Robert K. Painter

This is a translation of one of the lesser-known sagas, but a very interesting one. It is about a feud among e (tiny) Norse settlement in the Faroe Islands, chiefly involving Throndur of Gota and Sigmundur Bestirson. As in some other sagas, Thrundur is cunning and Sigmundur is heroic, but Throndur switches sides so much it cannot be regarded as one versus the other consistently. Some of the language in the later episodes seems unnecessarily informal --it may be intended to represent actual rusticisms in the original , but to me lines like "I don't think little Siggy will be staying there much longer." are jarring. That line belonged to Sigmundur's daughter Thora, who did more to avenge him than his male kindred, taking after her mother, accurately known as Thurid Strong-Widow, who fought sword in hand to hold off Sigmundur's enemies while he escaped their burning house and swam 10 km to safely. (though unfortunately,after escaping his main enemies, he was then murdered by opportunistic locals, or so Throndur claimed -- Throndur and his foster-sons seem to have set up several dubious deaths.)… (mehr)