Автор литература - Njal's Saga

for certain about the doings of the burners. He was one of

Kari’s greatest friends, and Kari stayed with him for the winter.

There they heard tidings from the west out of the Orkneys of all

that was done there.

Earl Sigurd bade to his feast at Yule Earl Gilli, his brother-in-law, out of the Southern isles; he had to wife Swanlauga, Earl

Sigurd’s sister; and then, too, came to see Earl Sigurd that king

from Ireland whose name was Sigtrygg. He was a son of Olaf

Rattle, but his mother’s name was Kormlada; she was the fairest

of all women, and best gifted in everything that was not in her

own power, but it was the talk of men that she did all things ill

over which she had any power.

Brian was the name of the king who first had her to wife, but

they were then parted. He was the best-natured of all kings. He

had his seat in Connaught, in Ireland; his brother’s name was

Wolf the Quarrelsome, the greatest champion and warrior; Brian’s

fosterchild’s name was Kerthialfad. He was the son of King

Kylfi, who had many wars with King Brian, and fled away out of

the land before him, and became a hermit; but when King Brian

went south on a pilgrimage, then he met King Kylfi, and then they

were atoned, and King Brian took his son Kerthialfad to him, and

loved him more than his own sons. He was then full grown when

these things happened, and was the boldest of all men.

Duncan was the name of the first of King Brian’s sons; the second

was Margad; the third, Takt, whom we call Tann, he was the

youngest of them; but the elder sons of King Brian were full

grown, and the briskest of men.

Kormlada was not the mother of King Brian’s children, and so grim

was she against King Brian after their parting, that she would

gladly have him dead.

King Brian thrice forgave all his outlaws the same fault, but if

they misbehaved themselves oftener, then he let them be judged by

the law; and from this one may mark what a king he must have

been.

Kormlada egged on her son Sigtrygg very much to kill King Brian,

and she now sent him to Earl Sigurd to beg for help.

King Sigtrygg came before Yule to the Orkneys, and there, too,

came Earl Gilli, as was written before.

The men were so placed that King Sigtrygg sat in a high seat in

the middle, but on either side of the king sat one of the earls.

The men of King Sigtrygg and Earl Gilli sate on the inner side

away from him, but on the outer side away from Earl Sigurd, sate

Flosi and Thorstein, son of Hall of the Side, and the whole hall

was full.

Now King Sigtrygg and Earl Gilli wished to hear of these tidings

which had happened at the burning, and so, also, what had

befallen since.

Then Gunnar Lambi’s son was got to tell the tale, and a stool was

set for him to sit upon.

154. GUNNAR LAMBI’S SON’S SLAYING

Just at that very time Kari and Kolbein and David the White came

to Hrossey unawares to all men. They went straightway up on

land, but a few men watched their ship.

Kari and his fellows went straight to the earl’s homestead, and

came to the hall about drinking time.

It so happened that just then Gunnar was telling the story of the

burning, but they were listening to him meanwhile outside. This

was on Yule-day itself.

Now King Sigtrygg asked, “How did Skarphedinn bear the burning?”

“Well at first for a long time,” said Gunnar, “but still the end

of it was that he wept.” And so he went on giving an unfair

leaning in his story, but every now and then he laughed out loud.

Kari could not stand this, and then he ran in with his sword

drawn, and sang this song:

“Men of might, in battle eager,

Boast of burning Njal’s abode,

Have the Princes heard how sturdy

Seahorse racers sought revenge?

Hath not since, on foemen holding

High the shield’s broad orb aloft,

All that wrong been fully wroken?

Raw flesh ravens got to tear.”

So he ran in up the hall, and smote Gunnar Lambi’s son on the

neck with such a sharp blow, that his head spun off on to the

board before the king and the earls, and the board was all one

gore of blood, and the earl’s clothing too.

Earl Sigurd knew the man that had done the deed, and called out,

“Seize Kari and kill him.”

Kari had been one of Earl Sigurd’s bodyguard, and he was of all

men most beloved by his friends; and no man stood up a whit more

for the earl’s speech.

“Many would say, Lord,” said Kari, “that I have done this deed on

your behalf, to avenge your henchman.”

Then Flosi said, “Kari hath not done this without a cause; he is

in no atonement with us, and he only did what he had a right to

do.”

So Kari walked away, and there was no hue and cry after him.

Kari fared to his ship, and his fellows with him. The weather

was then good, and they sailed off at once south to Caithness,

and went on shore at Thraswick to the house of a worthy man whose

name was Skeggi, and with him they stayed a very long while.

Those behind in the Orkneys cleansed the board, and bore out the

dead man.

The earl was told that they had set sail south for Scotland, and

King Sigtrygg said, “This was a mighty bold fellow, who dealt his

stroke so stoutly, and never thought twice about it!”

Then Earl Sigurd answered, “There is no man like Kari for dash

and daring.”

Now Flosi undertook to tell the story of the burning, and he was

fair to all; and therefore what he said was believed.

Then King Sigtrygg stirred in his business with Earl Sigurd, and

bade him go to the war with him against King Brian.

The earl was long steadfast, but the end of it was that he let

the king have his way, but said he must have his mother’s hand

for his help, and be king in Ireland, if they slew Brian. But

all his men besought Earl Sigurd not to go into the war, but it

was all no good.

So they parted on the understanding that Earl Sigurd gave his

word to go; but King Sigtrygg promised him his mother and the

kingdom.

It was so settled that Earl Sigurd was to come with all his host

to Dublin by Palm Sunday.

Then King Sigtrygg fared south to Ireland, and told his mother

Kormlada that the earl had undertaken to come, and also what he

had pledged himself to grant him.

She showed herself well pleased at that, but said they must

gather greater force still.

Sigtrygg asked whence this was to be looked for?

She said there were two vikings lying off the west of Man; and

that they had thirty ships, and, she went on, “They are men of

such hardihood that nothing can withstand them. The one’s name

is Ospak, and the other’s Brodir. Thou shalt fare to find them,

and spare nothing to get them into thy quarrel, whatever price

they ask.”

Now King Sigtrygg fares and seeks the vikings, and found them

lying outside off Man; King Sigtrygg brings forward his errand at

once, but Brodir shrank from helping him until he, King Sigtrygg,

promised him the kingdom and his mother, and they were to keep

this such a secret that Earl Sigurd should know nothing about it;

Brodir too was to come to Dublin on Palm Sunday.

So King Sigtrygg fared home to his mother, and told her how

things stood.

After that those brothers, Ospak and Brodir, talked together, and

then Brodir told Ospak all that he and Sigtrygg had spoken of,

and bade him fare to battle with him against King Brian, and said