The Saga of Bjorn to be Free
Dana Day
English 19
Professor Travis
Final Paper
13 March 2008
2
The Saga of Bjorn to be Free*
This is the saga of Bjorn to be Free, as told by Dana the Parody-Weaver, who is the most
outlandish and ungainly of any denizen of the Tower of Bakersskerr. She often entangles herself
in the webs she weaves.†
This story begins at the time when King Olaf Tryggvason, son of Tryggve Olafsson and
great-grandson of Harald Fair-haired, ruled Norway and was near the end of his days.
There was a man called Halfred Many-Sonned, who was also called Halfred the Greyhaired. He was the son of Hallbjorn One-Sonned. It is said that Halfred Many-Sonned had as
many sons as he had grey hairs, but that three of his sons accounted for many grey hairs. How
many grey hairs each accounted for was an ancient mystery known only to the wisest of men.
These three sons were called Bjorn to be Free, Bjorn Ready, and Bjorn Again. They were
cousins of Ulf the Irrelevant and Audun the Impertinent, both of whom had neutrally-colored
hair and were of average stature. Halfred the Grey-haired was of little consequence to the
Icelanders. He was no great prodigy either of intelligence or of strength and he lived a quiet life.
He died and was buried with many, but not all, of his grey hairs.
Scholars say that the Bjorn folk – the family descended from Halfred the Grey-haired –
were rather a similar lot. They were troublesome in many ways. Some of them sung too loudly,
and others were said to have danced badly. All of them were fated to take imperious wives.
Bjorn to be Free was most cursed of all the Bjorn folk. He was a big, strong man, the
most fair-haired among the farmers in Iceland at that time. The second most fair-haired was
This saga is heavily indebted to The Sagas of the Icelanders, and particularly “The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpenttongue,” for its themes, language, form, and historical context. Much of the historical basis of this paper
also comes from class presentations.
†
This attribution to Dana (in the rough draft) must be fanciful.
*
3
Bjorn Again and the third was Bjorn Ready. The brothers were a very fair-haired lot. They were
faithful friends of the Myrar folk, who skillfully reflected the sun’s light from their fair-haired
heads into the eyes of enemies, winning duels by blinding opponents.
Bjorn to be Free married Gudrid the Overbearing, the daughter of Olaf the Oppressed and
Asgerd the Silver-Spaded. Asgerd was ugly and swarthy, quick to anger and unruly. Gudrid
bore a strong resemblance to her mother in both appearance and character. Her sister was
Ragnheid, who irked her husband by running and hiding from him. Gudrid was a harsh and
independent woman. She relished every jot and tittle of the law and enjoyed nothing more than
hearing the law proceedings at the Althing.‡ In the area of the law, she was the most
knowledgeable person in Iceland. The second most knowledgeable Icelander was Thorgeirr the
Lawspeaker. Gudrid was zealous about keeping the law and kept close tabs on those around her.
Because of this, Bjorn to be Free was often heckled by his kinsmen. Many of them called him
Whipped-Bjorn. Gudrid and Bjorn to be Free had several children, although none of them
amounted to anything. They are not in this saga.
Ten weeks of summer had passed and it was almost Hay-time.§ It was a crisp day, and
after Bjorn to be Free and Gudrid the Overbearing finished their night-meal, they sat in front of
the fire. Gudrid dozed off, but her sleep was rather restless. Bjorn to be Free enjoyed his wife’s
company when she was silent and let her finish her dream undisturbed. When Gudrid woke up,
she was not at peace. Bjorn to be Free did not want to hear his wife’s shrill voice, but felt it
necessary to ask her what she had been dreaming about, since she slept so badly.
‡
Women attended Althing, but only under extenuated circumstances could they play a role in the center of the
social-legal space. See Zoe Borovsky, “Never in Public: Women and Performance in Old Norse
Literature,” The Journal of American Folklore 112.443 (1999): 12.
§
Information about the division of the year comes from The Sagas 739.
4
“Dreams lack the sense and order the law. They are superfluous,” Gudrid answered.
Bjorn to be Free knew it would not do to argue and left the matter unresolved. After
some time, Gudrid dozed off again. This time, she woke up with a start and again fostered the
concern of her husband. Bjorn to be Free again asked what Gudrid had been dreaming about.
“I will tell you the dream so you will stop nagging me,” she replied.
Then she began, “I seemed to be in a throng near a great rock. The rock was revered by
all those surrounding me and everyone listened intently to those speaking from it. I thought that
I had been there many times before and that I belonged near that rock; I was very pleased with it.
Then I saw many eight-legged creatures coming toward me from the southeast. They were red
with fury and resembled the rodamaur.** When they drew nearer, I discerned that they were
ants.
“Next, they began to crawl upon me and under my feet. They were strong and had iron
backs. I could not crush them, but they carried me away, over a large body of water, and into a
land of many other ants. I thought I saw the great rock tremble, but it was still as I parted. Now
this is the most mysterious part: I observed the clouds gather into a cylindrical formation and
blow the ants away from me with great gusts of wind. The wind continued to blow them toward
the great rock I longed to protect. I could not protect the rock and was grief-stricken and
dejected. I counted two hundred and sixty three different slaughtering months before I woke up.
That is all I remember. Now I do not put any merit in this dream and I think you would be a fool
to interpret it.”
Bjorn to be Free suffered from poor hearing and his wife’s last comment when unheard.
He offered his interpretation of the dream. “These ants must be the fetches of dangerous
**
Red ants (or rodamaur, in Icelandic) thrive in Iceland’s cool climate. See “Red invasion,” Iceland Review, 25
May 2007, <http://icelandreview.com/icelandreview/search/news/Default.asp?ew_0_a_id=282730>.
5
invaders. Now you will face invaders from the southeast near the Law Rock at the Althing.
Armored men will come from the direction that the ants in your dream seemed to come from.
They will love you more than your own people do and will be prepared to shed blood for your
sake. These men will rape you and take you to their land. It will be foreign to you and you will
shed tears for your home. You will be forsaken by your people, who will not fight the invaders.
They will tremble with fear and watch silently. Only after two hundred and sixty three years will
they move to conquer the invaders.
“I do not know how to interpret the clouds and their winds. They are a mystery to me.
Now my interpretation is done. I think things will turn out like that.”
“Your explanation is wicked and unpleasing; you know nothing of a woman’s heart,”
Gudrid replied. “You can’t possibly know how to interpret anything I say.”
“Yes, dear. I’m sorry,” Bjorn to be Free replied. He hung his head in shame the rest of
the evening. This was not unpleasing to Gudrid.
At the same time, many Icelanders were gathering at the Althing. Bjorn to be Free
grunted and belched at the idea, but Gudrid chastised him. She did not understand his desire to
stay home. They went to the Althing at Thingvellir.††
In those days, Thorgeirr Thorkelsson Ljosvetningagothi was the Lawspeaker. He spoke
the laws well and decided disputes fairly. He learned his ways from legends of Judge Judy the
Just. They were told by brave Icelanders who made voyages to North America. Thorgeirr
Thorkelsson Ljosvetningagothi had a particular penchant for unnecessary drama and for rhubarb
††
All information on the Althing and its history, especially with regard to Iceland’s Christianization, comes from
“History < English < thingvellir.is,” 2008, 11 March 2008, <http://www.thingvellir.is/english/history/>.
6
pie. The latter was believed to have been incited by the legends of Judge Judy the Just. The
former was the natural result of his Aunt Grimhild’s cooking.
When the Icelanders were gathered at the Althing, Olaf the Oppressed spoke to Bjorn to
be Free at the Law Rock. They exchanged greetings and spoke of the weather. Bjorn to be Free
did not care for the company of Olaf the Oppressed but he was polite. Olaf the Oppressed lived
a difficult life and Bjorn to be Free empathized with him.
At the same time in Norway, King Olaf Tryggvason decided to bring Christianity to
Iceland. There was a Norwegian man named Ref the Blind. He was the son of Thorstein the
Dim and Olga the Oblivious. He was strong and able, but notoriously dumb. He was the first to
bring Christianity to Iceland by the order of King Olaf Tryggvason.
Ref the Blind prepared for his voyage by selecting twenty-five companions for their
strength and size, also taking with him his parrot. Once they had made ready, they set sail and
were out of sight of land. They were tossed about at sea for many weeks and did not know
where they were.
Finally, they landed at Lyfvigssker, in the south of Iceland. Nothing is known of their
journey by land until they reached the Althing.
The sun was shining brightly that day and the Myrar folk were present at the gathering,
so no one noticed the Norwegian invaders until nightfall. By that time, they had made many
friendships and drank merrily with the Icelanders. The Norwegians were not unpleasant people.
They knew how to have a good time.
When the sun went down, Ref the Blind saw Gudrid by the light of the moon at the Law
Rock. He immediately fell in love. Everyone now understands why he was called Ref the Blind.
7
He snatched her under his sturdy left arm and whispered sweet nothings in her ear. “Come with
me, and I will take you to the Everything,” he said.
“The Everything?” Gudrid replied.
“It is wiser than the Althing,” Ref said. He was also sly.
“Okay,” Gudrid submitted. And they went off by the moonlight.
Ref the Blind abandoned the mission of his voyage and set sail for Norway in the
morning. His crew continued making merry with the Icelanders for many years. The Icelandic
ale was strong and good.
Gudrid the Overbearing is now out of the saga.
The Icelanders pretended not to notice the rape of Gudrid and began to mutter amongst
themselves, “good riddance.”
Bjorn to be Free’s hearing failed him once again and he heard the masses muttering
“Gudrid Ants.” He remembered his wife’s dream and accepted the will of fate. He told the
Icelanders of his wife’s dream and when it was recounted, they too called her Gudrid Ants.
Then Bjorn to be Free spoke this verse with obligatory sorrow:
Frigg’s progeny‡‡ have willed the breaking
of this golden armband.§§
If by sword I might
avenge that deed
Vali*** be with me.
Freyja’s tears of red gold†††
that stream from the southeast
would flow no more.
‡‡
Frigg’s progeny are the gods.
The golden armband is a symbol of marriage.
***
Vali is the god of revenge.
†††
Freyja is the goddess of Love. Her tears are red gold. By using this image, Bjorn to be Free suggests that
revenge would put an end to both Ref the Blind’s love for Gudrid and the red ant invaders. Snorri
Sturluson, Prose Edda, Trans. Brodeur, <http://northvegr.org/lore/prose/045048.php>.
§§
8
After that, Bjorn to be Free had a stag party according to ancient custom. The
Norwegians took part in this honor. Bjorn to be Free drank too much and slipped into a fit of
wild dreams. The first of his dreams was a clarification of his wife Gudrid’s dream. It was
cryptic and it appeared to come from future times.
Again, Bjorn to be Free saw the ants that his wife described. They were insidious
creatures. This time, when the clouds gathered into a cylindrical formation overhead and began
to blow the ants away, he understood that he was to take part in the act. He felt a bond of kinship
in the swift air that streamed from the clouds.
At that moment, he knew that he was fated to free Gudrid from the Norwegians. He
frowned at this realization.
Bjorn to be Free awoke with a start and decided to set sail for Norway once he had
secured a crew. His resolve was firm. Nothing would shake him. His voyage came to be known
as a Viking Raid®.‡‡‡
Two brothers lived in Waitingfjord. They were Snorri All-day and Snorri All-night.
They were never promising fellows, neither now nor when they were in their prime. They had
no relatives of note. Although the brothers saw each other only briefly at dawn and dusk, when
they switched shifts of sleeping, they bore a remarkable resemblance to one another. They were
short in stature, unmotivated to grow any taller than they needed to. They were dull in
countenance and lackluster in mannerisms. Their eyes did not open very wide and their cheeks
were not rosy. They often amused themselves by playing board games. They never won.
‡‡‡
“Youtube – Original Raid commercial, from 1948,” 1948, 11 March 2008, <
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRwlYLS_0fk>.
9
Snorri All-day and Snorri All-night kept watch over Waitingfjord to ensure that no one
ever moved to action. Waitingfjord was a place of waiting; it was located in the south and its
people spoke with drawn-out drawls. The rest of the Icelanders had a difficult time
understanding them. Waitingfjord was a popular destination after the rape of Gudrid. While the
men of Iceland knew their responsibility to uphold their virility, they could not bear to retrieve
such an overbearing woman. She lived up to her name. This period in history was called the
Pax Gudridgonna. Very few wanted to disturb it.
For nearly a year now Bjorn Ready, a berserk who was mentioned earlier, lived in
Waitingfjord. In his younger days, he went around the country challenging men to fight with
him if they had two legs. He was a troublesome youth. Bjorn Ready had very distinct features,
with a flat nose and bushy eyebrows and a face that resembled a cooking pan. His forehead was
especially wide. He was once the second most fair-haired among the farmers in Iceland, but he
took after his father in these later years and grew thick wolf-grey hair. His eyebrows were of the
same ilk and he raised and lowered them with authority. Often he would raise one to the heavens
and the other to Hel, then switch them in turn. His great-grandfather, Kveldulf, did the same.
Bjorn Ready gave his father, Halfred the Grey-haired, many grey hairs. He particularly
delighted in a game he called “hop on pop.” They did not get on well. Halfred knew that a
strong woman would keep his son out of trouble and resolved to bind him in marriage. He paid a
great bride-price to Helga the Shallow. She married Bjorn Ready for money and kept him in
Waitingfjord. She knew that he was prone to action and she did not want him to rescue Gudrid
the Overbearing. No one wanted Gudrid the Overbearing to be rescued.
10
Bjorn to be Free called on Bjorn Ready in Waitingfjord and told him of his quest. They
had not spoken since childhood. When Bjorn to be Free saw his brother again, he noticed a
change in his brother’s appearance. “Oh, brother,” he said, “what big ears you have.”§§§
“The better to hear you with, my brother,” was the reply.
“But, brother, what big eyes you have,” Bjorn to be Free said.
Bjorn Ready replied, “The better to see you with, my brother.”
Bjorn to be Free continued, “But, brother, what large hands you have.”
“The better to cut turf and dig out walls with,” Bjorn Ready said.
“Oh, but, brother, what a terrible big mouth you have,” was the comment of Bjorn to be
Free.
“All the men of our family are cursed with this mouth and women who weld it shut,
brother,” he replied.
And scarcely had Bjorn Ready said this, than with one bound he was out of sight and at
the throat of his wife. Then he stepped back and spoke this verse:****
You can get so confused
that you’ll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for akrlengds†††† across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
Waitingfjord…
…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a mare to go
or a shortship to come, or a longship to go
or the crops to come, or the rain to go
§§§
This episode has been adapted from Little Red Riding Hood. Grimm Brothers, Little Red Riding Hood, Trans.
Margaret Hunt, 11 March 2008, < http://www.fln.vcu.edu/grimm/redridinghood.html >.
****
This poem has been adapted from Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Dr Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go! (New York:
Random House, 1990).
††††
"Acre-long," the length of a field of arable land. For more on units of measure in the Viking Age, see “Units of
Measurement from Viking Age Law and Literature,” 11 March 2008, <
http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/measurement.shtml>.
11
or fate to come, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
“You can see, brother,” Bjorn Ready said, “what a dismal place this is and how it tries
my berserkhood. Although it pleases Helga, Waitingfjord is not my fjord. I will join you in your
voyage to Norway. Let me ask Helga if it is okay.”
Bjorn to be Free replied, “Go boldly. We’ll see how it turns out.”
When Bjorn to be Free had said this, Bjorn Ready went to Helga. He pleaded his case,
but Helga was a resolute woman. She replied, “Absolutely not. We are waiting in Waitingfjord.
That is what we do here. Sailing to Norway is not waiting. You see how this goes against the
grain of our people. It is most unfitting for a denizen of Waitingfjord to move to action. It
cannot seem right to you to do such a thing. What will the neighbors think?”
At this, Bjorn Ready grew cantankerous. He waited well for the sake of his wife whom
he loved, but it would not do. He replied, “You know what my temper is like. It will not do for
you to control me. I will not suffer ergi‡‡‡‡ for Waitingfjord’s sake. I would rather leave my
home than live with the loss of honor, and rather leave the country than shame my family. You
are blind if you cannot see that I look out for your interest. I intend to take up the offer made to
me by my brother, Bjorn to be Free.” It was generally felt that once he had spoken in this way
nothing could dissuade him.
Then he rode off with Bjorn to be Free. He distracted Snorri All-day with a trite joke
about the brightness of the moon when he left Waitingfjord. It involved canaries. Bjorn Ready’s
act cannot come as a surprise as his fate was set in his name long before his time under Helga’s
reign. Helga the Shallow is left in the dust of this saga.
‡‡‡‡
Ergi is unmanly behavior that implies homosexuality or cowardice.
12
It was about this time that the best thing ever happened in Iceland: the whole country
became Christian and the entire population abandoned the old faith. The Norwegians on Ref the
Blind’s voyage carried out their mission well. They were admired for many generations.
In Vaticskerr, there was a man named Hraf Godsson. His father was God Mastersson,
called the Godfather. The Godfather had many furrows in his brow. They converged and
diverged elegantly when his eyes widened and narrowed. His temples were deep and his wisdom
unparalleled. He was the wisest of all the Icelanders.
One day, Olaf the Oppressed attempted to persuade the Godfather to marry Gudrid the
Overbearing with many oxen and a great husband-price, and he thought long about the
proposition. Since he was wise, he resolved that it was an offer he had to refuse.
Hraf Godsson inherited much of his father’s wisdom, but none of his grace. He was an
austere man, a priest who preached the Christian faith with both fancy words and fiery
punishments. He killed two men who made fun of his lisp. He was also called Hraf of God. On
his left foot, he had a boil which shamed his son, Hrif Hrafsson.
Hrif Hrafsson, known in his adolescence as Hrif-Hraf, did not get on well with his father.
While the whole country became Christian, Hrif-Hraf did not care for any faith. He had no
furrows in his brow and his temples protruded. He drank too much too often and kept strange
hours. He often composed poetry while his father slept at night and he dozed off before dinner.
His dreams were wild.
One evening, Hrif-Hraf was drinking in the barn. He made as if to take another swallow.
“Leave it be,” said his father. “Real men don’t drink like that. Remember your age,
son.”
13
“I’ve just turned eighteen,” Hrif-Hraf retorted. “I’ll do as I please.”
Hraf of God declared, “I swear that you’ll not live to see another eighteen!”
“Don’t you call curses down on me,” Hrif-Hraf muttered, “but rather pray for yourself.”
“What did you just say, boy?” Hraf of God asked.
“I said what I thought fit,” Hrif-Hraf replied, “that your prayers would be better spent
ameliorating your hypocrisy. In the meantime, we’re almost out of ale, so you should pray for
that too.”
Hraf of God turned as red as blood and consulted his neighbor and friend, Bjorn Again,
who was mentioned earlier. Bjorn Again was the most level-headed of his brothers. He
accepted the new faith peacefully when it came to the nation. He thought it a wise decree from
the Althing.§§§§ Bjorn Again caused his father, Halfred the Grey-Haired, very few grey hairs and
did not cause the furrows in Hraf Goddson’s brow to deepen. He was admired for his calm
demeanor and valued by the community.
Hraf of God sought counsel from Bjorn Again about how to deal with his delinquent son.
He trusted the wisdom stored in the furrows of Bjorn Again’s brow. It was vast and deep, and it
flowed freely when his eyes widened. Bjorn Again took the matter and meditated over it.
It was at that time that Bjorn Again received a visit from his brothers, Bjorn to be Free
and Bjorn Ready. Bjorn Again welcomed them with bowls of warm porridge. Bjorn Again’s
porridge was the second best thing that ever happened in Iceland.
Bjorn Again was the runt of the brothers and was more inclined to cave-painting than
blood-spilling. He was also clever. Bjorn Again decided that Hrif-Hraf should prove his worth
by aiding Bjorn to be Free and Bjorn Ready in battle against the Norwegians. “Perhaps this will
make the hooligan grow up,” he said.
§§§§
The Law Speaker at the Althing made the decision for all of Iceland to adopt Christianity in the year 1000 AD.
14
“Doubt it, but we’ll try,” replied Hraf of God. “He’s better off wreaking havoc at sea
than under my roof, anyway.”
Hrif-Hraf joined the expedition.
The next morning, he recited the verse he had composed in a drunken stupor during the
night:
Moonlight, moonbright,
only moon I see tonight,
by your light,
I wish we might,
fight our fight,
ravage and smite.
To the ring-goddess***** we go,
ready for Odin’s fire,†††††
sorrow we will sew,
bringing Ref to his pyre.
So the crew was set. They were few, but the mightiest few who prepared to set sail from
Iceland that day. They were in good spirits.
In consultation with his brother Bjorn Ready, Bjorn to be Free now prepared for this
journey with two companions. They made their ship ready and put to sea, and nothing is told of
their journey until they reached the Blarg‡‡‡‡‡ in Norway, where they laid up their ship and
prepared to meet the fierce fighter, Ref the Blind. They shined their sandals out of respect and
ate uncooked spinach for strength that night. Their need for a woman to cook them decent meals
was great.
All that night, Bjorn Ready felt the repercussions of such a manly meal. He was
brimming with courage. His bushy eyebrows made great voyages across his countenance.
*****
The ring-goddess is woman.
Odin’s fire is blood.
‡‡‡‡‡
The Blarg is a small beach immediately behind the site of the Blarg farm from which the farm takes its name.
†††††
15
Bjorn to be Free noticed his brother’s readiness and commented, “Brother, you could
blunt any weapon right now just by looking at it.”
At that, the hand of Bjorn Ready darted to the hilt of his sword and he took it out
halfway, but he quickly placed it back in its scabbard for fear of dulling it before the battle.
Then it was morning and the motley crew made for Ref the Blind’s hut.
As they approached the hut of Ref the Blind, Hrif-Hraf spoke this verse:
I am the inflamer of my father’s face and
I am the sword-point’s reddener—§§§§§
let me prove my worth.
Then he spoke another:
‘Hrif the Bold’ as a child
was my name. Now again
here’s my chance to prove why.
And then another:
The rod of the battle-storm******
trembles in its sheath.
All fear we three
feeders of ravens.††††††
He did not know when to stop:
God of the armor‡‡‡‡‡‡
direct the stingers§§§§§§
of fjord-riders*******
through the blood-halls†††††††
and the helmet-stumps‡‡‡‡‡‡‡
so they drip with sword-rain.§§§§§§§
The sword-point’s reddener is a warrior, who makes his sword tip red with enemies’ blood.
The rod of the battle-storm is a sword.
††††††
Feeders of ravens refer to warriors.
‡‡‡‡‡‡
God of the armor refers to a warrior, or the king of the warriors.
§§§§§§
Stingers are spears.
*******
Fjord-riders are seafarers, strangers.
†††††††
Blood-halls are hearts.
‡‡‡‡‡‡‡
Helmet-stumps are heads.
§§§§§§§
Sword-rain is blood.
§§§§§
******
16
Then Bjorn to be Free said to Hrif-Hraf, “You would win greater acclaim if you were to
join us in battle—a deed of heroism that would long be remembered—than if you continued that
paltry verse. It’s so amateur…”
“I’ve often noticed,” said Hrif-Hraf, “that you usually want other people in front of you
when there’s any danger. Since you urge me so profoundly, I’ll do it, but you must have enough
of a spine to follow me—that is, if you’re not completely toothless.”
Hrif-Hraf led the straggly entourage. They smelled Gudrid’s pies and became hungry.
This encouraged them to act swiftly.
Bjorn Ready was the hungriest man in all of Norway that day. He charged ahead and was
the first to enter the hut. He speared the first thing that moved in his excitement. It was Gudrid.
Gudrid said, “I have been wounded in my left calf. Bjorn Ready’s sword struck between
my knee and my ankle. It was deep in my flesh. Here is the sword, and this wound will cause
my death. I now advise you to prepare for your return journey as quickly as possible. You will
not want to miss this year’s meeting at the Althing. It is very important. But take me to that
rock from which I was raped. I thought it was a good place and the sun shone warmly there. I
know I will smell on the journey home, but I wish to dwell at that rock for awhile.”
Gudrid then died and her husband did everything as she said. He had been trained well.
Gudrid is out of the saga for good this time.
The Icelanders never saw Ref the Blind. No one knows what became of him.
On the voyage back to Iceland, Bjorn Ready began to apologize for his misdeed.
“I cannot blame you for this,” Bjorn to be Free said. “In most cases, what will be will be,
and you have greatly relieved me of my burden. I am so pleased with your error that I will not
17
ask any blood money from you. I count myself lucky to be a free man. Now I will be able to
belch as loudly and as often as pleases me.”
Bjorn to be Free, Bjorn Ready, and Hrif-Hraf came ashore at Lyfvigssker. Bjorn to be
Free sold his ship and bought a great supply of Bjorn Again’s porridge. This was less
satisfactory than they expected it to be.
Some time later, they took the Christian faith and then went on a pilgrimage to Rome.
The three Icelanders discovered that pizza complemented ale nicely and lived happily in the
warm sunshine for many years. They never went to the Althing and they belched freely.
And here ends the saga of Bjorn to be Free.
18
Self-Critique
I feel that the element of my saga parody that is most representative of the sagas of the
Icelanders is its emphasis on the importance of names. Although most of my characters’ names
are parodic puns, they reflect the oddity and the deep-seated meaning of the Icelanders’ names.
For example, Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue’s name means little more than a chuckle to most readers,
but the astute reader will note that the character calls for his name’s meaning to be renewed
before he duels with Thororm.******** I was inspired by this episode. Consequently, my
characters’ names reflect their personality traits and overarching qualities. The names in the
sagas also change on occasion to demonstrate the ability of society to define characters, or its
perception of characters. Just as Harald Tangle-Hair became known as Harald Fair-Hair after he
unified Norway, in my saga Hrif the Bold became Hrif-Hraf after Iceland became a Christian
nation and being apathetic to faith became unacceptable. Like Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue, HrifHraf called for the meaning of his original name to renew itself and to endow him with strength
before battle.
Other elements of my saga which closely reflect the sagas of the Icelanders include
rhetorical devices like litotes and allusions to Norse mythology. The use of intertwined tales and
historic events is also prevalent. I found it helpful to base my fictional tale on historical events
happening in Iceland in the time of the sagas. I feel that this drew me close to the spirit of the
saga-writer, who was undoubtedly influenced by the changing times in which he lived.
However, the saga-writers were able to portray what seem to me like monumental events (for
example, the Christianization of Iceland) with a nonchalance I could not capture.
********
“The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue,” in The Sagas of the Icelanders (New York: Penguin Putnam Inc.,
2000): 573.
19
It was particularly difficult for me, as someone accustomed to the elaborate detail of
modern writing, to refrain from divulging the juicy particulars of dramatic events. It was equally
difficult for me to include tedious genealogies in my saga because most modern stories do not
concern themselves with such things. In these ways, I found myself most distanced from the
Icelandic saga-writers. Every time I slipped into the world of the saga I was sculpting and
became genuinely interested in my characters, my writing style became more modern (that is,
filled with vivid descriptions, characters’ thoughts and internal battles, etc.) and I would have to
revise it. I found it exceedingly difficult to express enthusiasm or to write from my soul within
the confines of such an austere style. Inevitably, there are parts of my saga which stray from the
Icelandic conventions and tend toward the modern; for me, it was easier to get carried away by
my own story than to follow the conventions of the sagas.
It was also difficult not to follow events through to completion. While the Icelandic
sagas often make mention of a person or an event without explaining its full story or
significance, I had a difficult time leaving things vague. I tried to combat my tendency to
complete things through Gudrid’s dream. It foreshadowed Norway’s eventual control of Iceland
in 1262, but the saga did not recount how it happened. Not seeing this through to completion left
me feeling unsettled.
Perhaps my most significant struggle was balancing modern elements and allusions (such
as Raid® and comical gender dynamics between husband and wife) with a story that takes place
in the Viking Age. This tension is common in modern parodies, but I remained keenly aware of
and bothered by it.
While these difficulties separated me from the spirit of the saga-writer, I feel that other
difficulties brought me closer to him. One of the most difficult things about writing this saga
20
was the tedium of the saga’s ebb and flow. Because the current of the saga is so smooth and
fluid, with no great floods or recessions in action, I often felt as if my plot were being beaten
against the shore repeatedly, always hitting the sand but never extending far enough onto the
beach to leave a profound impact on its dwellers. There was no rising action, climax, or falling
action; there was only a sequence of laconically expressed events and lulls of shallow character
description. As if a Viking on the sea, I felt tossed about between the poignant themes of love
and loss, and the bleak realization that the story must go on without wallowing in sorrow. I can
only imagine that this is how the saga-writer felt.
21
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