Trafika Europe 14 - Italian Piazza

The Saga of Redhead

only a brave man can ki l l… Shortly after he composed this rhyme, Bjarni rowed his boat into the bay, tied a bast rope around his waist, and lowered himself into the water. In one hand, he held a large whale-ki l l ing axe and in the other an adze. In his belt was a curved scimitar. Bjarni ’s body was later found washed up on the strand near Grindavik. Needless to say, he composed no more rhymes. The whale al so drowned the son of the pr iest at Hval snes and the nephew of the priest at Kjalarnes. Thi s upset the two pr iests qui te a bi t . Together they spr inkled holy water in the sea and entreated the whale in the name of Jesus Christ to give up its murderous ways. They also recited the Our Father backwards thrice a dozen times, by which method Bi shop Thor lak was known to have dr iven away al l evi l spirits from Latrabjarg in the Westfjords. Yet in spite of the the priests’ efforts, the whale remained the very crown of depravi ty. At Hvi tanes, i t caps i zed a boat belonging to the chief tain Hal ldor, wi th Hal ldor in i t . At Hval fardarstrand, i t caps i zed a boat load of young gi r l s on thei r way to f i rst communion. And at Akranes, it even toppled a large boatload of sheep. Said the Hvalsnes priest: “Perhaps we should seek the help of Gudrun Magnusdottir.”

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