Blackfriars

Medieval Icelandic Saga

The Tale of Thorstein Mansion-Might

14th century, Old Norse.

Thorstein went to the mound and called down for gloves and a stick.

'When Thorstein was in Finland, he came upon a clearing in the forest where he saw a boy sitting on the top of a burial mound,' explained Quintin. 'The boy called down into the mound and a stick and gloves were thrown up for him. They're having a celebration down below in the Underworld. explained the boy, and he sat astride the stick like a witch on a broomstick and flew off.

'Thorstein went to the mound and called down for gloves and a stick. He said that his name was Bjalfi. They were duly thrown up and Thorstein followed the boy through the air to a wide river, down into the river, down through the water until they came to a waterfall. Below them they could see a large plain with farms and a city.

'Inside a palace that lay within this city, a feast was taking place. The king was entertaining many distinguished guests. Thorstein eyed the valuable treasures and in particular a tablecloth that was woven with gold thread. Grabbing it and making his escape, Thorstein gives a good account of himself and kills a number of the people who are chasing him before his companion appears with the crooked stick...’

‘Kills?’ said Miranda.

'Yes. Kills. This is exactly what struck Dad when he first read it. It is obviously a land beyond the grave, but one in which people in it can be killed again.'

Story fragment recounted from: Pálsson, Hermann, and Edwards, Paul, 1985, reprinted 2005. Seven Viking Romances. Translated from Medieval Icelandic with an introduction. Penguin Books Limited. The saga of Thorstein Mansion-Might. 2. To the Underworld, pp 258–60.