On a farm lived a farmer who had a son whose name was Sigurd. It seemed to everyone that the son was a queer oddball; he was not very popular, but he was also such a paragon that it was impossible to get along with him.
Once a man called Sigurd came to this farm, who asked the farmer to be allowed to stay there for the winter and received permission to do so. The stranger could do nothing but play the harp. But the two namesakes became such good friends that the farmer's son didn't like staying anywhere but with the stranger.
Winter passed, and in spring the winter guest left again. After leaving home, the farmer's son was so bored that he had nowhere to stay, and in the fall he went out to look for Sigurd. He went to every farm, moved from village to village, from Syssel to Syssel and asked everywhere about his namesake Sigurd. Finally he came to a vicarage, where he also asked for his namesake. Nobody knew anything about him, but he was told that a man named Sigurd had recently arrived, but he had just died. He asked where he was. He was told that he was lying outside in the kitchen and that he had just been put in the coffin. He begged,[128] to be allowed to go there, and after getting permission, he sat by the coffin all night. During the night the dead Sigurd climbed out of the coffin, went out and stayed away for a long time. Sigurd, the farmer's son, was meanwhile sitting at the coffin.
It so happened that the pastor's wife had recently given birth to a child on the farm. Towards morning the ghost came back and wanted to go into the coffin. The farmer's son said she shouldn't do that if she didn't tell him what she had been up to. "I gambled with my money," said the ghost. "And now I want to get back into my coffin," it continued. "Not until you tell me where the money is," said Sigurd. "You won't know," said the ghost. "Then you won't get into the coffin either," replied Sigurd. Then the ghost said it was lying around the corner in the bathroom. "How much is it?" asked Sigurd. "A bushel," replied the ghost. "Haven't you planned anything else?" asked Sigurd. "No," answered the ghost. "You must have eaten up more," said Sigurd. "You won't get into the coffin before until you told me.' 'I killed the vicar's wife,' said the ghost. "Why did you do that?" asked Sigurd. "I wanted to be her friend when she was alive," said the ghost, "but she didn't want to." "How did you do that?" asked Sigurd. "I put into her little finger all the life that was in her," replied[129] the ghost. "Can't she be brought back to life?" asked Sigurd. "Yes," answered the ghost, "if the string I tied around her little finger is loosened so carefully that no blood spills. But now I want to get into the coffin,” said the ghost.
"Not until you promise me never to get out of the coffin again," answered Sigurd. "I want to get in the coffin," said the ghost. "Promise me the other thing first," replied Sigurd. The end of the song was that the ghost promised never to get out of its coffin. It now laid itself in the coffin, and it closed again.
In the morning Sigurd came to the courtyard and found the people in great mourning. He asked what was the matter with them, and they told him that the pastor's wife had died in the night. He asked permission to see her and was shown where she lay. He loosened the string on the pastor's wife's little finger and stroked her whole body until she gradually came to life again. He then told the vicar about his deal with the ghost and showed him the money to prove the truth of his account. He was now held in all honor by the pastor, who took him into his service and is said to have made him a very capable man, and it is said that from that day on Sigurd always behaved well.
And so ends this story.
[130]
The brave fellow
Once upon a time there was a very stubborn fellow who made something out of nothing. His nearest and dearest, whether they were his parents or relatives, were grieved at this; for whatever they did to him, nothing could frighten him. When they had given him up altogether, they placed him with the vicar, whom they thought best suited to make something of the lad and tame his courage.
When the boy came to the vicar, the same thing soon became apparent, that there was nothing he was afraid of, whatever the vicar might do. But the boy showed just as little defiance and insolence towards the pastor as towards those with whom he had been before. So some time passed; the boy stayed with the vicar, who tried his best to frighten him in any way, but never succeeded. One winter three bodies were brought into the church for burial; but because they arrived so late in the day, they were placed in the church to be buried the next day. At that time it was the custom in this country that the corpses were not buried in coffins, and so it happened that these corpses only wore the robes of the dead.[131] the vicar had them placed across the aisle between the pews at the front of the church, side by side but with a small space between each pair. In the course of the evening the vicar said to the boy: "Oh, go over to the church for me a moment, my boy, and fetch me the book that is on the altar." The boy obeyed at once; for he was not disobedient, even if he was stubborn. He went into the church, unlocked the door, and started up the aisle. When he was a little way from the door, he tripped over something and bumped his feet. Undeterred, however, he felt his hands about himself and then realized that he had fallen over a corpse, which he picked up and threw between the benches on one side. He went further in but fell over a corpse for the second time. He dealt with it in the same way as with the first. Then he went further forward, but stumbled over a third one, which he threw from the floor between the benches like the other two. Then he went to the altar, took the book, and after locking the church again, he took it to the priest. The pastor took the book and asked if he had noticed anything. The lad replied, "No," and showed no change. The priest asked: "Didn't you notice anything about the corpses lying in the corridor?" The boy replied: "Oh yes, I noticed the corpses; which he, like the other two, threw from the floor between the benches. Then he went to the altar, took the book, and after locking the church again, he took it to the priest. The pastor took the book and asked if he had noticed anything. The lad replied, "No," and showed no change. The priest asked: "Didn't you notice anything about the corpses lying in the corridor?" The boy replied: "Oh yes, I noticed the corpses; which he, like the other two, threw from the floor between the benches. Then he went to the altar, took the book, and after locking the church again, he took it to the priest. The pastor took the book and asked if he had noticed anything. The lad replied, "No," and showed no change. The priest asked: "Didn't you notice anything about the corpses lying in the corridor?" The boy replied: "Oh yes, I noticed the corpses;[132] I didn't really know what the pastor meant.' 'Well, and how did you notice them,' said the pastor, 'they were probably in your way?' 'It's not worth mentioning,' said the lad. "What did you do to get through the church?" asked the priest. "I picked them up off the floor and threw them between the pews and there they are." The vicar shook his head and said nothing more to him about the matter. In the morning when the people had got up, the pastor said to the boy: "Now you have to leave here; I don't want you in my house any longer, for you are so ruthless that you are not ashamed to disturb the rest of the departed.' The boy answered politely, but then said goodbye to the vicar and the people in the yard.
Now he wandered about for a while without having a spot to rest his head on. But on a farm, where he stayed the night, he heard that the bishop of Skalholt had died. So he made a little detour and walked towards Skalholt. When he got there, the day was beginning to wane, so he asked for shelter for the night. He was told that he would be glad to do so, but that he had to take care of his own safety. He asked if there would be any evil in staying there and what was causing it. The people replied that after the bishop's death things had changed so much that[133] no one could bear to stay at home because of all the spooks as soon as it got dark, and that's why every night since then everyone has had to flee from there. "Then I'd rather stay here," said the lad. The people of the court, however, begged him not to speak so; for it really would be no pleasure to stay. As darkness fell, the people gradually began to leave the yard, and with heavy hearts they bade the lad farewell; for they did not expect to see him again. The lad stayed behind and was in excellent spirits. Then he went about the house and looked around. The last place he came was the kitchen. There was great prosperity in business; a lot of fat carcasses of sheep hung in a row, and everything he saw was in proportion to it. The boy hadn't seen jerky for a long time and he began to whet an appetite for it when he saw that there was such abundance of it here. He didn't want to sleep so he could see the ghost all the better, so he decided to light a fire, and then he chopped up wood and put a pot of water over the fire, then cut up a carcass of a sheep and put it in the pot. So far he hadn't noticed anything about the spook. But when everything was put into the pot, he heard it said in a muffled voice up in the chimney, "May I fall?" He replied, "Why shouldn't you fall?" Then the whole upper part of a man fell down the chimney down, and then he chopped wood and put a pot of water over the fire, then cut up a carcass of a sheep and put it in the pot. So far he hadn't noticed anything about the spook. But when everything was put into the pot, he heard it said in a muffled voice up in the chimney, "May I fall?" He replied, "Why shouldn't you fall?" Then the whole upper part of a man fell down the chimney down, and then he chopped wood and put a pot of water over the fire, then cut up a carcass of a sheep and put it in the pot. So far he hadn't noticed anything about the spook. But when everything was put into the pot, he heard it said in a muffled voice up in the chimney, "May I fall?" He replied, "Why shouldn't you fall?" Then the whole upper part of a man fell down the chimney down,[134] a head with shoulders and arms and hands on it, and for a while this lump lay on the floor without moving. Immediately afterwards the boy heard people asking up in the chimney: "May I fall?" He answered as before: "Why shouldn't you fall?" And down the chimney the middle part of a man fell down to his loins. This lump fell next to the others and stayed there without moving. Then the boy heard once more that up in the chimney the question was asked: "May I fall?" He answered as before: "Why shouldn't you fall? You must have something to stand on!” Then a man's feet fell down; they were enormous, like the lumps that had fallen first. After falling, all the lumps lay quietly on the ground for a while. When the lad got tired of this, he went up to them and said, "Now that everything that belongs to you is down, it's best that you start stumbling about." All the lumps piled up and became one awful big man. He didn't say a word to the boy, but went out of the kitchen and into the front building. The fellow followed the tall man wherever he went. The man went into a room at the front of the house and approached a large chest. He opened it and the boy saw that it was full of money. The big man took out handfuls of money after handfuls He didn't say a word to the boy, but went out of the kitchen and into the front building. The fellow followed the tall man wherever he went. The man went into a room at the front of the house and approached a large chest. He opened it and the boy saw that it was full of money. The big man took out handfuls of money after handfuls He didn't say a word to the boy, but went out of the kitchen and into the front building. The fellow followed the tall man wherever he went. The man went into a room at the front of the house and approached a large chest. He opened it and the boy saw that it was full of money. The big man took out handfuls of money after handfuls[135] the chest, threw the coins over his head and let them fall down behind him. He continued like this until late at night, until he emptied the chest. Then he reached into the heap he had spilled on the floor and shoveled it over his head back into the chest in the same way.
The boy stood next to the ghost as it shoveled the money back and forth and saw it roll around on the floor. The ghost then set about throwing the money back into the chest with all his might, scraping up with his hands what had rolled off the heap and across the floor; and the boy could tell from this that he thought the day was near, and therefore wished to hurry as much as he could. It so happened that the ghost had thrown all the money back into the chest, and then the boy noticed that he wanted to hurry out of the room. The boy thought there was no need to hurry so much, but the ghost said there was; because the day is here. It tried to get past the boy, but he tried to stop it by holding it. But that only went on until the ghost got angry and grabbed the boy and said that it was no longer advisable for him to prevent him from getting out. The boy caught the ghost, but soon realized that his strength would be weakened and therefore slowly backed away[136] he tried to dodge heavy blows and avoid tripping, and they did it like that for a while. Once, when the ghost turned its back against the room door, which was open, it wanted to lift the boy to its chest so that it could throw him to the ground all the harder. The boy saw clearly what it was up to and could well imagine that this would lead to his death. So he resorted to a ruse. When the ghost made the first effort to pull him towards him, he jumped into his arms with such force that he fell backwards and on his back straight onto the doorstep, while the fellow fell on top of it, lying on his back. But it so happened that the ghost flew out of the room with its head, and the light that stood in the middle of the sky fell into its eyes; it therefore sank into the earth in two parts, where it lay, one part on each side of the sill, and the ground immediately closed up again as soon as the pieces were gone. Though the fellow was somewhat stiff in limb and bruised by the ghost's grips, he at once began to make two crosses of wood, which he thrust into the floor, where the parts were sunken, one outside, but the other inside Room door. Then he went to bed and slept until the people of the farm came home in the morning and it was broad daylight. However, he immediately began to make two crosses of wood, which he drove into the floor where the parts were sunken, one outside and the other inside the door of the room. Then he went to bed and slept until the people of the farm came home in the morning and it was broad daylight. However, he immediately began to make two crosses of wood, which he drove into the floor where the parts were sunken, one outside and the other inside the door of the room. Then he went to bed and slept until the people of the farm came home in the morning and it was broad daylight.
They bade him good morning and now had happier ones[137] Faces that they saw him alive when they said goodbye the night before, and they asked him if he hadn't noticed anything of the night's spook. The boy replied that he hadn't noticed any spooks. People didn't want to believe him, which he did to convince them.
He stayed there the next day; because he was very upset by his fight with the ghost, and the people at court didn't want to lose him for anything in the world, because he knew so well how to inspire courage in them. In the evening, when he saw that they were preparing to leave, he tried in every possible way to persuade them to stay at home, saying that the spook would not harm them. But nothing helped him there. The people didn't believe him and left as they had the night before; but he had achieved so much by his persuasion and encouragement that they were not afraid to leave him behind. When they left the yard, the boy went to bed, rested carefree, and slept until daylight. In the morning the people returned to the yard and asked him about the spook, but he replied,
He now told them everything that had happened the previous night, showed them the signs of the cross on the ground where the body parts had sunk, and led them to the money chest. They thanked the boy[138] with well-chosen words for his bravery, begged him to ask whatever he might wish of them in return for the help he would have given them, whether he wanted money or property, and said he would remain at Skalholt should, as long as he feels like it. He thanked them for their kind offer, but he said he didn't need wealth or anything else, and he didn't want to stay there any longer after that day. But the next night he stayed there, and that night everyone slept at home in the yard, and neither this time nor later did they notice anything about the ghost. In the morning the lad got ready to walk away from Skalholt; the people certainly didn't want to lose him, but nothing helped, he wanted to leave. He said he had nothing to do there now because people could stay in the yard. Then, much against the will of the people, he left Skalholt and steered north.
Nothing remarkable happened on his way until one fine day he came to a cave. So he went in. He could see no one, but in a side cave he saw twelve beds placed opposite each other, six in a row. All the beds were unmade, and as the day was not yet over, so that he could not expect the cave dwellers to come home soon, he began to make all the beds. When he was done, he lay down on the bed that[139] standing too far to one side of the cave, carefully wrapped the blanket around himself and fell asleep. After a while he was awakened by someone walking about the cave; he heard that a multitude of people had come, wondering who had come in and done them the kindness of making their beds; he deserved sincere thanks for that, they said. After what seemed like supper, they went to bed. But when the owner of the bed he was lying on pulled back the covers, he saw the fellow. The cave dwellers thanked him for his helping hand, and asked him to stay with them to help them in the cave; because they didn't have much time themselves, they had to leave the cave at sunrise,
The boy said he would accept their offer and stay with them for a while. He then asked them how it was that they had to endure such a difficult battle every day, which never ended. The cave dwellers said that those men were enemies with whom they had often quarreled before, and who were always defeated in battle. They said they still overpowered and killed her every night. But be it[140] always in such a way that their enemies turned around the next morning, and were each time fiercer and more impetuous than ever, and no doubt they would be attacked by their opponents in their cave if they were not present on the battlefield at sunrise. Then they went to bed and slept until the next morning.
As soon as the sun rose, the cave dwellers left, armed to the teeth, but first asked the boy to take care of the cave and the housework, which he promised them. During the day the lad went into a walnut forest which was in the direction in which he had seen them disappear when they were leaving the cave to learn where the fight was taking place. When he discovered the battlefield, he rushed back into the cave. First he made the cave dwellers' beds, swept the whole cave and did whatever else needed to be done. Tired and listless, the cave dwellers returned home in the evening, and were pleased to see that the boy had taken care of all the household chores, so that they had nothing to do themselves but eat, and when the meal was finished, go to bed, whereupon they all fell asleep ,
He lay awake trying to figure out how to get information about the cave dwellers' nocturnal haunts. When he thought that all his new comrades had fallen asleep, he got up, chose among their weapons the one he liked best and[141] took her with him. Then he wandered to the battlefield and reached it just after midnight. There was nothing to see but the fallen and their severed heads. There he stayed for a while.
But at daybreak he saw a hill open not far from the battlefield, from which a woman came out; it was dressed in a blue cloak and carried a pot in its hand. He saw her go straight to the battlefield, to one of the fallen, and put some of the contents of the pot on the piece of the neck that was on the dead man's torso, and on the piece that was on the head, and on top of that the head sit on the torso; he was immediately stuck, and the dead man came to life again. She used the same arts on two or three others, who were immediately brought to life. Then the boy sprang to the old woman and gave her the death blow; for now indeed he could understand how it was that the enemies of the cave dwellers kept circling; then he brought those which she had brought back to life in order to. When that was done, he went himself and tried to see if he could revive the fallen in the same way that she had succeeded; he rubbed some of the contents of the pot on the rim of his neck and succeeded just as well as before.
Now he amused himself by alternately reviving the fallen and those again[142] to kill whom he had brought into existence till the sun rose; then his comrades arrived from the cave, fully armed; they had felt strange because he had disappeared and some weapons with him; but when they came to the battlefield and saw their enemies lying dead, things seemed to have taken a favorable turn. The cave dwellers were happy to see the boy and asked how he came to go there. He then told them how it all happened, and how the gracious woman intended to bring the fallen into being. He showed them the pot of ointment, took one of the dead, rubbed it and put his head on it. He soon revived, but the people immediately killed him again.
The cave dwellers thanked him with many beautiful words for the courage he had shown; they begged him to stay with them as long as he pleased, and offered him money for the help he had given them. He thanked them for the kind offer and said he would gladly accept staying with them. After all, the cave dwellers were so merry and glad of the lad that they did all sorts of allotria, and it was suggested that they try what it would be like to die, since they could call each other back to life. They killed each other, put ointment on the wound and immediately came to life again. It went on like this for quite a while, much to her amusement.
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But once, when the boy's head had been cut off and they had used the ointment to grow it back onto his trunk, his face was turned backwards, but the back of his head was forward. Now when the boy saw his behind, because the head was upside down, he went mad with fright and begged her, for God's sake, to put him out of this torment. The cave dwellers ran over at once, cut off the head again, and placed it properly on the body. Then he regained his sanity and has been just as brave as he used to be.
Then the people gathered up all the dead bodies, took away their weapons and burned them together with the gracious woman who had come out of the hill with the pot of ointment. Then they went into the hill, took whatever there was of money, and carried it home to their cave. The boy always stayed with them later, but from that time there are no more stories about him.
