Guðrún has a Christmas Eve promise to keep with a deacon. She does not know that the rider who comes for her has already died near the river. He lifts her onto the horse and heads towards the church.
A pale patch at the back of his neck reveals the dead man. He calls her Garún rather than Guðrún: the telling explains that a ghost cannot pronounce Guð, the name of God.
At the cemetery, no celebration awaits. A bell rope and its ringing bring her escape. Versions vary in the timing of his death and the details of her rescue; the promise, the return and the bell remain central.
Documented history
The tale appeared in Konrad Maurer's 1860 collection and was also recorded by Jón Árnason. Its Myrká setting lies in northern Hörgárdalur, distinct from the homes of its collectors.
Versions & sources
Árnastofnun discusses several collected versions, with differences in death, the promised occasion and the rescue. The precise site is unresolved here; no grave is pinpointed.
Yiran’s field notes
No photographs or field notes for this setting have been added. The telling is not presented as the photographer’s experience.