Burnt Njal --- (chap. 39-45)

CHAPTER XXXIX. THE SLAYING OF BRYNJOLF THE UNRULY. There was a man named Thord, he was surnamed Freedmanson. Sigtrygg was his father's name, and he had been the freedman of Asgerd, and he was drowned in Markfleet. That was why Thord was with Njal afterwards. He was a tall man and a strong, and he had fostered all Njal's sons. He had set his heart on Gudfinna Thorolf's daughter, Njal's kinswoman; she was housekeeper at home there, and was then with child. Now Bergthora came to talk with Thord Freedmanson; she said-- "Thou shalt go to kill Brynjolf, Hallgerda's kinsman." "I am no man-slayer," he says, "but still I will do what ever thou wilt." "This is my will," she says. After that he went up to Lithend, and made them call Hallgerda out, and asked where Brynjolf might be. "What's thy will with him?" she says. "I want him to tell me where he has hidden Atli's body; I have heard say that he has buried it badly." She pointed to him, and said he was down yonder in Acretongue. "Take heed," says Thord, "that the same thing does not befall him as befell Atli." "Thou art no man-slayer," she says, "and so nought will come of it even if ye two do meet." "Never have I seen man's blood, nor do I know how I should feel if I did," he says, and gallops out of the "town" and down to Acretongue. Rannveig, Gunnar's mother, had heard their talk. "Thou goadest his mind much, Hallgerda," she says, "but I think him a dauntless man, and that thy kinsman will find." They met on the beaten way, Thord and Brynjolf; and Thord said--"Guard thee, Brynjolf, for I will do no dastard's deed by thee". Brynjolf rode at Thord, and smote at him with his axe. He smote at him at the same time with his axe, and hewed in sunder the haft just above Brynjolf s hands, and then hewed at him at once a second time, and struck him on the collarbone, and the blow went straight into his trunk. Then he fell from horseback, and was dead on the spot. Thord met Hallgerda'a herdsman, and gave out the slaying as done by his hand, and said where he lay, and bade him tell Hallgerda of the slaying. After that he rode home to Bergthorsknoll, and told Bergthora of the slaying, and other people too. "Good luck go with thy hands," she said. The herdsman told Hallgerda of the slaying; she was snappish at it, and said much ill would come of it, if she might have her way. CHAPTER XL. GUNNAR AND NJAL MAKE PEACE ABOUT BRYNJOLF'S SLAYING. Now these tidings come to the Thing, and Njal made them tell him the tale thrice, and then he said-- "More men now become man-slayers than I weened." Skarphedinn spoke--"That man, though, must have been twice fey," he says, "who lost his life by our foster-father's hand, who has never seen man's blood. And many would think that we brothers would sooner have done this deed with the turn of temper that we have." "Scant apace wilt thou have," says Njal, "ere the like befalls thee; but need will drive thee to it." Then they went to meet Gunnar, and told him of the slaying. Gunnar spoke and said that was little manscathe, "but yet he was a free man". Njal offered to make peace at once, and Gunnar said yes, and he was to settle the terms himself. He made his award there and then, and laid it at one hundred in silver. Njal paid down the money on the spot, and they were at peace after that. CHAPTER XLI. SIGMUND COMES OUT TO ICELAND. There was a man whose name was Sigmund. He was the son of Lambi, the son of Sighvat the Red. He was a great voyager, and a comely and a courteous man; tall too, and strong. He was a man of proud spirit, and a good skald, and well trained in most feats of strength. He was noisy and boisterous, and given to jibes and mocking. He made the land east in Hornfirth. Skiolld was the name of his fellow-traveller; he was a Swedish man, and ill to do with. They took horse and rode from the east out of Hornfirth, and did not draw bridle before they came to Lithend, in the Fleetlithe. Gunnar gave them a hearty welcome, for the bonds of kinship were close between them. Gunnar begged Sigmund to stay there that winter, and Sigmund said he would take the offer if Skiolld his fellow might be there too. "Well, I have been so told about him," said Gunnar, "that he is no better of thy temper; but as it is, thou rather needest to have it bettered. This, too, is a bad house to stay at, and I would just give both of you a bit of advice, my kinsmen, not to fire up at the egging on of my wife Hallgerda; for she takes much in hand that is far from my will." "His hands are clean who warns another," says Sigmund. "Then mind the advice given thee," says Gunnar, "for thou art sure to be sore tried; and go along always with me, and lean upon my counsel." After that they were in Gunnar's company. Hallgerda was good to Sigmund; and it soon came about that things grew so warm that she loaded him with money, and tended him no worse than her own husband; and many talked about that, and did not know what lay under it. One day Hallgerda said to Gunnar--"It is not good to be content with that hundred in silver which thou tookest for my kinsman Brynjolf. I shall avenge him if I may," she says. Gunnar said he had no mind to bandy words with her, and went away. He met Kolskegg, and said to him, "Go and see Njal; and tell him that Thord must beware of himself though peace has been made, for, methinks, there is faithlessness somewhere". He rode off and told Njal, but Njal told Thord, and Kolskegg rode home, and Njal thanked them for their faithfulness. Once on a time they two were out in the "town," Njal and Thord; a he-goat was wont to go up and down in the "town," and no one was allowed to drive him away. Then Thord spoke and said-- "Well, this _is_ a wondrous thing!" "What is it that thou see'st that seems after a wondrous fashion?" says Njal. "Methinks the goat lies here in the hollow, and he is all one gore of blood." Njal said that there was no goat there, nor anything else. "What is it then?" says Thord. "Thou must be a 'fey' man," says Njal, "and thou must have seen the fetch that follows thee, and now be ware of thyself." "That will stand me in no stead," says Thord, "if death is doomed for me." Then Hallgerda came to talk with Thrain Sigfus' son, and said--"I would think thee my son-in-law indeed," she says, "if thou slayest Thord Freedmanson". "I will not do that," he says, "for then I shall have the wrath of my kinsman Gunnar; and besides, great things hang on this deed, for this slaying would soon be avenged." "Who will avenge it?" she asks; "is it the beardless carle?" "Not so," says he; "his sons will avenge it." After that they talked long and low, and no man knew what counsel they took together. Once it happened that Gunnar was not at home, but those companions were. Thrain had come in from Gritwater, and then he and they and Hallgerda sat out of doors and talked. Then Hallgerda said-- "This have ye two brothers in arms, Sigmund and Skiolld, promised to slay Thord Freedmanson; but Thrain thou hast promised me that thou wouldst stand by them when they did the deed." They all acknowledged that they had given her this promise. "Now I will counsel you how to do it," she says: "Ye shall ride east into Hornfirth after your goods, and come home about the beginning of the Thing, but if ye are at home before it begins, Gunnar will wish that ye should ride to the Thing with him. Njal will be at the Thing and his sons and Gunnar, but then ye two shall slay Thord." They all agreed that this plan should be carried out. After that they busked them east to the Firth, and Gunnar was not aware of what they were about, and Gunnar rode to the Thing. Njal sent Thord Freedmanson away east under Eyjafell, and bade him be away there one night. So he went east, but he could not get back from the east, for the Fleet had risen so high that it could not be crossed on horseback ever so far up. Njal waited for him one night, for he had meant him to have ridden with him; and Njal said to Bergthora, that she must send Thord to the Thing as soon as ever he came home. Two nights after, Thord came from the east, and Bergthora told him that he must ride to the Thing, "but first thou shalt ride up into Thorolfsfell and see about the farm there, and do not be there longer than one or two nights." CHAPTER XLII. THE SLAYING OF THORD FREEDSMANSON. Then Sigmund came from the east and those companions. Hallgerda told them that Thord was at home, but that he was to ride straightway to the Thing after a few nights' space. "Now ye will have a fair chance at him," he says, "but if this goes off, ye will never get nigh him". Men came to Lithend from Thorolfsfell, and told Hallgerda that Thord was there. Hallgerda went to Thrain Sigfus' son, and his companions, and said to him, "Now is Thord on Thorolfsfell, and now your best plan is to fall on him and kill him as he goes home". "That we will do," says Sigmund. So they went out, and took their weapons and horses and rode on the way to meet him. Sigmund said to Thrain, "Now thou shalt have nothing to do with it; for we shall not need all of us". "Very well, so I will," says he. Then Thord rode up to them a little while after, and Sigmund said to him-- "Give thyself up," he says, "for now shalt thou die." "That shall not be," says Thord, "come thou to single combat with me." "That shall not be either," says Sigmund, "we will make the most of our numbers; but it is not strange that Skarphedinn is strong, for it is said that a fourth of a foster-child's strength comes from the foster-father." "Thou wilt feel the force of that," says Thord, "for Skarphedinn will avenge me." After that they fall on him, and he breaks a spear of each of them, so well did he guard himself. Then Skiolld cut off his hand, and he still kept them off with his other hand for some time, till Sigmund thrust him through. Then he fell dead to earth. They threw over him turf and stones; and Thrain said--"We have won an ill work, and Njal's sons will take this slaying ill when they hear of it". They ride home and tell Hallgerda. She was glad to hear of the slaying, but Rannveig, Gunnar's mother, said-- "It is said 'but a short while is hand fain of blow,' and so it will be here; but still Gunnar will set thee free from this matter. But if Hallgerda makes thee take another fly in thy mouth, then that will be thy bane." Hallgerda sent a man to Bergthorsknoll, to tell the slaying, and another man to the Thing, to tell it to Gunnar. Bergthora said she would not fight against Hallgerda with ill worth about such a matter; "that," quoth she, "would be no revenge for so great a quarrel". CHAPTER XLIII. NJAL AND GUNNAR MAKE PEACE FOR THE SLAYING OF THORD. But when the messenger came to the Thing to tell Gunnar of the slaying, then Gunnar said-- "This has happened ill, and no tidings could come to my ears which I should think worse; but yet we will now go at once and see Njal. I still hope he may take it well, though he be sorely tried." So they went to see Njal, and called him to come out and talk to them. He went out at once to meet Gunnar, and they talked, nor were there any more men by at first than Kolskegg. "Hard tidings have I to tell thee," says Gunnar; "the slaying of Thord Freedmanson, and I wish to offer thee self-doom for the slaying." Njal held his peace some while, and then said-- "That is well offered, and I will take it; but yet it is to be looked for, that I shall have blame from my wife or from my sons for that, for it will mislike them much; but still I will run the risk, for I know that I have to deal with a good man and true; nor do I wish that any breach should arise in our friendship on my part." "Wilt thou let thy sons be by, pray?" says Gunnar. "I will not," says Njal, "for they will not break the peace which I make, but if they stand by while we make it, they will not pull well together with us." "So it shall be," says Gunnar. "See thou to it alone." Then they shook one another by the hand, and made peace well and quickly. Then Njal said--"The award that I make is two hundred in silver, and that thou wilt think much". "I do not think it too much," says Gunnar, and went home to his booth. Njal's sons came home, and Skarphedinn asked whence that great sum of money came, which his father held in his hand. Njal said--"I tell you of your foster-father's Thord's slaying, and we two, Gunnar and I, have now made peace in the matter, and he has paid an atonement for him as for two men". "Who slew him?" says Skarphedinn. "Sigmund and Skiolld, but Thrain was standing near too," says Njal. "They thought they had need of much strength," says Skarphedinn, and sang a song-- Bold in deeds of derring-do, Burdeners of ocean's steeds, Strength enough it seems they needed All to slay a single man; When shall we our hands uplift? We who brandish burnished steel-- Famous men erst reddened weapons, When? if now we quiet sit? "Yes! when shall the day come when we shall lift our hands?" "That will not be long off," says Njal, "and then thou shalt not be baulked; but still, methinks, I set great store on your not breaking this peace that I have made." "Then we will not break it," says Skarphedinn, "but if anything arises between us, then we will bear in mind the old feud." "Then I will ask you to spare no one," says Njal. CHAPTER XLIV. SIGMUND MOCKS NJAL AND HIS SONS. Now men ride home from the Thing; and when Gunnar came home, he said to Sigmund-- "Thou art a more unlucky man than I thought, and turnest thy good gifts to thine own ill. But still I have made peace for thee with Njal and his sons; and now, take care that thou dost not let another fly come into thy mouth. Thou art not at all after my mind, thou goest about with jibes and jeers, with scorn and mocking; but that is not my turn of mind. That is why thou gettest on so well with Hallgerda, because ye two have your minds more alike." Gunnar scolded him a long time, and he answered him well, and said he would follow his counsel more for the time to come than he had followed it hitherto. Gunnar told him then they might get on together. Gunnar and Njal kept up their friendship though the rest of their people saw little of one another. It happened once that some gangrel women came to Lithend from Bergthorsknoll; they were great gossips and rather spiteful tongued. Hallgerda had a bower, and sate often in it, and there sate with her daughter Thorgerda, and there too were Thrain and Sigmund, and a crowd of women. Gunnar was not there nor Kolskegg. These gangrel women went into the bower, and Hallgerda greeted them, and made room for them; then she asked them for news, but they said they had none to tell. Hallgerda asked where they had been over night; they said at Bergthorsknoll. "What was Njal doing?" she says. "He was hard at work sitting still," they said. "What were Njal's sons doing?" she says; "they think themselves men at any rate." "Tall men they are in growth," they say, "but as yet they are all untried; Skarphedinn whetted an axe, Grim fitted a spearhead to the shaft, Helgi rivetted a hilt on a sword, Hauskuld strengthened the handle of a shield." "They must be bent on some great deed," says Hallgerda. "We do not know that," they say. "What were Njal's house-carles doing?" she asks. "We don't know what some of them were doing, but one was carting dung up the hill-side." "What good was there in doing that?" she asks. "He said it made the swathe better there than any where else," they reply. "Witless now is Njal," says Hallgerda, "though he knows how to give counsel on every thing." "How so?" they ask. "I will only bring forward what is true to prove it," says she; "why doesn't he make them cart dung over his beard that he may be like other men? Let us call him 'the beardless carle': but his sons we will call 'dung-beardlings'; and now do pray give some stave about them, Sigmund, and let us get some good by thy gift of song." "I am quite ready to do that," says he, and sang these verses-- Lady proud with hawk in hand. Prithee why should dungbeard boys, Reft of reason, dare to hammer Handle fast on battle shield? For these lads of loathly feature-- Lady scattering swanbath's beams[20]-- Shall not shun this ditty shameful Which I shape upon them now. He the beardless carle shall listen While I lash him with abuse, Loon at whom our stomachs sicken. Soon shall hear these words of scorn; Far too nice for such base fellows Is the name my bounty gives, Eën my muse her help refuses, Making mirth of dungbeard boys. Here I find a nickname fitting For those noisome dungbeard boys-- Loath am I to break my bargain Linked with such a noble man-- Knit we all our taunts together-- Known to me is mind of man-- Call we now with outburst common, Him, that churl, the beardless carle. "Thou art a jewel indeed," says Hallgerda; "how yielding thou art to what I ask!" Just then Gunnar came in. He had been standing outside the door of the bower, and heard all the words that had passed. They were in a great fright when they saw him come in, and then all held their peace, but before there had been bursts of laughter. Gunnar was very wroth, and said to Sigmund, "thou art a foolish man, and one that cannot keep to good advice, and thou revilest Njal's sons, and Njal himself who is most worth of all; and this thou doest in spite of what thou hast already done. Mind, this will be thy death. But if any man repeats these words that thou hast spoken, or these verses that thou hast made, that man shall be sent away at once, and have my wrath beside." But they were all so sore afraid of him, that no one dared to repeat those words. After that he went away, but the gangrel women talked among themselves, and said that they would get a reward from Bergthora if they told her all this. They went then away afterwards down thither, and took Bergthora aside and told her the whole story of their own free will. Bergthora spoke and said, when men sate down to the board, "Gifts have been given to all of you, father and sons, and ye will be no true men unless ye repay them somehow". "What gifts are these?" asks Skarphedinn. "You, my sons," says Bergthora, "have got one gift between you all. Ye are nick-named 'Dung-beardlings,' but my husband 'the beardless carle'." "Ours is no woman's nature," says Skarphedinn, "that we should fly into a rage at every little thing." "And yet Gunnar was wroth for your sakes," says she, "and he is thought to be good-tempered. But if ye do not take vengeance for this wrong, ye will avenge no shame." "The carline, our mother, thinks this fine sport," says Skarphedinn, and smiled scornfully as he spoke, but still the sweat burst out upon his brow, and red flecks came over his cheeks, but that was not his wont. Grim was silent and bit his lip. Helgi made no sign, and he said never a word. Hauskuld went off with Bergthora; she came into the room again, and fretted and foamed much. Njal spoke and said, "'slow and sure,' says the proverb, mistress! and so it is with many things, though they try men's tempers, that there are always two sides to a story, even when vengeance is taken". But at even when Njal was come into his bed, he heard that an axe came against the panel and rang loudly, but there was another shut bed, and there the shields were hung up, and he sees that they are away. He said, "who have taken down our shields?" "Thy sons went out with them," says Bergthora. Njal pulled his shoes on his feet, and went out at once, and round to the other side of the house, and sees that they were taking their course right up the slope; he said, "whither away, Skarphedinn?" "To look after thy sheep," he answers. "You would not then be armed," said Njal, "if you meant that, and your errand must be something else." Then Skarphedinn sang a song-- Squanderer of hoarded wealth, Some there are that own rich treasure, Ore of sea that clasps the earth, And yet care to count their sheep; Those who forge sharp songs of mocking, Death songs, scarcely can possess Sense of sheep that crop the grass; Such as these I seek in fight; and said afterwards-- "We shall fish for salmon, father." "'Twould be well then if it turned out so that the prey does not get away from you." They went their way, but Njal went to his bed, and he said to Bergthora, "Thy sons were out of doors all of them, with arms, and now thou must have egged them on to something". "I will give them my heartfelt thanks," said Bergthora, "if they tell me the slaying of Sigmund." CHAPTER XLV. THE SLAYING OF SIGMUND AND SKIOLLD. Now they, Njal's sons, fare up to Fleetlithe, and were that night under the Lithe, and when the day began to break, they came near to Lithend. That same morning both Sigmund and Skiolld rose up and meant to go to the stud-horses; they had bits with them, and caught the horses that were in the "town" and rode away on them. They found the stud-horses between two brooks. Skarphedinn caught sight of them, for Sigmund was in bright clothing. Skarphedinn said, "See you now the red elf yonder, lads?" They looked that way, and said they saw him. Skarphedinn spoke again: "Thou, Hauskuld, shalt have nothing to do with it, for thou wilt often be sent about alone without due heed; but I mean Sigmund for myself; methinks that is like a man; but Grim and Helgi, they shall try to slay Skiolld". Hauskuld sat him down, but they went until they came up to them. Skarphedinn said to Sigmund-- "Take thy weapons and defend thyself; that is more needful now, than to make mocking songs on me and my brothers." Sigmund took up his weapons, but Skarphedinn waited the while. Skiolld turned against Grim and Helgi, and they fell hotly to fight. Sigmund had a helm on his head, and a shield at his side, and was girt with a sword, his spear was in his hand; now he turns against Skarphedinn, and thrusts at once at him with his spear, and the thrust came on his shield. Skarphedinn dashes the spearhaft in two, and lifts up his axe and hews at Sigmund, and cleaves his shield down to below the handle. Sigmund drew his sword and cut at Skarphedinn, and the sword cuts into his shield, so that it stuck fast. Skarphedinn gave the shield such a quick twist, that Sigmund let go his sword. Then Skarphedinn hews at Sigmund with his axe, the "Ogress of war". Sigmund had on a corselet, the axe came on his shoulder. Skarphedinn cleft the shoulder-blade right through, and at the same time pulled the axe towards him, Sigmund fell down on both knees, but sprang up again at once. "Thou hast lifted low to me already," says Skarphedinn, "but still thou shalt fall upon thy mother's bosom ere we two part." "Ill is that then," says Sigmund. Skarphedinn gave him a blow on his helm, and after that dealt Sigmund his death-blow. Grim cut off Skiolld's foot at the ankle-joint, but Helgi thrust him through with his spear, and he got his death there and then. Skarphedinn saw Hallgerda's shepherd, just as he had hewn off Sigmund's head; he handed the head to the shepherd, and bade him bear it to Hallgerda, and said she would know whether that head had made jeering songs about them, and with that he sang a song. Here! this head shall thou, that heapest Hoards from ocean-caverns won,[21] Bear to Hallgerd with my greeting, Her that hurries men to fight; Sure am I, O firewood splitter! That yon spendthrift knows it well, And will answer if it ever Uttered mocking songs on us. The shepherd casts the head down as soon as ever they parted, for he dared not do so while their eyes were on him. They fared along till they met some men down by Markfleet, and told them the tidings. Skarphedinn gave himself out as the slayer of Sigmund; and Grim and Helgi as the slayers of Skiolld; then they fared home and told Njal the tidings. He answers them-- "Good luck to your hands! Here no self-doom will come to pass as things stand." Now we must take up the story, and say that the shepherd came home to Lithend. He told Hallgerda the tidings. "Skarphedinn put Sigmund's head into my hands," he says, "and bade me bring it thee; but I dared not do it, for I knew not how thou wouldst like that." "'Twas ill that thou didst not do that," she says; "I would have brought it to Gunnar, and then he would have avenged his kinsman, or have to bear every man's blame." After that she went to Gunnar and said, "I tell thee of thy kinsman Sigmund's slaying: Skarphedinn slew him, and wanted them to bring me the head". "Just what might be looked for to befall him," says Gunnar, "for ill redes bring ill luck, and both you and Skarphedinn have often done one another spiteful turns". Then Gunnar went away; he let no steps be taken towards a suit for manslaughter, and did nothing about it. Hallgerda often put him in mind of it, and kept saying that Sigmund had fallen unatoned. Gunnar gave no heed to that. Now three Things passed away, at each of which men thought that he would follow up the suit: then a knotty point came on Gunnar's hands, which he knew not how to set about, and then he rode to find Njal. He gave Gunnar a hearty welcome. Gunnar said to Njal, "I am come to seek a bit of good counsel at thy hands about a knotty point". "Thou art worthy of it," says Njal, and gave him counsel what to do. Then Gunnar stood up and thanked him. Njal then spoke and said, and took Gunnar by the hand, "Over long hath thy kinsman Sigmund been unatoned". "He has been long ago atoned," says Gunnar, "but still I will not fling back the honour offered me." Gunnar had never spoken an ill word of Njal's sons. Njal would have nothing else than that Gunnar should make his own award in the matter. He awarded two hundred in silver, but let Skiolld fall without a price. They paid down all the money at once. Gunnar declared this their atonement at the Thingskala Thing, when most men were at it, and laid great weight on the way in which they (Njal and his sons) had behaved; he told too those bad words which cost Sigmund his life, and no man was to repeat them or sing the verses, but if any sung them, the man who uttered them was to fall without atonement. Both Gunnar and Njal gave each other their words that no such matters should ever happen that they would not settle among themselves; and this pledge was well kept ever after, and they were always friends.