with her
at night. Gudrun loved Herdis very much. [Sidenote: The ghost of the
sorceress] It is told that one night the maiden Herdis dreamed that a
woman came to her who was dressed in a woven cloak, and coifed in a
head cloth, but she did not think the woman winning to look at. She
spoke, "Tell your grandmother that I am displeased with her, for she
creeps about over me every night, and lets fall down upon me drops so
hot that I am burning all over from them. My reason for letting you
know this is, that I like you somewhat better, though there is
something uncanny hovering about you too. However, I could get on with
you if I did not feel there was so much more amiss with Gudrun." Then
Herdis awoke and told Gudrun her dream. Gudrun thought the apparition
was of good omen. Next morning Gudrun had planks taken up from the
church floor where she was wont to kneel on the hassock, and she had
the earth dug up, and they found blue and evil-looking bones, a round
brooch, and a wizard's wand, and men thought they knew then that a
tomb of some sorceress must have been there; so the bones were taken
to a place far away where people were least likely to be passing.

CHAP. LXXVII

The Return of Bolli, A.D. 1030

When four winters were passed from the drowning of Thorkell Eyjolfson
a ship came into Islefirth belonging to Bolli Bollison, most of the
crew of which were Norwegians. [Sidenote: Bolli's splendour] Bolli
brought out with him much wealth, and many precious things that lords
abroad had given him. Bolli was so great a man for show when he came
back from this journey that he would wear no clothes but of scarlet
and fur, and all his weapons were bedight with gold: he was called
Bolli the Grand. He made it known to his shipmasters that he was going
west to his own countrysides, and he left his ship and goods in the
hands of his crew. Bolli rode from the ship with twelve men, and all
his followers were dressed in scarlet, and rode on gilt saddles, and
all were they a trusty band, though Bolli was peerless among them. He
had on the clothes of fur which the Garth-king had given him, he had
over all a scarlet cape; and he had Footbiter girt on him, the hilt of
which was dight with gold, and the grip woven with gold; he had a
gilded helmet on his head, and a red shield on his flank, with a
knight painted on it in gold. He had a dagger in his hand, as is the
custom in foreign lands; and whenever they took quarters the women