Saga network
Grettis saga Ásmundarsonar
The Saga of Grettir the Strong, trans. not stated in the eBook; text corresponds to G. A. Hight's 1914 Everyman translation (attribution UNVERIFIED in-file) (1914). 93 chapters, 230 characters resolved, 213 distinct social edges (269 typed edge records across seven relation types — see Methods for why those two counts differ).
Network
Drag nodes, scroll to zoom, click a character for its profile, click an edge to read the sentences that support it.
119 characters · 213 edges (269 typed edge records)
Network summary
0.030Density
0.154Avg. clustering
3.172Avg. path length
6Diameter
14Communities (Louvain)modularity 0.466
-0.165Degree assortativity
75.0%Structural balance9/12 triangles balanced
18Articulation pointsbridge characters
Metrics are computed on the semantic layer only (kinship, marriage, friendship, conversation, conflict, killing, support) — the much denser sentence co-occurrence layer (227 nodes, 1236 edges) is a baseline, not a claim about social structure. See Methods for what each number does and does not mean.
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Chapter 33: Doings Of Glam'S Ghost. Awful Condition Of Vatnsdal
In the spring Thorhall procured servants and built a house on his lands. As the days lengthened out the apparitions became less, until at midsummer a ship sailed up the Hunavatn in which was a man named Thorgaut. He was a foreigner, very tall and powerful; he had the strength of two men. He was travelling on his own account, unattached, and being without money was looking out for employment. Thorhall rode to the ship, saw him and asked if he would take service with him. Thorgaut said he would indeed, and that there would be no difficulties. "You must be prepared," said Thorhall, "for work which would not be fitting for a weak-minded person, because of the apparitions which have been there lately. I will not deceive you about it." "I shall not give myself up as lost for the ghostlings," he said. "Before I am scared some others will not be easy. I shall not change my quarters on that account." The terms were easily arranged and Thorgaut was engaged for the sheep during the winter. When the summer had passed away he took over charge of them, and was on good terms with everybody. Glam continued his rides on the roofs. Thorgaut thought it very amusing and said the thrall must come nearer if he wished to frighten him. Thorhall advised him not to say too much, and said it would be better if they did not come into conflict. Thorgaut said: "Surely all the spirit has gone out of you. I shall not fall dead in the twilight for stories of that sort." Yule was approaching. On the eve the shepherd went out with his sheep. The mistress said: "Now I hope that our former experiences will not be repeated." "Have no fear for that, mistress," he said. "There will be something worth telling of if I come not back." Then he went out to his sheep. The weather was rather cold and there was a heavy snowstorm. Thorgaut usually returned when it was getting dark, but this time he did not come. The people went to church as usual, but they thought matters looked very much as they did on the last occasion. The bondi wanted them to go out and search for the shepherd, but the churchgoers cried off, and said they were not going to trust themselves into the power of trolls in the night; the bondi would not venture out and there was no search. On Yule day after their meal they went out to look for the shepherd, and first went to Glam's cairn, feeling sure that the shepherd's disappearance must be due to him. On approaching the cairn they saw an awful sight; there was the shepherd, his neck broken, and every bone in his body torn from its place. They carried him to the church and no one was molested by Thorgaut. Glam became more rampageous than ever. He was so riotous that at last everybody fled from Thorhallsstad, excepting the bondi and his wife. Thorhall's cowherd had been a long time in his service and he had become attached to him; for this reason and because he was a careful herdsman he did not want to part with him. The man was very old and thought it would be very troublesome to have to leave; he saw, too, that everything the bondi possessed would be ruined if he did not stay to look after them. One morning after midwinter the mistress went to the cow-house to milk the cows as usual. It was then full day, for no one would venture out of doors till then, except the cowherd, who went directly it was light. She heard a great crash in the cow-house and tremendous bellowing. She rushed in, shouting that something awful, she knew not what, was going on in the cow-house. The bondi went out and found the cattle all goring each other. It seemed not canny there, so he went into the shed and there saw the cowherd lying on his back with his head in one stall and his feet in the other. He went up and felt him, but saw at once that he was dead with his back broken. It had been broken over the flat stone which separated the two stalls. Evidently it was not safe to remain any longer on his estate, so he fled with everything that he could carry away. All the live-stock which he left behind was killed by Glam. After that Glam went right up the valley and raided every farm as far as Tunga, while Thorhall stayed with his friends during the rest of the winter. No one could venture up the valley with a horse or a dog, for it was killed at once. As the spring went on and the sun rose higher in the sky the spook diminished somewhat, and Thorhall wanted to return to his land, but found it not easy to get servants. Nevertheless, he went and took up his abode at Thorhallsstad. Directly the autumn set in, everything began again, and the disturbances increased. The person most attacked was the bondi's daughter, who at last died of it. Many things were tried but without success. It seemed likely that the whole of Vatnsdal would be devastated unless help could be found.
Table of contents
1. The Family And Early Wars Of Onund The Son Of Ofeig2. The Battle Of Hafrsfjord3. Meeting Of Defeated Chiefs In The West And Marriage Of4. Fight With Vikings Vigbjod And Vestmar5. Visit Of Onund And Thrand To Eyvind In Ireland6. Death Of Bjorn; Disputes Over His Property In Norway7. Murder Of Ondott Crow, And The Vengeance Therefor8. Onund And Asmund Sail To Iceland9. Onund Settles In Kaldbak10. Ofeig Grettir Is Killed. Visit Of Onund To Aud The11. Death Of Onund. Disputes Between The Sons Of Onund And Of12. Battle At Rifsker13. Thorgrim Settles At Bjarg And Marries. His Son Asmund14. Asmund'S Children. Grettir'S Childhood15. Games At Midfjordvatn16. Grettir Kills Skeggi And Is Outlawed For Three Years17. Grettir Sails For Norway And Is Wrecked On Haramarsey18. Adventure In The Howe Of Kar The Old19. Berserks At Haramarsey20. Thorfinn'S Return. Grettir Visits The North21. Adventure With A Bear22. Grettir Kills Bjorn And Is Summoned Before Jarl Sveinn23. Grettir Kills Hjarrandi24. Grettir Kills Gunnar. His Friends Rally Round Him And Save25. Events In Iceland. Thorgils Maksson Attacked By The26. The Feud With The Foster-Brothers Is Taken Up By Asmund27. Sentences On The Foster-Brothers28. Grettir'S Visit To Audun In Vididal; Offers His Services29. Horse-Fight At Langafit30. Thorbjorn Oxmain And The Fray At Hrutafjardarhals31. Grettir'S Vain Endeavour To Provoke Bardi32. The Spook At Thorhallsstad. Glam The Shepherd Killed By A33. Doings Of Glam'S Ghost. Awful Condition Of Vatnsdal34. Grettir Visits His Uncle Jokull35. The Fight With Glam'S Ghost36. Thorbjorn Slowcoach At Home37. Grettir Sails For Norway And Kills Thorbjorn Slowcoach38. Grettir Fetches Fire--The Sons Of Thorir Are Burnt39. Grettir Appears Before The King And Fails To Undergo The40. Adventure With The Berserk Snaekoll41. Thorsteinn Dromund'S Arms42. Death Of Asmund Longhair43. The Sons Of Thorir Of Skard Are Slain By Atli And Grim44. Settlement Of The Feud At The Hunavatn Thing45. Atli Murdered By Thorbjorn Oxmain46. Sentence Of Outlawry Passed Upon Grettir At The All-Thing47. Grettir Returns To Bjarg--Sveinn And His Horse48. Death Of Thorbjorn Oxmain49. Grettir Visits Thorsteinn Kuggason And Snorri Godi50. Grettir Winters With Thorgils At Reykjaholar In Company With51. Grettir'S Case Overborne At The All-Thing52. Grettir Is Captured By Farmers And Released By Thorbjorg53. Grettir Winters In Ljarskogar With Thorsteinn Kuggason54. Adventure With Lopt55. Grettir In The Arnarvatn Heath. Death Of Grim The Forest-Man56. Treachery And Death Of Thorir Redbeard57. Attack On Grettir By Thorir Of Gard With Eighty Men58. Grettir Visits Bjorn The Hitdale Warrior And Takes Refuge59. The Chastisement Of Gisli60. The Battle With The Myramen61. Grettir Winters Under The Geitland Glacier62. Hallmund Is Killed By A Forest-Man Named Grim63. Grettir'S Meeting With Thorir On The Reykja Heath64. Ghosts In Bardardal65. Adventure With A Troll-Woman66. Grettir Slays A Giant67. Visit To Gudmund The Mighty68. Fight With Thorodd The Son Of Snorri69. Grettir'S Last Visit To Bjarg And Journey With Illugi To70. The People Of Skagafjord71. The Bondis Claim Their Property In Drangey72. Grettir Visits The Thing At Hegranes73. Visit Of Thorbjorn Angle To Drangey74. The Fire Goes Out In Drangey75. Grettir Swims To The Mainland For Fire76. Adventure Of Haering In Drangey77. Grettir'S Case Before The All-Thing78. Thorbjorn'S Foster-Mother79. The Spell Takes Effect80. The Spell Continues To Work81. Thorbjorn Again Visits Drangey82. The Last Battle--Death Of Grettir And Illugi83. Thorbjorn Visits Grettir'S Mother At Bjarg84. Thorbjorn Is Exiled At The Thing85. Thorbjorn Goes To Norway And Constantinople86. Grettir'S Death Avenged By His Brother Thorsteinn87. The Lady Spes88. Adventures Of Thorsteinn And Spes89. The Ordeal90. Thorsteinn And Spes Return To Norway91. Absolution In Rome92. The End Of Thorsteinn And Spes93. The Testimony Of Sturla The Lawman