　fated。　This　now　is　my

rede：　Asmund　would　turn　Gudruda's　beauty　to　account；　and　that　man　must

be　rich　in　friends　and　money　who　gets　her　to　wife；　and　in　this　matter

the　mind　of　Bj？rn　is　as　the　mind　of　his　father。　Now　we　will