Njal's Saga

by AnonYMous

  ‘You’re a clever man, Thorhall,’ they said, ‘and we’ll take your advice.’

  After that each of them went back to his booth.

  The Sigfussons gave notice of the suit at the Law Rock and asked the defendants to declare their district and domicile, and the court was to convene on Friday evening to hear the prosecution. Until then it was quiet at the Thing. Many tried to reconcile the two sides, but Flosi was firm, though less vocal than others, and the outlook was not promising.

  Friday evening came, and time for the court to convene. The whole Thing went to the court. Flosi and his men stood to the south of the Rangarvellir court; with him were Hall of Sida and Runolf Ulfsson and the others who had promised him help. To the north of the Rangarvellir court stood Asgrim, Gizur the White, Hjalti, and Einar of Thvera, while the Njalssons were back at their booth with Kari and Thorleif Crow and Thorgrim the Tall. They sat there with their weapons ready, a hard band to attack.

  Njal had requested the judges to start proceedings, and now the Sigfussons prosecuted the case. They named witnesses and asked the Njalssons to listen to their oath-swearing; then they swore their oaths; then they presented the charges; then they produced witnesses to the notification of the slaying; then they asked the panel of neighbours to take their seats; then they invited the defendants to challenge the panel.

  Thorhall Asgrimsson named witnesses and prohibited the panel from announcing its findings and objected that the person who had given notice of the suit had violated the law and deserved to be outlawed himself.

  ‘To whom are you referring?’ said Flosi.

  Thorhall answered, ‘Mord Valgardsson went with the Njalssons to the slaying of Hoskuld and gave him the wound for which no one was named when witnesses to the wounds were named. You cannot contest the fact that the case is invalid.’

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  Njal stood up and spoke: ‘I request Hall of Sida and Flosi and all the Sigfussons, as well as all our men, not to leave but to listen to my words.’

  They did as he asked.

  He spoke: ‘It appears that this case has reached an impasse, which is to be expected since it sprang from evil roots. I want you to know that I loved Hoskuld more than my own sons, and when I heard that he had been slain I felt that the sweetest light of my eyes had been put out,1 and I would rather have lost all my sons to have him live. Now I ask Hall of Sida, Runolf of Dal, Gizur the White, Einar of Thvera and Haf the Wise to allow me to make a settlement for the slaying, on behalf of my sons, and I would like those who are best suited to serve as arbitrators.’

  Gizur and Einar and Haf each spoke at length about this and begged Flosi to accept a settlement and promised him their friendship in return. Flosi made polite answers but no promises.

  Hall of Sida spoke to Flosi: ‘Will you now keep your word and grant me the favour you promised when I helped your kinsman Thorgrim Stout-Ketilsson leave the country after he killed Hall the Red?’2

  Flosi spoke: ‘I will grant you this, father-in-law, for you are only asking what will make my honour greater than before.’

  Hall said, ‘Then I want you to be reconciled quickly and let good men arbitrate, and thereby win the friendship of the best men.’

  Flosi said, ‘I want you all to know that I am willing to follow the wishes of my father-in-law Hall and others of the best men and have six men from each side, lawfully chosen, arbitrate this matter. It seems to me that Njal deserves that I grant him this.’

  Njal thanked them all, and the others who were there said that Flosi had done well.

  Flosi said, ‘Now I shall choose my arbitrators. I choose first Hall, and then Ozur of Breida, Surt Asbjarnarson of Kirkjubaer, Modolf Ketilsson’ – he was then living at Asar – ‘Haf and Runolf of Dal, and everyone will agree that these are the most suited of my men for this duty’

  He then asked Njal to choose his arbitrators.

  Njal rose and said, ‘I choose Asgrim Ellida-Grimsson first, and then Hjalti Skeggjason, Gizur the White, Einar of Thvera, Snorri the Godi, and Gudmund the Powerful.’

  Then Njal and Flosi and the Sigfussons shook hands, and Njal did so on behalf of all his sons and Kari. These twelve men were now to decide, and it could be said that the whole Thing was pleased with this.

  Men were then sent to bring Snorri and Gudmund, since they were in their booths. It was agreed that the arbitrators should sit in the Law Council and that everyone else should leave.

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  Snorri the Godi spoke: ‘Here we are now, the twelve arbitrators to whom this case has been referred. I beg all of you not to raise any objections that might keep these men from being well reconciled.’

  Gudmund said, ‘Are you in favour of district banishment or exile?’

  ‘Neither one,’ said Snorri, ‘for these penalties have often worked out badly, and men have been killed and become enemies. I prefer to set a fine so huge that no man in Iceland will ever have been more costly than Hoskuld.’

  His words were well received. Then they discussed it but could not agree on who should be the first to declare how high the fine should be, and in the end they cast lots and the lot fell on Snorri.

  Snorri spoke: ‘I won’t sit on this matter any longer – I’ll tell you now what my decision is: I want triple compensation to be paid for Hoskuld, six hundred ounces of silver. You must now change this, if you think it too much or too little.’

  They answered that they would not change it.

  ‘And on top of this,’ said Snorri, ‘the total amount must be paid out here at the Thing.’

  Then Gizur said, ‘I don’t think this can work, for they won’t have enough money with them to pay the fine.’

  Gudmund said, ‘I know what Snorri wants. He wants all of us arbitrators to contribute as much as our generosity allows, and then many others will do the same.’

  Hall of Sida thanked him and said that he would be willing to give as much as the highest giver. All the arbitrators then approved Snorri’s proposal.

  After that they went away and agreed among themselves that Hall should announce their decision at the Law Rock.

  After that the bell was rung and everybody went to the Law Rock.

  Hall stood up and spoke: ‘We have reached an agreement on the case which we have been arbitrating, and we fix an amount of six hundred ounces of silver. We arbitrators will pay half of it ourselves, and all of it must be paid out here at the Thing. It is my entreaty to all you people that you give something, in the name of God.’

  Everyone responded favourably. Hall named witnesses to the settlement, so that no one would break it. Njal thanked them for the settlement.

  Skarphedin was standing nearby and kept silent and grinned.

  People then went from the Law Rock to their booths.

  The arbitrators brought to the farmers’ churchyard1 the money they had promised to give. Njal’s sons turned over the money which they had, and so did Kari, and it came to one hundred ounces of silver. Njal added all the money he had, and that made a second hundred. All this money was then taken to the Law Council, and others gave so much that not a penny was lacking.

  Njal took a silk robe and a pair of boots and placed them on top of the pile.2

  Then Hall told Njal to go and bring his sons – ‘and I will bring Flosi, and they can pledge peace to each other.’

  Njal went back to the booth and spoke to his sons: ‘Now our case has turned out well. We have been reconciled and all the payment money has been brought to one place. Both sides are to meet and give each other promises of faith and peace. I beg you not to spoil this in any way.’

  Skarphedin stroked his forehead and grinned. Then they all went to the Law Council.

  Hall came to Flosi and said, ‘Come now to the Law Council. All the money has been paid readily and brought together in one place.’

  Flosi asked the Sigfussons to go with him. They all came out and walked from the east towards the Law Council. Njal and his sons came walking from the west. Skarphedin went to the midd
le bench and stood there.

  Flosi went into the Law Council to examine the money and said, ‘This is a large amount of good money and readily paid out, as was to be expected.’

  Then he picked up the robe and asked who had given it, and no one answered him. He waved the robe a second time and asked who had given it, and laughed, and no one answered.

  Flosi said, ‘Which is it, that none of you knows whose garment this is or that you don’t dare to tell me?’

  Skarphedin said, ‘Who do you think might have given it?’

  Flosi spoke: ‘If you want to know, then I’ll tell you what I think -it’s my guess that your father gave it, Old Beardless, for there are many who can’t tell by looking at him whether he’s a man or a woman.’

  Skarphedin spoke: ‘That’s a wicked thing to do, making slurs about him in his old age, and no man worthy of the name has ever done this before. You can tell he’s a man because he has had sons with his wife. And few of our kinsmen have been buried uncompensated by our wall, without our taking vengeance for them.’

  Then Skarphedin picked up the robe and threw a pair of black trousers at Flosi, and said that he had more need of these.3

  Flosi said, ‘Why do I need them more?’

  Skarphedin spoke: ‘Because if you are the sweetheart of the troll at Svinafell, as is said, he uses you as a woman every ninth night.’4

  Flosi pushed the money away and said he would not take a penny of it, and that it would now be one of two things: either there would be no redress at all for Hoskuld, or they would take blood-vengeance for him. Flosi would neither offer nor accept peace, and he spoke to the Sigfussons: ‘Let’s go back to our booth. One fate awaits us all’

  Then they went back to their booth.

  Hall said, ‘The men carrying on this quarrel are men of great bad luck.’

  *

  Njal and his sons went back to their booth.

  Njal spoke: ‘What I have long feared is now coming true, that this case will bring us terrible harm.’

  ‘That’s not so,’ said Skarphedin. ‘They can never prosecute us, according to the laws of the land.’5

  ‘Then what will come,’ said Njal, ‘will be worse for everybody.’

  The men who had contributed the money talked about taking it back.

  Gudmund spoke: ‘I do not choose to bring shame on myself by taking back what I have given, neither here nor anywhere.’

  ‘That is well spoken,’ they said. No one wanted to take back his money then.

  Snorri the Godi said, ‘It’s my advice that Gizur the White and Hjalti Skeggjason hold on to this money until the next Althing. I have a sense that it won’t be long until it will be needed.’

  Hjalti took and held half of the money, and Gizur the rest. Then people went back to their booths.

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  Flosi told all his men to go up to the Almannagja gorge and went there himself. By that time his men had arrived, a hundred in all.

  Flosi said to the Sigfussons, ‘What can I do for you in this affair that would please you the most?’

  Gunnar Lambason said, ‘Nothing will please us until all the brothers – the Njalssons – are slain.’

  Flosi spoke: ‘I will promise you Sigfussons not to give up until one side or the other perishes. I also want to know if there’s anyone here who doesn’t want to see this through with us.’

  They all said that they would see it through.

  Flosi said, ‘Come to me, all of you, and swear an oath not to abandon the cause.’

  They all went to Flosi and swore oaths to him.

  Flosi said, ‘Let’s also shake hands on it that whoever drops out forfeits both life and property.’

  These were the chieftains with Flosi: Kol, the son of Thorstein Broad-belly and the nephew of Hall of Sida; Hroald Ozurarson from Breida; Ozur the son of Onund Box-back; Thorstein the Fair, son of Geirleif; Glum Hildisson; Modolf Ketilsson; Thorir the son of Thord Illugi of Mortunga; Flosi’s kinsmen Kolbein and Egil; Ketil Sigfusson and his brother Mord; Thorkel and Lambi; Grani Gunnarsson, Gun-nar Lambason and his brother Sigurd; Ingjald of Keldur; and Hroar Hamundarson.

  Flosi said to the Sigfussons, ‘Choose the man you think best suited to be our leader, since someone will have to be in charge.’

  Ketil answered, ‘If the choice is up to us brothers, we would all choose you to lead us. Many things argue for that – you are well born, a great chieftain, unbending and clever. We think you’re the best one to look after our interests in this matter.’

  Flosi spoke: ‘It’s fitting that I go along with your request. Now I’ll lay out the course we will take. It’s my advice that everyone ride home from the Thing and look after his farm this summer as long as the haymaking is in process. I too will ride home and stay there this summer. On the Lord’s Day which falls eight weeks before winter1 I will have mass sung for me at home and then ride west across Lomagnupssand. Each of us will take two horses. I won’t add more men to those who have just now sworn oaths, because we have quite enough as long as everyone lives up to his oath. I’ll ride that Lord’s Day, and the night too, and by early evening of the second day of the week I’ll be at Thrihyrning ridge. All of you who are bound by oath should have come there by then, and if anyone who has joined our cause has not come, he will lose nothing but his life – if we have our way.’

  Ketil said, ‘How will you be able to leave home on the Lord’s Day and arrive at Thrihyrning ridge on the second day of the week?’

  Flosi spoke: ‘I will ride up from Skaftartunga and keep to the north of Eyjafjallajokul glacier, and then go down into Godaland, and this can be done if I ride hard. And now I’ll tell you the rest of my plan – when we’re all together we’ll ride to Bergthorshvol in full force and attack the Njalssons with fire and iron, and not leave until they’re all dead. You must keep this plan a secret, for the lives of all of us are at stake. Now let’s take our horses and ride home.’

  They went back to their booths. Flosi had their horses saddled and then they rode home and did not wait for anyone. Flosi did not want to meet his father-in-law Hall, for he was quite certain that Hall would oppose strong measures.

  Njal and his sons rode home from the Thing, and they all stayed there that summer. Njal asked Kari whether he was thinking of riding east to his farm at Dyrholmar.

  Kari answered, ‘I won’t be riding east, because one fate awaits your sons and me.’

  Njal thanked him and said that he had expected as much from him.

  There were close to twenty-five men in fighting form at Berg-thorshvol, including the servants.

  One day Hrodny Hoskuldsdottir came to Keldur. Her brother Ingjald welcomed her warmly. She did not respond to the greeting, and asked him to step out with her. He did as she asked and went out. They walked together away from the farm. Then she grabbed at him and they sat down.

  She spoke: ‘Is it true that you’ve sworn an oath to attack Njal and his sons and kill them?’

  He answered, ‘It’s true.’

  ‘You’re a real back-stabber,’ she said, ‘considering that Njal has saved you three times from outlawry.’

  ‘But the way it is now,’ he said, ‘my life’s at risk if I don’t do this.’

  ‘That’s not so,’ she said. ‘You’ll live on, and you’ll be called a good man as long as you don’t betray the one to whom you owe the most.’

  Then she took a linen cap out of her pouch, covered with blood and full of holes, and she spoke: ‘Hoskuld Njalsson was wearing this cap when they killed him. It doesn’t seem at all right to me that you should help those who brought that about.’

  He answered, ‘Then I will not take any action against Njal, no matter what that may lead to. But I know that they’re going to make things difficult for me.’

  She said, ‘You could do Njal a great service now by telling him their plans.’

  ‘That I will not do,’ said Ingjald, ‘because I would deserve the scorn of all men if I told what they confided to me. But it’s a m
anly thing to break away from their cause when I know that they’ll take vengeance. Tell Njal and his sons to be on their guard all summer and keep many men at hand – this sound advice will serve him well.’

  Then Hrodny went to Bergthorshvol and told Njal this whole conversation. Njal thanked her and said she had done well – ‘for if he, of all men, opposed me it would be the worst sort of wrong.’

  She went home then, and Njal told this to his sons.

  There was an old woman at Bergthorshvol called Saeunn. She was wise in many ways and could foretell the future, but she was very old and the Njalssons called her doddering because she talked so much, and yet much of it came true. One day she grabbed a stick and went around the house to a pile of chickweed. She hit the pile and cursed it for being so contemptible.

  Skarphedin laughed at this and asked why she was carrying on so over the pile of chickweed.

  The old woman spoke: ‘This chickweed will be taken and set afire when Njal is burned in his house, along with my foster-daughter Bergthora – put it in water,’ she said, ‘or burn it, as fast as you can.’

  ‘We won’t do that,’ said Skarphedin, ‘for if this is not here something else will be found to start the fire, if that is what’s fated.’

  The old woman kept nagging about the chickweed pile all summer, that it should be taken inside, but it never was.

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  At Reykir in Skeid lived a man named Runolf Thorsteinsson. His son was named Hildiglum. On the night of the Lord’s Day twelve weeks before the beginning of winter, Hildiglum went outside. He heard a great crash, and it seemed as if both earth and sky were quaking. Then he looked toward the west and thought he saw a fiery ring and a man on a grey horse inside the ring. The man passed quickly by, and was moving fast; he was carrying a flaming torch in his hand. He rode so close that Hildiglum saw him clearly. He was black as pitch and Hildiglum heard him speak this verse in a loud voice: