Appendix: Summaries and Translations of Sources

Summary

Inntak úr söguþætti af Ásmundi flagðagæfu (‘Summary of a Saga- Episode about Ásmundur “Lucky with Hags”’)

Ásmundur is the youngest of three brothers; his father despises him, but his mother defends him. His two brothers set off to visit the king, but turn back when they meet a giant. Later, all three brothers set out again; their father falls into the smithy fire while giving Ásmundur a rusty old helmet, mail-coat and shield. His mother gives Ásmundur a knife (sax); when he tries it out, it cuts through a rock easily, but the rock is his mother's lífsteinn, and she falls dead.

The brothers meet the giant. His brothers flee, but Ásmundur wrestles with the giant and kills him. He takes the giant's dog, then joins the household of St Óláfur. The king sends him to collect tax from the heathen Þorgerður Höldatröll, who lives on an island in the north. When he arrives, Þorgerður is out hunting; her daughter Hlaðvör agrees to come with Ásmundur and convert to Christianity if he defeats her mother.

Þorgerður refuses to pay the tax, but agrees to abandon the island if Ásmundur defeats her in three tests. The first two contests (walking on fire and resisting a sword blow on the bare foot) are drawn (because Ásmundur is helped by the sign of the cross). The third test is to swallow three red-hot nails. Þorgerður successfully swallows two, but Ásmundur marks the sign of the cross on the third, and it burns her and leaves her helpless. He returns to court with Hlaðvör; she is baptised and marries him, and the king sends people to settle the island.

(The last part of this story is not relevant here; it is derived from Vǫlsa þáttr.)

Djákninn á Myrká (‘The Deacon at Myrká’)

The (unnamed) deacon at Myrká often visits Guðrún, a serving-maid at Bægisá. Just before Christmas he sets out as usual, during a thaw. He tries to cross a ‘bridge’ of ice across the river, but it breaks, and he is drowned.