Chapter LX: Swein Slays Swein

THEN they went to evensong. There was a large homestead there (at Orphir); it stood on the hill-side, and there was a height behind the houses. From the top of the hill Aurridafiörd[329] may be seen on the other side; in it lies Damisey. In this island there was a castle; the keeper of it was a man by name Blán, the son of Thorstein, at Flydruness.[330] In Jórfiara there was a large drinking-hall;[331] the door was near the east gable on the southern wall, and a magnificent church was in front of the door; and one had to go down to the church from the hall. On entering the hall one saw a large flat stone[332] on the left hand; farther in there were many large ale vessels; but opposite the outer door was the stofa.

When the guests came from evensong, they were placed in their seats. The Earl had Swein, Asleif’s son, next to him. On the other side, next to the Earl, was Swein Brióstreip, and then Jón his kinsman. When the tables were removed, there came in men with the tidings of Valthióf’s drowning. This the Earl considered sad news. He said that no one should tell it to Swein while the Yule feast lasted, adding that he had cares enow already. In the evening, when they had finished drinking, the Earl went to bed, and so did most of his guests. Swein Brióstreip went out and sat out all night, as was his wont. In the night (at midnight?) the guests arose and heard mass, and after high mass they sat down to the table. Eyvind Melbrigdi’s son, shared the management of the feast with the Earl, and did not sit down to the table. Table-boys and candle-boys were standing before the Earl’s table,[333] but Eyvind handed drinking-cups to each of the Sweins. Swein Brióstreip thought Eyvind poured more into his cup than Swein, Asleif’s son’s, and that he took the cup away from the latter before he had emptied it, so he called Swein, Asleif’s son, a sluggard at his drink. There had long been a coldness between Swein Brióstreip and Olaf, Hrólf’s son, and also between him and Swein, Asleif’s son, since he grew up. When they had been drinking for a while, the guests went to nones’ service. When they came in again, memorial toasts[334] were proposed, and they drank out of horns. Then Swein Brióstreip wished to exchange horns with his namesake, saying his was a small one. Eyvind, however, put a big horn into Swein Asleif’s son’s hand, and this he offered to his namesake. Then Swein Brióstreip became angry, and was overheard by the Earl and some of the men muttering to himself, “Swein will be the death of Swein, and Swein shall be the death of Swein.” But nothing was said about it. The drinking went on until evensong; and when the Earl went out, Swein, Asleif’s son, walked before him; but Swein Brióstreip remained behind drinking. When they came out to the ale-room, Eyvind followed them, and craved a word alone with Swein, Asleif’s son.

He said, “Did you not hear what your namesake said when you offered him the horn?”

“No,” he replied.

Then Eyvind repeated his words, and said that it was surely the devil that had spoken through his mouth in the night. “He intends to kill you,” he added, “but you should forestall him, and slay him.”

Eyvind put an axe into his hand, and told him to stand in the shadow beside the flat stone; he should strike him in front if Jón preceded him; but from behind if Jón followed him.

The Earl went to the church, and no one took heed of Eyvind and Swein; but when Swein Brióstreip and Jón walked out shortly after, the latter had a sword in his hand, as was his habit, though the others were unarmed. Jón walked in front. Some light came through the outer door, but outside the sky was cloudy. When Swein Brióstreip came into the doorway, Swein, Asleif’s son, struck him on the forehead, so that he stumbled, but did not fall; and when he regained his footing, he saw a man in the door, and thought it was he who had wounded him. Then he drew his sword, and struck at his head, splitting it down to the shoulders. This, however, was Jón, his kinsman, and they fell there both. Eyvind came up at the same moment, and led Swein, Asleif’s son, into the stofa, opposite the door, and he was dragged out through a window. There Magnus, Eyvind’s son, had a horse ready for him, and accompanied him away behind the house, and into Aurrida Firth. There he took a boat, and brought Swein to the castle in Damisey; and the next morning Blán accompanied him to Bishop William, in Egilsey. When they arrived there the Bishop was at mass, and after the mass Swein was conducted to him secretly. Swein told the Bishop the news—the death of his father and brother Valthióf, and the slaughter of Swein and Jón; then he besought the Bishop’s assistance. The Bishop thanked him for the slaughter of Swein Brióstreip, and said it was a good riddance.[335] He kept Swein, Asleif’s son, during the Yule-tide, and after that he sent him to a man called Höldbodi, Hundi’s son, in Tyrvist (Tiree), in the Sudreyar (Hebrides). Höldbodi was a great chief, and received Swein very well, and there he spent the winter highly esteemed of all the people.