A seven-year-old boy is sent to a farm on a remote island, when his mother goes abroad. On the island the boy gets to know a twenty-year-old woman who seems willing to take on a mother's role. But the boy is reaching an age of sexual awareness and instead of regarding her as a mother figure; he falls obsessively in love with her.

Norway in the 10th century. Askur, son of the powerful Thorgeir marries Embla, daughter of one of the few remaining landowners in Norway, in a pagan ceremony. King Olav, a ruthless christian, wants to eredicate all traces of non-christian beliefs and captures the two of them during the ceremony. In order to free Embla, Askur must go to Iceland and convert the people there to catholicism.

Trausti returns to Iceland just in time to be entangled in a family feud over a stranded whale-cadaver. His mother (the family head) is mortally wounded and Grim kills Erikur; the other clan leader. Isold, daughter of Erikur now takes his place. Isold and Trausti are attracted to each other, but Isold was promised to Hjoerleifur - the son of the Bishop (of Iceland) and his powerful wife. However, Isold has a plan...

根据冰岛长篇史诗《吉斯利萨迦》改编。
吉斯利认为是索尔格里姆杀死了他的朋友维斯泰因，他将索尔格里姆杀死，因而被判处流放之刑。
吉斯利开始了逃亡之旅，不过噩梦一直困扰着他，并且耗费了他的精力："在我的梦中，我的身边有两个女人，其中一个对我很好，不过另一个净给我讲述坏事，而且她的故事一天比一天更糟糕。
由于这些噩梦的折磨，吉斯利四处躲藏，变换地点，直到他变得十分害怕黑暗。最终，十分虚弱的吉斯利在英雄般的最后一战中杀死了八个人后，被他的敌人埃约尔夫砍倒。