27.12.2006
Thirteen
Xlll
http://www.netsaga.is/media/files/Satan%C2%B4s%20Choice-Skrattans%20Val.mp3
"Laugarvatnsvellir is the name of grassy fields, 5 - 6 km. west of Laugarvatn. Above them stand high Mt. Reyðarhvammur and Mt. Kálfstindar on the westside but Mt.Laugarvatn on the north and east-side. Through them there´s a much frequented route and usually the travellers either rest there or camp. Gljabakka-road goes through Laugarvatn´s-fields.
Two caves are in a slope that is up of the fields, west and north of them. People used to live in them for a while early in the twentieth century, but no-one has since 1922. A married couple who were the latest dwellers, were blessed with a child that was borne there in the winter-time and the father had to deliver it as he were a midwife.When there weren´t any human-dwellers in the caves, they were usually used as sheep-sheds and sometimes sheepherders slept there overnight. Some believed that one of the caves was haunted and that the ghost used to scare out both men and sheep. And that sometime it used to drag the shepherder over the cave´s floor.
People from Laugarvatn often used to make hay on
the fields and then they slept in the cave.The autumn sheep-gathering of the ancient Grimsnes-communion (Grimsnes- and Laugardalur-communions) are south-west of the fields. They are stacked up with lava rocks.
Pasture-fields are south of Laugarvatn´s fields. There used to be an ancient resting-place on the road from the Althingi and they happen to be mentioned frequently in the Icelandic Sagas. "
When Sigmar finishes his reading he slams Arnes-communion´s Yearbook on the teacher´s table before he returns to his seat farthest back in the window-row.-Thank you Sigmar. What are you thinking now, when you know of caves in the neighbourhood, where a family used to live earlier this century, and
they had to dwell there both in summer and wintertime, teacher Olafur Briem asks his class with creeps in his voice when he looks out on the frosen
Laugarvatn. The students who are in their fourth year, the graduating one, turn their heads simultaneously out on the lake and similar kind of creeps goes through their bones when they sense this cold weather in February, where the biting North-wind runs through the naked branches of the birch wood.-How is one able to travel to those caves, Olafur, Ingvar inquires from where he´s sitting in the other back corner.
-Well... the teacher begins abscent minded, as always when he has to answer and think simultaneously and then he puts his right hand under the jaw. He´s not so young anymore and all his poise is in slow-motion.
I´ve walked that route every spring for many years. His pupils have enjoyed themselves following the old teacher, when he walks slowly with the help of his cane down to the School of Housewives, if not to visit his girlfriends; the principal Jensina and teacher Gerdur, then to teach a group of pretty girls Icelandic grammar. Many of the boys would have given a finger, arm or a leg to be able to switch places with the teacher.
-Olafur, is it a time-consuming walk, Boi asks a bit loudly from where he´s sitting next to Sigmar secretly enjoying himself thinking of the teachers´s walking style and speed.
-I wouldn´t know about you, Bjorn dear, but somehow I always grow stronger when I´ve reached up on the Lyngdal´s moors. I usually get the sensation that something unfriendly´s following me, Olafur replies obviously sensing the quip in the question because Boi is famous for his sarcasm. It takes me between one and two hours to walk the distance, on the Road of Gljabakki. The time goes by the fact, whether I´m alone or with the girls dragging along.
Hearing the old man´s reply the class goes through a tempest of laughter, because the pupils had held back for a long time. The jollyness shines from the old teacher´s face when he for a minute recalls the time when he was a young man being jolly and entertaining, both in his job and in his private
life. He used to be such an elegant man, that he was desired and sought after by the ladies, but reluctantly he had never married. He did always postpone such actions, until he had grown too old in his own opinion to marry, and really hadn´t any need for a woman by his side, because of his life with his books of knowledge. Anyway, what kind of a woman could tolerate him, a man who had never had to take notice of anyone but himself and his knowledge.
-Are you willing to join me on a small journey to the caves this weekend, Olafur, Sigmar asks hasty as usual. He has always been hasty in all his actions; his motto:
Never postpone anything you can manage at the moment.
The phrase says that a burnt child avoids the fire, but it wouldn´t go for this boy. A time and again he´s been close to his death because of his schemes, but Sigmar always keeps on going, being so indifferent and hasty.
What´s even worse is that he´s always able to drag others along with him on his ventures and every time he´s managed to save them from any situation he´d created with his hastiness, except once...
Once again he´d led his friends up by the banks of the Olfus-river when he noticed some timber that had stranded on a reef, at the confluence, where the two rivers;
the Sog (suction) which comes from Lake Thingvellir and Hvita (White-river) which originates up in the highlands,
join and create the Olfus-river which mingles with the ocean on the south-coast. He concluded that they could easily use the timber for shed-building and therefore he made his most fateful desition until then. They should fetch it so that they could make a raft, which would make it easier to transport it home to Selfoss.
He decided to wade towards the reef, where the timber broke on the sunken rocks. His partners didn´t like to be lesser men so they followed their leader. Luckily the water was fairly low in the river, thus just reaching
the waist of their smallest one. When they´d rafted the timber towards the bank they started to bind it together with a string that Sigmar had been so foresighted to bring along in his pocket. In a short while they were reconciled with their job.Having finished the string they discovered a problem they hadn´t predicted; how were they going to steer the raft safely down river towards the bridge by Selfoss?
Who would get the honours? After some quarrelling they decided to draw lots. Sigmar picked up four stalk of grass, turned around and made them unequal in length. Then he laid them in his right palm in such a way that they appeared having the same length.
-Well boys! Let´s try our luck. The one who gets the shortest won´t have to walk home, OK?
-Okei, they said one after the other the Roy Rogers-style which they´d learned from the cowboy-movies on Sundays in the Selfoss-cinema.
-I shall begin, said the very brave Pall (Paul), and drew one which seemed awfully short in the other end.
-Well boys! Who´ll be next, Ulfur Orn (Wolf Eagle) or Ulfur Falki (Wolf Falcon)? For distinguishing them Sigmar knicknamed the namesakes with a bird´s name.
-I´ll draw next, Orn announces and quickly draws one of three straws, keeping his eyes closed. When he dares to look he takes a giant leap in the air, being the happiest man on Earth. Well boys, who wants to be next, imitating Sigmar, because his straw beats Pal´s by a nail´s length.
For the purpose of making a short story even shorter : Ulfur Falki received the debatable honours, and perhabs reason had it´s hands in the decision, because he really was fittest for the perilous journey him being
the lightest.Ulfur, whose body was never found was the son of Valur, who was an employee of the Selfoss´ Dairy.
-No, Sigmar, my lad. I don´t really think it´s the right time for such gigantic walking journeys up on the moors, is Olafur´s reply to his proposal and points outside with his sophisticated hand. Well, my
children, you´re more than welcome to join me in a walk in late April or early May, but now I do think it´s time for some litterature. We´ll discuss nordic mythology the remainder of this class, informs the teacher, when there are only twenty minutes left.-But excuse me Olafur! What was the purpose of this cave-life-speech, Sigmar implies disappointingly, for he really is eager to discuss cave-living further, perhabs especially because there could still be some
relics in the vicinity of the school.-I just wanted to discuss something different and exciting for a change, the teacher replies, supposing to have concluded the matter, but his wish isn´t granted. He´s unexpectantly altered the course of this young reckless man´s life, who´s recently turned twenty years of age.
-But excuse me Olafur, once again!
-Yes, the teacher replies with growing impatience, what is it now?
-For the reason that I was borne with a good deal of curiousity about our ancestor´s cave-living I want to ask whether you could tell me where I might find books concerning the subject? Sigmar concludes his case hopefully, knowing that the teacher is by far the best instructed man on the subject.
-Yes, actually, informs the old teacher, who immediately puts up a smiling face, the book in question is written by yours truly, Utilegumenn og tomar toftir (Outlaws and empty ruins), but in it many things are mixed up together. It has not yet been published, but I´ll lend you a copy son.
Olafur is obviously not used to his pupils showing his knowledge any interest. Visit me when school´s out, Sigmar dear, but now I´m going to use these last minutes to discuss nordic mythology a little, and Olafur starts his teaching:
The mythology of the Nordic-nations is much related to mythology of other Germanic-nations. All these nations believed in gods whom they called Aesir
(Aces). From them comes the name of the religion: Ace-religion? About its origin and age nothing is known. It´s not even known how much of the ideas are originated among these nations. Scholars have claimed to have detected some relationship between this Nordic-religion and other religions of the Arian nations, such as the Romans, Greeks and Indians in India.
But this relationship they interpret in many ways.
His narcotic voice usually has the effect on the students, that almost everyone is lying low on their table after a while, enjoying the scholar´s speech with their eyes closed. Everyone but Lara Birna who always stares Olaf in the eyes and vice versa, just like there weren´t any other pupils in the classroom, but now three boys are sitting straight as never before;Bjorn, Ingvar and who else but Sigmar are listening closely to every word that leaves the teacher´s mouth.
And teacher Ólafur carries on for a while:
Side by side with the comparative-philology, which traces all Arian language to one religion, which the Arians have had, whilst they were living together. Here the comparative-philology has been used for assistance, and that way at least one mutual god´s name has been located among most Arian nations. That is the name Tyr, which is supposedly the same name as Seuss with the Greek, Jupiter with the Romans and Dyraus with the Indians.
Others think, that similarities between these religions comes from the influences the nations have had each on other in later times.
Olafur who is really quite aware of the effect his monotonous speech has on his pupils, suddenly decides to gambol a little and announces with a high
pitch voice: And now I´d like to tell you quite a funny joke my girlfriend told me the other day.
The impact is like the teacher´d dropped a bomb. Suddenly every pupil sits with a straight back with open ears and eyes, because of this rare event
everyone wanted to witness."A nine year old turkish girl gave birth to a child the day before yesterday. It was a healthy boy, who was removed with a caesarean operation.
The police is working on an investigation, which purpose is to find out how the girl got pregnant. "
Teacher Olafur concludes the joke with a funny face. .
For a while the pupils just stare gaping on their teacher, but when the bell rings the impact is as another bomb had been dropped.
The scream of laughter is out of this world, when they pick up their bags and run out to the corridor, knocking over tables and chairs.
At the teacher´s table he´s standing supple and white-haired, the right hand under his cheek. The childlike happiness and jollyness shine from this man´s kind face.