Eric BrighteyesThere lived a man in the south, before Thangbrand, Wilibald's son, preached the White Christ in Iceland. He was named Eric Brighteyes, Thorgrimur's son, and in those days there was no man like him for strength, beauty and daring, for in all these things he was the first. But he was not the first in good-luck. Two women lived in the south, not far from where the Westman Islands stand above the sea. Gudruda the Fair was the name of the one, and Swanhild, called the Fatherless, Groa's daughter, was the other. They were half-sisters, and there were none like them in those days, for they were the fairest of all women, though they had nothing in common except their blood and hate. Now of Eric Brighteyes, of Gudruda the Fair and of Swanhild the Fatherless, there is a tale to tell. |
Contents
DEDICATION | 5 |
INTRODUCTION | 7 |
1 HOW ASMUND THE PRIEST FOUND GROA THE WITCH | 11 |
2 HOW ERIC TOLD HIS LOVE TO GUDRUDA IN THE SNOW ON COLDBACK | 20 |
3 HOW ASMUND BADE ERIC TO HIS YULEFEAST | 31 |
4 HOW ERIC CAME DOWN GOLDEN FALLS | 41 |
5 HOW ERIC WON THE SWORD WHITEFIRE | 51 |
6 HOW ASMUND THE PRIEST WAS BETROTHED TO UNNA | 67 |
18 HOW EARL ATLI FOUND ERIC AND SKALLAGRIM ON THE SOUTHERN ROCKS OF STRAUMEY ISLE | 202 |
19 HOW KOLL THE HALFWITTED BROUGHT TIDINGS FROM ICELAND | 212 |
20 HOW ERIC WAS NAMED ANEW | 222 |
21 HOW HALL OF LITHDALE TOOK TIDINGS TO ICELAND | 233 |
22 HOW ERIC CAME HOME AGAIN | 242 |
23 HOW ERIC WAS A GUEST AT THE WEDDINGFEAST OF GUDRUDA THE FAIR | 252 |
24 HOW THE FEAST WENT | 260 |
25 HOW THE FEAST ENDED | 270 |
7 HOW ERIC WENT UP MOSFELL AGAINST SKALLAGRIM THE BARESARK | 77 |
8 HOW OSPAKAR BLACKTOOTH FOUND ERIC BRIGHTEYES AND SKALLAGRIM LAMBSTAIL ON HORSEHEAD HEIGHTS | 90 |
9 HOW SWANHILD DEALT WITH GUDRUDA | 101 |
10 HOW ASMUND SPOKE WITH SWANHILD | 111 |
11 HOW SWANHILD BID FAREWELL TO ERIC | 121 |
12 HOW ERIC WAS OUTLAWED AND SAILED AVIKING | 132 |
13 HOW HALL THE MATE CUT THE GRAPNEL CHAIN | 145 |
14 HOW ERIC DREAMED A DREAM | 155 |
15 HOW ERIC DWELT IN LONDON TOWN | 172 |
16 HOW SWANHILD WALKED THE SEAS | 182 |
17 HOW ASMUND THE PRIEST WEDDED UNNA THORODS DAUGHTER | 193 |
26 HOW ERIC VENTURED DOWN TO MIDDALHOF AND WHAT HE FOUND | 279 |
27 HOW GUDRUDA WENT UP TO MOSFELL | 289 |
28 HOW SWANHILD WON TIDINGS OF ERIC | 300 |
29 HOW WENT THE BRIDAL NIGHT | 312 |
30 HOW THE DAWN CAME | 327 |
31 HOW ERIC SENT AWAY HIS MEN FROM MOSFELL | 338 |
32 HOW ERIC AND SKALLAGRIM GREW FEY | 346 |
33 HOW ERIC AND SKALLAGRIM FOUGHT THEIR LAST GREAT FIGHT | 355 |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR | 367 |
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Common terms and phrases
aloud answered Eric answered Skallagrim arms art thou asked Asmund the Priest Atli Atli's Baresark beneath Bjoern blood Coldback cried dark dead death deeds dost dream drew Earl Eric and Skallagrim Eric Brighteyes Eric's evil eyes face fall father fear fell Gizur golden Golden Falls grew Grey Wolf Groa Gudruda the Fair hair Hall of Lithdale hand head heard Hearken heart helm high seat holmgang horse Iceland Ketel kissed Koll lady laughed looked lord maid Methinks Middalhof mighty Mosfell night Norns Odin Orkneys Ospakar Blacktooth passed rock rode rushed Saevuna sail shame shield ship side Skallagrim Lambstail slain slay sleep snow speak spoke stood strange Swanhild sword tale tell thee thine things thou art thou didst thou hast thou shalt thou wilt thrall tidings told Unna voice watching Whitefire wife words yonder