THE SCENE: Eyrbyggja saga is full of tense moments, but none of them quite reach the level of cool nonchalance as this confrontation between Bjorn (the Champion of the Breidavik People) and Snorri (the Godi), in which a casual conversation is conducted completely at intimate knifepoint.
THE TEXT: “Now in the light of this, if Bjorn is outside, as might be expected since it is a good day for drying hay, then I want you, Mar, to deal him some wounds. But be careful, because he isn’t a chicken-hearted man and a hard fight is likely from the vicious wolf that he is, if the first blow he gets doesn’t cause his immediate death.”
When they rode down from the heath to the farm, they saw that Bjorn was outside in the home meadow working on a barrow, and there was no one with him and no weapons were around except a small axe and a large carving-knife that he was using to bore holes in the barrow. The knife’s blade was a hand wide at the handle. Bjorn saw that Snorri and his men were riding down from the heath and on to the field. He recognized the men at once. Snorri the Godi was wearing black cloak and rode in front of the party.
Then Bjorn made a clever move, taking the knife and walking quickly over towards them. With one hand he grabbed Snorri’s cloak-sleeve when he came up to them, and with the other he grasped the knife and held it as if he were ready to plunge it into Snorri’s chest if he felt like it. Bjorn greeted them as soon as they met and Snorri returned his greeting. Then Bjorn walked along with them and asked the news, maintaining his original grip on Snorri.
Then Bjorn said, “There’s no denying, farmer Snorri, that I have done things to you which you may well hold against me, and I’ve been told that you bear hard feelings towards me. To my mind, it would be best if you made clear if you have some purpose in coming here other than visiting me on your way past. If you don’t have one, then I would like you to agree to a truce between us, and I will go back home.” “You’ve been so lucky in the way our meeting has turned out,” Snorri replied, “that you will get your truce this time, whatever else I might have intended before. But there’s not so much for you here that you mightn’t just as well leave the district.”
“What you say is true,” Bjorn replied. “And it will be so, since you have come over yourself to see me and our meeting has turned out like this.” After that they parted. Snorri the Godi rose to his ship and then went home to Helgafell. The next day Bjorn rode south to the ship at Hraunhofn and took a passage abroad that summer.
– The Saga of the People of Eyri, 13th Century AD
