Trafika Europe 14 - Italian Piazza

Lawrence Millman

fifteen winters. “Our son wi l l surely bring fame to us,” Svein said. Gudrun thought to herself: “The ewe’s mi lk has just turned green. Bad luck wi l l fol low.” In fact, bad luck did fol low. The next evening Svein took to his bed with a stomach that was l ike a cushion of spears as wel l as l imbs that refused to move however he pl ied them. Several days later, he was dead. Svein’s kinsmen came from far and wide to mourn him. It was their opinion that he had eaten shark’s meat that had not been left to ripen long enough in the ground. Svein’s brother Petur said many more would be digging up unripened shark’s meat if the current fashion for long winters persisted…and many more would be suffering the same fate as Svein. In the dead man’s hand was placed a sword, as ancient custom demanded, so that he could defend himself against the various monsters and demons that inhabit the Afterl ife. After he was put in the ground, Gudrun walked thrice backwards around his grave. Otherwise, he would continue to occupy their marital bed. So it was that Thorgeir became both husband and son to his mother. He was a boy of great di l igence.

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