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made him ready to go; but when ready he went to Egil s place in the hall, and there he hung up that
precious shield, and told the house-carles that he left it a gift for Egil. Then he rode away.
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But on that same day Egil came home. And when he came in to his place, then he saw the shield, and
asked whose was that costly work. It was told him that Einar Skala-glam had come there, and had left
the shield as a gift for him. Then said Egil:  The wretched man, to give it! He means that I should bide
awake and compose poetry about his shield. Now, bring my horse. I must ride after him and slay him.
He was told that Einar had ridden away early in the morning.  He will, they said,  by this be come
westwards to the dales. Soon after Egil composed a poem, whereof this is the beginning:
 Of shield, the ship s bright guard,
To show the praise   tis time,
Home to my hand is given
The treasure-sender s gift.
Sure hath Skala-glam
To skilful guidance lent
(Speak, ye who list my lay)
The reins of minstrel lore.
Egil and Einar remained friends so long as they both lived. But about the shield s fortune at last this is
told, that Egil took it with him to the wedding when he went north to Broadmoor with Thorkettle
Gunnvald s son and Red-Bjorn s sons Trefill and Helgi. There the shield was spoilt by falling into a
tub of sour whey. After this Egil had the outer ornaments taken off: and there were twelve ounces of
gold in the spangles.
Chapter 84 - Of Thorstein Egil s son.
Thorstein Egil s son when he grew up was a most handsome man, white-haired, bright-faced. Tall he
was and strong, yet not so much so as his father. Thorstein was wise, gentle, quite of temper, calm
above other men. Egil loved him little; nor was Thorstein affectionate with his father; but Asgerdr and
Thorstein loved each other dearly. Egil was now beginning to age much.
One summer Thorstein rode to the Thing, but Egil sat at home. Before Thorstein left home he and
Asgerdr managed to take from Egil s chest without his knowledge the silken robe given him by
Arinbjorn, and Thorstein took it to the Thing. But when he wore it at the Thing it trailed behind him,
and became soiled at the hem as they were going to the hill of laws. And when he came home, Asgerdr
put the robe in the chest where it was before. Long after, when Egil opened his chest, he found that the
robe was spoilt, and questioned Asgerdr how that had come about. She told him the truth. Then Egil
sang:
 Him who from me inherits
I hold no worthy heir.
A son deceives me living,
Deceit I call his deed.
Well might he, wave-horse-rider,
Wait but awhile, till me
Sea-skimming shipmen cover
With shroud of piled stones.
Thorstein married Jofridr, daughter of Gunnar son of Hlif: her mother was Helga daughter of Olaf
Feilan, sister of Thord Gellir. Jofridr had before been wife of Thorod the son of Tongue-Odd.
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Soon after this Asgerdr died. After her death Egil gave up his housekeeping to Thorstein, and went
south to Moss-fell to Grim, his son-in-law, for he loved Thordis his step-daughter most of all who
were then living. One summer a ship came out and put into Loam Bay, steered by a man named
Thormod. He was a Norwegian, a house-carle of Thorstein Thora s son. He was to take with him a
shield, which Thorstein had sent to Egil Skallagrimsson: it was a valuable treasure. Thormod brought
Egil the shield, and he received it with thanks. In the following winter Egil composed a poem about
the gift of the shield: it is called Buckler-poem, and this is the beginning:
 List to the stream of lay
From long-haired Odin flowing,
Thane of a king, and bid
Thy folk due silence keep.
For thee, sea-raven s ruler,
Rained from the eagle s beak
Full oft shall shower of song
In Horda s shore be heard.
Thorstein Egil s son dwelt at Borg. He had two illegitimate sons, Hrifla and Hrafn. But after his
marriage he and Jofridr had ten children. Helga the fair was their daughter, she about whom quarrelled
Skald-Hrafn and Gunnlaug Wormstongue. Grim was their eldest son, the second Skuli, the third
Thorgeir, the fourth Kollsvein, the fifth Hjorleif, the sixth Hall, the seventh Egil, the eighth Thord. The
other daughter was Thora, who was married to Thormod Kleppjarn s son. From Thorstein s children
sprang a large progeny, and many great men. They are called Myra-men, all those that sprang from
Skallagrim.
Chapter 85 - Of Aunund Sjoni and Steinar his son.
Aunund Sjoni dwelt at Anabrekka, while Egil dwelt at Borg. Aunund married Thorgerdr daughter of
Thorbjorn the Stout, of Snæfell-strand: the children of Aunund and his wife were a son Steinar, and a
daughter Dalla. And when Aunund grew old and his sight was dim, then he gave up the housekeeping
to Steinar his son. Father and son had much wealth.
Steinar was above other men tall and strong, ill-favoured, with a stoop, long in the legs, short in the
body. He was a very quarrelsome man, vehement, overbearing, and obstinate, a most headstrong
fellow. And when Thorstein Egil s son came to dwell at Borg, there was at once a coolness between
him and Steinar. South of Hafs-brook lies a moor called Stack-moor. In winter this is under water, but [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]