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Ísland 2009: Borgarnes

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My first stop was the town of Borgarnes, where I gave a lecture on my Viking weapons book at Landnámssetur Íslands (the settlement center).

On the morning of the lecture, mist obscured the mountains on the opposite side of Borgarfjörður, behind the bridge over the channel Brákarsund that connects the town of Borgarnes to the island Stóra-Brákarey.

The island and channel are named for Þorgerðr brák. Egils saga says that she was a servant to Skalla-Grímr and had fostered his son Egill when he was young.

While playing knattleikur, the Viking ball game, young Egill and his friend Þórðr were matched against Skalla-Grímr. At first the young men wore the older man down, but after the sun set, Skalla-Grím's wolf-like nature took hold and his strength increased. In a frenzy, he picked up Þórðr and threw him down, killing him, and then he made to do the same to Egill.

Þorgerðr said, "That's your son you're attacking, Skalla-Grímr." He dropped the boy and ran after her, chasing her down to the end of the land. She jumped into the fjord and swam across the channel towards the island, but Skalla-Grímr hurled a rock after her, which hit her squarely, and she sank below the water.

The lecture went well, and was part of an enjoyable day filled with Viking activities at Landnámssetur, adjacent to Brákarsund. The Viking group Rimmugýgur from Hafnarfjörður demonstrated Viking combat.

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