Автор литература - Njal's Saga

am told that there is great friendship between those namesakes,

and it is the talk of many men that they will prove untrue, and I

would that thou wouldst be ware of thyself.”

“Death will come to me when it will come,” says Gunnar, “wherever

I may be, if that is my fate.”

Then they left off talking about it.

About autumn, Gunnar gave out that they would work one week there

at home, and the next down in the isles, and so make an end of

their haymaking. At the same time, he let it be known that

every man would have to leave the house, save himself and the

women.

Thorgeir under Threecorner goes to see his namesake, but as soon

as they met they began to talk after their wont, and Thorgeir

Starkad’s son, said, “I would that we could harden our hearts

and fall on Gunnar.”

“Well,” says Thorgeir Otkell’s son, “every struggle with Gunnar

has had but one end, that few have gained the day; besides,

methinks it sounds ill to be called a peace-breaker.”

“They have broken the peace, not we,” says Thorgeir Starkad’s

son. “Gunnar took away from thee thy cornfield; and he has taken

Moeidsknoll from my father and me.”

And so they settle it between them to fall on Gunnar; and then

Thorgeir said that Gunnar would be all alone at home in a few

nights’ space, “and then thou shalt come to meet me with eleven

men, but I will have as many.”

After that Thorgeir rode home.

68. OF NJAL AND THOSE NAMESAKES

Now when Kolskegg and the housecarles had been three nights in

the isles, Thorgeir Starkad’s son had news of that, and sends

word to his namesake that he should come to meet him on

Threecorner ridge.

After that Thorgeir of the Threecorner busked him with eleven

men; he rides up on the ridge and there waits for his namesake.

And now Gunnar is at home in his house, and those namesakes ride

into a wood hard by. There such a drowsiness came over them that

they could do naught else but sleep. So they hung their shields

up in the boughs, and tethered their horses, and laid their

weapons by their sides.

Njal was that night up in Thorolfsfell, and could not sleep at

all, but went out and in by turns.

Thorhilda asked Njal why he could not sleep?

“Many things now flit before my eyes,” said he; “I see many

fetches of Gunnar’s bitter foes, and what is very strange is

this, they seem to be mad with rage, and yet they fare without

plan or purpose.”

A little after, a man rode up to the door and got off his horse’s

back and went in, and there was come the shepherd of Thorhilda

and her husband.

“Didst thou find the sheep?” she asked.

“I found what might be more worth,” said he.

“What was that?” asked Njal.

“I found twenty-four men up in the wood yonder; they had tethered

their horses, but slept themselves. Their shields they had hung

up in the boughs.”

But so closely had he looked at them that he told of all their

weapons and wargear and clothes, and then Njal knew plainly who

each of them must have been, and said to him, “‘Twere good

hiring if there were many such shepherds; and this shall ever

stand to thy good; but still I will send thee on an errand.”

He said at once he would go.

“Thou shalt go,” says Njal, “to Lithend and tell Gunnar that he

must fare to Gritwater, and then send after men; but I will go to

meet with those who are in the wood and scare them away. This

thing hath well come to pass, so that they shall gain nothing by

this journey, but lose much.”

The shepherd set off and told Gunnar as plainly as he could the

whole story. Then Gunnar rode to Gritwater and summoned men to

him.

Now it is to be told of Njal how he rides to meet these

namesakes.

“Unwarily ye lie here,” he says, “or for what end shall this

journey have been made? And Gunnar is not a man to be trifled

with. But if the truth must be told then, this is the greatest

treason. Ye shall also know this, that Gunnar is gathering

force, and he will come here in the twinkling of an eye, and slay

you all, unless ye ride away home.”

They bestirred them at once, for they were in great fear, and

took their weapons, and mounted their horses and galloped home

under the Threecorner.

Njal fared to meet Gunnar and bade him not to break up his

company.

“But I will go and seek for an atonement; now they will be finely

frightened; but for this treason no less a sum shall be paid when

one has to deal with all of them, than shall be paid for the

slaying of one or other of those namesakes, though such a thing

should come to pass. This money I will take into my keeping, and

so lay it out that it may be ready to thy hand when thou hast

need of it.”

69. OLAF THE PEACOCK’S GIFTS TO GUNNAR

Gunnar thanked Njal for his aid, and Njal rode away under the

Threecorner, and told those namesakes that Gunnar would not break

up his band of men before he had fought it out with them.

They began to offer terms for themselves, and were full of dread,

and bade Njal to come between them with an offer of atonement.

Njal said that could only be if there were no guile behind. Then

they begged him to have a share in the award, and said they would

hold to what he awarded.

Njal said he would make no award unless it were at the Thing, and

unless the best men were by; and they agreed to that.

Then NjaI came between them, so that they gave each other pledges

of peace and atonement.

Njal was to utter the award, and to name as his fellows those

whom he chose.

A little while after those namesakes met Mord Valgard’s son, and

Mord blamed them much for having laid the matter in Njal’s hands,

when he was Gunnar’s great friend. He said that would turn out

ill for them.

Now men ride to the Althing after their wont, and now both sides

are at the Thing.

Njal begged for a hearing, and asked all the best men who were

come thither, what right at law they thought Gunnar had against

those namesakes for their treason. They said they thought such a

man had great right on his side.

Njal went on to ask, whether he had a right of action against all

of them, or whether the leaders had to answer for them all in the

suit?

They say that most of the blame would fall on the leaders, but a

great deal still on them all.

“Many will say this,” said Mord, “that it was not without a cause

when Gunnar broke the settlement made with those namesakes.”

“That is no breach of settlement,” says Njal, “that any man

should take the law against another; for with law shall our land

be built up and settled, and with lawlessness wasted and

spoiled.”

Then Njal tells them that Gunnar had offered land for

Moeidsknoll, or other goods.

Then those namesakes thought they had been beguiled by Mord, and

scolded him much, and said that this fine was all his doing.

Njal named twelve men as judges in the suit, and then every man

paid a hundred in silver who had gone out, but each of those

namesakes two hundred.

Njal took this money into his keeping but either side gave the

other pledges of peace, and Njal gave out the terms.

Then Gunnar rode from the Thing west to the Dales, till he came

to Hjardarholt, and Olaf the Peacock gave him a hearty welcome.

There he sat half a month, and rode far and wide about the Dales,