Автор литература - Njal's Saga

All that bear my words bear witness,

Warriors grasping Woden’s guard,

Unless the wealthy wight down payeth

Dower of wife with flowing veil.”

After that Gunnar went away from the court with all his

followers. Hrut and Hauskuld went home too, and the suit was

never pursued nor defended from that day forth. Hrut said, as

soon as he got inside the booth, “This has never happened to me

before, that any man has offered me combat and I have shunned

it.”

“Then thou must mean to fight,” says Hauskuld, “but that shall

not be if I have my way; for thou comest no nearer to Gunnar than

Mord would have come to thee, and we had better both of us pay up

the money to Gunnar.”

After that the brothers asked the householders of their own

country what they would lay down, and they one and all said they

would lay down as much as Hrut wished.

“Let us go then,” says Hauskuld, “to Gunnar’s booth, and pay down

the money out of hand.” That was told to Gunnar, and he went out

into the doorway of the booth, and Hauskuld said, “Now it is

thine to take the money.”

Gunnar said, “Pay it down, then, for I am ready to take it.”

So they paid down the money truly out of hand, and then Hauskuld

said, “Enjoy it now, as thou hast gotten it.” Then Gunnar sang

another stave: —

“Men who wield the blade of battle

Hoarded wealth may well enjoy,

Guileless gotten this at least,

Golden meed I fearless take;

But if we for woman’s quarrel,

Warriors born to brandish sword,

Glut the wolf with manly gore,

Worse the lot of both would be.”

Hrut answered, “III will be thy meed for this.”

“Be that as it may,” says Gunnar.

Then Hauskuld and his brother went home to their booth, and he

had much upon his mind, and said to Hrut, “Will this unfairness

of Gunnar’s never be avenged?”

“Not so,” says Hrut; “‘twill be avenged on him sure enough, but

we shall have no share nor profit in that vengeance. And after

all it is most likely that he will turn to our stock to seek for

friends.”

After that they left off speaking of the matter. Gunnar showed

Njal the money, and he said, “The suit has gone off well.”

“Ay,” says Gunnar, “but it was all thy doing.”

Now men rode home from the Thing, and Gunnar got very great

honour from the suit. Gunnar handed over all the money to Unna,

and would have none of it, but said he thought he ought to look

more for help from her and her kin hereafter than from other men.

She said, so it should be.

25. UNNA’S SECOND WEDDING

There was a man named Valgard, he kept house at Hof by Rangriver,

he was the son of Jorund the Priest, and his brother was Wolf

Aurpriest (1). Those brothers, Wolf Aurpriest, and Valgard the

Guileful, set off to woo Unna, and she gave herself away to

Valgard without the advice of any of her kinsfolk. But Gunnar

and Njal, and many others thought ill of that, for he was a

cross-grained man and had few friends. They begot between them a

son, whose name was Mord, and he is long in this story. When he

was grown to man’s estate, he worked ill to his kinsfolk but

worst of all to Gunnar. He was a crafty man in his temper, but

spiteful in his counsels.

Now we will name Njal’s sons. Skarphedinn was the eldest of

them. He was a tall man in growth, and strong withal; a good

swordsman; he could swim like a seal, the swiftest-looted of men,

and bold and dauntless; he had a great flow of words and quick

utterance; a good skald too; but still for the most part he kept

himself well in hand; his hair was dark brown, with crisp curly

locks; he had good eyes; his features were sharp, and his face

ashen pale, his nose turned up and his front teeth stuck out, and

his mouth was very ugly. Still he was the most soldierlike of

men.

Grim was the name of Njal’s second son. He was fair of face and

wore his hair long. His hair was dark, and he was comelier to

look on than Skarphedinn. A tall strong man.

Helgi was the name of Njal’s third son. He too was fair of face

and had fine hair. He was a strong man and well-skilled in arms.

He was a man of sense and knew well how to behave. They were all

unwedded at that time, Njal’s sons.

Hauskuld was the fourth of Njal’s sons. He was baseborn. His

mother was Rodny, and she was Hauskuld’s daughter, the sister of

Ingialld of the Springs.

Njal asked Skarphedinn one day if he would take to himself a

wife. He bade his father settle the matter. Then Njal asked for

his hand Thorhilda, the daughter of Ranvir of Thorolfsfell, and

that was why they had another homestead there after that.

Skarphedinn got Thorhilda, but he stayed still with his father to

the end. Grim wooed Astrid of Deepback; she was a widow and very

wealthy. Grim got her to wife, and yet lived on with Njal.

ENDNOTES:

(1) The son of Ranveig the Silly, the son of Valgard, the son of

Aefar, the son of Vemund Wordstopper, the son of Thorolf

Hooknose, the son of Thrand the Old, the son of Harold

Hilditann, the son of Hraereck Ringscatterer. The mother of

Harold Hilditann, was Aud the daughter of Ivar Widefathom,

the son of Halfdan the Clever. The brother of Valgard the

Guileful was Wolf Aurpriest — from whom the Pointdwellers

sprung — Wolf Aurpriest was the father of Swart, the father

of Lodmund, the father of Sigfus, the father of Saemund the

Wise. But from Valgard is sprung Kolbein the Young.

26. OF ASGRIM AND HIS CHILDREN

There was a man named Asgrim (1). He was Ellidagrim’s son. The

brother of Asgrim Ellidagrim’s son was Sigfus (2). Gauk

Trandil’s son was Asgrim’s foster-brother, who is said to have

been the fairest man of his day, and best skilled in all things;

but matters went ill with them, for Asgrim slew Gauk.

Asgrim had two sons, and each of them was named Thorhall. They

were both hopeful men. Grim was the name of another of Asgrim’s

sons, and Thorhalla was his daughter’s name. She was the fairest

of women, and well behaved.

Njal came to talk with his son Helgi, and said, “I have thought

of a match for thee, if thou wilt follow my advice.”

“That I will surely,” says he, “for I know that thou both meanest

me well, and canst do well for me; but whither hast thou turned

thine eyes.”

“We will go and woo Asgrim Ellidagrim’s son’s daughter, for that

is the best choice we can make.”

ENDNOTES:

(1) Ellidagrim was Asgrim’s son, Aundot the Crow’s son. His

mother’s name was Jorunn, and she was the daughter of Teit,

the son of Kettlebjorn the Old of Mossfell. The mother of

Teit was Helga, daughter of Thord Skeggi’s son, Hrapp’s son,

Bjorn’s son the Roughfooted, Grim’s son, the Lord of Sogn in

Norway. The mother of Jorunn was Olof Harvest-heal,

daughter of Bodvar, Viking-Kari’s son.

(2) His daughter was Thorgerda, mother of Sigfus, the father of

Saemund the Learned.

27. HELGI NJAL’S SON’S WOOING

A little after they rode out across Thurso water, and fared till

they came into Tongue. Asgrim was at home, and gave them a

hearty welcome; and they were there that night. Next morning

they began to talk, and then Njal raised the question of the

wooing, and asked for Thorhalla for his son Helgi’s hand. Asgrim

answered that well, and said there were no men with whom he would