Icelandic Folk Legends: Tales of apparitions, outlaws and things unseen Read online

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  Note: In Icelandic, the name Guðrún means “divine mystery.” Guð means “God.” Legend has it that ghosts never utter God’s name, nor any word containing “Guð.” Thus the ghost is to have called Guðrún “Garún.”

  The Vanished Bride

  There once was a bachelor who lived on a small farm called Torfastaðakot, in Biskupstungur district, southwest Iceland. His name was Jón and he owned an abundance of sheep. When this story took place Jón was about to marry a young woman who was employed at his farm; it was in the autumn, just after the annual sheep round up. All necessary arrangements had been made, the date had been set and Jón had begun inviting guests to the wedding.

  On the day that he set out to invite the last remaining guests, Jón accompanied his intended bride to a nearby brook where she planned to spend the day doing laundry. Jón then continued on his way, not returning until the late afternoon. As he passed the brook he noticed that some of the laundry remained unwashed beside it, some had been washed and some lay in the running water. He concluded that his intended must have felt ill and gone home. When he arrived back at the farm he asked about her, but was told that she had not returned and no one knew where she was. Jón grew worried. Together with a group of people he searched far and wide, but his bride was nowhere to be found. At length the search was called off and talk of the incident ceased, as did all speculation about the mysterious disappearance of Jón’s bride.

  Time passed, winter and summer came and went, and still there was no sign of the young woman. Then, one day, all of Jón’s full-grown sheep disappeared at once. This was considered most strange. Jón searched the entire area near his farm but to no avail. He then enlisted the aid of another man to help him search further afield, and the two of them set off with provisions and a new pair of shoes. They looked everywhere, going on foot over mountains and across fields, until they were at the edge of Langjökull glacier. They decided to walk onto the glacier and continue on a distance northward in order to get a better view of the surrounding regions. But when they reached the top of the glacier they suddenly found themselves immersed in dense fog and a blinding snowstorm. They wandered aimlessly, without any idea where they were headed. After a time they perceived that they were on a downward slope. They picked up their pace and soon found themselves down in a valley, where there was no fog. It was late in the day. Off in the distance there was a farm, to which they made their way and knocked at the door. A woman opened. The two men asked whether they could possibly stay for the night; she replied that they could. They asked the name of the farm and where they were located, adding that they had been wandering about lost for most of the day. The woman then asked them where they thought they might be. They replied that they had to be somewhere in the northern parts, though they found it odd that they had come so far in such a short time. The woman then invited them in and told them that they would be informed of where they were in due course. She led the way through the main room and into an annex of the house, which was partitioned off from the rest. There she left them. As soon as she was gone another young woman came, holding a candle; she was about twenty years of age, vivacious and pretty. The two men ventured a greeting, to which the young woman replied amiably. She then proceeded to remove their wet outer clothing and did not stop until she had taken all their garments from them, right down to their socks and shoes. When they saw that she was going to leave with their clothing they grew anxious and asked her not to do so, for they were fearful for their own safety. She replied that those were her orders and left with the garments, leaving the candle behind and locking the door. The two men remained inside and were very frightened.

  Some time later they heard a knocking on the front door. Through a hole in the partition they watched as the woman who had initially received them went to the door holding a candle. She soon returned, and a man was with her. They stopped next to the door behind which the two men were kept, and the man began removing snow from his clothing.

  “Did you find all the lambs?” the woman asked.

  “Yes,” replied the man.

  “That is good,” said the woman, and walked away.

  A short while later came another knock at the door. Again the woman went to the door holding a candle; again she returned and a man was with her. They stopped in front of the door behind which the two men were kept, and the man began removing the snow from his clothing.

  “Did you find all the rams?” the woman asked.

  “Yes,” replied the man.

  “That is good,” said the woman, and walked away.

  A short while later came yet another knock at the door. As before, the woman went to the door holding a candle and soon returned, this time in the company of a man wearing a long cloak. She now began removing the snow from his clothing, in the same spot as the other two men had removed the snow from themselves. The cloaked man asked her whether anyone had come that day, to which she replied in the affirmative.

  “Were all garments taken from the ruffians, including their socks and shoes?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she answered.

  “Very good,” he said. Then they left.

  Upon hearing this the two men became even more frightened for they felt sure that the villains were plotting to kill them. However, a short while later the door to their quarters opened once more and the young woman who had taken their clothes came in with steaming bowls of fat mutton soup for them to eat. Having set those down she left again, locking the door behind her. Despite their fear, Jón and his companion devoured their food and, as they were utterly exhausted, soon fell asleep. They woke some time later to the sounds of the evening reading being performed in the main room. At this they were greatly relieved for they felt sure that the situation was not as threatening as they had initially feared, and they passed an uneventful night.

  Early the next morning the young woman returned with clean and dry clothes, though not those that they had been wearing. She asked them to put them on, as they were to remain at the farm that day. She then left. Just when they had finished dressing she returned with some cold mutton for them, then left. While they were eating the woman who had first received them entered the room. She asked them from where they had come and they told her. She then asked for news from Biskupstungur district, which they provided to the best of their ability. The woman then asked whether they knew the farmer Jón in Torfastaðakot, if it was true that his bride had disappeared the previous year, how the area residents had reacted to the news, and how Jón was. They answered all her questions and then Jón told her who he was.

  The woman then said that she was his vanished bride. “While I was doing the washing in the brook that day a man rode up on a horse. He seized me and brought me here. That man is the local county magistrate in these parts and he had recently lost his wife when he took me for his bride. He is not at home today, for he has been investigating a very serious and complex case of theft for the past two days. However, he wishes to speak with you,” she said, turning to Jón, “and therefore he wants you to remain here for the day. He would like to make up to you the loss of your bride by offering you his daughter instead; she is the young woman who waited on you yesterday evening. He charmed your sheep here in order to meet with you, knowing that you would follow. They shall be returned to you when you leave this place.” Jón and his companion were delighted to hear this. They remained at the farm for the day, were attended to in every way and enjoyed themselves the best they could.

  That evening the county magistrate returned home, but did not meet with his guests until the following morning. It is not known how long Jón and the magistrate spoke, but the outcome of their meeting was just as the woman had said. The magistrate told Jón to come back the following spring for his daughter and either have the same man with him or come alone. Furthermore, he should bring with him as many pack horses as he wanted and the magistrate would load them up with goods; he considered this a better prospect than giving Jón sheep, for she
ep would surely run away from their new surroundings during the course of the summer. When they left the magistrate returned all of Jón’s sheep and accompanied the two men as far as necessary.

  The following spring Jón returned to the farm as arranged, taking the same man with him, along with twelve saddled horses. The magistrate gave Jón his daughter’s hand in marriage and then loaded up the horses with food and provisions of every sort. Upon returning to Torfastaðakot Jón married the magistrate’s daughter. Their union was a happy one; both of them lived to a ripe old age and they had a great number of descendants.

  It is thought that the outlaw settlement told of in this tale was in either Hvinverjadalir or Þjófadalir valleys, at the northern end of Langjökull glacier. And thus ends this story.

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  Note: “Provisions and a new pair of shoes” – nesti og nýja skó in the original - is a very common phrase in Icelandic folk tales. People hardly ever set off on long journeys without something to eat and a new pair of shoes. This is probably because the shoes back then were made of sheep leather with no hard soles, and they wore out very quickly. So it was absolutely essential to have a spare pair of shoes in the very likely event that the previous pair would fall apart halfway through your journey.

  The Legend of Úlfsvatn Lake

  At the bottom of Skagafjörður fjord in the north of Iceland there are several valleys leading inland. Between them and the sea lies a fishing lake known as Úlfsvatn. This is the legend of how the lake got its name.

  There once lived a wealthy farmer at a farm called Mælifellsá. He had a son named Guðmundur, a fine young man in every respect who was both physically strong and a good wrestler. Guðmundur frequently took part in the annual roundup of sheep down from the highlands in the autumn, often leading his team of herders.

  After the initial gathering of the sheep it was customary to go out and search the area once more, to ensure that no sheep had been left behind. On one such occasion Guðmundur went out along with several other men. They divided into groups and Guðmundur teamed up with a young boy. The two of them walked until they reached Úlfsvatn lake; there they found two stray lambs that they began chasing. The lake was frozen over and out on it was a man, fishing through a hole in the ice. As Guðmundur and the boy drew closer the man suddenly got to his feet and picked up an axe that lay next to him, sliding across the ice to where Guðmundur and the boy were standing. When the boy saw the stranger approach he bolted off, but Guðmundur stood his ground. When the outlaw was close enough he brought the axe down on Guðmundur, who managed to dodge it at the last moment. The outlaw then accidentally dropped the axe; Guðmundur seized it and slid out onto the ice, with the outlaw close behind. A chase ensued, until Guðmundur saw an opportunity to spin around and deal the outlaw a fatal blow with the axe. As the axe struck him, the outlaw shouted for Brandur, Þorgils and Ólafur.

  Guðmundur hurried back and told the other men what had happened. They returned to the lake in large numbers, only to find that the dead man’s body had been taken away. A trail of blood led away from the lake.

  After this incident, Guðmundur stayed close to home and stopped taking part in the round up, for it was feared that the outlaws might lie in wait for him. Late one summer, however, the shepherd at Mælifellsá became ill and no one was there to herd the sheep home but Guðmundur. He set off but could not find the sheep anywhere. He walked onto the nearby moors but they were nowhere to be seen. While Guðmundur searched there, a dense fog set in so that he lost his way. After wandering blindly for a time he chanced upon a large herd of sheep with a man standing nearby. As soon as the outlaw saw Guðmundur he rushed at him; they wrestled long and hard, until Guðmundur had the better of him. The outlaw then pleaded with Guðmundur to spare his life, swearing that he would be generously rewarded if he did.

  Guðmundur asked the man his name and where he lived. The outlaw replied that his name was Ólafur, “And the man killed on the lake was my brother Úlfur. There are now six of us brothers and I am the youngest and smallest. My father lives on a farm not far away and he has lured you here to avenge himself on you for killing his son; he has dug a grave in the farmyard, which he intends to be your resting place. We also have a sister named Sigríður; our father loves her the best and she could do most to help you, provided she wants to. My brother Brandur is not far from here and if you were to fell him as you felled me, thereby sparing both our lives, she would be sure to aid you in any way she could.”

  Guðmundur released Ólafur and then went on until he found Brandur. They wrestled, and Guðmundur felled him like he had his brother. Brandur then pleaded with Guðmundur to spare his life and swore his allegiance, as Ólafur had done. Guðmundur released him and walked on until he reached the farm. He came upon Sigríður outside and conveyed regards from her brothers, along with their wishes that she help him, for he had spared their lives.

  Sigríður led Guðmundur to a loft above the cowshed and fetched wine for him to drink, which greatly revived him. She told him about the open pit in the farmyard and advised him to retreat from her father to the edge of it, and then to leap across it at the last moment. Her father would fall headlong in; however, Guðmundur must not kill him.

  Her father was now sleeping, she said, but would soon awaken and know of Guðmundur’s arrival; he should go to the front of the house and knock on the door. Guðmundur did as she said. When the old man heard the knocking he rose from his bed, remarking that Guðmundur had arrived and that his reputed manliness would now be put to the test. He then rushed out and charged at Guðmundur without further ado. A savage struggle ensued. Guðmundur soon realized that the old man was twice as strong as he; thus he concentrated on defending himself and refrained from assault. The old man drove him backwards to the grave and Guðmundur went along, leaping across the pit at the last moment so that the old man fell in headlong.

  Just then Sigríður arrived with the two brothers that Guðmundur had wrestled with. They pleaded with him to spare their father’s life and Guðmundur agreed to this, provided they would not harm him from then on. The old man gave Guðmundur his solemn vow that they would not and was subsequently pulled up from the grave. He thanked Guðmundur for sparing his life and invited him to enter the house, yet he also remarked that he could not be sure of how his elder sons would take to Guðmundur’s presence when they arrived home. Guðmundur was then given something to eat and drink and later that evening was shown to his lodgings and locked inside. When the elder sons returned home they asked whether Guðmundur was now resting in the grave. Their father told them what had happened, to which they reacted with furious anger, threatening to break down the door to Guðmundur’s room. The old man blocked the way, saying that they would have to get past him first if they insisted on violating Guðmundur’s sanctuary. At this they calmed down somewhat and at length went to bed. In the morning their father let them in to see Guðmundur but forbade them from laying a hand on him.

  Guðmundur remained weather-bound at the farm for the entire winter. During that time he and Sigríður formed an attachment; she was a handsome woman and so strong that she was quite her brothers’ equal.

  When spring came Guðmundur longed to return to Skagafjörður and Sigríður, who by this time was with child, desired to go with him. Her father made no objection and she accompanied Guðmundur back home. They journeyed nonstop until they reached Mælifellsá, where Guðmundur was received with such jubilation that it was as though he had been raised from the dead. Guðmundur lived at Mælifellsá for many years and married Sigríður, who was considered a fine woman. One by one her brothers also moved to the settled area, as their lives had become lonely and dull after her departure and the death of their father. Some of them became farmers in Skagafjörður and were considered men of great vigor and strength.

  The Hidden Man and the Girl

  There once was an adolescent girl who lived with her mother. The mother was a widow who had managed her own farm since the death of h
er husband. The girl’s task was to watch over the livestock.

  Early one morning she went past a knoll. A man stood next to it; he appeared very distressed and asked the girl to come into the knoll and assist his wife, for she was in the throes of childbirth and in dire need of help. He said that his name was Arnljótur. The girl, however, refused to go with him. Later that day she told her mother of the incident. Her mother reproached her for not having been more helpful and sternly advised her to grant the hidden man his request if he were to approach her again. The next morning the man once again approached the girl with the same request, but she refused. On the third morning he appeared again and said that his wife was now about to die. The girl relented and went inside the knoll. The hidden man’s wife bore three children before she died. The girl bathed the children and swaddled them, laid them all in one bed, said a prayer and made the sign of the cross over them. But as she was about to turn from the bed she stumbled, fell on one of the children, and crushed it to death. Arnljótur followed her outside and told her that it must now be obvious to her that she should have complied with his request right away. He added that although she had been careless with the child, he did not hold her responsible, for it had been an accident. He then gave her three objects in parting and asked her to give his regards to her mother and to thank her for the good advice she had given. For when the girl had twice refused to help Arnljótur her mother had said that she had better grant his request on the third occasion, otherwise she did not want to see the girl again.

  Some time later, Arnljótur approached the girl once more and asked her to go to the knoll with him and marry him, otherwise the children would perish in his hands. He entreated her to do this for him but once again she absolutely refused. Some time passed and one day a man arrived at the farm. When he saw the objects that the hidden man had given the girl he asked to have them and offered other, even more splendid ones in exchange. The girl rejected his offer outright, saying that under no circumstances would she part with the objects that her Arnljótur had given her.