Icelandic Legends, Volume 1 |
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altar answered Arnór asked Audur bade became begged bishop Bishop of Skálholt called cave chest child Christján Christmas Christmas-eve church daughter dead devil door dream dressed EIRÍKUR MAGNÚSSON elves family-room farm farmer father fear fell girl goblin gold Gold-brow Greenland Grímsey Grímur Gudrún gulf Hálfdán hand happened Haukadalur head heard herdsman Hildur Hofsós Hólar horse HÚSAVÍK Hvalvatn Iceland Ingibjörg Jón Jón Arason Katla killed Lágálfur leave lived looked magic merchant morning mountain neighbours never night Olafur old woman Olöf once passed porringer Priest Eiríkur promise replied returned Reykjavík river rocks rode round Sæmundur Sandur saying seen servants sheep shore Sigurdur Silfrastadir Skálholt Skeljungur sleep soon stone stood story summer Sveinn tell Thórdur Thorgrímur told took troll Vossósar Westmann Islands wife winter winter passed wonder words young youth
Popular passages
Page 28 - Sharpen it, however, as you will, but in that way never." So saying, she was seen no more. When the man awoke and looked forth, he found the mist all gone and the sun high in heaven; so getting all his things together and striking his tent, he laid them upon the packhorses, saddling last of all his own horse. But on lifting his saddle from the ground, he found beneath it a small scythe blade, which seemed well worn and was rusty.
Page 30 - Friday — and when he was asleep that night, the same elf-woman whom he had seen upon the mountains came again to him and said: — " Large as are the meadows you have mown, your employer will easily be able to rake in all that hay to-morrow, and if she does so, will, as you know, drive you away without paying you. When therefore you see yourself worsted, go into the forge, take as many scythe-handles as you think proper, fit their blades to them, and carry them out into that part of the land where...
Page 31 - He spent the whole summer in her employment, and they agreed very well together, mowing with mighty little trouble a vast amount of hay. In the autumn she sent him away, well laden with money, to his own home in the south.
Page 22 - But I am so poor that I cannot pay you for this service as you ought to be paid. I will promise you, however, this much : that you shall never go to sea without catching fish, nor ever, if you will take my advice, return with empty hands. But you must never put to sea without having first seen me pass your house, as if going toward the shore. Obey me in this matter, and I promise you that you shall never launch your boat in vain.
Page 142 - So he gave her the sheep and the lamb, which she threw on her shoulder, and carried off up the mountain again. Then Sigurdur went home, and right glad was the farmer to see him safe, and asked him whether he had seen anything.
Page 142 - ... Particularly noteworthy are the statements: " Gudmundur became attached to him, and on Christmas Eve begged him to come home from his sheep before sunset" ; — ' ' Next Christmas Eve, Gudmundur begged Sigurdur to be cautious, and not run any risks, for he loved him as his own son"; — and, " The farmer . . asked him whether he had seen anything. 'Nothing whatever, out of the common,
Page 140 - ... endanger the men unless they left the hall in the night and exposed themselves to attack. Among the Icelandic legends collected by Jon Arnason is a story which, in certain important particulars, is very much like the story about Bjarki's fight with the troll-dragon. A portion of it is as follows: — "A man named Gudmundur lived once upon a time at a farm called Silfrunarstadir, in the bay of Skagafjordur. He was very rich in flocks, and looked upon by his neighbours as a man of high esteem and...
Page 99 - ... treasures the elves had left behind them. On the farmer's return, his servant told him all that had occurred, and showed him the spoils. The farmer praised him for a brave fellow, and congratulated him on having escaped with his life. The man gave him half the treasures of the elves, and ever afterward prospered exceedingly. ' This was the last visit the water-elves ever paid to that house. THE CROSSWAYS IT is supposed that among the hills there are certain cross-roads, from the centre of which...
Page 142 - Nothing whatever, out of the common,' replied the boy. "After New Year's day the farmer visited the flock, and, on looking them over, missed the sheep and lamb which he had given the youth, and asked him what had become of them. The boy answered that a fox had killed the lamb, and that the wether had fallen into a bog; adding, 'I fancy I shall not be very lucky with my sheep.
Page 27 - While he was engaged upon his meal, a brown dog came into the tent, so ill-favoured, dirty, wet, and fierce-eyed, that the poor man felt quite afraid of it, and gave it as much bread and meat as it could devour. This the dog swallowed greedily, and ran off again into the mist. At first the man wondered much to see a dog in such a wild place, where he never expected to meet with a living creature, but after a while he thought no more about the matter, and having finished his supper, fell asleep, with...