Автор литература - Njal's Saga

he took up his sword, and wrapped a cloak about his left arm, up

as far as the elbow. Men woke up just as he went out; there he

saw a tall stout man at the back of the house, and knew it was

Thiostolf. Hrut asked him what news?

“I tell thee Glum is slain.” says Thiostolf.

“Who did the deed?” says Hrut.

“I slew him,” says Thiostolf.

“Why rodest thou hither?” says Hrut.

“Hallgerda sent me to thee,” says Thiostolf.

“Then she has no hand in this deed,” says Hrut, and drew his

sword. Thiostolf saw that, and would not be behind hand, so he

cuts at Hrut at once. Hrut got out of the way of the stroke by a

quick turn, and at the same time struck the back of the axe so

smartly with a sidelong blow of his left hand, that it flew out

of Thiostolf’s grasp. Then Hrut made a blow with his sword in

his right hand at Thiostolf’s leg, just above the knee, and cut

it almost off so that it hung by a little piece, and sprang in

upon him at the same time, and thrust him hard back. After that

he smote him on the head, and dealt him his deathblow.

Thiostolf fell down on his back at full length, and then out came

Hrut’s men, and saw the tokens of the deed. Hrut made them take

Thiostolf away, and throw stones over his body, and then he went

to find Hauskuld, and told him of Glum’s slaying, and also of

Thiostolf’s. He thought it harm that Glum was dead and gone, but

thanked him for killing Thiostolf. A little while after,

Thorarin Ragi’s brother hears of his brother Glum’s death, then

he rides with eleven men behind him west to Hauskuldstede, and

Hauskuld welcomed him with both hands, and he is there the night.

Hauskuld sent at once for Hrut to come to him, and he went at

once, and next day they spoke much of the slaying of Glum, and

Thorarin said “Wilt thou make me any atonement for my brother,

for I have had a great loss?”

Hauskuld answered, “I did not slay thy brother, nor did my

daughter plot his death; but as soon as ever Hrut knew it he slew

Thiostolf.”

Then Thorarin held his peace, and thought the matter had taken a

bad turn. But Hrut said, “Let us make his journey good; he has

indeed had a heavy loss, and if we do that we shall be well

spoken of. So let us give him gifts, and then he will be our

friend ever afterwards.”

So the end of it was, that those brothers gave him gifts, and he

rode back south. He and Hallgerda changed homesteads in the

spring, and she went south to Laugarness and he to Varmalek. And

now Thorarin is out of the story.

18. FIDDLE MORD’S DEATH

Now it must be told how Fiddle Mord took a sickness and breathed

his last; and that was thought great scathe. His daughter Unna

took all the goods he left behind him. She was then still

unmarried the second time. She was very layish, and unthrifty of

her property; so that her goods and ready money wasted away, and

at last she had scarce anything left but land and stock.

19. GUNNAR COMES INTO THE STORY

There was a man whose name was Gunnar. He was one of Unna’s

kinsmen, and his mother’s name was Rannveig (1). Gunnar’s father

was named Hamond (2). Gunnar Hamond’s son dwelt at Lithend, in

the Fleetlithe. He was a tall man in growth, and a strong man —

best skilled in arms of all men. He could cut or thrust or shoot

if he chose as well with his left as with his right hand, and he

smote so swiftly with his sword, that three seemed to flash

through the air at once. He was the best shot with the bow of

all men, and never missed his mark. He could leap more than his

own height, with all his wargear, and as far backwards as

forwards. He could swim like a seal, and there was no game in

which it was any good for any one to strive with him; and so it

has been said that no man was his match. He was handsome of

feature, and fair skinned. His nose was straight, and a little

turned up at the end. He was blue-eyed and bright-eyed, and

ruddy-cheeked. His hair thick, and of good hue, and hanging down

in comely curls. The most courteous of men was he, of sturdy

frame and strong will, bountiful and gentle, a fast friend, but

hard to please when making them. He was wealthy in goods. His

brother’s name was Kolskegg; he was a tall strong man, a noble

fellow, and undaunted in everything. Another brother’s name was

Hjort; he was then in his childhood. Orm Skogarnef was a baseborn brother of Gunnar’s; he does not come into this story.

Arnguda was the name of Gunnar’s sister. Hroar, the priest at

Tongue, had her to wife (3).

ENDNOTES:

(1) She was the daughter of Sigfuss, the son of Sighvat the Red;

he was slain at Sandhol Ferry.

(2) He was the son of Gunnar Baugsson, after whom Gunnar’s holt

is called. Hamond’s mother’s name was Hrafnhilda. She was

the daughter of Storolf Heing’s son. Storolf was brother to

Hrafn the Speaker of the Law, the son of Storolf was Orin

the Strong.

(3) He was the son of Uni the Unborn, Gardar’s son who found

Iceland. Arnguda’s son was Hamond the Halt, who dwelt at

Hamondstede.

20. OF NJAL AND HIS CHILDREN

There was a man whose name was Njal. He was the son of Thorgeir

Gelling, the son of Thorolf. Njal’s mother’s name was Asgerda

(1). Njal dwelt at Bergthorsknoll in the land-isles; he had

another homestead on Thorolfsfell. Njal was wealthy in goods,

and handsome of face; no beard grew on his chin. He was so great

a lawyer, that his match was not to be found. Wise too he was,

and foreknowing and foresighted (2). Of good counsel, and ready

to give it, and all that he advised men was sure to be the best

for them to do. Gentle and generous, he unravelled every man’s

knotty points who came to see him about them. Bergthora was his

wife’s name; she was Skarphedinn’s daughter, a very high-spirited, brave-hearted woman, but somewhat hard-tempered. They

had six children, three daughters and three sons, and they all

come afterwards into this story.

ENDNOTES:

(1) She was the daughter of Lord Ar the Silent. She had come

out hither to Iceland from Norway, and taken land to the

west of Markfleet, between Auldastone and Selialandsmull.

Her son was Holt-Thorir, the father of Thorleif Crow, from

whom the Wood-dwellers are sprung, and of Thorgrim the Tall,

and Skorargeir.

(2) This means that Njal was one of those gifted beings who,

according to the firm belief of that age, had a more than

human insight into things about to happen. It answers very

nearly to the Scottish “second sight.”

21. UNNA GOES TO SEE GUNNAR

Now it must be told how Unna had lost all her ready money. She

made her way to Lithend, and Gunnar greeted his kinswoman well.

She stayed there that night, and the next morning they sat out of

doors and talked. The end of their talk was, that she told him

how heavily she was pressed for money.

“This is a bad business,” he said.

“What help wilt thou give me out of my distress?” she asked.

He answered, “Take as much money as thou needest from what I have

out at interest.”

“Nay,” she said, “I will not waste thy goods.”

“What then dost thou wish?”

“I wish thee to get back my goods out of Hrut’s hands,” she

answered.

“That, methinks, is not likely,” said he, “when thy father could

not get them back, and yet he was a great lawyer, but I know