Автор литература - Njal's Saga

men.”

Then they ran for their horses, and leapt on their backs; and

Thorgeir said, “Wilt thou that we chase them? If so, we shall

yet slay some of them.”

“He rides last,” says Kari, “whom I would not wish to slay, and

that is Kettle of the Mark, for we have two sisters to wife; and

besides, he has behaved best of all of them as yet in our

quarrels.”

Then they got on their horses, and rode till they came home to

Holt. Then Thorgeir made his brothers fare away east to Skoga,

for they had another farm there, and because Thorgeir would not

that his brothers should be called truce-breakers.

Then Thorgeir kept many men there about him, so that there were

never fewer than thirty fighting men there.

Then there was great joy there, and men thought Thorgeir had

grown much greater, and pushed himself on; both he and Kari too.

Men long kept in mind this hunting of theirs, how they rode upon

fifteen men and slew those five, but put those ten to flight who

got away.

Now it is to be told of Kettle, that they rode as they best might

till they came home to Swinefell, and told how bad their journey

had been.

Flosi said it was only what was to be looked for; “And this is a

warning that ye should never do the like again.”

Flosi was the merriest of men, and the best of hosts, and it is

so said that he had most of the chieftain in him of all the men

of his time.

He was at home that summer, and the winter too.

But that winter, after Yule, Hall of the Side came from the east,

and Kol his son. Flosi was glad at his coming, and they often

talked about the matter of the burning. Flosi said they had

already paid a great fine, and Hall said it was pretty much what

he had guessed would come of Flosi’s and his friends’ quarrel.

Then he asked him what counsel he thought best to be taken, and

Hall answers, “The counsel is, that thou beest atoned with

Thorgeir if there be a choice, and yet he will be hard to bring

to take any atonement.”

“Thinkest thou that the manslaughters will then be brought to an

end?” asks Flosi.

“I do not think so,” says Hall; “but you will have to do with

fewer foes if Kari be left alone; but if thou art not atoned with

Thorgeir, then that will be thy bane.”

“What atonement shall we offer him?” asks Flosi.

“You will all think that atonement hard,” says Hall, “which he

will take, for he will not hear of an atonement unless he be not

called on to pay any fine for what he has just done, but he will

have fines for Njal and his sons, so far as his third share

goes.”

“That is a hard atonement,” says Flosi.

“For thee at least,” says Hall, “that atonement is not hard, for

thou hast not the blood-feud after the sons of Sigfus; their

brothers have the blood-feud, and Hammond the Halt after his son;

but thou shalt now get an atonement from Thorgeir, for I will now

ride to his house with thee, and Thorgeir will in anywise receive

me well: but no man of those who are in this quarrel will dare to

sit in his house on Fleetlithe if they are out of the atonement,

for that will be their bane; and, indeed, with Thorgeir’s turn of

mind, it is only what must be looked for.”

Now the sons of Sigfus were sent for, and they brought this

business before them; and the end of their speech was, on the

persuasion of Hall, that they all thought what he said right, and

were ready to be atoned.

Grani Gunnar’s son and Gunnar Lambi’s son, said, “It will be in

our power, if Kari be left alone behind, to take care that he be

not less afraid of us than we of him.”

“Easier said than done,” says Hall, “and ye will find it a dear

bargain to deal with him. Ye will have to pay a heavy fine

before you have done with him.”

After that they ceased speaking about it.

ENDNOTES:

(1) “With words alone.” The English proverb, “Threatened men

live long.”

(2) “Sea crags.” Hence Thorgeir got his surname “Craggeir.”

146. THE AWARD OF ATONEMENT WITH THORGEIR CRAGGEIR

Hall of the Side and his son Kol, seven of them in all, rode west

over Loomnip’s Sand, and so west over Amstacksheath, and did not

draw bridle till they came into Myrdale. There they asked

whether Thorgeir would be at home at Holt, and they were told

that they would find him at home.

The men asked whither Hall meant to go.

“Thither to Holt,” he said.

They said they were sure he went on a good errand.

He stayed there some while and baited their horses, and after

that they mounted their horses and rode to Solheim about even,

and they were there that night, but the day after they rode to

Holt.

Thorgeir was out of doors, and Kari too, and their men, for they

had seen Hall’s coming. He rode in a blue cape, and had a little

axe studded with silver in his hand; but when they came into the

“town,” Thorgeir went to meet him, and helped him off his horse,

and both he and Kari kissed him and led him in between them into

the sittingroom, and sate him down in the high seat on the dais,

and they asked him tidings about many things.

He was there that night. Next morning Hall raised the question

of the atonement with Thorgeir, and told him what terms they

offered him; and he spoke about them with many fair and kindly

words.

“It may be well known to thee,” answers Thorgeir, “that I said I

would take no atonement from the burners.”

“That was quite another matter then,” says Hall; “ye were then

wroth with fight, and, besides, ye have done great deeds in the

way of manslaying since.”

“I daresay ye think so,” says Thorgeir, “but what atonement do ye

offer to Kari?”

“A fitting atonement shall be offered him,” says Hall, “if he

will take it.”

Then Kari said, “I pray this of thee, Thorgeir, that thou wilt be

atoned, for thy lot cannot be better than good.”

“Methinks,” says Thorgeir, “it is ill done to take in atonement,

and sunder myself from thee, unless thou takest the same

atonement as I”

“I will not take any atonement,” says Kari, “but yet I say that

we have avenged the burning; but my son, I say, is still

unavenged, and I mean to take that on myself alone, and see what

I can get done.”

But Thorgeir would take no atonement before Kari said that he

would take it ill if he were not atoned. Then Thorgeir

handselled a truce to Flosi and his men, as a step to a meeting

for atonement; but Hall did the same on behalf of Flosi and the

sons of Sigfus.

But ere they parted, Thorgeir gave Hall a gold ring and a scarlet

cloak, but Kari gave him a silver brooch, and there were hung to

it four crosses of gold. Hall thanked them kindly for their

gifts, and rode away with the greatest honour. He did not draw

bridle till he came to Swinefell, and Flosi gave him a hearty

welcome. Hall told Flosi all about his errand and the talk he

had with Thorgeir, and also that Thorgeir would not take the

atonement till Kari told him he would quarrel with him if he did

not take it; but that Kari would take no atonement.

“There are few men like Kari,” said Flosi, “and I would that my

mind were shapen altogether like his.”

Hall and Kol stayed there some while, and afterwards they rode

west at the time agreed on to the meeting for atonement, and met