Автор литература - Njal's Saga

handsome man. Ragi their brother was a great manslayer. Those

brothers owned in the south Engey and Laugarness. One day the

brothers Thorarin and Glum were talking together, and Thorarin

asked Glum whether he meant to go abroad, as was his wont?

He answered, “I was rather thinking now of leaving off trading

voyages.”

“What hast thou then in thy mind? Wilt thou woo thee a wife?”

“That I will,” says he, “if I could only get myself well

matched.”

Then Thorarin told off all the women who were unwedded in

Borgarfirth, and asked him if he would have any of these, “Say

the word, and I will ride with thee!”

But Glum answered, “I will have none of these.”

“Say then the name of her thou wishest to have,” says Thorarin.

Glum answered, “If thou must know, her name is Hallgerda, and she

is Hauskuld’s daughter away west in the dales.”

“Well,” says Thorarin, “‘tis not with thee as the saw says, `be

warned by another’s woe’; for she was wedded to a man, and she

plotted his death.”

Glum said, “Maybe such ill-luck will not befall her a second

time, and sure I am she will not plot my death. But now, if thou

wilt show me any honour, ride along with me to woo her.”

Thorarin said, “There’s no good striving against it, for what

must be is sure to happen.” Glum often talked the matter over

with Thorarin, but he put it off a long time. At last it came

about that they gathered men together and rode off ten in

company, west to the dales, and came to Hauskuldstede. Hauskuld

gave them a hearty welcome, and they stayed there that night.

But early next morning, Hauskuld sends for Hrut, and he came

thither at once: and Hauskuld was out of doors when he rode into

the “town”. Then Hauskuld told Hrut what men had come thither.

“What may it be they want?” asked Hrut.

“As yet,” says Hauskuld, “they have not let out to me that they

have any business.”

“Still,” says Hrut, “their business must be with thee. They will

ask the hand of thy daughter, Hallgerda. If they do, what answer

wilt thou make?”

“What dost thou advise me to say?” says Hauskuld.

“Thou shalt answer well,” says Hrut; “but still make a clean

breast of all the good and all the ill thou knowest of the

woman.”

But while the brothers were talking thus, out came the guests.

Hauskuld greeted them well, and Hrut bade both Thorarin and his

brothers good morning. After that they all began to talk, and

Thorarin said, “I am come hither, Hauskuld, with my brother Glum

on this errand, to ask for Hallgerda thy daughter, at the hand of

my brother Glum. Thou must know that he is a man of worth.”

“I know well,” says Hauskuld, “that ye are both of you powerful

and worthy men; but I must tell you right out, that I chose a

husband for her before, and that turned out most unluckily for

us.”

Thorarin answered, “We will not let that stand in the way of the

bargain; for one oath shall not become all oaths, and this may

prove to be a good match, though that turned out ill; besides

Thiostolf had most hand in spoiling it.”

Then Hrut spoke: “Now I will give you a bit of advice — this: if

ye will not let all this that has already happened to Hallgerda

stand in the way of the match, mind you do not let Thiostolf go

south with her if the match comes off, and that he is never there

longer than three nights at a time, unless Glum gives him leave,

but fall an outlaw by Glum’s hand without atonement if he stay

there longer. Of course, it shall be in Glum’s power to give him

leave; but he will not if he takes my advice. And now this match

shall not be fulfilled, as the other was, without Hallgerda’s

knowledge. She shall now know the whole course of this bargain,

and see Glum, and herself settle whether she will have him or

not; and then she will not be able to lay the blame on others if

it does not turn out well. And all this shall be without craft

or guile.”

Then Thorarin said, “Now, as always, it will prove best if thy

advice be taken.”

Then they sent for Hallgerda, and she came thither, and two women

with her. She had on a cloak of rich blue woof, and under it a

scarlet kirtle, and a silver girdle round her waist, but her hair

came down on both sides of her bosom, and she had turned the

locks up under her girdle. She sat down between Hrut and her

father, and she greeted them all with kind words, and spoke well

and boldly, and asked what was the news. After that she ceased

speaking.

Then Glum said, “There has been some talk between thy father and

my brother Thorarin and myself about a bargain. It was that I

might get thee, Hallgerda, if it be thy will, as it is theirs;

and now, if thou art a brave woman, thou wilt say right out

whether the match is at all to thy mind; but if thou hast

anything in thy heart against this bargain with us, then we will

not say anything more about it.”

Hallgerda said, “I know well that you are men of worth and might,

ye brothers. I know too that now I shall be much better wedded

than I was before; but what I want to know is, what you have said

already about the match, and how far you have given your words in

the matter. But so far as I now see of thee, I think I might

love thee well if we can but hit it off as to temper.”

So Glum himself told her all about the bargain, and left nothing

out, and then he asked Hauskuld and Hrut whether he had repeated

it right. Hauskuld said he had; and then Hallgerda said, “Ye

have dealt so well with me in this matter, my father and Hrut,

that I will do what ye advise, and this bargain shall be struck

as ye have settled it.”

Then Hrut said, “Methinks it were best that Hauskuld and I should

name witnesses, and that Hallgerda should betroth herself, if the

Lawman thinks that right and lawful.

“Right and lawful it is,” says Thorarin.

After that Hallgerda’s goods were valued, and Glum was to lay

down as much against them, and they were to go shares, half and

half, in the whole. Then Glum bound himself to Hallgerda as his

betrothed, and they rode away home south; but Hauskuld was to

keep the wedding-feast at his house. And now all is quiet till

men ride to the wedding.

14. GLUM’S WEDDING

Those brothers gathered together a great company, and they were

all picked men. They rode west to the dales and came to

Hauskuldstede, and there they found a great gathering to meet

them. Hauskuld and Hrut, and their friends, filled one bench,

and the bridegroom the other. Hallgerda sat upon the cross bench

on the dais, and behaved well. Thiostolf went about with his axe

raised in air, and no one seemed to know that he was there, and

so the wedding went off well. But when the feast was over,

Hallgerda went away south with Glum and his brothers. So when

they came south to Varmalek, Thorarin asked Hallgerda if she

would undertake the housekeeping. “No, I will not,” she said.

Hallgerda kept her temper down that winter, and they liked her

well enough. But when the spring came, the brothers talked about

their property, and Thorarin said, “I will give up to you the

house at Varmalek, for that is readiest to your hand, and I will

go down south to Laugarness and live there, but Engey we will

have both of us in common.”