Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Saga of Grettir the Strong
The Saga of Grettir the Strong

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Saga of Grettir the Strong is here in full — 41 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Saga of Grettir the Strong
Context Illustration Reading 1/8 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.
Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint.
His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.
He was a great viking and used to harry away in the West over the sea.
He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Saga of Grettir the Strong

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Saga of Grettir the Strong is here in full — 41 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/8 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.
Line 2
Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint.
Line 3
His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.
Line 4
He was a great viking and used to harry away in the West over the sea.
/hiː wɑːz ə ɡreɪt ˈvaɪkɪŋ ənd juːzd tuː ˈheri əˈweɪ ɪn ðə west ˈoʊvər ðə siː/
Line 5
He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

expeditions noun US /ˌekspəˈdɪʃənz/

plural of “expedition” — a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country

From this reading “He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.”

Horsetail noun US /ˈhɔːrsteɪl/

perennial rushlike flowerless herbs with jointed hollow stems and narrow toothlike leaves that spread by creeping rhizomes; tend to become weedy; common in northern hemisphere; some in Africa and South America

From this reading “There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.”

Knob noun US /nɑːb/

a circular rounded projection or protuberance

From this reading “Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint.”

mostly adverb US /ˈmoʊstli/

in large part; mainly or chiefly

From this reading “His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.”

relations noun US /riˈleɪʃənz/

mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups

From this reading “His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.”

Saint noun US /seɪnt/

a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization

From this reading “Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint.”

viking noun US /ˈvaɪkɪŋ/

any of the Scandinavian people who raided the coasts of Europe from the 8th to the 11th centuries

From this reading “He was a great viking and used to harry away in the West over the sea.”

Wealthy adjective US /ˈwelθi/

having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value

From this reading “He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.”

All words in this reading · 58

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.

accompaniedadjectiveUS /əˈkʌmpənid/

having companions or an escort

From this reading He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.

Asta

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading He was a great viking and used to harry away in the West over the sea.

Balki

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.

Blaeing

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.

brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.

Clumsyfoot

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.

expeditionsnounUS /ˌekspəˈdɪʃənz/

plural of “expedition” — a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country

From this reading He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint.

father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading He was a great viking and used to harry away in the West over the sea.

Gudbjorg

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint.

Gudbrand

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint.

harryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

From this reading He was a great viking and used to harry away in the West over the sea.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He was a great viking and used to harry away in the West over the sea.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.

Hordland

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.

HorsetailnounUS /ˈhɔːrsteɪl/

perennial rushlike flowerless herbs with jointed hollow stems and narrow toothlike leaves that spread by creeping rhizomes; tend to become weedy; common in northern hemisphere; some in Africa and South America

From this reading There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.

Ivar

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint.

KnobnounUS /nɑːb/

a circular rounded projection or protuberance

From this reading Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.

mostlyadverbUS /ˈmoʊstli/

in large part; mainly or chiefly

From this reading His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint.

namedverbUS /neɪmd/

past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.

Ofeig

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.

Olaf

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.

Onund

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.

Orm

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading He was a great viking and used to harry away in the West over the sea.

relationsnounUS /riˈleɪʃənz/

mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups

From this reading His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.

Rogaland

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.

SaintnounUS /seɪnt/

a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization

From this reading Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of King Olaf the Saint.

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading He was a great viking and used to harry away in the West over the sea.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.

Sotanes

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading He was a great viking and used to harry away in the West over the sea.

Upplands

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading He was a great viking and used to harry away in the West over the sea.

vikingnounUS /ˈvaɪkɪŋ/

any of the Scandinavian people who raided the coasts of Europe from the 8th to the 11th centuries

From this reading He was a great viking and used to harry away in the West over the sea.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.

WealthyadjectiveUS /ˈwelθi/

having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value

From this reading He was accompanied on these expeditions by one Balki, the son of Blaeing from Sotanes, and by Orm the Wealthy.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.

WestnounUS /west/

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading He was a great viking and used to harry away in the West over the sea.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading His mother came from the Upplands, while his father's relations were mostly in Rogaland and Hordland.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading There was a man named Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail.

Chapter 1 of The Saga of Grettir the Strong by Unknown holds 41 sentences, grouped into 9 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of The Saga of Grettir the Strong contain?

Chapter 1 holds 41 sentences of The Saga of Grettir the Strong, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Saga of Grettir the Strong by Unknown exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 41 sentences, grouped into 9 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of The Saga of Grettir the Strong?

Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Saga of Grettir the Strong

Common questions about reading The Saga of Grettir the Strong by Unknown on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Saga of Grettir the Strong?

Yes. All 4096 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #347 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Saga of Grettir the Strong is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #347, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Saga of Grettir the Strong take to read?

About 341 minutes of reading across 820 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Saga of Grettir the Strong section by section

How to work through The Saga of Grettir the Strong section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Saga of Grettir the Strong to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Saga of Grettir the Strong

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Saga of Grettir the Strong, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Named
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Saga of Grettir the Strong; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Onund
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Saga of Grettir the Strong; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ofeig
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Saga of Grettir the Strong; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clumsyfoot
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Saga of Grettir the Strong; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.