A Viking Woos

An episode from Laxdaela saga, one of the best of the Icelandic sagas, telling how Ólafr Pái won his wife. The background, in a nutshell, is this: Olaf is the son of an Irish princess who was captured in a viking raid and brought to Iceland as a slave by Hoskuld, Olaf's father. Olaf has just distinguished himself on a journey abroad, where he met his grandfather (the Irish king) and found favour with the king of Norway. Now back in Iceland, his father wants him to marry the daughter of Egill Skallagrimsson, famous warrior-poet (perhaps more peaceable and rational in this episode than in any of the other sagas he appears in!). Olaf isn't all that keen on getting married, but is convinced of the advantage of it, so agrees that his father shall arrange it for him. And they do so at the social hub which was the Icelandic Thing:

Þar var fjölmennt. Egill Skalla-Grímsson var á þingi. Allir menn höfðu á máli er Ólaf sáu hversu fríður maður hann var og fyrirmannlegur. Hann var vel búinn að vopnum og klæðum.

A great many people were there. Egil Skallagrimson was at the Thing. Every one who saw Olaf talked about what a handsome man he was, and how noble his bearing. He was well arrayed as to weapons and clothes.

[And now you see why he was known as Ólafr Pái, 'Olaf the Peacock'!]

Það er sagt einn dag er þeir feðgar Höskuldur og Ólafur gengu frá búð og til fundar við Egil. Egill fagnar þeim vel því að þeir Höskuldur voru mjög málkunnir. Höskuldur vekur nú bónorðið fyrir hönd Ólafs og biður Þorgerðar. Hún var og þar á þinginu. Egill tók þessu máli vel, kvaðst hafa góða frétt af þeim feðgum: "Veit eg og Höskuldur," segir Egill, "að þú ert ættstór maður og mikils verður en Ólafur er frægur af ferð sinni. Er og eigi kynlegt að slíkir menn ætli framarla til því að hann skortir eigi ætt né fríðleika. En þó skal nú þetta við Þorgerði ræða því að það er engum manni færi að fá Þorgerðar án hennar vilja."

It is told how one day the father and son, Hoskuld and Olaf, went forth from their booth to find Egill. Egill greeted them well, because he and Hoskuld knew each other very well by word of mouth. Hoskuld now broaches the wooing on behalf of Olaf, and asks for the hand of Thorgerd. She was also at the Thing. Egil received the suggestion well, and said he had always heard both father and son well spoken of. "And I also know, Hoskuld," said Egill, "that you are a high-born man and of great worth, and Olaf is much renowned on account of his journey. It is no wonder that such men should look high for a match, for he lacks neither lineage nor good looks. But this must be talked over with Thorgerd, for it is no man's task to get Thorgerd for wife against her will."

Höskuldur mælti: "Það vil eg Egill að þú ræðir þetta við dóttur þína."

Egill kvað svo vera skyldu.

Egill gekk nú til fundar við Þorgerði og tóku þau tal saman.

Þá mælti Egill: "Maður heitir Ólafur og er Höskuldsson og er hann nú frægstur maður einnhver. Höskuldur faðir hans hefir vakið bónorð fyrir hönd Ólafs og beðið þín. Hefi eg því skotið mjög til þinna ráða. Vil eg nú vita svör þín. En svo líst oss sem slíkum málum sé vel fellt að svara því að þetta gjaforð er göfugt."

Þorgerður svarar: "Það hefi eg þig heyrt mæla að þú ynnir mér mest barna þinna. En nú þykir mér þú það ósanna ef þú vilt gifta mig ambáttarsyni þótt hann sé vænn og mikill áburðarmaður."

Hoskuld said, "Egill, I would like you to talk this over with your daughter." Egill said that should be done. Egill now went away to find his daughter, and they talked together. Egill said, "There is here a man named Olaf, who is the son of Hoskuld, and he is now one of the most renowned of men. Hoskuld, his father, has broached a wooing on behalf of Olaf, and has asked for your hand. I have left the matter mostly to your own decision, and now I want to know your answer. But it seems to me that it behoves you to give a good answer to such a proposal, for this match is a noble one." Thorgerd answered, "I have often heard you say that you love me best of all your children, but now it seems to me you make that a lie if you wish me to marry the son of a slave-woman, however handsome and great a dandy he may be."

Egill segir: "Eigi ertu um þetta jafnfréttin sem um annað. Hefir þú eigi það spurt að hann er dótturson Mýrkjartans Írakonungs? Er hann miklu betur borinn í móðurkyn en föðurætt og væri oss það þó fullboðið."

Ekki lét Þorgerður sér það skiljast.

Nú skilja þau talið og þykir nokkuð sinn veg hvoru.

Egill said, "In this matter you're not as well-informed as you usually are. Haven't you heard that he is the son of the daughter of Myrkjartan, king of Ireland? He is much higher born on his mother's side than on his father's - which would still be quite good enough for us." Thorgerd refused to see this. They dropped the subject, each being of a different opinion.

Annan dag eftir gengur Egill til búðar Höskulds og fagnar Höskuldur honum vel, taka nú tal saman. Spyr Höskuldur hversu gengið hafi bónorðsmálin. Egill lét lítt yfir, segir allt hversu farið hafði. Höskuldur kvað fastlega horfa "en þó þykir mér þér vel fara."

Ekki var Ólafur við tal þeirra. Eftir það gengur Egill á brott.

The next day Egill went to Hoskuld's booth, and Hoskuld gave him a good welcome. They talked together, and Hoskuld asked how this wooing matter had sped. Egill held out little hope, and told him all that had come to pass. Hoskuld said it looked like the subject was closed, "But I think you have behaved well." Olaf did not hear this talk of theirs. After that Egil went away.

Fréttir Ólafur nú hvað líði bónorðsmálum. Höskuldur kvað seinlega horfa af hennar hendi.

Ólafur mælti: "Nú er sem eg sagði þér faðir að mér mundi illa líka ef eg fengi nokkur svívirðingarorð að móti. Réðstu meir er þetta var upp borið. Nú skal eg og því ráða að eigi skal hér niður falla. Er það og satt að sagt er, að úlfar eta annars erindi. Skal nú og ganga þegar til búðar Egils."

Höskuldur bað hann því ráða.

Now Olaf asks how the wooing had gone. Hoskuld said it had not gone well on her side. Olaf said, "It is now as I told you, father, that I should take it very ill if I should have to hear shameful words in answer to my wooing. The one who receives wooing has more power than the one who woos! But now I shall decide for myself: this shall not drop here. The saying is true, that 'wolves eat each others' prey' [i.e. don't trust others to do what you could do yourself]. Now I shall go straightway to Egil's booth." Hoskuld told him to have his own way.

Ólafur var búinn á þá leið að hann var í skarlatsklæðum er Haraldur konungur hafði gefið honum. Hann hafði á höfði hjálm gullroðinn og sverð búið í hendi er Mýrkjartan konungur hafði gefið honum.

Nú ganga þeir Höskuldur og Ólafur til búðar Egils. Gengur Höskuldur fyrir en Ólafur þegar eftir. Egill fagnar þeim vel og sest Höskuldur niður hjá honum en Ólafur stóð upp og litaðist um. Hann sá hvar kona sat á pallinum í búðinni. Sú kona var væn og stórmannleg og vel búin. Vita þóttist hann að þar mundi vera Þorgerður dóttir Egils. Ólafur gengur að pallinum og sest niður hjá henni.

Olaf now dressed himself in this way: he had on the scarlet clothes King Harald had given him, with a golden helmet on his head, and the gold-adorned sword in his hand that King Myrkjartan had given him. Then Hoskuld and Olaf went to Egill's booth. Hoskuld went first, and Olaf followed close behind. Egill greeted them well, and Hoskuld sat down by him, but Olaf remained standing, and looked about him. He saw a woman sitting on the dais in the booth. She was beautiful, with the look of a high-born woman, and very well dressed. He thought to himself this must be Thorgerd, Egil's daughter. Olaf went up to the dais and sat down by her.

Þorgerður heilsar þessum manni og spyr hver hann sé. Ólafur segir nafn sitt og föður síns: "Mun þér þykja djarfur gerast ambáttarsonurinn er hann þorir að sitja hjá þér og ætlar að tala við þig."

Þorgerður svarar: "Það muntu hugsa að þú munt þykjast hafa gert meiri þoranraun en tala við konur."

Síðan taka þau tal milli sín og tala þann dag allan. Ekki heyra aðrir menn til tals þeirra. Og áður þau slitu talinu er til heimtur Egill og Höskuldur. Tekst þá af nýju ræða um bónorðsmálið Ólafs. Víkur Þorgerður þá til ráða föður síns.

Thorgerd greeted the man, and asked who he was. Olaf gave his own name and his father's, and said, "You must think it very bold that the son of a slave should dare to sit down by you and venture to talk to you." She said, "I know your meaning: you're thinking you've done deeds of greater daring than talking to women." Then they began to talk together, and they talked all day; but nobody heard their conversation. And before they parted Egil and Hoskuld were called to them; and the matter of Olaf's wooing was now talked over again, and Thorgerd came round to her father's wish.

Of course she did! Text and translation (which I've modified a bit for ease of reading) are from here.