In the south between the Skagefjord Valleys, is a lake very rich in fish named Lake Ulf. This is the story of how it gained its name.
At Mällifellsaa, there once lived a rich farmer. He had a son named Gudmund, a very promising boy in every way. He was strong and a proficient wrestler. He was often outside looking for livestock, and the leader or “king of the mountain”, as the people of Rangvellinga called him.
One day, Gudmund went with a number of men to search for lost sheep. During the search, Gudmund was eventually paired with a young boy and they both arrived at Lake Ulfs. There, they found two lambs that they began following. The lake was frozen over and they saw a man out on the ice, lying down and fishing.
When Gudmund and his companion came closer to the lake, the fisherman sprang up, grabbed a spear ax, ran toward them and slid directly toward Gudmund. Hardly had this begun when the boy turned and ran, but Gudmund waited for the oncoming man.
When the man was close to Gudmund, he threw the spear ax toward him. Gudmund ducked, and the spear ax fell from the aggressor’s hand(17). Gudmund caught it, began running and glided out onto the lake while the aggressor began to follow him. They continued for a while until Gudmund saw an opportunity. Turning around, he gave the attacker a deathblow. As the attacker incurred the blow, he called in a loud voice for Brand, Thorgils and Olaf.
Gudmund then returned to his companions and told them what had happened. With closed ranks, they returned to the lake. But the dead man was gone. They could see tracks where he had been taken away, and a trail of blood led toward land.
Following this event, Gudmund stayed at home and never went out again to search for sheep. He feared that the attacker was lying in wait for him. Then, in late summer, the shepherd from Mällifellsaa became sick and there was no one on the farm to collect the sheep except Gudmund.
So he went out but was unable to find them anywhere. He went on and on until he reached the heath, but found no sheep there either. Then fog fell, so heavy that Gudmund had no idea where he was. Still, he continued on until he saw a large herd of sheep and with them, a man.
The man, an outlaw, attacked Gudmund. They struggled so long with each other until Gudmund threw his opponent to the ground. The outlaw begged Gudmund for mercy and promised to reward him if it were granted. Gudmund asked who the outlaw was and where he lived, and the outlaw said that his name was Olaf, that he was a brother of the man Gudmund had killed on the lake whose name was Ulf.
“We are six brothers, and I am the youngest and smallest of all. My father lives on a farm near here. He brought you here with magic to punish you for killing his son; he has even dug a grave in the foreyard of the farm, and you are the invited guest.
“We have a sister named Sigrid who our father loves most of all. She can be your biggest help if she will shake hands with you. My brother Brand is close by, and if you can bring him to ground so that you grant us both our lives, then she would probably grant you help, as good as she can.”
Gudmund let Olaf get up, and then he went on his way until he met Brand. They struggled with each other and Gudmund was able to defeat him. He asked Gudmund for mercy and promised him help in exactly the same way as Olaf had done earlier.
Gudmund let Brand get up. He then went to their farm and found Sigrid outside. He brought greetings from the two brothers, adding that they asked her to help whoever granted them their lives.
Sigrid led him to the loft above the stall, gave him a drink of wine to strengthen him. She then described to him the grave in the foreyard and advised him that when he wrestled with her father, to let him be driven toward the grave until they reached the edge. He should then jump over the grave and let the father fall in. But Gudmund should not kill him.
She said that her father was asleep and would soon awaken. Gudmund should go to the farmhouse and knock on the door. Gudmund did as she said. When the old man heard the knock, he got out of bed and said, “Gudmund has now finally come, and now he will show how good he is.”
The farmer went outside, but there was no mutual greeting. Instead, they immediately went after each other, and it was a hard fight. Gudmund soon saw that he had no more than half of the strength of the old man, so he only defended himself but did not attack. The old man tried to force him toward the grave, and Gudmund let him drive him.
But when they reached the grave, Gudmund jumped over the grave and yanked the old man head first into the grave. Sigrid and her two brothers with whom Gudmund had wrestled came right away and begged Gudmund to spare the father’s life. Gudmund promised to spare him only if he promised from now on to do Gudmund no harm. This, the old man swore to do.
Gudmund pulled the father from the grave, who thanked him for sparing his life and invited Gudmund in. At the same time, the father said that he didn’t know how his other sons would receive the outcome when they returned home.
Gudmund was treated as a guest, but that evening he was shut in a room alone. The older brother then returned home and asked if Gudmund was in the grave. The father told him how things had played out. This upset the son, who wanted to break down the door to Gudmund’s room.
But the old man stood in front of the door and said that the son would have to kill him first if he wished to violate the rights of a guest and kill Gudmund. With that, the son calmed himself and instead went to bed.
The next morning, the old man introduced Gudmund and told his family not to do him any harm. Gudmund remained with them the whole winter, and took a liking to Sigrid who was stately and so strong that she could hold her own with her brothers. She and Gudmund became close friends.
But in the spring, Gudmund yearned for home. Sigrid now was with child and wanted to accompany him. The father did nothing to stand in her way, and Gudmund left with Sigrid. They didn’t pause until they reached Mällifellsaa where everyone was happy to see him again; they believed that he was long dead and never to be found.
Gudmund married Sigrid and they lived long at Mällifellsaa. She was considered by all to be an exceptional and good-spirited womand.
As for the brothers, following the death of the father they found life in the wilderness deserted and boring. So they moved with all their goods to a populated area. Two of them became farmers in Skagefjord, and they all enjoyed reputations as worthwhile and brave men.
17. Translator’s note: In Iceland’s Middle Ages outlaws were banned by commonwealth law. They could not be aided or sheltered and could even be killed without the usual penalties for murder. Outlaws and their families often banded together to survive and resorted to violence either as a defense or to survive.