Автор литература - Njal's Saga

Easterling, “when thou sittest by; but thy host, and father-in-law Egil, is slain.”

Then the Easterling sprung up and was very wroth. Hjort had been

the death of two men, and the Easterling leapt on him and smote

him full on the breast. Then Hjort fell down dead on the spot.

Gunnar sees this and was swift to smite at the Easterling, and

cuts him asunder at the waist.

A little while after Gunnar hurls the bill at Bork, and struck

him in the middle, and the bill went through him and stuck in the

ground.

Then Kolskegg cut off Hauk Egil’s son’s head, and Gunnar smites

off Otter’s hand at the elbow-joint. Then Starkad said, “Let us

fly now. We have not to do with men!”

Gunnar said, “Ye two will think it a sad story if there is naught

on you to show that ye have both been in the battle.”

Then Gunnar ran after Starkad and Thorgeir, and gave them each a

wound. After that they parted; and Gunnar and his brothers had

then wounded many men who got away from the field, but fourteen

lost their lives, and Hjort the fifteenth.

Gunnar brought Hjort home, laid out on his shield, and he was

buried in a cairn there. Many men grieved for him, for he had

many dear friends.

Starkad came home, too, and Hildigunna dressed his wounds and

Thorgeir’s, and said, “Ye would have given a great deal not to

have fallen out with Gunnar.”

“So we would,” says Starkad.

ENDNOTES:

(1) “Rhine’s fire,” a periphrasis for gold.

63. NJAL’S COUNSEL TO GUNNAR

Steinvor, at Sandgil, besought Thorgrim the Easterling to take in

hand the care of her goods, and not to sail away from Iceland,

and so to keep in mind the death of his messmate and kinsman.

“My messmate Thorir,” said he, “foretold that I should fall by

Gunnar’s hand if I stayed here in the land, and he must have

foreseen that when he foreknew his own death.”

“I will give thee,” she says, “Gudruna my daughter to wife, and

all my goods into the bargain.”

“I knew not,” he said, “that thou wouldest pay such a long

price.”

After that they struck the bargain that he shall have her, and

the wedding feast was to be the next summer.

Now Gunnar rides to Bergthorsknoll, and Kolskegg with him. Njal

was out of doors and his sons, and they went to meet Gunnar and

gave them a hearty welcome. After that they fell a-talking, and

Gunnar said, “Hither am I come to seek good counsel and help at

thy hand.”

“That is thy due,” said Njal.

“I have fallen into a great strait,” says Gunnar, “and slain many

men, and I wish to know what thou wilt make of the matter?”

“Many will say this,” said Njal, “that thou hast been driven into

it much against thy will; but now thou shalt give me time to take

counsel with myself.”

Then Njal went away all by himself, and thought over a plan, and

came back and said, “Now have I thought over the matter somewhat,

and it seems to me as though this must be carried through — if

it be carried through at all — with hardihood and daring.

Thorgeir has got my kinswoman Thorfinna with child, and I will

hand over to thee the suit for seduction. Another suit of

outlawry against Starkad I hand over also to thee, for having

hewn trees in my wood on the Threecorner ridge. Both these suits

shalt thou take up. Thou shalt fare too, to the spot where ye

fought, and dig up the dead, and name witnesses to the wounds,

and make all the dead outlaws, for that they came against thee

with that mind to give thee and thy brothers wounds or swift

death. But if this be tried at the Thing, and it be brought up

against thee that thou first gave Thorgeir a blow, and so mayst

neither plead thine own cause nor that of others, then I will

answer in that matter, and say that I gave thee back thy rights

at the Thingskala-Thing, so that thou shouldest be able to plead

thine own suit as well as that of others, and then there will be

an answer to that point. Thou shalt also go to see Tyrfing of

Berianess, and he must hand over to thee a suit against Aunund of

Witchwood, who has the blood feud after his brother Egil.”

Then first of all Gunnar rode home; but a few nights after Njal’s

sons and Gunnar rode thither where the bodies were, and dug them

up that were buried there. Then Gunnar summoned them all as

outlaws for assault and treachery, and rode home after that.

64. OF VALGARD AND MORD

That same harvest Valgard the Guileful came out to Iceland, and

fared home to Hof. Then Thorgeir went to see Valgard and Mord,

and told them what a strait they were in if Gunnar were to be

allowed to make all those men outlaws whom he had slain.

Valgard said that must be Njal’s counsel, and yet everything had

not come out yet which he was likely to have taught him.

Then Thorgeir begged those kinsmen for help and backing, but they

held out a long while, and at last asked for, and got a large sum

of money.

That, too, was part of their plan, that Mord should ask for

Thorkatla, Gizur the White’s daughter, and Thorgeir was to ride

at once west across the river with Valgard and Mord.

So the day after they rode twelve of them together and came to

Mossfell. There they were heartily welcomed, and they put the

question to Gizur about the wooing, and the end of it was that

the match should be made, and the wedding feast was to be in half

a month’s space at Mossfell.

They ride home, and after that they ride to the wedding and there

was a crowd of guests to meet them, and it went off well.

Thorkatla went home with Mord and took the housekeeping in hand,

but Valgard went abroad again the next summer.

Now Mord eggs on Thorgeir to set his suit on foot against Gunnar,

and Thorgeir went to find Aunund; he bids him now to begin a suit

for manslaughter for his brother Egil and his sons; “but I will

begin one for the manslaughter of my brothers, and for the wounds

of myself and my father.”

He said he was quite ready to do that, and then they set out, and

give notice of the manslaughter, and summon nine neighbours who

dwelt nearest to the spot where the deed was done. This

beginning of the suit was heard of at Lithend; and then Gunnar

rides to see Njal, and told him, and asked what he wished them to

do next.

“Now,” says Njal, “thou shalt summon those who dwell next to the

spot, and thy neighbours; and call men to witness before the

neighbours, and choose out Kol as the slayer in the manslaughter

of Hjort thy brother: for that is lawful and right; then thou

shalt give notice of the suit for manslaughter at Kol’s hand,

though he be dead. Then shalt thou call men to witness, and

summon the neighbours to ride to the Allthing to bear witness of

the fact, whether they, Kol and his companions, were on the spot,

and in onslaught when Hjort was slain. Thou shalt also summon

Thorgeir for the suit of seduction, and Aunund at the suit of

Tyrfing.”

Gunnar now did in everything as Njal gave him counsel. This men

thought a strange beginning of suits, and now these matters come

before the Thing. Gunnar rides to the Thing, and Njal’s sons and

the sons of Sigfus. Gunnar had sent messengers to his cousins

and kinsmen, that they should ride to the Thing, and come with as

many men as they could, and told them that this matter would lead

to much strife. So they gathered together in a great band from