THE SCENE: When Geirmund announces his plans to skip out on his Icelandic wife and their newborn child, he quickly finds out that she’s not willing to let the matter settle peacefully.
THE TEXT: There were ten of them in all. They launched [the] ferry-boat, and Thurid told them all to row. She took the child in her arms and told the men to row across the channel to Geirmund’s ship. Then she took a gimlet out of the locker on the prow and handed it to one of her companions, telling him to get into the ship’s tow-boat and bore a hole in it so that it would be useless if it were needed in a hurry. Then she had herself put ashore, still carrying the child in her arms. It was now sunrise. She walked up the gangway and on to the ship. All the crew were asleep. She went over to the hammock in which Geirmund was sleeping. His sword, “Leg-Biter,” was hanging from a peg. Thurid laid the little girl, Groa, in the hammock, seized hold of “Leg-Biter”, and took it away with her. Then she left the ship and went back to her companions.
The baby now began to cry, and Geirmund woke up. He sat up and recognized the child, and realized who must have done this. He jumped to his feet and reached for his sword, but could not find it, as was only to be expected. He went over the gunwhale and saw Thurid and her companions rowing away from the ship. Geirmund called to his men and told them to jump into the tow-boat and row after them. They did so, but when they had gone only a short distance the dark-blue sea came pouring in, and they turned back to the ship.
Then Geirmund called out to Thurid and asked her to come back and return the sword “Leg-Biter” – “and take your daughter with you and have as much money as you want.”
– “How badly do you want your sword back?” said Thurid.
– “I’d much rather lose a fortune than my sword,” replied Geirmund.
– “Then you shall never have it back,” said Thurid. “You have treated us disgracefully, and you will never see me again.”
– Laxdaela Saga, 13th Century AD
