THE SCENE: The stoic Icelanders of Eyrbyggja saga take many incredible events in a stride, including, in this case, a literal rain of blood.
THE TEXT: A lot of work was done during the day, but towards mid afternoon a black cloud appeared in the sky to the north over Skor, and quickly swept across the sky straight towards the farm. People thought it looked as if the cloud would bring rain. Thorodd told everyone to rake up the hay but Thorgunna kept turning her hay as energetically as she could. She did not rake it up even though she had been told to. The cloud quickly scudded across the sky and when it was over the farm at Froda it grew so dark that people could not see beyond the home meadow, and they could scarcely distinguish their own hands. So much rain fell from the cloud that all the hay lying on the ground became soaked. The cloud suddenly drew past and the weather cleared up. People could then see that blood had rained down in the shower.
In the evening there were good drying conditions and the blood quickly dried out of all the hay except that which Thorgunna was drying. It would not dry and the rake she had been using did not dry out either. Thorodd asked what Thorgunna thought this marvel might mean. She said she did not know, “but it seems most likely to me,” she said, “that there is a foreboding of doom for someone who is here.”
Thorgunna went home that evening and took to her bed, taking off her blood-soaked clothes. She then lay down in her bed and heaved a great sigh. People realized that she had taken ill. This shower had not fallen anywhere except Froda. Thorgunna would not eat any food that evening. In the morning the farmer Thorodd went to see her and asked how long she thought her illness might last. She said she thought she would not have any further illnesses.
[…]
After that, the illness took hold of Thorgunna, and she did not lie there many days before she died.
– The Saga of the People of Eyri, 13th Century AD
