Njal's Saga (11 page)

A little while later, Thorarin Ragi's Brother learned of the slaying of his brother Glum. He rode with eleven men west to Dalir and came to Hoskuldsstadir. Hoskuld received him with open arms and he stayed there overnight. Hoskuld sent at once for Hrut to come there, and he came immediately.

The following day they talked at length about the death of Glum.
Thorarin said, ‘Are you willing to pay me compensation for my brother, for I have had a great loss?'

Hoskuld answered, ‘I didn't kill your brother, and my daughter didn't plan his death – and when Hrut found out about it, he killed Thjostolf.'

Thorarin became silent then and felt that the situation would be hard to solve.

Hrut spoke: ‘Let's make his trip honourable. He has surely had a great loss and it will be well spoken of if we give him gifts and he becomes our friend for life.'

The outcome was that the brothers gave him gifts. Thorarin then rode back south.

He and Hallgerd exchanged farms in the spring: she went south to Laugarnes and he went to Varmalaek. Thorarin is now out of the saga.

To tell now about Mord Gigja: he took ill and died, and that was thought a great loss. His daughter Unn inherited all his property. She had not been married a second time. She was very lavish and improvident with her property, and her wealth wasted away until she had nothing but land and personal items.

There was a man named Gunnar. He was related to Unn. His mother was named Rannveig, and she was the daughter of Sigfus, the son of Sighvat the Red; he was slain at the ferry at Sandholar.
¹
Gunnar's father was named Hamund; he was the son of Gunnar Baugsson, from whom Gunnarsholt gets its name. Hamund's mother was named Hrafnhild; she was the daughter of Storolf Haengsson. Storolf was the brother of Hrafn the Lawspeaker, and his son was Orm the Strong.

Gunnar Hamundarson lived at Hlidarendi in Fljotshlid. He was big and strong and an excellent fighter. He could swing a sword and throw a spear with either hand, if he wished, and he was so swift with a sword that there seemed to be three in the air at once. He shot with
a bow better than anyone else, and he always hit what he aimed at. He could jump higher than his own height, in full fighting gear, and just as far backward as forward. He swam like a seal, and there was no sport in which there was any point in competing with him and it was said that no man was his match.

He was handsome and fair of skin and had a straight nose, turned up at its tip. He was blue-eyed and keen-eyed and ruddy-cheeked, with thick hair, blond and well-combed. He was very well-mannered, firm in all ways, generous and even-tempered, a true friend but a discriminating friend. He was very well off for property.

His brother was named Kolskegg; he was big and strong, a fine man and reliable in all ways. A second brother was named Hjort; he was then in his childhood. Orm Skogarnef was a bastard brother of Gunnar's, but he does not come into this saga.

Arngunn was the name of Gunnar's sister; she was married to Hroar the Godi of Tunga, who was the son of Uni the Unborn,
²
the son of Gardar who discovered Iceland. Arngunn's son was Hamund the Lame, who lived at Hamundarstadir.

There was a man named Njal; he was the son of Thorgeir Gollnir, the son of Thorolf Njal's mother was Asgerd, the daughter of the Norwegian hersir Askel the Silent; she had come out to Iceland and settled to the east of the Markarfljot river, between Oldustein and Seljalandsmuli. Her son was Holta-Thorir, the father of Thorleif Crow, from whom the people of Skogar are descended, of Thorgrim the Tall and of Thorgeir Skorargeir.

Njal lived at Bergthorshvol in the Landeyjar. He had a second farm at Thorolfsfell. He was well off for property and handsome to look at, but there was one thing about him: no beard grew on him. He was so well versed in the law that he had no equal, and he was wise and prophetic, sound of advice and well-intentioned, and whatever course he counselled turned out well. He was modest and noble-spirited, able to see far into the future and remember far into the past, and he solved the problems of whoever turned to him.

Bergthora was his wife's name. She was the daughter of Skarphedin,
a woman with a mind of her own and a fine person, but a bit harsh-tempered. They had six children, three daughters and three sons, and the sons all play a part in this saga.

To tell now about Unn, who had lost all her money: she travelled from her farm to Hlidarendi, and Gunnar welcomed his kinswoman and she stayed overnight. The next day they sat outside and talked and she came around to telling him how pressed she was for money.

‘That's bad,' he said.

‘What solution will you offer me?' she said.

He answered, ‘Take as much as you need of the money I have out on loan.'

‘I don't want to waste your property,' she said.

‘Then what do you want?' he said.

‘I want you to reclaim my property from Hrut,' she said.

‘That doesn't seem likely' he said, ‘since your father wasn't able to reclaim the money, and he was a great lawyer – I know little about law'

‘It was through force rather than by law that Hrut pushed that through,' she said. ‘My father was old, and that was why men thought it best for them not to fight. Besides, there's no one in my family to take up this matter if you don't have the backbone to do so.'

‘I'm daring enough to try to get the money' he said, ‘but I don't know how to take up the case.'

She answered, ‘Go to Njal at Bergthorshvol – he'll be able to come up with a plan, and besides, he's a great friend of yours.'

‘I expect that he'll advise me as soundly as he does others,' he said.

Their talk ended with Gunnar taking up the case and giving her as much money as she needed for her household, and then she went home.

Gunnar rode to visit Njal, and he welcomed him and they went off to talk.

Gunnar said, ‘I've come to ask you for good advice.'

Njal answered, ‘I have many friends for whom it is fitting that I give good counsel, and yet I will take the greatest pains with you.'

Gunnar said, ‘I want to tell you that I have taken on the reclaiming of Unn's property from Hrut.'

‘That's a difficult matter,' said Njal, ‘and a big risk however it goes. But I'll propose what seems to me the most promising plan, and it will work if you do not deviate from it. Your life will be in danger if you do.'

‘I won't deviate from it at all,' said Gunnar.

Njal was silent for a while, and then said, ‘I've thought the matter over, and this is what will work.'

‘Ride from home with two men. Wear a hooded cloak on the outside and striped homespun underneath, and beneath this wear your good clothes and carry a short axe. Each of you should have two horses, one fat and the other lean. Take along some home-made articles from here. Start riding early tomorrow, and when you have crossed west over the Hvita river pull your hood way down. People will ask who the tall man is, and your companions should say that it is Peddler-Hedin the Mighty from Eyjafjord, travelling with his wares, and that he is a bad-tempered and loud-mouthed man, a know-it-all, that he often reneges on his deals and assaults people when things don't go the way he wants. Ride west to Borgarfjord and offer your wares everywhere but often renege on the deals. The word will get around that Peddler-Hedin is a terrible man to deal with and that whatever is said of him is no lie.

‘Ride north then to Nordurardal and then to Hrutafjord and to Laxardal, until you come to Hoskuldsstadir. Stay there for the night, but sit near the door and keep your head down. Hoskuld will declare that no one should have dealings with Peddler-Hedin, that he is offensive. Leave in the morning and go to the farm closest to Hrutsstadir. Offer your wares, especially the worst ones, and conceal their flaws. The farmer will examine them and find the flaws. Snatch them away from him and say something foul. He will say that it was only to be expected that you would give him a hard time – “you give everybody
a hard time”. Assault him – though you are not used to doing so – but don't use all your strength, lest you be recognized and arouse suspicion.

‘A man will be sent then to Hrutsstadir to tell Hrut that it would be best to take you away. He will send for you at once, and you should go at once. You will be assigned to the lower bench, opposite Hrut's high seat. Greet him, and he will respond well. He will ask if you're from the north, and you should say that you're from Eyjafjord. He will ask whether there are many excellent men up there.

‘ “They do a lot of nasty things,” you must say.

‘ “Are you familiar with Reykjadal?” he will say.

‘ “I am familiar with all of Iceland,” you must say.

‘ “Are there any mighty heroes in Reykjadal?” he will say.

‘ “They're thieves and rogues,” you must say.

‘Hrut will laugh and find this great sport. He and you will then talk about the men in the East Fjords, and you should say something scornful about each of them. Your talk will then turn to the men in the Rangarvellir district. Say that there is a shortage of good men there since the death of Mord Gigja. Hrut will ask why you think that no man could fill his place, and you should answer that he was such a wise man and so strong in pressing lawsuits that his authority was never in doubt. He will ask whether you're aware of what went on between Mord and himself.

‘ “I've heard,” you should say, “that he took your wife away from you and you did nothing about it.”

‘Then Hrut will answer, “Don't you think it was a mistake on his part when he didn't get the money, even after he brought a suit for it?”

‘ “I can easily answer that,” you should say. “You challenged him to a duel, but he was an old man and his friends advised him not to fight with you, and this is how you quashed the suit.”

‘ “I did challenge him,” Hrut will say, “and foolish men took this to be the law, but he could have brought the suit up at another Thing, if he had the backbone.”

‘ “I know that,” you should say.

‘He will then ask you whether you know anything about law.

‘ “Up north they thought I did,” you should say, “but you will have to tell me how to bring up the suit.”

‘Hrut will ask what suit you are referring to.

‘ “A suit,” you should say, “that's of no concern to me: how to go about reclaiming Unn's property.”

‘ “A summons must be pronounced, either in my hearing or at my legal residence,” Hrut will say.

‘ “Recite the summons,” you should say, “and I'll repeat it after you.”

‘Hrut will then recite the summons – pay careful attention to every bit of his wording. Then he will ask you to repeat the summons; do so, but do it so badly that no more than every second word is correct. Hrut will laugh and have no suspicions, and he will say that not much was correct in your summons. Blame your companions and say that they distracted you. Then ask Hrut to recite it for you again and to let you recite it after him. He will grant this and recite the summons himself. Recite it after him and say it correctly, and then ask Hrut if the summoning was correct. He will say that no one could fault it. Then say softly, but so that your companions can hear, “I hereby make this summons in the suit turned over to me by Unn, the daughter of Mord.”

‘Later when people are asleep, get up quietly and take your saddles out to the pasture, to the fat horses, and ride away; leave the other horses behind. Ride up above the grazing fields and stay there for three nights – that's about how long they will look for you. Then ride south to your home – ride only at night, and lie quiet during the day. We ourselves will ride to the Thing and carry on with the suit.'

Gunnar thanked him and rode straight home.

Gunnar rode from his home two days later, with two companions, and they rode until they came to Blaskogar heath. There some men came riding towards them and asked who the tall man was who showed so little of himself, and his companions said that it was Peddler-Hedin. The others said that with such a man out front it was not likely that a worse would follow. Hedin made as
if he were going to attack them, but then both parties went on their way.

Gunnar followed every detail of the plan that had been set forth: he spent a night at Hoskuldsstadir and from there went along the valley until he came to the farm closest to Hrutsstadir. There he offered his wares and sold three articles. The farmer saw that there was something wrong with them and called the deal a cheat; Hedin then assaulted him. This was told to Hrut, and he sent for Hedin; he went at once to Hrut and had a good welcome. Hrut assigned him a seat across from him. Their conversation went very much as Njal had expected: Hrut told him how the suit should be brought up and recited the summons; Hedin recited it after him and did it incorrectly; Hrut smiled and suspected nothing; then Hedin asked him to recite it once again, and Hrut did so; Hedin then recited the summons again, and did it correctly and called his companions as witnesses that he was making the summons in the suit turned over to him by Unn, the daughter of Mord.

That evening he went to bed along with the others, but when Hrut had fallen asleep he and his companions took their clothes and weapons and went out to their horses and rode across the river and then along it on the Hjardarholt side to the end of the valley and placed themselves between the mountains and Haukadal where they could not be found unless someone just happened to ride up there.

At Hoskuldsstadir Hoskuld woke up early in the night and woke all his household. ‘I want to tell you what I dreamed,' he said. ‘I saw a big bear go out of the house, and I was sure that there was none to equal it, and two cubs went along with it, and they were fond of the beast. It headed towards Hrutsstadir and went into the house there. Then I woke up. Now I want to know from you what you noticed about the tall man.'