Once upon a time there was a poor couple. It lived in the Borgarfjord, and the man's name was Asmund. They had many children, all of whom were young. It is not said what the children's names were, only that the eldest boy was called Jon. It was a difficult time in the country at the time. The farmer Asmund had to leave house and farm, and the children were distributed among different farms in order to receive maintenance and education.
About this time there lived in Reykjavik a priest named Kristian; he took Jon Asmundsson as his foster son and Jon grew up with him. Jon was a handsome boy and stronger than the rest of his peers; he was quiet by nature, spoke little, and was very industrious. The pastor loved him very much, and everyone on the farm was fond of him.
Then one summer, as often happened, a merchant ship came to Reykjavik. There was a foreign merchant on board, but his name is not told. He did a lot of trading, including with the pastor Kristian. Once, when the pastor was out on the merchant's ship, the conversation turned to strong men. The merchant, who was tall and strong, went to a place where four sacks of rye were tied together, picked them up and promised the man three marks in gold, who would do the same, but there was no one there to get up[145] dared to admit this showdown. When the vicar got home, he told his foster son, Jon Asmundsson, what the merchant had promised and asked him to try what he could. Jon didn't say much, but said he would try. Then the pastor told the merchant that a man had come who wanted to earn the money. So the merchant led Jon to where the sacks of grain lay. Jon took her and threw her on his shoulder, carried her back and forth on the deck, and put her back on the same spot. The merchant discolored himself, but weighed the gold and paid for it. The vicar and Jon now prepared to disembark, but while they were saying goodbye to the merchant, the latter asked Jon to visit him before he sailed away, which Jon promised. they went home and the pastor was glad of the success of their journey. But Jon acted as if nothing had happened.
One day, before the merchant sailed away, the pastor reminded Jon that he wanted to visit the merchant. So Jon paid him a visit, and the vicar went with him. The merchant received them righteously and asked Jon to come into the cabin with him. The pastor wanted to go with him, but the merchant said they had nothing to do with each other. The vicar replied that it was not to disturb their meeting, and the end was that he followed them to the cabin.[146] There the merchant said to them that they were not finished with each other; for next summer he would bring along a lad for Jon to wrestle with, and if he won the fight he would get ten marks of gold. Then they said good-bye to each other, and shortly afterwards the merchant sailed away.
Now a time passed quietly. One winter the following winter the vicar asked Jon if he remembered what the merchant had said to him at parting; Jon replied that he rarely thought of it. Then the pastor said that it was best for her to think of a way out; for the fellow with whom the merchant wanted him to wrestle would not be a real man, but one of the worst Moors, but he, the pastor, would find a way out for him; they must be ready when three weeks of summer had passed, for then the merchant would be in port. Jon didn't take this to heart.
When exactly three weeks of summer had passed, one day a ship came from the sea and sailed up to Reykjavik. The vicar went to Jon, told him what was to come, clothed him in a black wool doublet, and fastened a girdle around his waist; then he gave him a small, sharp dagger to conceal in his jerkin sleeve. He said he could not think of resisting the Moor's grips that[147] he would throw him over the head in the first step, but he promised to see that Jon got to his feet, and then he would tell the Moor to take off the flaming cloak he was wearing, but meanwhile get the dagger ready , to have him at hand when the Moor rushed at him for the second time. The ship had scarcely dropped anchor when a boat pushed off the ship, and a gigantic Moor, clothed in a cloak of flax, was set ashore. The vicar and Jon stood down by the tide meter. The Moor immediately ran towards Jon, grabbed him and swung him up, but Jon fell back to his feet. Then he asked the Moors to take off their cloak of clay so that they could compete in the wrestling match. The Moor did so, but meanwhile Jon laid out his dagger, and when the Moor rushed at him the second time, he ran and stuck his dagger in his body. The wrestling match between them went on for a while, and the Moor would have treated him badly if his woolen doublet hadn't cushioned the blows. The end of their fight was Jon knocking the Moor down. Then he rowed to the ship with the pastor and greeted the merchant there. The vicar said that Jon had earned the money now that the Moor was stranded in the battlefield; but the merchant was extremely upset, and said that she was using a ruse, but not The end of their fight was Jon knocking the Moor down. Then he rowed to the ship with the pastor and greeted the merchant there. The vicar said that Jon had earned the money now that the Moor was stranded in the battlefield; but the merchant was extremely upset, and said that she was using a ruse, but not The end of their fight was Jon knocking the Moor down. Then he rowed to the ship with the pastor and greeted the merchant there. The vicar said that Jon had earned the money now that the Moor was stranded in the battlefield; but the merchant was extremely upset, and said that she was using a ruse, but not[148] had shown courage and bravery. The pastor replied that in this case it was tie against tie, because it would not be a real person whom the merchant would have sent to wrestle. Eventually, however, the merchant gave the money, asking Jon to visit him again before he left the country towards the end of the summer.
Everything remained the same until the merchant wanted to sail away; then the vicar reminded Jon that the merchant had requested a visit from him, and said that he himself would come to be present at their meeting. They drove out to the ship and greeted the merchant, who returned the salute and asked Jon to step aside with him. Jon did as he wished, but the vicar followed on their heels. Then the merchant said it was none of his business what Jon and he had to discuss; the priest replied that he had no intention of disturbing their conversation, but that he wanted to be close to his husband. This time the merchant said that next summer he would bring back a puppy for Jon to test his strength against; if he conquers it, he should get fifteen gold marks. Then they parted. Summer passed, and a good deal of winter, without Jon speaking of these things.
The pastor once asked him if he ever thought of the merchant's words. Jon answered "No"; but the pastor said that the arrival of the merchant[149] wouldn't bring anything better next summer than before; he would come sailing when half a month of the summer was up, but the little dog he intended Jon to test his strength against was a big and ferocious bloodhound, so they must try to think of some ruse. Jon asked the vicar to make these up for him.
When half a month of summer was over, a ship appeared from the sea. The vicar called Jon over and showed him the same black wool doublet he had made him wear the summer before. The priest had braided it with thick ropes before putting it back on. Then he handed him an iron weapon, shaped like a halberd and spiked at the point, then stuck a piece of meat on it and told Jon to hold it in his hand and try to get at the dog so that it went for the meat snapped but then he was to thrust the iron into his throat. Then they went to sea, and scarcely had the ship cast anchor than the dog was let ashore. It was a big dog and fierce looking. Jon went to meet him; then he drove towards him with great ferocity and wanted to maul him; but the doublet protected him, so that he suffered no harm. Jon dodged the dog's attacks as best he could and held the piece of meat in front of him, and eventually the dog got his mouth over it[150] jerked open while Jon shoved the gun down his throat with all his might, and didn't let up no matter how mad he was; for the sake of the jerkin the dog could do no harm to Jon, and in the end he lay dead on the square. Then they drove out to the merchant and greeted him. He returned her greeting sullenly, and his face was black and swollen, hiding his anger as best he could. The vicar said that Jon had now earned the money that the merchant had promised him as a reward last summer. But the merchant thought that was doubtful, since he had needed more cunning than bravery. But the pastor replied that this time the merchant had shown himself to be the most shameful, since he had set such a wild animal on them.
Then came the time when the merchant was about to sail away, and the vicar said to Jon that he must remember the merchant's words, but that he would accompany Jon to the meeting. They drove out and met the merchant. The latter immediately asked Jon to go into the cabin with him. The pastor wanted to follow, but the merchant said he shouldn't do it, he had no business there. But the pastor answered that Jon was his boy and that he would not walk a step without him, the[151] Pastor, accompany him. Then the merchant gave in and they all three went into the cabin. When they got there, the merchant fetched a book from a shelf, opened it, and took out a loose leaf, which he moved quickly before Jon's eyes, as if he did not want the vicar to see it; but he managed to catch a glimpse of it without the merchant noticing. Then the merchant put the leaf back in its place, and said that next summer Jon should bring him the book to which this leaf belonged, or take upon himself the name of being a hare's foot; but if he brought him the book, he would weigh him thirty marks in gold. Then they took leave of each other, and the vicar and Jon returned home, but the merchant put to sea at once.
With only a week of summer left, Father Kristian spoke to Jon and asked him what he thought of the job the merchant had in store for him. Jon replied that he thought nothing of it. The pastor asked him if he knew what kind of sheet the merchant had shown him was. But Jon answered "No." Then the pastor said it wouldn't matter if he didn't know; for it would have been a page from the devil's handbook; and now the merchant had given him the dangerous task of finding it, but that was no fun. Then he said[152] that he had a brother who was a minister in the underworld and only he would be able to help Jon in this matter of locating the devil's manual, there was no other way. Jon should now prepare at once to go to the underworld to visit his brother, and he must get there on the first day of winter and remain there through the winter.
Now Jon prepared for the journey, and when all was ready the vicar gave him a letter to his brother, and a ball of yarn to show him the way; he wished him a happy journey and warned him many times not to look anywhere on his way, nor should he speak a single word in the underworld all winter long; But Jon said it would be easy for him.
Then Jon set off, throwing the ball of yarn away but keeping the end of the thread in his hand. The ball rolled ahead of him for quite some time, until he came to a mountain north of Reykjavik where the opening of a cave could be seen; there the knot rolled into the mountain, and he followed it. The corridor inside was dark and uneven, and Jon began to hesitate to continue the walk, but the knot pulled even harder, and he then recovered himself. So he walked a long way until it suddenly became light. Then he saw a graceful plain in front of him, over which[153] rolled the ball for a while, until he came to a great city with magnificent buildings. There the ball paused at a door, whereupon Jon picked it up off the ground.
He knocked on the door and a young girl came out. She was well-dressed but lacking in pomp, demure in her manners, and the most beautiful maiden Jon had ever seen. Jon bowed to her and handed her the letter, which she took in silence. She also took the ball of yarn and went into the house with both of them. After a little while the same girl came out again, accompanied by another who was younger; she looked at Jon and disappeared back into the house. But the first girl took Jon by the hand and led him down a couple of corridors into a chamber, in which stood a small table, a bench, a chair, and a bed; then she went away, but immediately brought him food and set the table.
The rest can now be related at once: Jon stayed there for a long time and thought that it was already the middle of winter; he saw no other human being than the same young girl who came to him every day and set the table for him and made his bed. They never spoke to each other and he never heard human voices.
Then it happened one day that a handsome, tall, well-built man came in to see him. That was the pastor of the underworld, Pastor Kristians[154] Brothers. He was dressed in a long black robe; he bade Jon good day, and there was mildness in his voice. Jon said nothing. The pastor asked him if he knew how far the time had advanced. But Jon said nothing. Then the vicar said, 'You have done well, Jon, to keep your silence; for that is why your errand is well done, and you will be rewarded for your self-control, but today is the first day of summer, and therefore you may speak.' Jon was very glad of that. The pastor said that he should now be on his way home and that he must not hesitate any longer; for this time the merchant would come when a week of summer was over. Then the priest gave him a book and asked him to take good care of it and bring it to his brother, but it would not be long before until the owner missed it and fetched it once it was in the hands of the merchant. Therefore, he said, his brother should buy the whole cargo from him and have it brought ashore before he gave him the book. The vicar asked Jon to say hello to his brother, then bade him farewell, but said his daughter would set him on his way and show him how to find his way home. So the girl came and set him on his way. It was the same girl who had gotten him a table and bed that winter. They walked hand in hand, but what they talked together is not told until they to greet his brother, then bade him farewell, but said that his daughter would set him on his way and show him how to find his way home. So the girl came and set him on his way. It was the same girl who had gotten him a table and bed that winter. They walked hand in hand, but what they talked together is not told until they to greet his brother, then bade him farewell, but said that his daughter would set him on his way and show him how to find his way home. So the girl came and set him on his way. It was the same girl who had gotten him a table and bed that winter. They walked hand in hand, but what they talked together is not told until they[155] suddenly stopped and said that she couldn't go any further now, but that it would also be easy now to find the piece of the road that was left. She said that they must part, even if it was hard on her heart, because they couldn't stay together and have fun together, since he couldn't live in the underworld and she couldn't live on earth. 'But,' she said, 'I will not hide from you that I am expecting a child, and I will send the child to you; should it be a boy when it is six years old, but if it is a girl then when it is twelve years old; a lot depends on whether you take the child well.” Having said this, she handed him the ball of yarn, but said that he didn't need it to find the way, he should just follow her instructions. Then they bade each other sad goodbyes; because it was difficult for them to part. He now went the way she had shown him; it was neither difficult nor dangerous, but he himself did not quite know how and where he wandered between the two worlds. Towards the end of the first week of summer he arrived in Reykjavik where the vicar welcomed him with joy and thought he had done his job well when Jon brought him his brother's greeting and gave him the book.
Shortly afterwards the merchant sailed into the harbor, and the priest immediately paid him a visit; cool, however, were the greetings they exchanged[156] changed. The parson told the merchant that there was a bad year in the country, and that there was a great shortage of provisions, so he begged him to sell him the ship's cargo; and about this they agreed. Before the expiry of three days the whole cargo was brought ashore. When that was done, the vicar and Jon drove out to the ship, and the merchant then immediately asked Jon how he was doing with his order. Jon replied that he was done. The pastor then handed the book to the merchant in Jon's place; very unpleasant but he was surprised when he saw that it was the right book. The vicar now asked him to pay the money he had promised Jon, and the merchant did so. Then they bade him farewell and went down into their boat; but scarcely had they come ashore, when the sea became very troubled; their eyes fell on the water where the ship had moored, but by then it had disappeared and was never seen again.
Now there was great wealth in the vicarage. The next six months passed and Jon stayed with the vicar. He had always seemed withdrawn to people, but never like this after he had returned from the underworld. Once the pastor spoke to him about what was wrong with him and said that he knew why he was so taciturn; because he would have liked his brother's daughter so much down there in the underworld. But Jon replied[157] nothing on it. Pastor Kristian had three daughters, but their names are not told in this legend. The vicar said he would give Jon whichever of his daughters he wanted if it would cheer his spirit. Jon eventually chose the youngest daughter to be his wife and the vicar married them off. He gave the couple one of the best farms in the neighborhood to live in, and there they moved and made their home. They lived in harmony with one another and had wealth enough. Still, Jon was quiet and sad.
Many years passed, and the couple had many children together. Then there was a knock at the door to Jon's yard while everyone was in the bathroom. The farmer sent one of his sons, who was then six years old, to the door. When the boy came back in, he said that there was a beautiful little girl outside who had greeted him kindly and asked him to say inside that she wanted to speak to his father. At these words, a ray of sunshine crossed Jon's face, he immediately got up and went out. The little girl kissed him and called him father, but he received her with great warmth and joy.
It said that it had been sent by its mother, the pastor's daughter from the underworld, from whom it brought it an affectionate greeting. Jon led it immediately[158] to his wife, with whom he spoke of the child's origin and the great obligation he had to him, and asked her to be as a mother to him, as to her other children. The woman took it very lovingly. The little girl's name was Sigrid; it was twelve years old when this happened. It stood out above most for its great beauty and all sorts of other virtues. When Sigrid had been with her father for three years, and during that time the object of much honor and love, she once asked his permission to visit her mother, which he kindly granted, saying that she liked her mother's place could stay a whole year if she wanted to.
The following year, Sigrid returned to her father, who received her just as lovingly as before.
She brought him the last greetings of her mother, who, as she said, had died before she left the underworld. At the same time, she also brought the message that Jon would only outlive her by a month. It seemed as if Jon was more pleased than saddened by the news, and there was not the slightest change in him.
Jon now made firm provisions about his belongings, and in his last will he appointed his daughter Sigrid as heir to the farm on which he lived, and it was obvious from everything that he loved her the most of all his children; but she was also an ornament[159] among all women. He gave all his movable property to his wife and children, and that was great wealth. Then Jon died, and many mourned his loss.
A few years later, Sigrid married a capable man and they settled on their farm, which was the best farm in the area. Sigrid was always considered an excellent wife, and the couple lived in great love with each other for a long time. They had many children, and from them descended a large family in the south.
.jpeg)