Njal's Saga

by AnonYMous

  ‘Then he spoke this:

  16.

  A hardy warrior hardy warrior: Kari

  will harry here soon;

  men will see on the ground

  many forts of brains; forts of brains: skulls

  singing of sword-play

  will sound in the hills;

  dew of blood will

  dampen many legs.

  ‘He struck downwards with his staff and there was a great crash. Then he walked into the peak, and I was frightened. Now I want you to tell me what you think this dream means.’

  ‘I have a sense,’ said Ketil, ‘that all those men who were called are doomed to die. I think it would be wise for us not to tell anyone about this dream as matters now stand.’

  Flosi said that it should be so.

  The winter wore on and Christmas passed.

  Flosi spoke to his men: ‘I want us to leave here now; I think we will have no more peace, and we should now go around and ask for support. What I told you once will now prove true, that we will have to beg at the knees of many men before all this is over.’4

  134

  They all made ready to leave. Flosi was wearing trousers and stockings in one piece because he was planning to walk, and he knew that others would then find it easier to walk.1 They went from Svinafell to Hnappavoll, and the next evening to Breida, from Breida to Kalfafell, from there to Bjarnarnes in Hornafjord, from there to Stafafell in Lon, and then to Hall of Sida at Thvotta. Flosi was married to Steinvor, Hall’s daughter. Hall gave them a warm reception.

  Flosi said to Hall, ‘I want to ask, father-in-law, that you and all your thingmen ride to the Thing with me.’

  Hall said, ‘It’s turned out just as the saying goes, that the hand’s joy in the blow is brief. The very men in your company who were once pushing for trouble are now hanging their heads. But I’m duty-bound to lend you my support in any way I can.’

  Flosi said, ‘What advice do you have for me, as things are now?’

  He answered, ‘You must go north, all the way to Vopnafjord, and ask all those chieftains for help; you’ll need help from them all before the Thing is over.’

  Flosi stayed there for three nights and rested and then went east to Geitahellur and on to Berufjord and stayed there overnight. From there they continued east to Heydal in Breiddal. Hallbjorn the Strong lived there; he was married to Oddny, the sister of Sorli Brodd-Helgason, and Flosi was well received there. Hallbjorn asked many questions about the burning, and Flosi answered him in full detail. Hallbjorn asked how far into the northern fjords Flosi was planning to go. He said he was planning to go to Vopnafjord. Flosi then took a purse from his belt and said he wanted to give it to him. Hallbjorn accepted the money, but said that Flosi owed him no gifts – ‘and yet I’d like to know how you want me to repay this.’

  ‘I don’t need money’ said Flosi, ‘but I’d like you to ride to the Thing with me and support me in my affairs there, even though I have no claim on you either by marriage or by blood.’

  Hallbjorn said, ‘I promise to ride to the Thing with you and support you in your affairs, as much as if you were my brother.’

  Flosi thanked him.

  From there he rode to Breiddal heath and then to Hrafnkelsstadir. Hrafnkel Thorisson lived there; his father was the son of Hrafnkel, the son of Hrafn. Flosi had a good welcome there, and he asked Hrafnkel to rideto the Thing with him and give him support. Hrafnkel tried for a long time to excuse himself but finally promised that his son Thorir would ride with all their thingmen and offer the same support as the other godis from that district.

  Flosi thanked him and left for Bessastadir. Holmstein lived there, the son of Bessi the Wise, and he welcomed Flosi warmly and Flosi asked him for support. Holmstein said that Flosi had paid him for support a long time ago.

  From there they went to Valthjofsstadir. Sorli Brodd-Helgason, the brother of Bjarni, lived there. He was married to Thordis, the daughter of Gudmund the Powerful of Modruvellir. They had a good welcome there. In the morning Flosi raised the question whether Sorli would ride to the Thing with him, and he offered him money.

  ‘I don’t know about this,’ said Sorli, ‘as long as I don’t know where Gudmund the Powerful, my father-in-law, stands – I’ll take whatever side he takes.’

  Flosi said, ‘I can see from your answer that your wife rules here.’ Flosi rose and told his men to take their clothing and their weapons. Then they went away, and had gained no help there.

  They went by the southern end of Lagarfljot lake and then north across the heath to Njardvik. Two brothers lived there, Thorkel the All-wise and Thorvald; they were the sons of Ketil Thrym, the son of Thidrandi the Wise, the son of Ketil Thrym, the son of Thorir Thidrandi. Their mother was Yngvild, the daughter of Thorkel the All-wise. Flosi had a good welcome there. He told them all about his reason for coming and asked for their support, but they turned him down, until he gave each of them three marks of silver for their support; then they agreed to help Flosi.

  Their mother Yngvild was near them; she wept when she heard them promise to ride to the Althing.

  Thorkel spoke: ‘Why are you weeping, mother?’

  She answered, ‘I dreamed that your brother Thorvald was wearing a red tunic, and that it was as tight as if it had been sewed onto him. His leggings were red, too, and badly tied. It hurt me to look at him in such distress, but I could do nothing about it.’

  They laughed at her and said that this was nonsense and that her silly talk would not stop them from riding to the Thing.

  Flosi thanked them and went from there to Vopnafjord, to the farm Hof. Bjarni Brodd-Helgason lived there; his father Brodd-Helgi was the son of Thorgils, the son of Thorstein the White, the son of Olvir, the son of Eyvald, the son of Ox-Thorir. Bjarni’s mother was Halla Lytingsdottir. Brodd-Helgi’s mother was Asvor, the daughter of Thorir, the son of Porridge-Atli, the son of Thorir Thidrandi. Bjarni Brodd-Helgason was married to Rannveig Thorgeirsdottir; her father was the son of Eirik of Goddalir, the son of Geirmund, the son of Hroald, the son of Eirik Stiff-beard.

  Bjarni welcomed Flosi with open arms. Flosi offered Bjarni money for his support.

  Bjarni spoke: ‘Never have I taken any bribe for my manhood or my support. But since you need help, I will act out of friendship and ride to the Thing and help you as I would my own brother.’

  ‘Now you’re placing the burden of debt in my hands,’ said Flosi, ‘but I expected something like this from you.’

  Then Flosi went to Krossavik. Thorkel Geitisson was already a great friend of his. Flosi told him the reason for his visit. Thorkel said it was his duty to help him as much as he was able, and not give up his cause. Thorkel gave Flosi good gifts at their parting.

  *

  Then Flosi went south from Vopnafjord and into the Fljotsdal district and stayed with Holmstein Bessason and told him that everybody was ready to support him in his need except Sorli Brodd-Helgason. Holmstein said that what lay behind this was the fact that Sorli was not a violent man. Holmstein gave Flosi good gifts.

  Flosi went up Fljotsdal and then south across the mountains to the Oxarhraun lava, then down Svidinhornadal and out along the west side of Alftafjord, and he did not stop until he came to Thvotta, to his father-in-law Hall. Flosi and his men stayed there for a fortnight and rested.

  Flosi asked Hall what he would advise him on how to proceed and arrange things.

  Hall spoke: ‘My advice is that you and the Sigfussons ride home now and stay at your farm, and that they send men to look after their farms. When you ride to the Thing, ride all together and don’t break up into small groups. Let the Sigfussons visit their women then. I will also ride to the Thing, with my son Ljot and all our thingmen, and give you as much help as I can muster.’

  Flosi thanked him, and Hall gave him good gifts at their parting.

  Flosi then left Thvotta, and there is nothing to say about the rest of his journey until he returned home to Svinafell. He remained at home for what was left of the win
ter and the summer, right up until time for the Thing.

  135

  To tell now about Kari Solmundarson and Thorhall Asgrims-son: one day they rode to Mosfell to visit Gizur the White. He welcomed them with open arms, and they stayed there a long time.

  Once when they were talking about the burning of Njal, Gizur said that it was a great piece of luck that Kari had escaped. Then this verse came from Kari’s mouth:

  17.

  A whetter of axes, whetter of axes: warrior

  I went out in anger

  from the alder’s sweat alder’s sweat: smoke

  in Njal’s abode,

  when the wild

  woods of the sword woods of the sword: warriors (Njal’s sons)

  burned there; listen!

  I lament my loss.

  Gizur said, ‘It is natural that this is on your mind, and let’s not talk about it any more for the time being.’

  Kari said that he was going to ride home.

  Gizur spoke: ‘I’ll give you some frank advice. You must not ride home, but ride away from here if you want. Go east all the way to Holt in the Eyjafjoll district, to Thorgeir Skorargeir and Thorleif Crow. They will have to ride west with you, since they have the duty of prosecuting this case. Thorgrim the Tall, their brother, should ride with them. Ride to Mord Valgardsson. Give him this message from me, that he is to take over the suit against Flosi for the slaying of Helgi. If he utters any objection to this, go into a rage and act as if you’ll sink your axe into his head. Tell him also of my anger, if he plays hard to get. Tell him in addition that I will come for my daughter Thorkatla and bring her home with me – he won’t be able to endure that, for he loves her like the eyes in his head.’

  Kari thanked him for his plan. He did not raise the matter of support, for he knew that Gizur would act as a true friend there as well.

  Kari rode east across the rivers to Fljotshlid and then east across the Markarfljot and on to Seljalandsmuli. They rode on east to Holt. Thorgeir welcomed them with great pleasure. He told them about Flosi’s travels and how much aid he had gathered in the East Fjords. Kari said that Flosi had good reason to ask for help, since he had so much to answer for.

  Thorgeir said, ‘The worse it goes for them, the better for us.’

  Kari told Thorgeir about Gizur’s plan.

  *

  Then they rode west to the Rangarvellir to visit Mord Valgardsson; he welcomed them. Kari gave him the message from Gizur the White, Mord’s father-in-law. Mord was quite reluctant; he said it would be harder to prosecute Flosi than ten other men.

  Kari spoke: ‘You’re carrying on just as Gizur expected, for you are ill-favoured in every way – you’re both frightened and fainthearted. Now you’ll get what’s coming to you – Thorkatla is to go home to her father.’

  She started making preparations at once and said she had long been ready for them to part. Then Mord suddenly changed his attitude and his language and asked them not to be angry with him and took over the case at once.

  Kari spoke: ‘You have now taken over the case, so prosecute it fearlessly, for your life depends on it.’

  Mord said he would put his whole heart into doing it well and manfully.

  After that Mord summoned nine neighbours, all from close to the scene of the burning. Then he took Thorgeir’s hand and named two witnesses – ‘to witness that Thorgeir Thorisson turns over to me the homicide suit against Flosi Thordarson, together with all the evidence for the prosecution of this case, to prosecute him for the slaying of Helgi Njalsson. You are turning this suit over to me, to prosecute and to settle with full use of the evidence, just as if I were the rightful plaintiff. You are turning this over to me lawfully, and I take it over lawfully.’

  Mord named witnesses a second time – ‘to witness,’ he said, ‘that I give notice of a punishable assault by Flosi Thordarson, in which he inflicted on Helgi Njalsson a brain wound or internal wound or marrow wound which proved to be a fatal wound, and Helgi died of it. I give this notice before five neighbours’ – and he named them all. ‘I give this lawful notice; I give notice that the suit was turned over to me by Thorgeir Thorisson.’

  Again he named witnesses – ‘to witness that I give notice of a brain wound or internal wound or marrow wound caused by Flosi Thordarson, which proved to be a fatal wound, of which Helgi died at the place where Flosi Thordarson had made a punishable assault against Helgi Njalsson. I give notice of this before five neighbours’ – then he named them all. ‘I give this lawful notice; I give notice that the suit was turned over to me by Thorgeir Thorisson.’1

  Then Mord named witnesses for a third time – ‘to witness,’ he said, ‘that I call on these nine neighbours to the scene of the action’ – and he named them all by name – ‘to ride to the Althing and to form a panel of neighbours to determine whether Flosi Thordarson ran at Helgi Njalsson in a punishable assault at the place where Flosi Thordarson inflicted on Helgi Njalsson a brain wound or internal wound or marrow wound which proved to be a fatal wound, and Helgi died of it. I call on you for all the findings which the law requires you to make and which I ask you to make before the court and which are relevant to this case. I call on you with a lawful summons in your own hearing. I call on you in the case turned over to me by Thorgeir Thorisson.’

  Mord named witnesses – ‘to witness that I call on these nine neighbours to the scene of the action to ride to the Althing and to form a panel of neighbours to determine whether Flosi Thordarson wounded Helgi Njalsson with a brain wound or internal wound or marrow wound which proved to be a fatal wound, and Helgi died of it at the place where Flosi Thordarson ran at Helgi Njalsson in a punishable assault. I call on you for all the findings which the law requires you to make and which I ask you to make before the court and which are relevant to this case. I call on you with a lawful summons in your own hearing. I call on you in the case turned over to me by Thorgeir Thorisson.’

  Then Mord said, ‘Now the proceedings have been started, as you asked, and I want to ask you, Thorgeir, to come to me when you ride to the Thing, and then we’ll ride together with our two groups of men and stay close together. My men will be ready by the beginning of the Thing, and I will be loyal to you in all matters.’

  They were satisfied with all this and bound themselves by oaths not to abandon each other until Kari allowed it, and to risk their lives one for the other. Then they parted in friendship and arranged to meet at the Thing.

  *

  Thorgeir then rode back east, and Kari rode west over the rivers until he reached Asgrim at Tunga, who gave him a very warm welcome. Kari told Asgrim all about Gizur the White’s plan and the start of the case.

  ‘I expected him to do well,’ said Asgrim, ‘and he has shown it once again. And what do you hear about Flosi, over in the east?’

  Kari answered, ‘He went all the way to Vopnafjord, and almost all the chieftains there have promised to ride to the Althing and support him. They’re also counting on help from the men of Reykjadal, Ljosavatn and Oxarfjord.’

  They talked about this at length. And now it was close to the time for the Althing.

  Thorhall Asgrimsson had such an infection on his leg that above the ankle it was as swollen and as thick as a woman’s thigh, and he could not walk without a staff. He was large in build and mighty in strength, with dark hair and dark skin, controlled in his speech and yet hot-tempered. He was one of the three greatest lawyers in Iceland.

  Now it was time to leave home for the ride to the Thing.

  Asgrim spoke to Kari: ‘Ride so that you’re there at the beginning of the Thing and cover our booths, and my son Thorhall will go with you, for I know you will show him great kindness and concern with his injured foot. We have the greatest need for his help at this Thing. Twenty other men will ride with you.’

  After that they prepared for their journey and then rode to the Thing and covered their booths and made everything ready.

  136

  Flosi rode from the east, along with the
hundred men who had been with him at the burning. They rode until they came to Fljotshlid. The Sigfussons spent the day looking after their farms, and in the evening they rode west across the Thjorsa river and slept there that night. Early the next morning they took their horses and rode on.

  Flosi said to his men, ‘Now let’s ride to Asgrim at Tunga and make him see our ill will.’

  They said that that would be good, and rode until they were a short distance from Tunga.

  Asgrim was standing outside, and some of his men were with him; they saw the men as soon as they came in view.

  Asgrim’s men said, ‘That must be Thorgeir Skorargeir.’

  Asgrim spoke: ‘I don’t think so at all; these men are coming with laughter and merriment, but the kinsmen of Njal, men like Thorgeir, will never laugh until Njal is avenged. My guess is quite different, and you may find it unlikely – I think it’s Flosi and the other burners, and that they are planning to make us see their ill will. Let’s all go inside.’

  They did so. Asgrim had the house swept, hangings put up, the tables set and food brought out. He set up extra seats facing the benches the whole length of the main room.

  Flosi rode into the hayfield and told his men to dismount and go inside. They did this. Flosi and his men came into the room. Asgrim was sitting on the raised floor. Flosi looked at the benches and saw that every need had been prepared for.

  Asgrim did not greet them, but said to Flosi, ‘The tables are set so that food is at hand for those who need it.’

  Flosi and all his men sat at the tables and placed their weapons against the walls. Those who found no place on the benches sat on the seats, and four men stood with their weapons in front of Flosi’s seat while they were eating. Asgrim kept quiet during the meal but was as red as blood to look at. When they had finished eating, some of the women cleared the tables, and others brought water-basins for washing. Flosi was in no more of a hurry than if he had been at home.

  A wood-axe was lying in a corner of the raised floor. Asgrim grabbed it with both hands and leaped up to the edge of the floor and swung at Flosi’s head. Glum Hildisson happened to see what was coming, jumped up at once and grabbed the axe above Asgrim’s grip and turned the blade towards him – Glum was a powerful man. Many others jumped up and were ready to rush at Asgrim. Flosi said that no one should harm him – ‘for we pushed him too far, and he only did what he had to do, and showed that he is a very bold man.’