Автор литература - Njal's Saga

wanting; but at last it came about that they struck a bargain.

Then Hallgerda was sent for, and they talked over the business

when she was by, and now, as before, they made her betroth

herself. The bridal feast was to be at Lithend, and at first

they were to set about it secretly; but the end after all was

that every one knew of it.

Gunnar rode home from the Thing, and came to Bergthorsknoll, and

told Njal of the bargain he had made. He took it heavily.

Gunnar asks Njal why he thought this so unwise?

“Because from her,” says Njal, “will arise all kind of ill if

she comes hither east.”

“Never shall she spoil our friendship,” says Gunnar.

“Ah! but yet that may come very near,” says Njal; “and, besides,

thou wilt have always to make atonement for her.”

Gunnar asked Njal to the wedding, and all those as well whom he

wished should be at it from Njal’s house.

Njal promised to go; and after that Gunnar rode home, and then

rode about the district to bid men to his wedding.

34. OF THRAIN SIGFUS’ SON

There was a man named Thrain, he was the son of Sigfus, the son

of Sighvat the Red. He kept house at Gritwater on Fleetlithe.

He was Gunnar’s kinsman, and a man of great mark. He had to wife

Thorhillda Skaldwife; she had a sharp tongue of her own, and was

given to jeering. Thrain loved her little. He and his wife were

bidden to the wedding, and she and Bergthora, Skarphedinn’s

daughter, Njal’s wife, waited on the guests with meat and drink.

Kettle was the name of the second son of Sigfus; he kept house in

the Mark, east of Markfleet. He had to wife Thorgerda, Njal’s

daughter. Thorkell was the name of the third son of Sigfus; the

fourth’s name was Mord; the fifth’s Lambi; the sixth’s Sigmund;

the seventh’s Sigurd. These were all Gunnar’s kinsmen, and great

champions. Gunnar bade them all to the wedding.

Gunnar had also bidden Valgard the Guileful, and Wolf Aurpriest,

and their sons Runolf and Mord.

Hauskuld and Hrut came to the wedding with a very great company,

and the sons of Hauskuld, Thorleik, and Olof, were there; the

bride, too, came along with them, and her daughter Thorgerda came

also, and she was one of the fairest of women; she was then

fourteen winters old. Many other women were with her, and

besides there were Thorkatla Asgrim Ellidagrim’s son’s daughter,

and Njal’s two daughters, Thorgerda and Helga.

Gunnar had already many guests to meet them, and he thus arranged

his men. He sat on the middle of the bench, and on the inside,

away from him, Thrain Sigfus’ son, then Wolf Aurpriest, then

Valgard the Guileful, then Mord and Runolf, then the other sons

of Sigfus, Lambi sat outermost of them.

Next to Gunnar on the outside, away from him, sat Njal, then

Skarphedinn, then Helgi, then Grim, then Hauskuld Njal’s son,

then Hafr the Wise, then Ingialld from the Springs, then the sons

of Thorir from Holt away east. Thorir would sit outermost of the

men of mark, for every one was pleased with the seat he got.

Hauskuld, the bride’s father, sat on the middle of the bench over

against Gunnar, but his sons sat on the inside away from him;

Hrut sat on the outside away from Hauskuld, but it is not said

how the others were placed. The bride sat in the middle of the

cross bench on the dais; but on one hand of her sat her daughter

Thorgerda, and on the other Thorkatla Asgrim Ellidagrim’s son’s

daughter.

Thorhillda went about waiting on the guests, and Bergthora bore

the meat on the board.

Now Thrain Sigfus’ son kept staring at Thorgerda Glum’s daughter;

his wife Thorhillda saw this, and she got wroth, and made a

couplet upon him.

“Thrain,” she says,

“Gaping mouths are no wise good,

Goggle eyne are in thy head.”

He rose at once up from the board, and said he would put

Thorhillda away. “I will not bear her jibes and jeers any

longer;” and he was so quarrelsome about this, that he would not

be at the feast unless she were driven away. And so it was, that

she went away; and now each man sat in his place, and they drank

and were glad.

Then Thrain began to speak, “I will not whisper about that which

is in my mind. This I will ask thee, Hauskuld Dalakoll’s son,

wilt thou give me to wife Thorgerda, thy kinswoman?”

“I do not know that,” says Hauskuld; “methinks thou art ill

parted from the one thou hadst before. But what kind of man is

he, Gunnar?”

Gunnar answers, “I will not say aught about the man, because he

is near of kin; but say thou about him, Njal,” says Gunnar, “for

all men will believe it.”

Njal spoke, and said, “That is to be said of this man, that the

man is well to do for wealth, and a proper man in all things. A

man, too, of the greatest mark; so that ye may well make this

match with him.”

Then Hauskuld spoke, “What thinkest thou we ought to do, kinsman

Hrut?”

“Thou mayst make the match, because it is an even one for her,”

says Hrut.

Then they talk about the terms of the bargain, and are soon of

one mind on all points.

Then Gunnar stands up, and Thrain too, and they go to the cross

bench. Gunnar asked that mother and daughter whether they would

say yes to this bargain. They said they would find no fault with

it, and Hallgerda betrothed her daughter. Then the places of the

women were shifted again, and now Thorhalla sate between the

brides. And now the feast sped on well, and when it was over,

Hauskuld and his company ride west, but the men of Rangriver rode

to their own abode. Gunnar gave many men gifts, and that made

him much liked.

Hallgerda took the housekeeping under her, and stood up for her

rights in word and deed. Thorgerda took to housekeeping at

Gritwater, and was a good housewife.

35. THE VISIT TO BERGTHORSKNOLL

Now it was the custom between Gunnar and Njal, that each made the

other a feast, winter and winter about, for friendship’s sake;

and it was Gunnar’s turn to go to feast at Njal’s. So Gunnar and

Hallgerda set off for Bergthorsknoll, and when they got there

Helgi and his wife were not at home. Njal gave Gunnar and his

wife a hearty welcome, and when they had been there a little

while, Helgi came home with Thorhalla his wife. Then Bergthora

went up to the crossbench, and Thorhalla with her, and Bergthora

said to Hallgerda, “Thou shalt give place to this woman.”

She answered, “To no one will I give place, for I will not be

driven into the corner for any one.”

“I shall rule here,” said Bergthora. After that Thorhalla sat

down, and Bergthora went round the table with water to wash the

guests’ hands. Then Hallgerda took hold of Bergthora’s hand, and

said, “There’s not much to choose, though, between you two. Thou

hast hangnails on every finger, and Njal is beardless.”

“That’s true,” says Bergthora, “yet neither of us finds fault

with the other for it; but Thorwald, thy husband, was not

beardless, and yet thou plottedst his death.”

Then Hallgerda said, “It stands me in little stead to have the

bravest man in Iceland if thou dost not avenge this, Gunnar!”

He sprang up and strode across away from the board, and said,

“Home I will go, and it were more seemly that thou shouldest

wrangle with those of thine own household, and not under other