IV. HVITAR-SIDA ; FROM SNORRI’S BATH TO SURT’S CAVE. Hvlta, “white-water”—the English reader must pronounce it “Queetow,” strange as the word looks,—was so called by the first settlers, who had never seen a glacier river before, and were astonished at the turbid milky torrent from the fields of Geitlands-jokul (Egil’s saga, chapter 28). Hvitar-sida, “white-water-side” is strictly the Lyth on the north bank of the upper valley: but we take leave to extend the meaning a little and use the name as general heading for various sites connected with various sagas, and lying in the basin of this great stream. Dividing as it does the North from the South of inhabited Iceland, and narrowed by the encroaching sea on the one hand, and the encroaching snow-fields on the other, this district is a sort of isthmus, which all travellers at all ages have crossed in going from the populous north or west to the Althing. Its geography is important to saga history, and many events can hardly be understood without grasping its position, and relation to the rest of the country. Our route through it will be nearly that which Grettir took (chapter 47) when he rode from Bakki to Bier, Kropp, Deildar-tunga and Gilsbakki, on the mare that belonged to farmer Svein; who pursued him at first for the theft, and then made friends with him for the sake of the joke and the songs they both sang of the race up Whitewaterside. From Grund in Skorradal, where our last view was taken, a path leads over the hill to Varma-laek, on the edge of the great open valley, and just at the foot of the fine crags at the entrance to Grimsa valley. Varma-lask (warm-beck) was at first the home of Thorarin Oleifs-son the second Speaker to the Althing. Gunnar’s wife, Hallgerd, afterwards lived there with her second husband, Glum: she had been married before—and Gunnar was her third husband. Here, Njal’s saga says, “she kept her temper down, and they liked her well enough for the first winter.” But before long her foster-father, who had quarrelled with Hoskuld her father, quartered himself upon her. At first she was doubtful about receiving him; she could say nothing about his staying there until she had seen Glum about it. So she went and spoke to Glum, casting her arms about his neck and saying “Wilt thou grant me a boon?” “Yes, if it be right and seemly. What is it?” “Well,” she said, “Thjostolf has been driven away from the west, and I want thee to let him stay here: but I will not take it amiss if it is not to thy mind.” Said Glum, “Now you behave so well, I agree:”—and so the old man stayed: but soon made mischief. One time the weather was good, and Hallgerd was sitting out of doors. Glum came up and said, “Thjostolf and I have quarrelled. We can’t live together much longer.” 41

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