Автор литература - Njal's Saga

spoke well and boldly.

Then Mord began to speak a second time.

“I take you to witness to this,” says he, “that I give notice

of a suit against Flosi Thord’s son. I give notice for that he

wounded Helgi Njal’s son with a brain, or a body, or a marrow

wound, which proved a death-wound, and from which Helgi got his

death on that spot where Flosi Thord’s son had first rushed on

Helgi Njal’s son with an assault laid down by law. I say that

thou, Flosi, ought to be made in this suit a guilty man, an

outlaw, not to be fed, not to be forwarded, not to be helped or

harboured in any need. I say that all thy goods are forfeited,

half to me and half to the men of the Quarter, who have a right

by law to take the goods which have been forfeited by thee. I

give notice of this suit in the Quarter Court into which it ought

by law to come; I give notice of this lawful notice; I give

notice of it in the hearing of all men on the Hill of Laws; I

give notice of this suit to be pleaded this summer, and of full

outlawry against Flosi Thord’s son. I give notice of the suit

which Thorgeir Thorir’s son hath handed over to me.”

After that Mord sat him down.

Flosi listened carefully, but said never a word the while.

Then Thorgeir Craggeir stood up and took witness, and said, “I

take witness to this, that I give notice of a suit against Glum

Hilldir’s son, in that he took firing and lit it, and bore it to

the house at Bergthorsknoll, when they were burned inside it, to

wit, Njal Thorgeir’s son, and Bergthora Skarphedinn’s daughter,

and all those other men who were burned inside it there and then.

I say that in this suit he ought to be made a guilty man, an

outlaw, not to be fed, not to be forwarded, not to be helped or

harboured in any need. I say that all his goods are forfeited.

half to me, and half to the men of the Quarter, who have a right

by law to take his forfeited goods; I give notice of this suit in

the Quarter Court, into which it ought by law to come. I give

notice in the hearing of all men on the Hill of Laws. I give

notice of this suit to be pleaded this summer, and of full

outlawry against Glum Hilldir’s son.”

Kari Solmund’s son declared his suits against Kol Thorstein’s

son, and Gunnar Lambi’s son, and Grani Gunnar’s son, and it was

the common talk of men that he spoke wondrous well.

Thorleif Crow declared his suit against all the sons of Sigfus,

but Thorgrim the Big, his brother, against Modolf Kettle’s son,

and Lambi Sigurd’s son, and Hroar Hamond’s son, brother of

Leidolf the Strong.

Asgrim Ellidagrim’s son declared his suit against Leidolf and

Thorstein Geirleif’s son, Arni Kol’s son, and Grim the Red.

And they all spoke well.

After that other men gave notice of their suits, and it was far

on in the day that it went on so.

Then men fared home to their booths.

Eyjolf Bolverk’s son went to his booth with Flosi, they passed

east around the booth and Flosi said to Eyjolf.

“See’st thou any defence in these suits.”

“None,” says Eyjolf.

“What counsel is now to be taken?” says Flosi.

“I will give thee a piece of advice,” said Eyjolf. “Now thou

shalt hand over thy priesthood to thy brother Thorgeir, but

declare that thou hast joined the Thing of Askel the Priest the

son of Thorkettle, north away in Reykiardale; but if they do not

know this, then may be that this will harm them, for they will be

sure to plead their suit in the Eastfirthers’ court, but they

ought to plead it in the Northlanders’ court, and they will

overlook that, and it is a Fifth Court matter against them if

they plead their suit in another court than that in which they

ought, and then we will take that suit up, but not until we have

no other choice left.”

“May be,” said Flosi, “that we shall get the worth of the ring.”

“I don’t know that,” says Eyjolf; “but I will stand by thee at

law, so that men shall say that there never was a better defence.

Now, we must send for Askel, but Thorgeir shall come to thee at

once, and a man with him.”

A little while after Thorgeir came, and then he took on him

Flosi’s leadership and priesthood.

By that time Askel was come thither too, and then Flosi declared

that he had joined his Thing, and this was with no man’s

knowledge save theirs.

Now all is quite till the day when the courts were to go out to

try suits.

141. NOW MEN GO TO THE COURTS

Now the time passes away till the courts were to go out to try

suits. Both sides then made them ready to go thither, and armed

them. Each side put war-tokens on their helmets.

Then Thorhall Asgrim’s son said, “Walk hastily in nothing father

mine, and do everything as lawfully and rightly as ye can, but if

ye fall into any strait let me know as quickly as ye can, and

then I will give you counsel.”

Asgrim and the others looked at him, and his face was as though

it were all blood, but great teardrops gushed out of his eyes.

He bade them bring him his spear, that had been a gift to him

from Skarphedinn, and it was the greatest treasure.

Asgrim said as they went away, “Our kinsman Thorhall was not easy

in his mind as we left him behind in the booth, and I know not

what he will be at.”

Then Asgrim said again, “Now we will go to Mord Valgard’s son,

and think of nought else but the suit, for there is more sport in

Flosi than in very many other men.”

Then Asgrim sent a man to Gizur the White, and Hjallti Skeggi’s

son, and Gudmund the Powerful. Now they all came together, and

went straight to the court of Eastfirthers. They went to the

court from the south, but Flosi and all the Eastfirthers with him

went to it from the north. There were also the men of Reykdale

and the Axefirthers with Flosi. There, too, was Eyjolf Bolverk’s

son. Flosi looked at Eyjolf, and said, “All now goes fairly, and

may be that it will not be far off from thy guess.”

“Keep thy peace about it,” says Eyjolf, “and then we shall be

sure to gain our point.”

Now Mord took witness, and bade all those men who had suits of

outlawry before the court to cast lots who should first plead or

declare his suit, and who next, and who last; he bade them by a

lawful bidding before the court, so that the judges heard it.

Then lots were cast as to the declarations, and he, Mord, drew

the lot to declare his suit first.

Now Mord Valgard’s son took witness the second time, and said, “I

take witness to this, that I except all mistakes in words in my

pleading, whether they be too many or wrongly spoken, and I claim

the right to amend all my words until I have put them into proper

lawful shape. I take witness to myself of this.”

Again Mord said, “I take witness to this, that I bid Flosi

Thord’s son, or any other man who has undertaken the defence made

over to him by Flosi, to listen for him to my oath, and to my

declaration of my suit, and to all the proofs and proceedings

which I am about to bring forward against him; I bid him by a

lawful bidding before the court, so that the judges may hear it

across the court.”

Again Mord Valgard’s son said, “I take witness to this, that I

take an oath on the book, a lawful oath, and I say it before God,

that I will so plead this suit in the most truthful, and most