556 THE OATH AND OEDEAL. 



whole mass of young men able to fight, and all other herads- 

 men of the Hegranesthing district, or wherefrora any may 

 have come with or without name ; we give by hand-shaking 

 safety and full peace to the unknown stranger who is called 

 Gest, for games, wrestling, and all kind of merriment, for 

 remaining here or returning home, whether he need go by 

 sea or land or by other conveyance ; he shall have peace in 

 every named or unnamed place as long as he needs for a safe 

 return, with observance of the plighted faith. I establish this 

 peace for us, our kinsmen, friends and kindred, men as well as 

 women, thralls and bondwomen, boys and independent men. 

 He who violates the peace or breaks the plighted faith shall 

 be a peace-nithing, and shall be outcast and driven from God 

 and good men in heaven, and from all saints ; and shall be 

 received nowhere among men, but be driven away by every 

 man as far as wolves are driven, or wherever Christians go to 

 church, heathens sacrifice in temples, fire burns, earth pro- 

 duces, a speaking child calls its mother, mother bears son, 

 people kindle fires, ships glide, shields glitter, sun shines, 

 snow falls, a Finn runs on snow-shoes, fir grows, a hawk flies all 

 the long spring day with a straight fair wind blowing under 

 both wings, heaven encircles, world is settled and wind blows 

 water towards sea, men sow corn ; he shall shun churches and 

 Christians, heathen boendr, houses and caves, every home 

 except hell. Now let us agree and be at peace one with the 

 other in goodwill, whether we meet on mountain or beach, on 

 ship or snow-shoes, on earth or jokul (glacier), on the high sea 

 or on horseback, as if one find his friend on water or his 

 brother on the way ; agreeing as well one with another as son 

 with father, or father with son, in all dealings. Now we join 

 our hands together all of us, and keep this truce, and all words 

 spoken in this plight of faith witnessed by God and good men, 

 and all who hear'rny words or are here present.' Many said 

 that much was in this, and Gest said : ' Well hast thou 

 declared the truce, if thou and thy people do not break it 

 afterwards, and I shall no longer delay showing myself.' ^ He 

 then threw off his hooded cloak and outer garments. Each 

 looked at the other, very startled at recognizing Grettir 

 Asmundsson, wkom they knew by his size and strong frame, 

 which were uncommon. They became silent, and Hafr per- 

 ceived that his speech had been unwise. 'As the men from the 

 herad walked two by two, each blamed the other, ^but most 

 him who had pronounced the oath of peace. Then said 

 Grettir : ' Make it plain to me what you have in your mind, 

 for I do not wish to sit long without clothing (they removed 

 their outer garments when they wrestled) ; you have much 



