Автор литература - Njal's Saga

tidings enough to tell. Then I asked him for his name, but he

called himself Irongrim. I asked him whither he was going; he

said he had to fare to the Althing. `What shalt thou do there?’

I said. `First I shall challenge the inquest,’ he answers, `and

then the courts, then clear the field for fighters.’ After that

he sang this song:

“Soon a man death’s snake-strokes dealing

High shall lift his head on earth,

Here amid the dust low rolling

Battered brainpans men shall see;

Now upon the hills in hurly

Buds the blue steel’s harvest bright;

Soon the bloody dew of battle

Thigh-deep through the ranks shall rise.”

“Then he shouted with such a mighty shout that methought

everything near shook, and dashed down his staff, and there was a

mighty crash. Then he went back into the fell, but fear clung to

me; and now I wish thee to tell me what thou thinkest this dream

is.”

“It is my foreboding,” says Kettle, “that all those who were

called must be `fey.’ It seems to me good counsel that we tell

this dream to no man just now.”

Flosi said so it should be. Now the winter passes away till Yule

was over. Then Flosi said to his men, “Now I mean that we should

fare from home, for methinks we shall not be able to have an idle

peace. Now we shall fare to pray for help, and now that will

come true which I told you, that we should have to bow the knee

to many ere this quarrel were ended.”

133. OF FLOSI’S JOURNEY AND HIS ASKING FOR HELP

After that they busked them from home all together. Flosi was in

long-hose because he meant to go on foot, and then he knew that

it would seem less hard to the others to walk.

Then they fared from home to Knappvale, but the evening after to

Broadwater, and then to Calffell, thence by Bjornness to

Hornfirth, thence to Staffell in Lon, and then to Thvattwater to

Hall of the Side.

Flosi had to wife Steinvora, his daughter.

Hall gave them a very hearty welcome, and Flosi said to Hall, “I

will ask thee, father-in-law, that thou wouldst ride to the Thing

with me with all thy Thingmen.”

“Now,” answered Hall, “it has turned out as the saw says, `but a

short while is hand fain of blow’; and yet it is one and the same

man in thy band who now hangs his head, and who then goaded thee

on to the worst of deeds when it was still undone. But my help I

am bound to lend thee in all such places as I may.”

“What counsel dost thou give me,” said Flosi, “in the strait in

which I now am.”

“Thou shalt fare,” said Hall, “north, right up to Weaponfirth,

and ask all the chiefs for aid, and thou wilt yet need it all

before the Thing is over.”

Flosi stayed there three nights, and rested him, and fared thence

east to Geitahellna, and so to Berufirth; there they were the

night. Thence they fared east to Broaddale in Haydale. There

Hallbjorn the Strong dwelt. He had to wife Oddny the sister of

Saurli Broddhelgi’s son, and Flosi had a hearty welcome there.

Hallbjorn asked how far north among the firths Flosi meant to go.

He said he meant to go as far as Weaponfirth. Then Flosi took a

purse of money from his belt, and said he would give it to

Hallbjorn. He took the money, but yet said he had no claim on

Flosi for gifts, “But still I would be glad to know in what thou

wilt that I repay thee.”

“I have no need of money,” says Flosi, “but I wish thou wouldst

ride to the Thing with me, and stand by me in my quarrel, but

still I have no ties or kinship to tell towards thee.”

“I will grant thee that,” said Hallbjorn, “to ride to the Thing

with thee, and to stand by thee in thy quarrel as I would by my

brother.”

Flosi thanked him, and Hallbjorn asked much about the burning,

but they told him all about it at length.

Thence Flosi fared to Broaddale’s heath, and so to Hrafnkelstede,

there dwelt Hrafnkell, the son of Thorir, the son of Hrafnkell

Raum. Flosi had a hearty welcome there, and sought for help and

a promise to ride to the Thing from Hrafnkell, but he stood out a

long while, though the end of it was that he gave his word that

his son Thorir should ride with all their Thingmen, and yield him

such help as the other priests of the same district.

Flosi thanked him and fared away to Bersastede. There Holmstein

son of Bersi the Wise dwelt, and he gave Flosi a very hearty

welcome. Flosi begged him for help. Holmstein said he had been

long in his debt for help.

Thence they fared to Waltheofstede — there Saurli Broddhelgi’s

son, Bjarni’s brother, dwelt. He had to wife Thordisa, a

daughter of Gudmund the Powerful, of Modruvale. They had a

hearty welcome there. But next morning Flosi raised the question

with Saurli that he should ride to the Althing with him, and bid

him money for it.

“I cannot tell about that,” says Saurli, “so long as I do not

know on which side my father-in-law Gudmund the Powerful stands,

for I mean to stand by him on whichever side he stands.”

“Oh!” said Flosi, “I see by thy answer that a woman rules in this

house.”

Then Flosi stood up and bade his men take their upper clothing

and weapons, and then they fared away, and got no help there. So

they fared below Lagarfleet and over the heath to Njardwick;

there two brothers dwelt, Thorkel the Allwise, and Thorwalld his

brother; they were sons of Kettle, the son of Thidrandi the Wise,

the son of Kettle Rumble, son of Thorir Thidrandi. The mother of

Thorkel the Allwise and Thorwalld was Yngvillda, daughter of

Thorkel the Wise. Flosi got a hearty welcome there, he told

those brothers plainly of his errand, and asked for their help;

but they put him off until he gave three marks of silver to each

of them for their aid; then they agreed to stand by Flosi.

Their mother Yngvillda was by when they gave their words to ride

to the Althing, and wept. Thorkel asked why she wept; and she

answered, “I dreamt that thy brother Thorwalld was clad in a red

kirtle, and methought it was so tight as though it were sewn on

him; methought too that he wore red hose on his legs and feet,

and bad shoethongs were twisted round them; methought it ill to

see when I knew he was so uncomfortable, but I could do naught

for him.”

They laughed and told her she had lost her wits, and said her

babble should not stand in the way of their ride to the Thing.

Flosi thanked them kindly, and fared thence to Weaponfirth and

came to Hof. There dwelt Bjarni Broddhelgi’s son (1). Bjarni

took Flosi by both hands, and Flosi bade Bjarni money for his

help.

“Never,” said Bjarni, “have I sold my manhood or help for bribes,

but now that thou art in need of help, I will do thee a good turn

for friendship’s sake, and ride to the Thing with thee, and stand

by thee as I would by my brother.”

“Then thou hast thrown a great load of debt on my hands,” said

Flosi, “but still I looked for as much from thee.”

Thence Flosi and his men fared to Crosswick. Thorkell Geitis’

son was a great friend of his. Flosi told him his errand, and

Thorkel said it was but his duty to stand by him in every way in

his power, and not to part from his quarrel. Thorkel gave Flosi

good gifts at parting.

Thence they fared north to Weaponfirth and up into the Fleetdale

country, and turned in as guests at Holmstein’s, the son of Bersi