Автор литература - Njal's Saga

Then they passed on to the Waterfirthers’ booth, and then Hall

and Ljot came from the east across the river, with all their

band; but just when they came to the lava, a spear was hurled out

of the band of Gudmund the Powerful, and it struck Ljot in the

middle, and he fell down dead at once; and it was never known

surely who had done that manslaughter.

Flosi and his men turned up round the Waterfirther’s booth, and

then Thorgeir Craggeir said to Kari Solmund’s son, “Look, yonder

now is Eyjolf Bolverk’s son, if thou hast a mind to pay him off

for the ring.”

“That I ween is not far from my mind,” says Kari, and snatched a

spear from a man, and hurled it at Eyjolf, and it struck him in

the waist, and went through him, and Eyjolf then fell dead to

earth.

Then there was a little lull in the battle, and then Snorri the

Priest came up with his band, and Skapti was there in his

company, and they ran in between them, and so they could not get

at one another to fight.

Then Hall threw in his people with theirs, and was for parting

them there and then, and so a truce was set, and was to be kept

throughout the Thing, and then the bodies were laid out and borne

to the church, and the wounds of those men were bound up who were

hurt.

The day after men went to the Hill of Laws. Then Han of the Side

stood up and asked for a hearing, and got it at once; and he

spoke thus, “Here there have been hard happenings in lawsuits

and loss of life at the Thing, and now I will show again that I

am little-hearted, for I will now ask Asgrim and the others who

take the lead in these suits, that they grant us an atonement on

even terms;” and so he goes on with many fair words.

Kari Solmund’s son said, “Though all others take an atonement in

their quarrels, yet will I take no atonement in my quarrel; for

ye will wish to weigh these manslayings against the burning, and

we cannot bear that.”

In the same way spoke Thorgeir Craggeir.

Then Skapti Thorod’s son stood up and said, “Better had it been

for thee, Kari, not to have run away from thy father-in-law and

thy brothers-in-law, than now to sneak out of this atonement.”

Then Kari sang these verses:

“Warrior wight that weapon wieldest

Spare thy speering why we fled,

Oft for less falls hail of battle,

Forth we fled to wreak revenge;

Who was he, fainthearted foeman,

Who, when tongues of steel sung high,

Stole beneath the booth for shelter,

While his beard blushed red for shame?

“Many fetters Skapti fettered

When the men, the Gods of fight,

From the fray fared all unwilling

Where the skald scarce held his shield;

Then the suttlers dragged the lawyer

Stout in scolding to their booth,

Laid him low amongst the riffraff,

How his heart then quaked for fear.

“Men who skim the main on sea stag

Well in this ye showed your sense

Making game about the Burning,

Mocking Helgi, Grim, and Njal;

Now the moor round rocky Swinestye (1),

As men run and shake their shields,

With another grunt shall rattle

When this Thing is past and gone.”

Then there was great laughter. Snorri the Priest smiled and sang

this between his teeth, but so that many heard:

“Skill hath Skapti us to tell

Whether Asgrim’s shaft flew well;

Holmstein hurried swift to flight,

Thorstein turned him soon to fight.”

Now men burst out in great fits of laughter.

Then Hall of the Side said, “All men know what a grief I have

suffered in the loss of my son Ljot; many will think that he

would be valued dearest of all those men who have fallen here;

but I will do this for the sake of an atonement — I will put no

price on my son, and yet will come forward and grant both pledges

and peace to those who are my adversaries. I beg thee, Snorri

the Priest, and other of the best men, to bring this about, that

there may be an atonement between us.”

Now he sits him down, and a great hum in his favour followed, and

all praised his gentleness and goodwill.

Then Snorri the Priest stood up and made a long and clever

speech, and begged Asgrim and the others who took the lead in the

quarrel to look towards an atonement.

Then Asgrim said, “I made up my mind when Flosi made an inroad

on my house that I would never be atoned with him; but now Snorri

the Priest, I will take an atonement from him for thy word’s sake

and other of our friends.”

In the same way spoke Thorleif Crow and Thorgrim the Big, that

they were willing to be atoned, and they urged in every way their

brother Thorgeir Craggeir to take an atonement also; but he hung

back, and says he would never part from Kari.

Then Gizur the White said, “Now Flosi must see that he must make

his choice, whether he will be atoned on the understanding that

some will be out of the atonement.”

Flosi says he will take that atonement; “And methinks it is so

much the better,” he says, “that I have fewer good men and true

against me.”

Then Gudmund the Powerful said, “I will offer to handsel peace

on my behalf for the slayings that have happened here at the

Thing, on the understanding that the suit for the burning is not

to fall to the ground.”

In the same way spoke Gizur the White and Hjallti Skeggi’s son,

Asgrim Ellidagrim’s son and Mord Valgard’s son.

In this way the atonement came about, and then hands were shaken

on it, and twelve men were to utter the award; and Snorri the

Priest was the chief man in the award, and others with him. Then

the manslaughters were set off the one against the other, and

those men who were over and above were paid for in fines. They

also made an award in the suit about the burning.

Njal was to be atoned for with a triple fine, and Bergthora with

two. The slaying of Skarphedinn was to be set off against that

of Hauskuld the Whiteness Priest. Both Grim and Helgi were to be

paid for with double fines; and one full manfine should be paid

for each of those who had been burnt in the house.

No atonement was taken for the slaying of Thord Kari’s son.

It was also in the award that Flosi and all the burners should go

abroad into banishment, and none of them was to sail the same

summer unless he chose; but if he did not sail abroad by the time

that three winters were spent, then he and all the burners were

to become thorough outlaws. And it was also said that their

outlawry might be proclaimed either at the Harvest-Thing or

Spring-Thing, whichever men chose; and Flosi was to stay abroad

three winters.

As for Gunnar Lambi’s son, and Grani Gunnar’s son, Glum Hilldir’s

son, and Kol Thorstein’s son, they were never to be allowed to

come back.

Then Flosi was asked if he would wish to have a price put upon

his wound, but he said he would not take bribes for his hurt.

Eyjolf Bolverk’s son had no fine awarded for him, for his

unfairness and wrongfulness.

And now this settlement and atonement was handselled and was well

kept afterwards.

Asgrim and his friends gave Snorri the priest good gifts, and he

had great honour from these suits.

Skapti got a fine for his hurt.

Gizur the White, and Hjallti Skeggi’s son, and Asgrim

Ellidagrim’s son, asked Gudmund the Powerful to come and see them

at home. He accepted the bidding, and each of them gave him a

gold ring.