The Story of Geirlaug

The story is based on Jón Árnason's Icelandic Folktales and taken from the book Hildur, Queen of the Elves, and Other Stories: Icelandic Folk Tales retold by J. M. Bedell. Story is used with permission.

Hildur, Queen of the Elves And Other Stories: Icelandic Folk Tales, retold by J. M. Bedell, Interlink Books, 2007. amazon.com

Around the middle of the 7th century, on a poor farm in the Kelda district, there lived two sisters, Sigrídur and Geirlaug. For reasons no one else knows, their mother Ása adored Sigrídur but disliked Geirlaug.

Attending Mass on Christmas Eve was a tradition everyone enjoyed. If the unpredictable winter weather permitted traveling, Ása always insisted that Sigrídur accompany her to church and that Geirlaug stay behind to milk the cows. Ása knew that Geirlaug was frightened to stay home alone, especially on Christmas Eve when the elves came out to celebrate. Sigrídur and Geirlaug’s father dearly loved his daughters and understood Geirlaug’s fear. So every year, he found a way for the girls to stay at home together, thus avoiding any possibility that the elves would visit their farm.

The years passed and one day a young man from Laugar began courting Sigrídur. He eventually won her hand in marriage and she happily left her parents’ farm and went to live with her new husband.

Geirlaug suspected that on the next Christmas Eve, her mother would again insist that she stay home alone. So at the start of winter, she asked if she could visit her sister. At first Ása refused but when Geirlaug’s father intervened, she gave her permission, on the condition that Geirlaug be away for no more than one week. Since winter daylight was short, the journey would take two days. Geirlaug would have only three nights to spend with her sister.

Geirlaug happily accepted her mother’s demand. In preparation for the long walk over sharp lava and sand, she sewed several pairs of sheepskin shoes. When she was finished, she set off on her journey. The two days of travel passed quickly. Geirlaug safely arrived at her sister’s farm and received a warm welcome. The sisters enjoyed every moment of their time together, but each of them often mentioned that the visit was far too short.

On her last day, Geirlaug confided to her sister that she was very unhappy at home. Now that Sigrídur was gone, there was no way to avoid staying home alone on Christmas night. She was frightened and begged her sister for help and dealing with the elves when they came to the farm.

Sigrídur agreed and prepared a bundle, filled with flour, lard, and animal fat. She told her sister to hide it from their mother so it wouldn’t be taken away. On Christmas night, after everyone was gone, she should make flatbread from the flour, fry it in the lard, and use the rest of the fat to make candles. She should gather some mussel shells, place them around the house, and burn the candles in them. In that way, the entire farm would be bright and well lit. Then she should read the scriptures and sing a few hymns. When she was finished, she should lie down and not worry, no matter what happened later in the night.

Sigrídur gave Geirlaug a new pair of shoes and food for her journey home. The two sisters lovingly parted and Geirlaug walked for two days, arriving at the farm just before twilight. She secretly hid her bundle of flour and fat in a place where her mother would never find it.

On Christmas night, as Geirlaug expected, her mother ordered her to stay home alone. After the household left for Mass, Geirlaug did everything her sister suggested. First she placed lighted candles around the farmhouse. Then she sang several hymns and read from the scriptures. She baked the flatbread and while it was still hot, divided it, along with the butter and lard, into three equal portions. She filled three plates with food and placed them on a shelf above her bed. Before retiring for the night, she checked to make sure every candle was burning and that the passageways and rooms were well lighted.

Geirlaug locked up the house and climbed into the bed closest to the entryway of the living room. After a time, she heard loud noises coming from the front of the house. A few moments later, three handsome young boys raced into the living room and put their chins onto the side of Geirlaug’s bed. They stared at her without saying a word. Although she was frightened, Geirlaug reached for the three plates on the shelf above her head and handed them to the boys.

Each boy took a plate and silently ran out of the room. As they disappeared from sight, Geirlaug wondered what would happen when her mother discovered the plates were missing. To her delight, the boys quickly returned and placed the empty plates at the foot of her bed.

A short time later, Geirlaug again heard noises and voices at the front of the house. A man, who sounded like a leader, said, “This is a well kept home. It is well lit and although few people live here, they are good people.” Geirlaug silently huddled in the corner of the bed, covered by a blanket. She peaked out of a tiny hole and saw a huge crowd of people gathering in the living room. As she watched, the men brought in tables and the women placed expensive foods and delicious drinks onto them.

An elderly man and woman sat at the head table. Geirlaug guessed that they were the leaders of their people. When the glorious banquet was finished, everyone started dancing and playing games. The elderly man sat by the east window and watch the horizon. Every now and then he would say, “Continue playing your games. Day has not yet dawned.” When the light began to peak over the mountains, he said, “It is time to stop playing. Dawn has arrived.”

At his words, everyone in the room fell silent. Following the elderly man’s instructions, the people quickly removed the food from the tables and hauled everything out of the house. The last person left in the room was the elderly woman. She approached Geirlaug’s bed and placed a tightly wrapped bundle on her pillow.

“This is a gift for you, Geirlaug my love,” she said. “For what you gave to my children. Your mother will try to take this gift away from you, but I promise she will not succeed. The moment she tries, your life will be filled with good luck.” And she followed the others out of the house. Geirlaug's heart pounded with excitement. She opened the bundle and uncovered a very expensive woolen skirt and a beautifully stitched waistcoat.

Later that morning, Geirlaug's parents returned from the Christmas Mass. Geirlaug told them everything that happened during the night and she showed them the beautiful clothes. But she did not mention the kind words of the elf-woman.

When Ása finished examining the clothes, she said, “I do not think the elf-woman meant to give these to you. You are not important enough to wear such beautiful garments. They must be her payment to me for allowing her family to use my house without permission. They are a fitting price for coming into my house uninvited. You will never, ever get to wear them. I will sell them to the priest's wife in Garður. She is a woman who is worthy to wear them.”

Geirlaug was too frightened of her mother to object, and her father was undecided about what should be done with the garments. So he remained silent and avoided arguing with his wife.

On New Year’s Eve the old woman took the clothes to Garður and sold them to the priest’s wife. To everyone’s surprise, on New Year’s Day, the garments disappeared from the priest’s house. They reappeared on Geirlaug’s bed, wrapped in a bundle that was sitting exactly where the elf-woman had first placed them. Ása grabbed the clothing from Geirlaug and returned them to the priest’s wife. The very next morning, the bundle reappeared on Geirlaug’s bed.

That night, Ása had a dream. An angry woman stood by her bed and demanded that she stop taking Geirlaug’s clothes. The woman warned that if she didn’t stop, she would come to Ása in person and force her to stop. A frightened Ása never touched Geirlaug's clothing again.

A year passed and it was Christmas Eve again. This time, Ása decided that Geirlaug should go to church and she would tend the farm and milk the cows. Delighted to leave her behind, father and daughter set off for midnight Mass.

Later that night, Ása lit one candle and lay down in Geirlaug’s bed. A short time later, she heard voices coming from the front passageway. Three boys raced into the room and rested their chins on the bed, just like they had the year before. Ása became very angry. She demanded to know what they were doing in her house and ordered them to get out and go home.

When the boys didn’t obey as fast as she thought they should, Ása grabbed her dirty kitchen dress, and whipped it at the side of the bed, hitting each one in the face. With her screaming voice following them, the three boys raced out of the room.

A short time later, Ása heard more noise and voices coming from the front of the house. She watched as a crowd of people entered the living room and set up tables just like they had the previous Christmas Eve. They celebrated throughout the night and when morning came, just like before, they cleaned up the mess and left the house. But this time, when the elderly woman walked up to Ása’s bed, she said, “I need to speak to you about your treatment of my boys.”

She grabbed Ása’s foot and yanked her off the bed. She pulled so hard that when the old woman landed on the floor, her thigh bones broke. Without a backward glance, the elderly elf-woman followed the rest of her family out the door.

Ása lay on the floor paralyzed until her family returned from Mass. Geirlaug found her mother on the floor and helped her into bed. For the next several weeks, she gently nursed her back to health. Ása regretted how terribly she had treated her kind and caring daughter. She was so ashamed of her behavior that from that time on, she became a good and loving mother. But as a reminder of her unkind past, for the rest of her life she stooped over and walked with a limp.

Later that winter, Geirlaug met a handsome young man from outside the district. He began courting her and soon asked for her hand in marriage. Geirlaug eagerly accepted his proposal. Ása asked the young man to move to their farm and in the spring, he did. The young couple was married that summer and took over the running of the farm. Geirlaug's parents lived with her until they died.

Geirlaug and her husband dearly loved each other. They had several children and enjoyed many years together tending their farm. Just like the elf-woman promised,  Geirlaug’s life was filled with good luck and she became one of the richest and best-loved women in the country.