Автор литература - Njal's Saga

the Wise. Flosi told him that all had backed him in his need and

business well, save Saurli Broddhelgi’s son. Holmstein said the

reason of that was that he was not a man of strife. Holmstein

gave Flosi good gifts.

Flosi fared up Fleetdale, and thence south on the fell across

Oxenlaya and down Swinehorndale, and so out by Alftafirth to the

west, and did not stop till he came to Thvattwater to his father-in-law Hall’s house. There he stayed half a month, and his men

with him and rested him.

Flosi asked Hall what counsel he would now give him, and what he

should do next, and whether he should change his plans.

“My counsel,” said Hall, “is this, that thou goest home to thy

house, and the sons of Sigfus with thee, but that they send men

to set their homesteads in order. But first of all fare home,

and when ye ride to the Thing, ride all together, and do not

scatter your band. Then let the sons of Sigfus go to see their

wives on the way. I too will ride to the Thing, and Ljot my son

with all our Thingmen, and stand by thee with such force as I

can gather to me.”

Flosi thanked him, and Hall gave him good gifts at parting.

Then Flosi went away from Thvattwater, and nothing is to be told

of his journey till he comes home to Swinefell. There he stayed

at home the rest of the winter, and all the summer right up to

the Thing.

ENDNOTES:

(1) Broddhelgi was the son of Thorgil, the son of Thorstein the

White, the son of Oliver, the son of Eyvalld, the son of

Oxen-Thorir. The mother of Bjarni was Halla, the daughter

of Lyting. The mother of Broddhelgi was Asvora, the

daughter of Thorir, the son of Porridge-Atli, the son of

Thorir Thidrandi. Bjarni Broddhelgi’s son had to wife

Rannveiga the daughter of Thorgeir, the son of Eric of

Gooddale, the son of Geirmund, the son of Hroald, the son of

Eric Frizzelbeard.

134. OF THORHALL AND KARI

Thorhall Asgrim’s son, and Kari Solmund’s son, rode one day to

Mossfell to see Gizur the White; he took them with both hands,

and there they were at his house a very long while. Once it

happened as they and Gizur talked of Njal’s burning, that Gizur

said it was very great luck that Kari had got away. Then a song

came into Kari’s mouth.

“I who whetted helmet-hewer (1),

I who oft have burnished brand,

From the fray went all unwilling

When Njal’s rooftree crackling roared;

Out I leapt when bands of spearmen

Lighted there a blaze of flame!

Listen men unto my moaning,

Mark the telling of my grief.”

Then Gizur said, “It must be forgiven thee that thou art mindful,

and so we will talk no more about it just now.”

Kari says that he will ride home; and Gizur said, “I will now

make a clean breast of my counsel to thee. Thou shalt not ride

home, but still thou shalt ride away, and east under Eyjafell, to

see Thorgeir Craggeir, and Thorleif Crow. They shall ride from

the east with thee. They are the next of kin in the suit, and

with them shall ride Thorgrim the Big, their brother. Ye shall

ride to Mord Valgard’s son’s house, and tell him this message

from me, that he shall take up the suit for manslaughter for

Helgi Njal’s son against Flosi. But if he utters any words

against this, then shalt thou make thy self most wrathful, and

make believe as though thou wouldst let thy axe fall on his head;

and in the second place, thou shalt assure him of my wrath if he

shows any ill will. Along with that shalt thou say, that I will

send and fetch away my daughter Thorkatla, and make her come home

to me; but that he will not abide, for he loves her as the very

eyes in his head.”

Kari thanked him for his counsel. Kari spoke nothing of help to

him, for he thought he would show himself his good friend in this

as in other things.

Thence Kari rode east over the rivers, and so to Fleetlithe, and

east across Markfleet, and so on to Selialandsmull. So they ride

east to Holt.

Thorgeir welcomed them with the greatest kindliness. He told

them of Flosi’s journey, and how great help he had got in the

east firths.

Kari said it was no wonder that he, who had to answer for so

much, should ask for help for himself.

Then Thorgeir said, “The better things go for them, the worse it

shall be for them; we will only follow them up so much the

harder.”

Kari told Thorgeir of Gizur’s advice. After that they ride from

the east to Rangrivervale to Mord Valgard’s son’s house. He gave

them a hearty welcome. Kari told him the message of Gizur his

father-in-law. He was slow to take the duty on him, and said it

was harder to go to law with Flosi than with any other ten men.

“Thou behavest now as he (1) thought,” said Kari; “for thou art a

bad bargain in every way; thou art both a coward and heartless,

but the end of this shall be as is fitting, that Thorkatla shall

fare home to her father.”

She busked her at once, and said she had long been “boun” to part

from Mord. Then he changed his mood and his words quickly, and

begged off their wrath, and took the suit upon him at once.

“Now,” said Kari, “thou has taken the suit upon thee, see that

thou pleadest it without fear, for thy life lies on it.”

Mord said he would lay his whole heart on it to do this well and

manfully.

After that Mord summoned to him nine neighbours, they were all

near neighbours to the spot where the deed was done. Then Mord

took Thorgeir by the hand and named two witnesses to bear

witness, “That Thorgeir Thorir’s son hands me over a suit for

manslaughter against Flosi Thord’s son, to plead it for the

slaying of Helgi Njal’s son, with all those proofs which have to

follow the suit. Thou handest over to me this suit to plead and

to settle, and to enjoy all rights in it, as though I were the

rightful next of kin. Thou handest it over to me by law, and I

take it from thee by law.”

A second time Mord named his witnesses, “To bear witness,” said

he, “that I give notice of an assault laid down by law against

Flosi Thord’s son, for that he dealt Helgi Njal’s son a brain, or

a body, or a marrow wound, which proved a death wound; and from

which Helgi got his death. I give notice of this before five

witnesses” — here he named them all by name — “I give this

lawful notice. I give notice of a suit which Thorgeir Thorir’s

son has handed over to me.”

Again he named witnesses “To bear witness that I give notice of a

brain, or a body, or a marrow wound against Flosi Thord’s son,

for that wound which proved a death wound, but Helgi got his

death therefrom on such and such a spot, when Flosi Thord’s son

first rushed on Helgi Njal’s son with an assault laid down by

law. I give notice of this before five neighbours” — then he

named them all by name — “I give this lawful notice. I give

notice of a suit which Thorgeir Thorir’s son has handed over to

me.”

Then Mord named his witnesses again “To bear witness,” said he,

“that I summon these nine neighbours who dwell nearest the spot”

— here he named them all by name — “to ride to the Althing, and

to sit on the inquest to find whether Flosi Thord’s son rushed

with an assault laid down by law on Helgi Njal’s son, on that

spot where Flosi Thord’s son dealt Helgi Njal’s son a brain, or a