“So time went on till it came to Christmas eve.  On that morning Glam rose early and called for his food.  The good-wife answered:  ’It is not the custom of Christian people to eat on this day, for to-morrow is the first day of Christmas, and we ought to fast to-day’.  Glam replied:  ’You have many foolish fashions that I see no good in.  I cannot see that men are any better off now than they were when they never troubled themselves about such things.  I think it was a far better life when men were heathens; and now I want my food, and no nonsense.’  The good-wife answered:  ’I am sure you will come to sorrow to-day if you act thus perversely’.

“Glam bade her bring his food at once, or it would be the worse for her.  She was afraid to refuse, and after he had eaten he went out in a great rage.

“The weather was very bad.  It was dark and gloomy all round; snowflakes fluttered about; loud noises were heard in the air, and it grew worse and worse as the day wore on.  They heard the shepherd’s voice during the forenoon, but less of him as the day passed.  Then the snow began to drift, and by evening there was a violent storm.  People came to the service in church, and the day wore on to evening, but still Glam did not come home.  There was some talk among them of going to look for him, but no search was made on account of the storm and the darkness.

“All Christmas eve Glam did not return, and in the morning men went to look for him.  They found the sheep scattered in the fens, beaten down by the storm, or up on the hills.  Thereafter they came to a place in the valley where the snow was all trampled, as if there had been a terrible struggle there, for stones and frozen earth were torn up all round about.  They looked carefully round the place, and found Glam lying a short distance off, quite dead.  He was black in colour, and swollen up as big as an ox.  They were horrified at the sight, and shuddered in their hearts.  However, they tried to carry him to the church, but could get him no further than to the edge of a cleft, a little lower down; so they left him there and went home and told their master what had happened.

“Thorhall asked them what had been the cause of Glam’s death.  They said that they had traced footprints as large as though the bottom of a cask had been set down in the snow leading from where the trampled place was up to the cliffs at the head of the valley, and all along the track there were huge blood-stains.  From this they guessed that the evil spirit which lived there must have killed Glam, but had received so much hurt that it had died, for nothing was ever seen of it after.

“The second day of Christmas they tried again to bring Glam to the church.  They yoked horses to him, but after they had come down the slope and reached level ground they could drag him no further, and he had to be left there.

“On the third day a priest went with them, but Glam was not be found, although they searched for him all day.  The priest refused to go a second time, and the shepherd was found at once when the priest was not present.  So they gave over their attempts to take him to the church, and buried him on the spot.