



Produced by Al Haines.




[Illustration: Cover art]




[Illustration: THORKELL AND THE OUTLAWED GRETTIR LEAVE THE ASSIZE.]




                          *Grettir the Outlaw*

                          *A Story of Iceland*


                                   by

                            S. BARING-GOULD

 Author of "John Herring" "Mehalah" "Iceland: its Scenes and Sagas" &c.



            _WITH SIX PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS BY M. ZENO DIEMER_



                        BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED
                       LONDON GLASGOW AND DUBLIN
                                  1889




                               *PREFACE.*


                          TO MY YOUNG READERS.


It is now just thirty years since I first began to read the "Saga of
Grettir the Strong" in Icelandic.  At that time I had only a Danish
grammar of Icelandic and an Icelandic-Danish dictionary, and I did not
know a word of Danish.  So I had to learn Danish in order to learn
Icelandic.

It was laborious work making out the Saga, and every line when I began
took me some time to understand.  Moreover, I had not much time at my
disposal, for then I was a master in a school.

Now, after I had worked a little way into the Saga, I became intensely
interested in it myself, and it struck me that my boys whom I taught
might like to hear about Grettir.  So I tried every day to translate,
after school hours, a chapter, hardly ever more at first, and sometimes
not even as much as that.  Then, when on half-holidays I proposed a walk
to some of my scholars, they were keen to hear the story of Grettir.
Well, Grettir went on for some months in this way, a fresh instalment of
the tale coming every half-holiday, and it was really wonderful how
interested and delighted the boys were with the story.  Nor was I less
so; the labour of translation which was so great at first became rapidly
lighter, and I was as much interested in the adventures of the hero as
were the boys.  The other day I met an old pupil of mine, and almost the
first thing he said to me was: "Oh! do you remember Grettir?  Thirty
years ago!  Fancy!  I am a married man and have boys of my own, and I
have often tried to tell them the story which made such an impression on
me, but I cannot remember all the incidents nor their order.  I do wish
you would write it as a story for boys.  I should like to read it myself
again, and my boys would love it."  "Very well," I said, "I will do so."

Now my boy readers must understand that I have told them the story in my
own words and in my own way.  I went to Iceland in 1861, and went over
nearly every bit of the ground made famous by the adventures of Grettir.
Consequently, I am able to help out and illustrate the tale by what I
actually saw.  In the original book there is a great deal more than I
have attempted to retell, but much has to do with the ancestors of
Grettir, and there are other incidents introduced of no great importance
and very confusing to the memory.  So I have taken the leading points in
the story, and given them.

S. BARING-GOULD.




                              *CONTENTS.*

CHAP.

      I. Winter Tales
     II. How Grettir played on the Ice
    III. Of the Ride to Thingvalla
     IV. The Doom-day
      V. The Voyage
     VI. The Red Rovers
    VII. The Story of the Sword
   VIII. Of the Bear
     IX. The Slaying of Biorn
      X. Of Grettir's Return
     XI. The Horse-fight
    XII. Of the Fight at the Neck
   XIII. How Grettir and Audun made Friends
    XIV. The Vale of Shadows
     XV. How Grettir fought with Glam
    XVI. How Grettir Sailed to Norway
   XVII. The Hostel-burning
  XVIII. The Ordeal by Fire
    XIX. The Winter in Norway
     XX. Of what Befell at Biarg
    XXI. The Return of Grettir
   XXII. The Slaying of Oxmain
  XXIII. At Learwood
   XXIV. The Foster-brothers
    XXV. How Grettir was well nigh Hung
   XXVI. In the Desert
  XXVII. On the Great Eagle Lake
 XXVIII. On the Fell
   XXIX. The Fight on the River
    XXX. A Mysterious Vale
   XXXI. The Death of Hallmund
  XXXII. Of Another Attempt against Grettir
 XXXIII. At Sandheaps
  XXXIV. How Grettir was Driven About
   XXXV. On the Isle
  XXXVI. Of Grettir on Heron-ness
 XXXVII. Of Hoering's Leap
XXXVIII. Of the Attempt made by Grettir's Friends
  XXXIX. Of the Old Hag
     XL. How the Log came to Drangey
    XLI. The End of the Outlaw
   XLII. How Asdis received the News
  XLIII. How Dromund kept his Word

Epilogue




                            *ILLUSTRATIONS.*


Thorkell and the outlawed Grettir leave the Assize, _Frontis_.

Grettir challenges Kormak and his Party

Grettir defends Himself from the Mob

Grettir attacked in the Rift by Thorir's Party

Fording the quivering flood

Illugi defends the dying Grettir




[Illustration: PEDIGREE OF THE FAMILY OF