Автор литература - Njal's Saga

him in mind of it, and kept saying that Sigmund had fallen

unatoned. Gunnar gave no heed to that.

Now three Things passed away, at each of which men thought that

he would follow up the suit; then a knotty point came on Gunnar’s

hands, which he knew not how to set about, and then he rode to

find Njal. He gave Gunnar a hearty welcome. Gunnar said to

Njal, “I am come to seek a bit of good counsel at thy hands about

a knotty point.”

“Thou art worthy of it,” says Njal, and gave him counsel what to

do. Then Gunnar stood up and thanked him. Njal then spoke, and

said, and took Gunnar by the hand, “Over long hath thy kinsman

Sigmund been unatoned.”

“He has been long ago atoned,” says Gunnar, “but still I will not

fling back the honour offered me.”

Gunnar had never spoken an ill word of Njal’s sons. Njal would

have nothing else than that Gunnar should make his own award in

the matter. He awarded two hundred in silver, but let Skiolld

fall without a price. They paid down all the money at once.

Gunnar declared this their atonement at the Thingskala Thing,

when most men were at it, and laid great weight on the way in

which they (Njal and his sons) had behaved; he told too those bad

words which cost Sigmund his life, and no man was to repeat them

or sing the verses, but if any sung them, the man who uttered

them was to fall without atonement.

Both Gunnar and Njal gave each other their words that no such

matters should ever happen that they would not settle among

themselves; and this pledge was well kept ever after, and they

were always friends.

ENDNOTES:

(1) “Thou, that heapest boards,” etc. — merely a periphrasis

for man, and scarcely fitting, except in irony, to a

splitter of firewood.

46. OF GIZUR THE WHITE AND GEIR THE PRIEST

There was a man named Gizur the White; he was Teit’s son;

Kettlebjorn the Old’s son, of Mossfell. (1) Bishop Isleif was

Gizur’s son. Gizur the White kept house at Mossfell, and was a

great chief. That man is also named in this story whose name was

Geir the Priest; his mother was Thorkatla, another daughter of

Kettlebjorn the Old of Mossfell. Geir kept house at Lithe. He

and Gizur backed one another in every matter. At that time Mord

Valgard’s son kept house at Hof on the Rangrivervales; he was

crafty and spiteful. Valgard his father was then abroad, but his

mother was dead. He was very envious of Gunnar of Lithend. He

was wealthy, so far as goods went, but had not many friends.

ENDNOTES:

(1) Teit’s mother’s name was Helga. She was a daughter of Thord

Longbeard, who was the son of Hrapp, who was the son of

Bjorn the Roughfooted, who was the son of Grim, the Lord of

Sogn in Norway. Gizur’s mother’s name was Olof. She was a

daughter of Lord Baudvar, Viking-Kari’s son.

47. OF OTKELL IN KIRKBY

There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of

Hallkell, who fought with Grim of Grimsness, and felled him on

the holm. (1) This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were

brothers.

Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife’s name was Thorgerda; she

was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of

the Faroe Isles. Otkell was wealthy in goods. His son’s name

was Thorgeir; he was young in years, and a bold dashing man.

Skamkell was the name of another man; he kept house at another

farm called Hof (2); he was well off for money, but he was a

spiteful man and a liar; quarrelsome too, and ill to deal with.

He was Otkell’s friend. Hallkell was the name of Otkell’s

brother; he was a tall strong man, and lived there with Otkell;

their brother’s name was Hallbjorn the White; he brought out to

Iceland a thrall, whose name was Malcolm; he was Irish, and had

not many friends.

Hallbjorn went to stay with Otkell, and so did his thrall

Malcolm. The thrall was always saying that he should think

himself happy if Otkell owned him. Otkell was kind to him, and

gave him a knife and belt, and a full suit of clothes, but the

thrall turned his hand to any work that Otkell wished.

Otkell wanted to make a bargain with his brother for the thrall;

he said he would give him the thrall, but said, too, that he was

a worse treasure than he thought. But as soon as Otkell owned

the thrall, then he did less and less work. Otkell often said

outright to Hallbjorn, that he thought the thrall did little

work; and he told Otkell that there was worse in him yet to

come.

At that time came a great scarcity, so that men fell short both

of meat and hay, and that spread over all parts of Iceland.

Gunnar shared his hay and meat with many men; and all got them

who came thither, so long as his stores lasted. At last it came

about that Gunnar himself fell short both of hay and meat. Then

Gunnar called on Kolskegg to go along with him; he called too on

Thrain Sigfus’ son, and Lambi Sigurd’s son. They fared to

Kirkby, and called Otkell out. He greeted them, and Gunnar said,

“It so happens that I am come to deal with thee for hay and meat,

if there be any left.”

Otkell answers, “There is store of both, but I will sell thee

neither.”

“Wilt thou give me them then,” says Gunnar, “and run the risk of

my paying thee back somehow?”

“I will not do that either,” says Otkell.

Skamkell all the while was giving him bad counsel.

Then Thrain Sigfus’ son, said, “It would serve him right if we

take both hay and meat and lay down the worth of them instead.”

Skamkell answered, “All the men of Mossfell must be dead and gone

then, if ye, sons of Sigfus, are to come and rob them.”

“I will have no hand in any robbery,” says Gunnar.

“Wilt thou buy a thrall of me?” says Otkell.

“I’ll not spare to do that,” says Gunnar. After that Gunnar

bought the thrall, and fared away as things stood.

Njal hears of this, and said, “Such things are ill done, to

refuse to let Gunnar buy; and it is not a good outlook for others

if such men as he cannot get what they want.”

“What’s the good of thy talking so much about such a little

matter,” says Bergthora; “far more like a man would it be to let

him have both meat and hay, when thou lackest neither of them.”

“That is clear as day,” says Njal, “and I will of a surety supply

his need somewhat.”

Then he fared up to Thorolfsfell, and his sons with him, and they

bound hay on fifteen horses; but on five horses they had meat.

Njal came to Lithend, and called Gunnar out. He greeted them

kindly.

“Here is hay and meat,” said Njal, “which I will give thee; and

my wish is, that thou shouldst never look to any one else than to

me if thou standest in need of anything.”

“Good are thy gifts,” says Gunnar, “but methinks thy friendship

is still more worth, and that of thy sons.”

After that Njal fared home, and now the spring passes away.

ENDNOTES:

(1) That is, slew him in a duel.

(2) Mord Valgard’s son lived at the other farm called Hof.

48. HOW HALLGERDA MAKES MALCOLM STEAL FROM KIRKBY

Now Gunnar is about to ride to the Thing, but a great crowd of

men from the Side (1) east turned in as guests at his house.

Gunnar bade them come and be his guests again, as they rode back

from the Thing; and they said they would do so.

Now they ride to the Thing, and Njal and his sons were there.