Njal's Saga

by AnonYMous

  After that Gunnar and Hallgerd set off for home.

  ‘Keep this in mind, Bergthora,’ said Hallgerd, ‘that we’re not finished yet’

  Bergthora said that Hallgerd would not be better off for that. Gunnar said nothing more and went home to Hlidarendi and was there all through the winter. Summer came, and the time for the Thing.

  36

  Gunnar got ready to ride to the Thing, and before he left he spoke to Hallgerd: ‘Behave yourself while I’m away and don’t show your bad temper where my friends are concerned.’

  ‘The trolls take your friends,’ she said.

  Gunnar rode to the Thing, and saw that it was no good talking to her. Njal and all his sons also rode to the Thing.

  Now to tell what was happening at home: Gunnar and Njal together owned some woodland at Raudaskrid. They had not divided it up, and each of them was in the habit of cutting what he needed, without blame from the other.

  Kol was the name of Hallgerd’s overseer. He had been with her a long time, and was the worst sort of person. A man named Svart was Njal and Bergthora’s servant, and they were quite fond of him.

  Bergthora spoke with Svart and told him to go to Raudaskrid and chop wood – ‘and I will send men to haul it home.’

  He said he would do as she wished. He went up to Raudaskrid and started chopping, and was to stay there for a week.

  Some poor men came to Hlidarendi from east of the Markarfljot and reported that Svart had been at Raudaskrid chopping wood, and working hard at it.

  ‘It seems that Bergthora is out to rob me in a big way’ said Hallgerd, ‘but I’ll see to it that he won’t chop any more.’

  Rannveig, Gunnar’s mother, overheard this and spoke: ‘Housewives have been good here, even without plotting to kill men.’

  The night passed, and in the morning Hallgerd said to Kol, ‘I have thought of a job for you,’ and she handed him a weapon. ‘Go up to Raudaskrid. You’ll find Svart there.’

  ‘What am I to do with him?’ he said.

  ‘Do you need to ask that?’ she said. ‘You – the worst sort of person? Kill him!’

  ‘I can do that,’ he said, ‘and yet it’s likely to cost me my life.’

  ‘Everything grows big in your eyes,’ she said, ‘and this is bad of you after all the times I’ve spoken up for you. I’ll find another man to do this if you don’t dare.’

  He took the axe and was very angry, and took a horse that Gunnar owned and rode until he came east to the Markarfljot. There he dismounted and waited in the woods until men had carried off the timber and Svart was left alone.

  Kol charged towards him and said, ‘More men than you know how to chop hard’ – and he sank the axe into his head and struck him his death blow and then rode back and told Hallgerd of the slaying.

  She said, ‘I’ll look after you so that no one will harm you.’

  ‘That may be,’ he said, ‘but before I did the slaying I had a dream that pointed the other way.’

  The men came back to the woods and found Svart dead and carried his body home.

  Hallgerd sent a man to Gunnar at the Thing to tell him of the slaying. Gunnar did not find fault with Hallgerd in the presence of the messenger, and at first people did not know whether he thought well or ill of it. After a while he stood up and asked his men to come with him. They did, and went together to Njal’s booth, and Gunnar sent a man to ask Njal to come outside. Njal came out at once, and he and Gunnar went apart to talk.

  Gunnar spoke: ‘I have a slaying to tell you of: my wife and my overseer Kol brought it about, and your servant Svart was the victim.’

  Njal remained silent while Gunnar told him everything. Then he spoke: ‘You must not let her have her way in everything.’

  Gunnar said, ‘You make the judgement yourself.’

  Njal said, ‘It’s going to be hard for you to atone for all of Hallgerd’s misdoings, and another time the effects will be greater than now, where just the two of us are involved – though this matter itself is far short of going well – and you and I will have to keep in mind the good things we’ve been saying to each other for a long time. I expect that you will do well, but you will be tested hard.’

  Njal accepted self-judgement from Gunnar and said, ‘I’m not going to push this too hard: pay me twelve ounces of silver. But I want to stipulate that if something happens from my side which you have to judge, you will not set harder terms than I have done.’

  Gunnar paid the money readily and then rode home.

  Njal and his sons returned from the Thing. Bergthora saw the money and said, ‘This was moderately done – the same amount must be paid for Kol when the time comes.’

  Gunnar returned from the Thing and reproached Hallgerd. She said that better men than Svart had died in many places without compensation.

  Gunnar said she would decide her own actions – ‘but I shall decide how the cases are settled.’

  Hallgerd frequently boasted of the slaying of Svart, and Bergthora did not like that at all.

  Njal and his sons went up to Thorolfsfell to look after their farm. The same day it happened that Bergthora was outside and saw a man riding up on a black horse. She remained where she was and did not go in. She did not recognize him. He had a spear in his hand and a short sword at his belt. She asked him his name.

  ‘I’m called Atli,’ he said.

  She asked where he came from.

  ‘I’m from the East Fjords,’ he said.

  ‘Where are you going?’ she said.

  ‘I have no place to work,’ he said, ‘and I was looking for Njal and Skarphedin, to see if they would take me on.’

  ‘What work are you best at?’ she asked.

  ‘I do field work,’ he said, ‘and I’m good at many other things, but I won’t hide the fact that I’m a harsh-tempered man and that many have had to bind up wounds on account of me.’

  ‘I won’t hold it against you,’ she said, ‘that you’re not a coward.’

  Atli said, ‘Do you have any authority here?’

  ‘I’m Njal’s wife,’ she said, ‘and I have no less authority in hiring than he does.’

  ‘Will you take me on?’ he asked.

  ‘I’ll give you a chance,’ she said, ‘provided you do whatever I ask you to – even if I send you out to kill someone.’

  ‘You surely have enough men,’ he said, ‘that you don’t need me for such things.’

  ‘I set the terms as I please,’ she said.

  ‘Let’s agree on them, then,’ he said, and she took him on.

  Njal and his sons came home, and Njal asked Bergthora who this new man was.

  ‘He’s your servant,’ she said. ‘I hired him – he said he was good at working with his hands.’

  ‘He’ll be a hard worker, sure enough,’ said Njal, ‘but I don’t know whether he’ll be a good worker.’

  Skarphedin took a liking to Atli.

  The following summer Njal and his sons rode to the Thing. Gunnar was also there. One day Njal brought out a pouch of money.

  Skarphedin asked, ‘What money is that, father?’

  ‘This is the money,’ said Njal, ‘that Gunnar paid to me for our servant last summer.’

  ‘It may turn out to be useful,’ said Skarphedin, and grinned.

  37

  Now to what was happening at home: Atli asked Bergthora what work he should do that day.

  ‘I’ve thought of a job for you,’ she said. ‘Go and look for Kol until you find him, for you must kill him today – if you want to do my will.’

  ‘That’s quite fitting,’ he said, ‘since both Kol and I are bad sorts. I’ll go after him in such a way that one of us will die.’

  ‘You’ll do well,’ she said, ‘and you won’t do this job for nothing.’

  He went and got his weapons and horse and rode away. He rode up to Fljotshlid and met men there who were coming from Hlidarendi. They lived at Mork in the east. They asked where Atli was headed, and he said he was out riding to look for
a work-horse. They said that that was a petty task for such a workman – ‘but it would be best for you to ask those who were on the move last night’

  ‘And who are they?’ he said.

  ‘Killer-Kol, Hallgerd’s servant, left the shieling just now,’ they said, ‘and he’s been up all night.’

  ‘I don’t know if I dare to meet up with him,’ said Atli. ‘He’s got a bad temper, and I’d best be warned by another man’s woe.’

  ‘From the look in your eyes,’ they said, ‘you seem anything but a coward’ – and they directed him to where Kol was.

  He spurred his horse and rode hard. When he came to Kol he said, ‘Is your pack-horse work going well?’

  ‘That’s no business of yours, you scum,’ said Kol, ‘or of anybody from your place.’

  Atli said, ‘You still have the toughest task of all.’

  Atli then thrust his spear and hit him in the waist. Kol swung his axe at him and missed and fell off his horse and died at once.

  Atli rode until he met some of Hallgerd’s workmen. ‘Go up to the horse,’ he said, ‘and take care of it. Kol fell off its back, and he’s dead.’

  ‘Did you kill him?’ they said.

  He answered, ‘It will occur to Hallgerd that he didn’t die by his own hand.’

  Then Atli rode home and told Bergthora. She thanked him, both for the deed and for the words which he had spoken.

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Atli, ‘what Njal will think of this.’

  ‘He can handle it,’ she said, ‘and as a sign I can tell you that he took with him to the Thing the slave’s price we received last summer, and this money will now pay for Kol. But even though there’s a settlement, you must be on your guard, for Hallgerd will not honour any settlement.’

  ‘Don’t you want to send someone to Njal to tell him of the slaying?’ he said.

  ‘No, I don’t,’ she said. ‘It would suit me better if Kol’s death went uncompensated.’

  Then they ended their talk.

  Hallgerd was told of Kol’s slaying and of Atli’s comments. She said she would pay him back. She sent a man to the Thing to tell Gunnar of Kol’s slaying. He had little to say about it and sent a man to Njal to let him know. Njal said nothing.

  Skarphedin spoke: ‘Slaves are much more active than they used to be: then they just got into brawls, and that seemed harmless enough, but now they’re out to kill each other.’

  He grinned.

  Njal took down the money pouch which was hanging in the booth and went out; his sons went with him. They came to Gunnar’s booth. Skarphedin said to the man who was standing in the doorway, ‘Tell Gunnar that my father wants to see him.’

  The man told Gunnar, and Gunnar came out at once and gave Njal a warm greeting. Then they went off to speak.

  ‘Things have turned out badly,’ said Njal; ‘my wife has broken our settlement and had your servant killed.’

  ‘She should not be blamed for this,’ said Gunnar.

  ‘You make the judgement,’ said Njal.

  ‘I will,’ said Gunnar. ‘I’ll make Svart and Kol equal in value – pay me twelve ounces of silver.’

  Njal took the money pouch and gave it to Gunnar. Gunnar recognized the money as the same that he had paid to Njal. Njal went back to his booth, and after that they got along as well as before.

  When Njal arrived home he reproached Bergthora, but she said she would never give in to Hallgerd.

  Hallgerd was very cross with Gunnar for having settled the slaying peacefully. Gunnar said that he would never turn against Njal or his sons, and she went on raging. Gunnar paid no attention.

  Gunnar and Njal saw to it that nothing else happened that year.

  38

  In the spring Njal said to Atli, ‘I would like you to find work back in the East Fjords, so that Hallgerd cannot decide how long you shall live.’

  ‘I’m not afraid of that,’ said Atli, ‘and I would like to stay at home here, if I have a choice.’

  ‘That is less wise,’ said Njal.

  ‘I would rather die in your service than change masters,’ said Atli. ‘But I beg you that no slave’s price be paid for me if I am slain.’

  ‘You will be paid for like any other free man,’ said Njal, ‘and Bergthora will make you a promise, which she’ll keep, that you will be paid for in blood.’

  Atli then joined the household.

  Now to return to Hallgerd: she sent a man west to Bjarnarfjord for her kinsman Brynjolf the Brawler, a very bad sort. Gunnar knew nothing about this. Hallgerd said he would make a good overseer. Brynjolf came east, and Gunnar asked what he was up to. Brynjolf said he would be staying there.

  ‘You won’t improve our household, from what I’ve heard,’ said Gunnar. ‘But I won’t turn away any kinsman whom Hallgerd wants to have with her.’

  Gunnar was short with him, but not unkind. So it went until the time for the Thing.

  Gunnar rode to the Thing with Kolskegg, and when they came there they met with Njal; he was at the Thing with his sons. They were often together and it went well.

  Bergthora spoke to Atli: ‘Go up to Thorolfsfell and work there for a week.’

  He went up and stayed there in secret, and burned charcoal in the woods.

  Hallgerd spoke to Brynjolf: ‘I have been told that Atli is not at home – he must be working at Thorolfsfell.’

  ‘What do you think he’s likely to be working at?’ he said.

  ‘Something in the woods,’ she said.

  ‘What am I to do with him?’ he said.

  ‘Kill him!’ she said.

  He became silent.

  ‘This would not be so big in Thjostolf ’s eyes,’ she said, ‘if he were alive.’

  ‘You won’t have to taunt me this hard again,’ said Brynjolf.

  He took his weapons and horse and mounted and rode off to Thorolfsfell. To the east of the farm he saw thick smoke. He rode towards it and got off his horse and tethered it and walked to where the smoke was thickest. He saw the charcoal pit, and a man was next to it. He saw that the man had stuck his spear into the ground by his side. Brynjolf walked through the smoke right up to him; the man was working furiously and did not see him. Brynjolf hit him on the head with his axe. Atli moved so quickly that Brynjolf lost his grip on the axe, and Atli grabbed his spear and threw it at him. Brynjolf threw himself to the ground, and the spear passed over him.

  ‘It’s lucky for you that I wasn’t ready,’ said Atli. ‘Hallgerd will now be pleased, for you will tell her of my death. But it’s comforting to know that you will soon meet the same end. Now come here and take the axe.’

  Brynjolf said nothing and did not take the axe until Atli was dead. He rode over to Thorolfsfell and announced the slaying, and after that rode home and told Hallgerd. She sent a man to Bergthorshvol to announce to Bergthora that the slaying of Kol had now been paid back.

  Then Hallgerd sent a man to the Thing to tell Gunnar of Atli’s slaying. Gunnar stood up, and so did Kolskegg.

  Kolskegg said, ‘The kinsmen of Hallgerd aren’t much use to you.’

  They went to see Njal.

  Gunnar spoke: ‘I have to tell you of the slaying of Atli’ – and he told him who had done it. ‘I want to offer you compensation, and I want you to fix the amount yourself.’

  Njal said, ‘We have tried to prevent disagreement between us, but I cannot value Atli as a slave.’

  Gunnar said that was fair and gave him his hand. Njal took it and named witnesses, and they agreed to settle.

  Skarphedin spoke: ‘Hallgerd does not let our servants die of old age.’

  Gunnar answered, ‘Your mother will think that she too should take vengeance.’

  ‘That is certainly so,’ said Njal.

  Njal then set the price at a hundred ounces of silver, and Gunnar paid it at once. Many of those standing around called this a high price. Gunnar became angry and said that full compensation had been paid for men who were no more worthy than Atli had been. At this they rode home from
the Thing.

  Bergthora said to Njal, when she saw the money, ‘You think you have kept your promise, but mine has yet to be kept.’

  ‘There’s no need for you to keep it,’ said Njal.

  ‘But you’ve guessed that I will,’ she said, ‘and so it shall be.’

  Hallgerd spoke to Gunnar: ‘Did you really pay a hundred ounces of silver for Atli’s slaying and value him as a free man?’

  ‘He was already a free man,’ said Gunnar, ‘and I’m not going to treat Njal’s servants as men who have no right to compensation.’

  ‘You two are a real match for each other,’ said Hallgerd. ‘Both of you are soft.’

  ‘That remains to be seen,’ he said.

  Then Gunnar was cold with her for a long time, until she became more yielding.

  Things were quiet the rest of the year. In the spring Njal added no more servants to his household. People rode to the Thing in the summer.

  39

  There was a man named Thord, and he was called Freed-man’s son. His father’s name was Sigtrygg; he had been a slave freed by Asgerd1 and he drowned in the river Markarfljot; Thord was with Njal after that. He was big and strong, and had fostered all of Njal’s sons. He was in love with Gudfinna Thorolfsdottir, Njal’s kinswoman. She was a housekeeper at Bergthorshvol and was then pregnant.

  Bergthora went to speak with Thord Freed-man’s son. ‘You are to go and kill Brynjolf,’ she said.

  ‘I’m no killer,’ he said, ‘but I’ll do this if you wish it’

  ‘I wish it,’ she said.

  After that he took his horse and rode up to Hlidarendi and called Hallgerd out and asked where Brynjolf was.

  ‘What do you want with him?’ she asked.

  He said, ‘I want him to tell me where he covered up Atli’s body; I’m told he did a bad job of it.’

  She pointed the way and said he was down at Akratunga.

  ‘Take care,’ said Thord, ‘that what happened to Atli doesn’t happen to him.’

  ‘You’re no killer,’ she said, ‘and nothing will happen if you two meet.’