THE SCENE: A deadly illness is only the beginning of a terrible winter for this small Greenland community. Because after they die, the dead are rising again…
THE TEXT: It then happened that sickness struck the farm shortly after the beginning of winter. The foreman, named Gardi, was an unpopular man. He was the first to fall ill and die. It was not long until the inhabitant caught the sickness, one after the other and died, until Thorstein Eiriksson and Sigrid, the farmer’s wife, fell ill, too.
One evening Sigrid wanted to go to the outhouse which stood opposite the door of the farmhouse. Gudrid went with her and as they looked at the doorway Sigrid cried, ‘Oh!’
Gudrid spoke: ‘We have acted carelessly, you shouldn’t be to the cold at all; we must get back inside as quickly exposed as we can!’
Sigrid answered, ‘I won’t go out with things as they are! All of those who are dead are standing there before the door; among them I recognize your husband Thorstein and myself as well. How horrible to see it!’
When it had passed, she spoke: ‘I don’t see them now.’ Thorstein, whom she had seen with a whip in his hand, ready to strike the dead, had also disappeared. They then entered the house.
Before morning came she was dead and a coffin was made for her body. That same day men were going fishing and Thorstein accompanied them down to where the boats were beached. Towards dusk he went again to check on their catch. Then Thorstein Eiriksson sent him word to come to him, saying there was no peace at home as the farmer’s wife was trying to rise up get into the bed with him. When he entered she had reached the sideboards of the bed. He took hold of her and drove an axe into her breast.
– The Saga of Erik the Red, 13th Century AD
