Chapter 26: Concerning Grídó the Green, ok His Duel against Hani (English)
I am aware of a separate manuscript tradition wherein Hani throws his axe only after Gríðó throws his, but this appears to be a clumsy later emendation made by medieval editors who wished to present Hólmgǫngu-Hani in a more chivalric light. That same manuscript tradition has a scene where King Jabbi confronts Hani in Mósæsli. Modern scholars disagree about whether this was a part of the written saga as originally composed, but I have chosen to excise it from this presentation since I regard it as probably excrescent; it is rather difficult to understand what the narrative justification is supposed to be for the King of Denmark himself to travel all the way to Iceland to confront (very briefly) someone who owes him some back taxes. Especially right after one of his own agents has already done so.
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Grídó the Green was the name of a man, big and strong, a close relative of Jabbi, the King of the Danes. He was quite savage and arrogant, a liar and a bully about everything. He had a bad temper with everyone, but worst with those who were the enemies of his cousin Jabbi. He beat men, if Jabbi did not get what he wanted from them, and stole from them what he might before he turned them over to the king. He was always visiting many different places in many lands, and was loved by no one.
As was told before, Grídó had falsely accused Hani the Duelist of stealing loot from King Jabbi, and the king had bidden Grídó to kill Hani and his comrade Tsiubakka the Frisian, and come back to Denmark with all the loot which Jabbi, King of the Danes, regarded as rightfully his own.
En when Grídó saw Hani the Duelist at Mósæsli, he was reminded of these things, and he wished to kill Hani immediately. He approached him with axe drawn and said, “Where are you going, Hani son of Sóló?”
“Hello, Grídó,” said Hani, “I am planning on visiting your king soon. Tell him that I have his loot.”
“It is too late for that,” said Grídó the Green, laughing aloud, “Why did you not pay him before, when you were nearer Denmark? It is a great reward indeed which he who kills Hani the Duelist and Tsiubakka the Frisian will receive. And that reward is greater than any of your loot is worth, or so I reckon. I’m lucky that I found you first.”
“Certainly you are lucky,” said Hani, “But I have his loot. Let me give it to him myself, and then you can take the reward on my head, if he still wants me dead.”
“If you give me this loot which you say you have, I can forget that I saw you,” said Grídó, “But otherwise you’re dead.”
“I don’t have the loot with me here,” said Hani, “Tell Jabbi…”
“Shut up, Hani,” said Grídó, and laughed, “You are the most cowardly man, always unwilling to put up a fight.”
“Those are dueling words, and I will challenge you to a duel on those grounds,” said Hani.
“What kind of duel would this be?” asked Grídó, “This is no place for a duel.”
“Let us throw axes,” said Hani the Duelist, “My father was a great viking, and I think this to be the manliest of sports.”
“Certainly it is,” said Grídó, “And we shall throw our axes at the same time.” He heaved up his axe, and Hani heaved up his own.
But Hani threw his axe first, and the axe dug all the way into the brain of Grídó, who fell down dead straightaway.
And then Hani the Duelist spoke this stanza:
I know what is proper:
I pray, with happy heart,
To all the mighty spirits of battle,
The ones who crafted the stars in the heavens,
And all the gods of war,
That a bloody eagle
Will perch with blood-stained beak
Above the rotting remains of Grídó’s scalp. I killed him.
Then Hani the Duelist, son of Jarl Sóló, left the house, and with him was Tsiubakka the Frisian.
from here:
http://tattuinardoelasaga.wordpress.com/
calm