by AnonYMous
‘No,’ said Grani, ‘I will not attack the Njalssons and break a settlement which good men have made.’
Gunnar and Lambi spoke similar words, and so did the Sigfussons, and they all decided to ride away. When they were gone, Lyting said, ‘Everyone knows that I have not received compensation for my brother-in-law Thrain,2 and I’ll never be content until there is blood revenge.’
Then he called together his two brothers and three servants for the trip. They went to where Hoskuld would be coming and lay in ambush in a hollow north of the farm and waited there until six in the evening. Then Hoskuld came riding towards them. They all sprang up with their weapons and attacked him. Hoskuld defended himself so bravely that for a long time they made no headway. As time went on he wounded Lyting on the arm and killed two of his servants and then was slain. They had given him sixteen wounds, but did not cut off his head. They went into the woods east of the Ranga river and hid there.
That evening Hrodny’s shepherd found Hoskuld’s body and went home and told her of the slaying of her son.
She spoke: ‘He isn’t really dead − was his head off?’
‘No, it wasn’t,’ he said.
‘I’ll know when I see him,’ she said. ‘Get my horse and sled.’
He did and made everything ready, and then they went to where Hoskuld lay. She looked at his wounds and spoke: ‘It’s as I thought − he’s not quite dead, and Njal can heal worse wounds than these.’
They took the body and laid it on the sled and drove to Bergthors-hvol and dragged the body into the sheep shed and placed it sitting upright against the wall. Then they went to the house and knocked on the door, and a servant came. Hrodny rushed past him and made her way to Njal’s bed. She asked him whether he was awake.
He said he had been sleeping until now but was awake − ‘but why have you come here so early?’
Hrodny spoke: ‘Get up from those cushions and away from that other woman,3 and come outside with me − she too, and your sons.’
They all got up and went outside.
Skarphedin said, ‘Let’s take our weapons with us.’
Njal had nothing to say to this, and they ran back inside and came out again with their weapons. She went ahead, until they came to the sheep shed. She went in first and asked them to follow.
Then she raised her lantern and spoke: ‘Here, Njal, is your son Hoskuld – he’s had many wounds and now he needs healing.’
Njal spoke: ‘I see signs of death on him, and no signs of life. Why didn’t you do the closing rite for him? His nostrils are still open.’4
‘I was saving that for Skarphedin,’ she said.
Skarphedin came forward and did the closing rite for him. Then he spoke to his father: ‘Who do you say killed him?’
Njal answered, ‘Lyting of Samsstadir and his brothers must have killed him.’
Hrodny spoke: ‘Skarphedin, I place in your hands the vengeance for your brother, and even though he was not born in wedlock I expect you to do well and pursue this with the greatest zeal.’
Bergthora spoke: ‘You men act strangely – you kill when the cause is small, but in matters like this you swallow and chew until nothing comes of it. When word of this comes to Hoskuld the Godi of Hvitanes, he’ll come and ask you to make a settlement, and you’ll grant him that – but now’s the time to take action, if you have the will.’
Skarphedin said, ‘Our mother’s goading is well founded.’
Then they rushed out. Hrodny went into the house with Njal and was there that night.
99
To turn to Skarphedin and his brothers: they were on their way up towards the Ranga river. Skarphedin said, ‘Let’s stop here and listen.’
Then he said, ‘Let’s move softly, because I hear men’s voices upriver. Now which do you prefer, to deal with Lyting or with his two brothers?’
They said they would rather deal with Lyting.
‘He’s the bigger catch,’ said Skarphedin, ‘and I wouldn’t like it if he got away − I trust myself best to see that he doesn’t’
‘If we get close to him,’ said Helgi, ‘we’ll fix it so he doesn’t get away’
They went to where Skarphedin had heard voices and saw Lyting and his brothers by the side of a stream. Skarphedin at once jumped over the stream and onto the gravel slope on the other side. Hallgrim and his brothers were standing up above. Skarphedin swung at Hallgrim’s thigh so hard that he took the leg off at once, and with his other hand he grabbed Hallkel. Lyting thrust at Skarphedin; Helgi came up then and caught the blow on his shield. Lyting picked up a stone with his other hand and hit Skarphedin with it, and Hallkel got free. He ran up the slope but could not manage except by crawling on his knees. Skarphedin smashed his axe at him and hacked through his backbone.
Lyting turned to flee, but Grim and Helgi went after him and they each inflicted a wound on him. He fled across the river to the horses and galloped off, all the way to Ossabaer.
Hoskuld was at home, and Lyting went to him at once. He told him what had happened.
‘This was to be expected of you,’ said Hoskuld. ‘You acted very rashly. Here is the proof of the saying that the hand’s joy in the blow is brief, and now it seems to me that you must be in some doubt as to whether you’ll be able to save your life.’
‘It’s true,’ said Lyting, ‘that I barely escaped, but now I’d like you to arrange a settlement between me and Njal and his sons, one by which I could keep my farm.’
‘I’ll do that,’ said Hoskuld.
Hoskuld then had his horse saddled and rode with five others to Bergthorshvol. Njal’s sons had come back by then and gone to bed. Hoskuld went to Njal at once, and they went off for a talk.
Hoskuld spoke to Njal: ‘I have come here to plead for Lyting, my aunt’s husband. He has done you great harm: he has broken the settlement and killed your son.’
Njal spoke: ‘Lyting must think he has paid dearly with the death of his brothers. If I give him a chance, I do so for your sake, but first I set these conditions – that Lyting’s brothers be treated as outlaws and that Lyting receive nothing for his wounds and also pay full compensation for Hoskuld.’
Hoskuld said, ‘I want you to decide the terms yourself.’
Njal said, ‘I’ll do as you wish.’
‘Do you want your sons to be present?’ said Hoskuld.
Njal said, ‘In that case we would not get close to a settlement, but they’ll keep to whatever I decide.’1
Then Hoskuld spoke: ‘Let’s settle the matter now, and you must offer peace to Lyting on behalf of your sons.’
‘So be it,’ said Njal. ‘I want him to pay two hundreds in silver for the slaying of Hoskuld, and he may continue to live at Samsstadir, but it would seem to me wiser for him to sell that land and move away – not because I or my sons will break peace with him, but because someone may turn up there whom he had best avoid. So that it doesn’t seem that I am outlawing him from the district, I’ll allow him to stay here, but then he’s responsible for himself.’
Then Hoskuld went home.
The Njalssons woke up and asked their father what had happened, and he told them that his foster-son Hoskuld had been there.
‘He must have made a plea on behalf of Lyting,’ said Skarphedin.
‘Yes,’ said Njal.
‘That’s bad,’ said Grim.
‘Hoskuld wouldn’t have been able to shield Lyting,’ said Njal, ‘if you had killed him, as you were meant to.’
‘Let’s not blame our father,’ said Skarphedin.
It has to be said that this settlement between them was kept.
100
There was a change of rulers in Norway. Earl Hakon had passed away, and in his place came Olaf Tryggvason.1 The end of Earl Hakon’s life came when the slave Kark cut his throat at Rimul in Gaulardal.
Along with this came news of a change of religion in Norway: they had given up their old faith, and the king had also converted the western lands − the Shetlands, Orkney, and
the Faroe Islands − to Christianity.
Many people were saying, and Njal heard them, that it was absurd to reject the old faith. Then Njal said, ‘It seems to me that this new faith is much better, and that he who accepts it will be happy. If the men who preach this religion come out here, I will speak in favour of it.’
He said this often. He often went apart and murmured to himself.
That autumn a ship came into Berufjord in the east and landed at a place called Gautavik. Thangbrand was the name of the skipper; he was the son of Count Vilbaldus of Saxony. Thangbrand had been sent out here to Iceland by King Olaf Tryggvason to preach the faith. With him was an Icelander called Gudleif, who was the son of Ari, the son of Mar, the son of Atli, the son of Ulf the Squinter, the son of Hogni the White, the son of Otrygg, the son of Oblaud, the son of King Hjorleif the Womanizer of Hordaland. Gudleif was a great warrior and very brave, tough in every way.
Two brothers lived at Berunes. One was called Thorleif and the other Ketil. They were the sons of Holmstein, the son of Ozur from Breiddal. The brothers called men to a meeting and forbade them to trade with Thangbrand and Gudleif.
Hall of Sida learned of this; he lived at Thvotta in Alftafjord. He rode to the ship with thirty men and went straight to Thangbrand and said, ‘There’s not much trading, is there?’
Thangbrand said that this was true.
‘Then I want to tell you why I have come,’ said Hall. ‘I want to invite all of you to stay with me, and I will see if I can find a market for your goods.’
Thangbrand thanked him and went to Thvotta.
That same autumn Thangbrand went out early one morning and had a tent set up and sang mass in the tent and made a great show of it, for it was a major feast-day.
Hall said to Thangbrand, ‘In whose memory are you celebrating this day?’
‘The angel Michael’s,’ he said.
‘What features does this angel have?’ said Hall.
‘Many,’ said Thangbrand. ‘He weighs everything that you do, both good and evil, and he is so merciful that he gives more weight to what is well done.’
Hall said, ‘I would like to have him for my friend.’
‘That you may,’ said Thangbrand; ‘give yourself to him today, in the name of God.’
‘I’ll do it on this condition,’ said Hall: ‘that you promise, on his behalf, that he shall be my guardian angel.’
‘I promise,’ said Thangbrand.
Hall and all his household were then baptized.
101
The following spring Thangbrand travelled around preaching the faith, and Hall went with him. When they came west across Lon heath to Stafafell a man called Thorkel was living there. He spoke strongest of all against the faith and challenged Thangbrand to a duel. Thangbrand carried a crucifix rather than a shield, and yet the outcome was that he won the duel and killed Thorkel.
From there they went to Hornafjord and were guests at Borgarhofn, west of Heinabergssand. Hildir the Old lived there; his son was Glum, who later went to the burning with Flosi. Hildir and all his household took the faith.
From there they went to the Fell District and were given hospitality at Kalfafell. Kol Thorsteinsson, Hall’s nephew, lived there, and he and all his household took the faith.
From there they went to Breida. Ozur Hroaldsson, another kinsman of Hall’s, lived there and took the sign of the cross.1
From there they went to Svinafell, where Flosi took the sign of the cross and promised to support them at the Althing.
From there they went west to the Skogar district and were given hospitality at Kirkjubaer. Surt lived there, the son of Asbjorn, the son of Thorstein, the son of Ketil the Foolish. All these men, fathers and sons, had already become Christians.
After this they left the Skogar district and went to Hofdabrekka. Word of their travels had come there before them.
There was a man called Hedin the Sorcerer, who lived at Kerlingardal. The heathens there paid him to put Thangbrand and his companions to death, and he went up to Arnarstakk heath and performed a great sacrifice there. Then, when Thangbrand was riding from the east, the earth split open under his horse; he leaped off the horse and climbed up to the rim of the chasm, but the earth swallowed up his horse with all its gear, and they never saw it again. Then Thangbrand gave praise to God.
102
Gudleif went looking for Hedin the Sorcerer and found him on the heath and chased him down to the river Kerlingardalsa. He came within range of him and threw his spear at him and through him.
From there they went to Dyrholmar and held a meeting there, and Thangbrand preached the faith, and Ingjald, the son of Thorkel Haeyjar-Tyrdil, became a Christian.
From there they went to Fljotshlid and preached the faith there. Veturlidi the Poet and his son Ari spoke strongest of all against them, and for this reason they killed Veturlidi. This verse was composed about it:
6.
The tester of shields tester of shields: warrior (Thangbrand)
took his victory-tools south victory-tools: weapons
to smite the Balder of weapons Balder of weapons: warrior (Veturlidi)
in his smithy of prayers smithy of prayers: breast
The brave battler for faith
brought down with a clang
his axe of awful death
on the anvil of Veturlidi’s head. anvil: crown
From there Thangbrand went to Bergthorshvol, and Njal accepted the faith, together with his household. Mord and Valgard fought hard against the faith.
They went west from there across the rivers and came to Haukadal and baptized Hall, who was then three years old.1
From there they went to Grimsnes. Thorvald the Sickly mobilized a band of men against them and sent word to Ulf Uggason to attack Thangbrand and kill him. Thorvald sent him this verse:
7.
I, Ygg of armour Ygg of armour: warrior
send this order to Ulf–
I’m fond of the son of Uggi,
the steerer of steel steerer of steel: warrior
that he crush the cowardly
blaspheming cur
against the loud lodge of Geitir, Geitir: a giant; his lodge: cliffs
and I’ll look after another.
Ulf Uggason replied with another verse:
8.
Though the dear friend
of the drink of Odin’s hall its friend: poet (Thorvald)
orders me, I am not drink of Odin s hall poetry;
accepting the offered bait;
I won’t fall for the fly
from the seafaring fellow;
bad things are brewing -
I’d better watch out.
‘I don’t intend to be his puppet,’ he said, ‘and he’d better take care that his tongue doesn’t twist itself around his neck.’
After this the messenger returned to Thorvald the Sickly and repeated Ulf’s words. Thorvald had many men with him and announced that he would lay an ambush for them on Blaskogar heath.
Thangbrand and Gudleif rode out of Haukadal and met a man who rode up to them. He asked for Gudleif, and when he met him he said, ‘You can thank your brother Thorgils in Reykjaholar that I’m letting you know that they have laid many ambushes for you, and also that Thorvald the Sickly is with his men at the brook Hestlaek in Grimsnes.’
‘That won’t keep us from riding to meet them,’ said Gudleif.
They turned down towards Hestlaek. Thorvald had already crossed the brook.
Gudleif said to Thangbrand, ‘There’s Thorvald. Let’s get him!’
Thangbrand sent his spear right through Thorvald and Gudleif cut off his arm at the shoulder, and that was his death.
After that they rode to the Thing, and the kinsmen of Thorvald were about to attack them, but Njal and the men from the East Fjords gave them their support.
Hjalti Skeggjason spoke this verse:
9.
In barking at gods I am rich:
Freyja strikes me as a bitch;
<
br /> one or the other must be:
Odin’s a dog – or else she.
Hjalti and Gizur the White went abroad that summer. Thang-brand’s ship, the Bison, was wrecked off Bulandsnes in the east.
Thangbrand travelled through all the western part of the land. Steinunn, the mother of Ref the Poet, came to meet him. She preached heathenism and lectured at great length to Thangbrand. Thangbrand was silent while she spoke, but then spoke at length and showed everything she said to be wrong.
‘Have you heard,’ she said, ‘that Thor challenged Christ to a duel and that Christ didn’t dare to fight with him?’
‘What I have heard,’ said Thangbrand, ‘is that Thor would be mere dust and ashes if God didn’t want him to live.’
‘Do you know,’ she said, ‘who wrecked your ship?’
‘What can you say about it?’ he said.
‘I’ll tell you,’ she said:
10.
The shaping gods drove ashore
the ship of the keeper of bells; keeper of bells: priest (Thangbrand)
the slayer of the son of the giantess slayer of the son of the giantess: Thor
smashed Bison on the sea-gull’s rest; sea-gull’s rest: sea
no help came from Christ
when the sea’s horse was crushed; seas horse: ship
I don’t think God was guarding
Gylfi’s reindeer at all. Gylfi: a sea-king; his reindeer: ship
She spoke another verse:
11.
Thor drove Thangbrand’s beast
of Thvinnil far from its place; Thvinnil: a sea-king; his beast: ship
he shook and shattered
the ship and slammed it ashore;
never will that oak of Atal’s field Atal: a sea-king; oak of his field: ship
be up to seafaring again;
the storm, sent by him, him: Thor
smashed it so hard into bits.
After that, Steinunn and Thangbrand parted, and Thangbrand and his men went west to Bardastrond.
103
Gest Oddleifsson lived at Hagi on Bardastrond; he was so very wise a man that he foretold people’s fates. He held a feast to welcome Thangbrand and his men, and they went to Hagi, sixty in all. It was said that two hundred heathens were already there and that a berserk named Otrygg was expected, and everybody feared him. Many stories were told of him, such as that he feared neither fire nor sword, and the heathens feared him greatly.