Saga network
Laxdæla saga
Laxdæla Saga, trans. Muriel A. C. Press (1899). 78 chapters, 198 characters resolved, 227 distinct social edges (341 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.
121 characters · 227 edges (341 typed edge records)
Network summary
0.031Density
0.211Avg. clustering
3.252Avg. path length
7Diameter
9Communities (Louvain)modularity 0.495
-0.159Degree assortativity
93.8%Structural balance15/16 triangles balanced
26Articulation pointsbridge characters
Metrics are computed on the semantic layer only (kinship, marriage, friendship, conversation, conflict, killing, support) — the much denser sentence co-occurrence layer (197 nodes, 1247 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 58: Thorkell and Grim, and their Voyage Abroad
Thorkell now comes to the hut, he sees where a man is sitting by the water at the mouth of a brook, where he was line-fishing, and had a cloak over his head. Thorkell leapt off his horse and tied it up under the wall of the hut. Then he walks down to the water to where the man was sitting. Grim saw the shadow of a man cast on the water, and springs up at once. By then Thorkell had got very nearly close up to him, and strikes at him. The blow caught him on his arm just above the wolf-joint (the wrist), but that was not a great wound. Grim sprang forthwith upon Thorkell, and they seized each other wrestling-wise, and speedily the odds of strength told, and Thorkell fell and Grim on the top of him. Then Grim asked who this man might be. Thorkell said that did not at all matter to him. Grim said, "Now things have befallen otherwise than you must have thought they would, for now your life will be in my power." Thorkell said he would not pray for peace for himself, "for lucklessly I have taken this in hand." Grim said he had had enough mishaps for him to give this one the slip, "for to you some other fate is ordained than that of dying at this our meeting, and I shall give you your life, while you repay me in whatever kind you please." Now they both stand up and walk home to the hut. Thorkell sees that Grim was growing faint from loss of blood, so he took Skofnung's-stone and rubbed it on, and ties it to the arm of Grim, and it took forthwith all smarting pain and swelling out of the wound. They stayed there that night. In the morning Thorkell got ready to go away, and asked if Grim would go with him. He said that sure enough that was his will. Thorkell turns straightway westward without going to meet Eid, nor halted he till he came to Saelingsdale Tongue. Snorri the Priest welcomes him with great blitheness. Thorkell told him that his journey had sped lucklessly. Snorri said it had turned out well, "for Grim looks to me a man endowed with good luck, and my will is that you make matters up with him handsomely. But now, my friend, I would like to counsel you to leave off trade-journeyings, and to settle down and marry, and become a chief as befits your high birth." Thorkell answered, "Often your counsels have stood me in good stead," and he asked if Snorri had bethought him of the woman he should woo. Snorri answers, "You must woo the woman who is the best match for you, and that woman is Gudrun, Osvif's daughter." Thorkell said it was true that a marriage with her would be an honourable one. "But," says he, "I think her fierce heart and reckless-mindedness weigh heavily, for she will want to have her husband, Bolli, avenged. Besides, it is said that on this matter there is some understanding between her and Thorgils Hallason, and it may be that this will not be altogether to his liking. Otherwise, Gudrun pleases me well." Snorri said, "I will undertake to see that no harm shall come to you from Thorgils; but as to the revenge for Bolli, I am rather in hopes that concerning that matter some change will have befallen before these seasons (this year) are out." Thorkell answered, "It may be that these be no empty words you are speaking now. But as to the revenge of Bolli, that does not seem to me more likely to happen now than it did a while ago, unless into that strife some of the greater men may be drawn." Snorri said, "I should be well pleased to see you go abroad once more this summer, to let us see then what happens." Thorkell said so it should be, and they parted, leaving matters where they now stood. Thorkell went west over Broadfirth-country to his ship. He took Grim with him abroad. They had a good summer-voyage, and came to the south of Norway. Then Thorkell said to Grim, "You know how the case stands, and what things happened to bring about our acquaintance, so I need say nothing about that matter; but I would fain that it should turn out better than at one time it seemed likely it would. I have found you a valiant man, and for that reason I will so part from you, as if I had never borne you any grudge. I will give you as much merchandise as you need in order to be able to join the guild of good merchants. But do not settle down here in the north of this land, for many of Eid's kinsmen are about on trading journeys who bear you heavy ill-will." Grim thanked him for these words, and said he could never have thought of asking for as much as he offered. At parting Thorkell gave to Grim a goodly deal of merchandise, and many men said that this deed bore the stamp of a great man. After that Grim went east in the Wick, settled there, and was looked upon as a mighty man of his ways; and therewith comes to an end what there is to be told about Grim. Thorkell was in Norway through the winter, and was thought a man of much account; he was exceeding wealthy in chattels. Now this matter must be left for a while, and the story must be taken up out in Iceland, so let us hear what matters befell there for tidings to be told of whilst Thorkell was abroad.
Table of contents
1. Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.2. Ketill and his Sons prepare to leave Norway3. Ketill's Sons go to Iceland4. Ketill goes to Scotland, A.D. 8905. Unn goes to Iceland, A.D. 8956. Unn Divides her Land7. Of the Wedding of Olaf "Feilan," A.D. 9208. The Birth of Hrut and Thorgerd's Second Widowhood, A.D. 9239. Hoskuld's Marriage, A.D. 93510. Of Viga Hrapp11. About Thord Goddi and Thorbjorn Skrjup12. Hoskuld Buys a Slave Woman13. Hoskuld Returns to Iceland, A.D. 94814. The Murder of Hall, Ingjald's Brother15. Thorolf's Escape with Asgaut the Thrall16. Thord becomes Olaf's Foster Father, A.D. 95017. About Viga Hrapp's Ghost, A.D. 95018. Of the Drowning of Thorstein Swart19. Hrut Comes to Iceland20. Melkorka's Marriage and Olaf the Peacock's Journey, A.D. 95521. Olaf the Peacock goes to Ireland, A.D. 95522. Olaf the Peacock comes Home to Iceland, A.D. 95723. The Marriage of Olaf Peacock and Thorgerd, the Daughter of Egil, A.D.24. The Building of Herdholt, A. D. 96025. About Hoskuld's Sons26. The Death of Hoskuld, A.D. 98527. The Funeral Feast for Hoskuld28. The Birth of Kjartan, Olaf's Son, A.D. 97829. Olaf's Second Journey to Norway, A.D. 97530. About Giermund and Thured, A.D. 97831. Thured's Second Marriage, A.D. 98032. Of Osvif Helgeson33. Of Gest Oddleifson and Gudrun's Dreams34. Gudrun's First Marriage, A.D. 98935. Gudrun's Second Marriage, A.D. 99136. About Kotkell and Grima37. About Hrut and Eldgrim, A.D. 99538. The Death of Stigandi. Thorliek leaves Iceland39. Of Kjartan's Friendship for Bolli40. Kjartan and Bolli Voyage to Norway, A.D. 99641. Bolli returns to Iceland, A.D. 99942. Bolli makes love to Gudrun, A.D. 100043. Kjartan comes back to Iceland, A.D. 100144. Kjartan comes home, A.D. 100145. Kjartan marries Hrefna, A.D. 100246. Feast at Herdholt and the Loss of Kjartan's Sword, A.D. 100247. Kjartan goes to Laugar, and of the Bargain for Tongue, A.D. 100348. The Men of Laugar and Gudrun plan an Ambush for Kjartan, A.D. 100349. The Death of Kjartan50. The End of Hrefna. The Peace Settled, A.D. 100351. Osvif's Sons are Banished52. The Killing of Thorkell of Goat's Peak53. Thorgerd's Egging, A.D. 100754. Halldor prepares to avenge Kjartan55. The Death of Bolli56. Bolli Bollison is born, A.D. 100857. About Thorgils Hallason, A.D. 101858. Thorkell and Grim, and their Voyage Abroad59. Gudrun demands Revenge for Bolli, A.D. 101960. The Egging of Gudrun61. Of Thorstein the Black and Lambi62. Thorgils and his Followers leave Home63. The Description of his Enemies brought to Helgi64. The Death of Helgi, A.D. 101965. Of Gudrun's Deceit66. Osvif and Gest die67. The Death of Thorgils Hallason, A.D. 102068. Gudrun's Marriage with Thorkell Eyjolfson69. The Quarrel about Gunnar at the Feast70. Thorleik goes to Norway71. The Peace between the Sons of Bolli and the Sons of Olaf, A.D. 102672. Bolli and Thorleik go abroad, A. D. 102973. Bolli's Voyage74. Thorkell Eyjolfson goes to Norway75. Thorkell and Thorstein and Halldor Olafson, A.D. 102676. The Drowning of Thorkell, A.D. 102677. The Return of Bolli, A.D. 103078. The Death of Snorri, and the End, A.D. 1031