his
party sailed till they came to Bjorn's isle, and people could watch
them journey from both shores. But when they had come thus far,
suddenly a squall caught the sail and overwhelmed the boat. There
Thorkell was drowned and all the men who were with him. The timber
drifted ashore wide about the islands, the corner-staves (pillars)
drove ashore in the island called Staff-isle. Skofnung stuck fast to
the timbers of the boat, and was found in Skofnungs-isle. That same
evening that Thorkell and his followers were drowned, it happened at
Holyfell that Gudrun went to the church, when other people had gone to
bed, and when she stepped into the lich-gate she saw a ghost standing
before her. He bowed over her and said, "Great tidings, Gudrun." She
said, "Hold then your peace about them, wretch." [Sidenote: Gudrun and
the ghosts] Gudrun went on to the church, as she had meant to do, and
when she got up to the church she thought she saw that Thorkell and
his companions were come home and stood before the door of the church,
and she saw that water was running off their clothes. Gudrun did not
speak to them, but went into the church, and stayed there as long as
it seemed good to her. After that she went to the guest-room, for she
thought Thorkell and his followers must have gone there; but when she
came into the chamber, there was no one there. Then Gudrun was struck
with wonder at the whole affair. On Good Friday Gudrun sent her men to
find out matters concerning the journeying of Thorkell and his
company, some up to Shawstrand and some out to the islands. By then
the flotsam had already come to land wide about the islands and on
both shores of the firth. The Saturday before Easter the tidings got
known and great news they were thought to be, for Thorkell had been a
great chieftain. Thorkell was eight-and-forty years old when he was
drowned, and that was four winters before Olaf the Holy fell. Gudrun
took much to heart the death of Thorkell, yet bore her bereavement
bravely. Only very little of the church timber could ever be gathered
in. Gellir was now fourteen years old, and with his mother he took
over the business of the household and the chieftainship. It was soon
seen that he was made to be a leader of men. Gudrun now became a very
religious woman. She was the first woman in Iceland who knew the
Psalter by heart. She would spend long time in the church at nights
saying her prayers, and Herdis, Bolli's daughter, always went