Burnt Njal --- (chap. 46-52)

CHAPTER XLVI. OF GIZUR THE WHITE AND GEIR THE PRIEST. There was a man named Gizur the White; he was Teit's son; Kettlebjorn the Old's son, of Mossfell. Gizur the White kept house at Mossfell, and was a great chief. That man is also named in this story, whose name was Geir the priest; his mother was Thorkatla, another daughter of Kettlebjorn the Old of Mossfell. Geir kept house at Lithe. He and Gizur backed one another in every matter. At that time Mord Valgard's son kept house at Hof on the Rangrivervales; he was crafty and spiteful. Valgard his father was then abroad, but his mother was dead. He was very envious of Gunnar of Lithend. He was wealthy, so far as goods went, but had not many friends. CHAPTER XLVII. OF OTKELL IN KIRKBY. There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers. Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles. Otkell was wealthy in goods. His son's name was Thorgeir; he was young in years, and a bold dashing man. Skamkell was the name of another man; he kept house at another farm called Hof; he was well off for money, but he was a spiteful man and a liar; quarrelsome too, and ill to deal with. He was Otkell's friend. Hallkell was the name of Otkell's brother; he was a tall strong man, and lived there with Otkell; their brother's name was Hallbjorn the White; he brought out to Iceland a thrall, whose name was Malcolm; he was Irish and had not many friends. Hallbjorn went to stay with Otkell, and so did his thrall Malcolm. The thrall was always saying that he should think himself happy if Otkell owned him. Otkell was kind to him, and gave him a knife and belt, and a full suit of clothes, but the thrall turned his hand to any work that Otkell wished. Otkell wanted to make a bargain with his brother for the thrall; he said he would give him the thrall, but said too, that he was a worse treasure than he thought. And as soon as Otkell owned the thrall, then he did less and less work. Otkell often said outright to Hallbjorn, that he thought the thrall did little work; and he told Otkell that there was worse in him yet to come. At that time came a great scarcity, so that men fell short both of meat and hay, and that spread over all parts of Iceland. Gunnar shared his hay and meat with many men; and all got them who came thither, so long as his stores lasted. At last it came about that Gunnar himself fell short both of hay and meat. Then Gunnar called on Kolskegg to go along with him; he called too on Thrain Sigfus' son, and Lambi Sigurd's son. They fared to Kirkby, and called Otkell out. He greeted them, and Gunnar said, "It so happens that I am come to deal with thee for hay and meat, if there be any left". Otkell answers, "There is store of both, but I will sell thee neither". "Wilt thou give me them then," says Gunnar, "and run the risk of my paying thee back somehow?" "I will not do that either," says Otkell. Skamkell all the while was giving him bad counsel. Then Thrain Sigfus' son said, "It would serve him right if we take both hay and meat and lay down the worth of them instead". Skamkell answered, "All the men of Mossfell must be dead and gone then, if ye, sons of Sigfus, are to come and rob them". "I will have no hand in any robbery," says Gunnar. "Wilt thou buy a thrall of me?" says Otkell. "I'll not spare to do that," says Gunnar. After that Gunnar bought the thrall, and fared away as things stood. Njal hears of this, and said, "Such things are ill done, to refuse to let Gunnar buy; and it is not a good outlook for others if such men as he cannot get what they want". "What's the good of thy talking so much about such a little matter?" says Bergthora; "far more like a man would it be to let him have both meat and hay, when thou lackest neither of them." "That is clear as day," says Njal, "and I will of a surety supply his need somewhat." Then he fared up to Thorolfsfell, and his sons with him, and they bound hay on fifteen horses; but on five horses they had meat. Njal came to Lithend, and called Gunnar out. He greeted them kindly. "Here is hay and meat," said Njal, "which I will give thee; and my wish is, that thou shouldst never look to any one else than to me if thou standest in need of any thing." "Good are thy gifts," says Gunnar, "but methinks thy friendship is still more worth, and that of thy sons." After that Njal fared home, and now the spring passes away. CHAPTER XLVIII. HOW HALLGERDA MAKES MALCOLM STEAL FROM KIRKBY. Now Gunnar is about to ride to the Thing, but a great crowd of men from the Side east turned in as guests at his house. Gunnar bade them come and be his guests again, as they rode back from the Thing; and they said they would do so. Now they ride to the Thing, and Njal and his sons were there. That Thing was still and quiet. Now we must take up the story, and say that Hallgerda comes to talk with Malcolm the thrall. "I have thought of an errand to send thee on," she says; "thou shalt go to Kirkby." "And what shall I do there?" he says. "Thou shalt steal from thence food enough to load two horses, and mind and have butter and cheese; but thou shalt lay fire in the storehouse, and all will think that it has arisen out of heedlessness, but no one will think that there has been theft." "Bad have I been," said the thrall, "but never have I been a thief." "Hear a wonder!" says Hallgerda, "thou makest thyself good, thou that hast been both thief and murderer; but thou shalt not dare to do aught else than go, else will I let thee be slain." He thought he knew enough of her to be sure that she would so do if he went not; so he took at night two horses and laid pack-saddles on them, and went his way to Kirkby. The house-dog knew him and did not bark at him, and ran and fawned on him. After that he went to the storehouse and loaded the two horses with food out of it, but the storehouse he burnt, and the dog he slew. He went up along by Rangriver, and his shoe-thong snapped; so he takes his knife and makes the shoe right, but he leaves the knife and belt lying there behind him. He fares till he comes to Lithend; then he misses the knife, but dares not to go back. Now he brings Hallgerda the food, and she showed herself well pleased at it. Next morning when men came out of doors at Kirkby there they saw great scathe. Then a man was sent to the Thing to tell Otkell, he bore the loss well, and said it must have happened because the kitchen was next to the storehouse; and all thought that that was how it happened. Now men ride home from the Thing, and many rode to Lithend. Hallgerda set food on the hoard, and in came cheese and butter. Gunnar knew that such food was not to be looked for in his house, and asked Hallgerda whence it came? "Thence," she says, "whence thou mightest well eat of it; besides, it is no man's business to trouble himself with housekeeping." Gunnar got wroth and said, "Ill indeed is it if I am a partaker with thieves"; and with that he gave her a slap on the cheek. She said she would bear that slap in mind and repay it if she could. So she went off and he went with her, and then all that was on the board was cleared away, but flesh-meat was brought in instead, and all thought that was because the flesh was thought to have been got in a better way. Now the men who had been at the Thing fare away. CHAPTER XLIX. OF SKAMKELL'S EVIL COUNSEL. Now we must tell of Skamkell. He rides after some sheep up along Rangriver, and he sees something shining in the path. He finds a knife and belt, and thinks he knows both of them. He fares with them to Kirkby; Otkell was out of doors when Skamkell came. He spoke to him and said-- "Knowest thou aught of these pretty things?" "Of a surety," says Otkell, "I know them." "Who owns them?" asks Skamkell. "Malcolm the thrall," says Otkell. "Then more shall see and know them than we two," says Skamkell, "for true will I be to thee in counsel." They showed them to many men, and all knew them. Then Skamkell said-- "What counsel wilt thou now take?" "We shall go and see Mord Valgard's son," answers Otkell, "and seek counsel of him." So they went to Hof, and showed the pretty things to Mord, and asked him if he knew them? He said he knew them well enough, but what was there in that? "Do you think you have a right to look for anything at Lithend?" "We think it hard for us," says Skamkell, "to know what to do, when such mighty men have a hand in it." "That is so, sure enough," says Mord, "but yet I will get to know those things out of Gunnar's household, which none of you will ever know." "We would give thee money," they say, "if thou wouldst search out this thing." "That money I shall buy full dear," answered Mord, "but still, perhaps, it may be that I will look at the matter." They gave him three marks of silver for lending them his help. Then he gave them this counsel, that women should go about from house to house with small wares, and give them to the housewives, and mark what was given them in return. "For," he says, "'tis the turn of mind of all men first to give away what has been stolen, if they have it in their keeping, and so it will be here also, if this hath happened by the hand of man. Ye shall then come and show me what has been given to each in each house, and I shall then be free from further share in this matter, if the truth comes to light." To this they agreed, and went home afterwards. Mord sends women about the country, and they were away half a month. Then they came back, and had big bundles. Mord asked where they had most given them? They said that at Lithend most was given them, and Hallgerda had been most bountiful to them. He asked what was given them there? "Cheese," say they. He begged to see it, and they showed it to him, and it was in great slices. These he took and kept. A little after, Mord fared to see Otkell, and bade that he would bring Thorgerda's cheese-mould; and when that was done, he laid the slices down in it, and lo! they fitted the mould in every way. Then they saw, too, that a whole cheese had been given to them. Then Mord said, "Now may ye see that Hallgerda must have stolen the cheese"; and they all passed the same judgment; and then Mord said, that now he thought he was free of this matter. After that they parted. Shortly after Kolskegg fell to talking with Gunnar, and said-- "Ill is it to tell, but the story is in every man's mouth, that Hallgerda must have stolen, and that she was at the bottom of all that great scathe that befell at Kirkby." Gunnar said that he too thought that must be so. "But what is to be done now?" Kolskegg answered, "That wilt think it thy most bounden duty to make atonement for thy wife's wrong, and methinks it were best that thou farest to see Otkell, and makest him a handsome offer." "This is well spoken," says Gunnar, "and so it shall be." A little after Gunnar sent after Thrain Sigfus' son, and Lambi Sigurd's son, and they came at once. Gunnar told them whither he meant to go, and they were well pleased. Gunnar rode with eleven men to Kirkby, and called Otkell out. Skamkell was there too, and said, "I will go out with thee, and it will be best now to have the balance of wit on thy side. And I would wish to stand closest by thee when thou needest it most, and now this will be put to the proof. Methinks it were best that thou puttest on an air of great weight." Then they, Otkell and Skamkell, and Hallkell and Hallbjorn, went out all of them. They greeted Gunnar, and he took their greeting well. Otkell asks whither he meant to go? "No farther than here," says Gunnar, "and my errand hither is to tell thee about that bad mishap--how it arose from the plotting of my wife and that thrall whom I bought from thee." "'Tis only what was to be looked for," says Hallbjorn. "Now I will make thee a good offer," says Gunnar, "and the offer is this, that the best men here in the country round settle the matter." "This is a fair-sounding offer," said Skamkell, "but an unfair and uneven one. Thou art a man who has many friends among the householders, but Otkell has not many friends." "Well," says Gunnar, "then I will offer thee that I shall make an award, and utter it here on this spot, and so we will settle the matter, and my good-will shall follow the settlement. But I will make thee an atonement by paying twice the worth of what was lost." "This choice shalt thou not take," said Skamkell; "and it is unworthy to give up to him the right to make his own award, when thou oughtest to have kept it for thyself." So Otkell said, "I will not give up to thee, Gunnar, the right to make thine own award." "I see plainly," said Gunnar, "the help of men who will be paid off for it one day I daresay; but come now, utter an award for thyself." Otkell leant toward Skamkell and said, "What shall I answer now?" "This thou shalt call a good offer, but still put thy suit into the hands of Gizur the white, and Geir the priest, and then many will say this, that thou behavest like Hallkell, thy grandfather, who was the greatest of champions." "Well offered is this, Gunnar," said Otkell, "but still my will is thou wouldst give me time to see Gizur the white." "Do now whatever thou likest in the matter," said Gunnar; "but men will say this, that thou couldst not see thine own honour when thou wouldst have none of the choices I offer thee." Then Gunnar rode home, and when he had gone away, Hallbjorn said, "Here I see how much man differs from man. Gunnar made thee good offers, but thou wouldst take none of them; or how dost thou think to strive with Gunnar in a quarrel, when no one is his match in fight. But now he is still so kind-hearted a man that it may be he will let these offers stand, though thou art only ready to take them afterwards. Methinks it were best that thou farest to see Gizur the white and Geir the priest now this very hour." Otkell let them catch his horse, and made ready in every way. Otkell was not sharpsighted, and Skamkell walked on the way along with him, and said to Otkell-- "Methought it strange that thy brother would not take this toil from thee, and now I will make thee an offer to fare instead of thee, for I know that the journey is irksome to thee." "I will take that offer," says Otkell, "but mind and be as truthful as ever thou canst." "So it shall be," says Skamkell. Then Skamkell took his horse and cloak, but Otkell walks home. Hallbjorn was out of doors, and said to Otkell-- "Ill is it to have a thrall for one's bosom friend, and we shall rue this for ever that thou hast turned back, and it is an unwise step to send the greatest liar on an errand, of which one may so speak that men's lives hang on it." "Thou wouldst be sore afraid," says Otkell, "if Gunnar had his bill aloft, when thou art so scared now." "No one knows who will be most afraid then," said Hallbjorn; "but this thou wilt have to own, that Gunnar does not lose much time in brandishing his bill when he is wroth." "Ah!" said Otkell, "ye are all of you for yielding but Skamkell." And then they were both wroth. CHAPTER L. OF SKAMKELL'S LYING. Skamkell came to Mossfell, and repeated all the offers to Gizur. "It so seems to me," says Gizur, "as though these have been bravely offered; but why took he not these offers?" "The chief cause was," answers Skamkell, "that all wished to show thee honour, and that was why he waited for thy utterance; besides, that is best for all." So Skamkell stayed there the night over, but Gizur sent a man to fetch Geir the priest; and he came there early. Then Gizur told him the story and said-- "What course is to be taken now?" "As thou no doubt hast already made up thy mind--to make the best of the business for both sides." "Now we will let Skamkell tell his tale a second time, and see how he repeats it." So they did that, and Gizur said-- "Thou must have told this story right; but still I have seen thee to be the wickedest of men, and there is no faith in faces if thou turnest out well." Skamkell fared home, and rides first to Kirkby and calls Otkell out. He greets Skamkell well, and Skamkell brought him the greeting of Gizur and Geir. "But about this matter of the suit," he says, "there is no need to speak softly, how that it is the will of both Gizur and Geir that this suit should not be settled in a friendly way. They gave that counsel that a summons should be set on foot, and that Gunnar should be summoned for having partaken of the goods, but Hallgerda for stealing them." "It shall be done," said Otkell, "in everything as they have given counsel." "They thought most of this," says Skamkell, "that thou hadst behaved so proudly; but as for me, I made as great a man of thee in everything as I could." Now Otkell tells all this to his brothers, and Hallbjorn said-- "This must be the biggest lie." Now the time goes on until the last of the summoning days before the Althing came. Then Otkell called on his brothers and Skamkell to ride on the business of the summons to Lithend. Hallbjorn said he would go, but said also that they would rue this summoning as time went on. Now they rode twelve of them together to Lithend, but when they came into the "town," there was Gunnar out of doors, and knew naught of their coming till they had ridden right up to the house. He did not go indoors then, and Otkell thundered out the summons there and then; but when they had made an end of the summoning Skamkell said-- "Is it all right, master?" "Ye know that best," says Gunnar, "but I will put thee in mind of this journey one of these days, and of thy good help." "That will not harm us," says Skamkell, "if thy bill be not aloft." Gunnar was very wroth and went indoors, and told Kolskegg, and Kolskegg said-- "Ill was it that we were not out of doors; they should have come here on the most shameful journey, if we had been by." "Everything bides its time," says Gunnar; "but this journey will not turn out to their honour." A little after Gunnar went and told Njal. "Let it not worry thee a jot," said Njal, "for this will be the greatest honour to thee, ere this Thing comes to an end. As for us, we will all back thee with counsel and force." Gunnar thanked him and rode home. Otkell rides to the Thing, and his brothers with him and Skamkell. CHAPTER LI. OF GUNNAR. Gunnar rode to the Thing and all the sons of Sigfus; Njal and his sons too, they all went with Gunnar; and it was said that no band was so well knit and hardy as theirs. Gunnar went one day to the booth of the Dalemen; Hrut was by the booth and Hauskuld, and they greeted Gunnar well. Now Gunnar tells them the whole story of the suit up to that time. "What counsel gives Njal?" asks Hrut. "He bade me seek you brothers," says Gunnar, "and said he was sure that he and you would look at the matter in the same light." "He wishes then," says Hrut, "that I should say what I think for kinship's sake; and so it shall be. Thou shalt challenge Gizur the white to combat on the island, if they do not leave the whole award to thee; but Kolskegg shall challenge Geir the Priest. As for Otkell and his crew, men must be got ready to fall on them; and now we have such great strength all of us together, that thou mayst carry out whatever thou wilt." Gunnar went home to his booth and told Njal. "Just what I looked for," said Njal. Wolf Aurpriest got wind of this plan, and told Gizur, and Gizur said to Otkell-- "Who gave thee that counsel that thou shouldst summon Gunnar?" "Skamkell told me that was the counsel of both Geir the priest and thyself." "But where is that scoundrel," says Gizur, "who has thus lied?" "He lies sick up at our booth," says Otkell. "May he never rise from his bed," says Gizur, "Now we must all go to see Gunnar, and offer him the right to make his own award; but I know not whether he will take that now." Many men spoke ill of Skamkell, and he lay sick all through the Thing. Gizur and his friends went to Gunnar's booth; their coming was known, and Gunnar was told as he sat in his booth, and then they all went out and stood in array. Gizur the white came first, and after a while he spoke and said-- "This is our offer--that thou, Gunnar, makest thine own award in this suit." "Then," says Gunnar, "it was no doubt far from thy counsel that I was summoned." "I gave no such counsel," says Gizur, "neither I nor Geir." "Then thou must clear thyself of this charge by fitting proof." "What proof dost thou ask?" says Gizur. "That thou takest an oath," says Gunnar. "That I will do," says Gizur, "if thou wilt take the award into thine own hands." "That was the offer I made a while ago," says Gunnar; "but now, methinks, I have a greater matter to pass judgment on." "It will not be right to refuse to make thine own award," said Njal; "for the greater the matter, the greater the honour in making it." "Well," said Gunnar, "I will do this to please my friends, and utter my award; but I give Otkell this bit of advice, never to give me cause for quarrel hereafter." Then Hrut and Hauskuld were sent for, and they came thither, and then Gizur the White and Geir the priest took their oaths; but Gunnar made his award, and spoke with no man about it, and afterwards he uttered it as follows:-- "This is my award," he says; "first, I lay it down that the storehouse must be paid for, and the food that was therein; but for the thrall, I will pay thee no fine, for that thou hiddest his faults; but I award him back to thee; for as the saying is, 'Birds of a feather flock most together'. Then, on the other hand, I see that thou hast summoned me in scorn and mockery, and for that I award to myself no less a sum than what the house that was burnt and the stores in it were worth; but if ye think it better that we be not set at one again, then I will let you have your choice of that, but if so I have already made up my mind what I shall do, and then I will fulfil my purpose." "What we ask," said Gizur, "is that thou shouldst not be hard on Otkell, but we beg this of thee, on the other hand, that thou wouldst be his friend." "That shall never be," said Gunnar, "so long as I live; but he shall have Skamkell's friendship; on that he has long leant." "Well," answers Gizur, "we will close with thee in this matter, though thou alone layest down the terms." Then all this atonement was made and hands were shaken on it, and Gunnar said to Otkell-- "It were wiser to go away to thy kinsfolk; but if thou wilt be here in this country, mind that thou givest me no cause of quarrel." "That is wholesome counsel," said Gizur; "and so he shall do." So Gunnar had the greatest honour from that suit, and afterwards men rode home from the Thing. Now Gunnar sits in his house at home, and so things are quiet for a while. CHAPTER LII. OF RUNOLF, THE SON OF WOLF AURPRIEST. There was a man named Runolf, the son of Wolf Aurpriest, he kept house at the Dale, east of Markfleet. He was Otkell's guest once when he rode from the Thing. Otkell gave him an ox, all black, without a spot of white, nine winters old. Runolf thanked him for the gift, and bade him come and see him at home whenever he chose to go; and this bidding stood over for some while, so that he had not paid the visit. Runolf often sent men to him and put him in mind that he ought to come; and he always said he would come, but never went. Now Otkell had two horses, dun coloured, with a black stripe down the back; they were the best steeds to ride in all the country round, and so fond of each other, that whenever one went before, the other ran after him. There was an Easterling staying with Otkell, whose name was Audulf; he had set his heart on Signy Otkell's daughter. Audulf was a tall man in growth, and strong.