Njal's Saga (29 page)

Flosi lived at Svinafell and was a great chieftain. He was big and strong and very forceful.

He had a brother named Starkad; they shared the same father, but Starkad's mother was Thraslaug, the daughter of Thorstein Sparrow, the son of Geirleif Thraslaug's mother was Unn, the daughter of Eyvind Karfi the settler and the sister of Modolf the Wise.

Flosi's other brothers were Thorgeir, Stein, Kolbein and Egil.

Hildigunn was the daughter of Flosi's brother Starkad. She was a woman with a mind of her own and very beautiful. Few women could match her skill at handiwork. She was an unusually tough and harsh-tempered woman, but a fine woman when she had to be.

There was a man named Hall, known as Hall of Sida. He was the son of Thorstein Bodvarsson. Hall's mother was Thordis, the daughter of Ozur, the son of Hrodlaug, the son of Earl Rognvald of More, the son of Eystein the Noisy. Hall was married to Joreid, the daughter of Thidrandi the Wise, the son of Ketil Thrym, the son of Thorir Thidrandi of Veradal. Joreid's brothers were Ketil Thrym of Njardvik and Thorvald, the father of Helgi Droplaugarson. Hall-katla was the sister of Joreid and the mother of Thorkel and Thidrandi Geitisson.
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Thorstein, known as Broad-belly, was Hall's brother. He had a son Kol, whom Kari was to slay in Wales.
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The sons of Hall of Sida were Thorstein, Egil, Thorvard, Ljot and Thidrandi, whom, it is said, the
dísir
killed.
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There was a man named Thorir, known as Holta-Thorir. His son was Skorargeir, and Skorargeir's brothers were Thorleif Crow, from whom the people of Skogar are descended, and Thorgrim the Tall.
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To tell now about Njal, who had these words with Hoskuld: ‘I would like to arrange a marriage, my foster-son, and find a woman for you.'

Hoskuld said that Njal should decide and asked where he thought best to look.

Njal answered, ‘There's a woman named Hildigunn, the daughter of Starkad, the son of Thord Frey's Godi. She's the best choice I know of

Hoskuld said, ‘You take care of it, my foster-father. I'll go along with whatever you arrange.'

‘We'll ask for her, then,' said Njal.

After this Njal gathered men for the journey. The Sigfussons and all of Njal's sons and Kari Solmundarson went with him. They rode east to Svinafell and were given a good reception there.

The next day Njal and Flosi had a talk together. Njal eventually came around to saying, ‘The reason for our journey here is to propose a link with your family, Flosi, by asking for the hand of Hildigunn, your brother's daughter.'

‘On behalf of whom?' said Flosi.

‘On behalf of Hoskuld Thrainsson, my foster-son,' said Njal.

‘That's a good proposal,' said Flosi, ‘but the relationship between you and Hoskuld is very precarious.
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What can you say about Hoskuld?'

‘Only good things can be said about him,' said Njal, ‘and I shall put up as much money as you think fitting, if you're willing to give this your consideration.'

We'll call her,' said Flosi, ‘and find out how she likes the man.'

They called her and she came. Flosi told her of the proposal.

She said she was a proud woman – ‘and I don't know how it would suit me to be involved with such people, especially since the man has no godord. You told me once that you would not marry me to a man who was not a godi.'

‘It's reason enough for me to turn down the offer,' said Flosi, ‘if you don't want the marriage.'

‘I'm not saying,' she said, ‘that I wouldn't marry Hoskuld if they found a godord for him. But otherwise I won't consider it'

‘In that case,' said Njal, ‘I'd like you to let this matter wait for three years.'

Flosi agreed to this.

‘I will make one condition,' said Hildigunn, ‘that if this marriage goes ahead, we live here in the east.'

Njal said he would leave that up to Hoskuld, and Hoskuld said that he trusted many men, but none as much as his foster-father. Then they rode back west.

Njal tried to find a godord for Hoskuld, but no one was willing to sell his.

The summer moved on until time for the Althing. That year there were many lawsuits. As usual, many people came to consult Njal, but he gave advice which, unlikely as it seemed, ruined both prosecution and defence and led to much wrangling when cases could not be settled, and men rode home from the Thing unreconciled.

Time passed until the next Thing. Njal went to it. Everything was calm at first, until Njal declared that it was time for men to give notice of their lawsuits. Many said that this was hardly worth it, for even cases brought to the Thing were getting nowhere – ‘and we would rather,' they said, ‘press our claims with point and blade.'

‘That you must not do,' said Njal, ‘for it will not do to be without law in the land. But there is much truth in what you say, and those of us who know the law should shape it. The best step, it seems to me, is for us to call a meeting of all the chieftains to talk about it.'

Then the Law Council convened. Njal spoke: ‘I appeal to you, Skafti Thoroddsson,
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and all you other chieftains – I think we have come to an impasse when we prosecute cases in the Quarter Courts and they become so entangled that they can not be settled or even moved along. The wisest course, in my opinion, would be to have a Fifth Court and prosecute cases there that can't be settled in the Quarter Courts.'

‘How can you set up a Fifth Court,' said Skafti, ‘when the Quarter Courts were set up on the basis of the traditional number of godis, thirty-six from each Quarter?'

I see a way around this,' said Njal, ‘by creating new godords and appointing the best qualified men from each Quarter, and whoever wants to can declare allegiance to these new godis.'

‘We will accept this plan,' said Skafti, ‘but what sort of cases should be prosecuted in this court or referred to it?'

‘All violations of Thing procedure should be referred to it,' said Njal, ‘as well as cases of perjury or false verdict. Also, cases in which no agreement was reached in the Quarter Court shall be referred to the Fifth Court, as well as cases involving the offer or acceptance of payment for assistance in legal suits
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and giving shelter to slaves or debtors.

‘The firmest kind of oaths shall be sworn in this court, with two men backing each oath by swearing on their honour to what the others swear.

‘If one party prosecutes its case correctly, and the other incorrectly, the judgement shall be awarded to the one who followed correct procedure.

‘Every case is to be prosecuted here just as in the Quarter Courts, with the difference that since forty-eight men will be appointed to the Fifth Court, the prosecution is to remove six and the defence another six. If the defence chooses not to do so, the prosecution is to remove those that the defence should have removed, and if the prosecution fails to do this the case is invalidated, for the number of judges must be thirty-six.

‘We should also set up the Law Council so that those sitting on the middle benches are empowered to decide on laws and exemptions, and the most wise and capable men should be chosen for this. The Fifth Court shall also sit there. If the members of the Law Council cannot agree on granting exemptions or making laws, a majority vote shall decide. If someone is unable to gain access to the Council or has had his suit repelled by force, he shall present a veto within the hearing of the Council and thereby invalidate all exemptions and legal decisions the Council has made.'

After this, Skafti Thoroddsson put the Fifth Court into law, along with everything that had been proposed. Then people went to the Law Rock; they set up the new godords. In the North Quarter they
were given to the people of Mel in Midfjord and the people of Laufas in Eyjafjord.

Then Njal called for silence and spoke: ‘What happened between my sons and the men of Grjota is well known, that they killed Thrain Sigfusson, and yet we settled the matter peaceably, and I took Hoskuld into my home, and now I have arranged a marriage for him, provided that he becomes a godi. But no godi is willing to sell his office. I therefore ask your permission to set up a new godord at Hvitanes for Hoskuld.'

Everyone approved this; then he set up a new godord for Hoskuld, who was called the Godi of Hvitanes from then on. After that people rode home from the Thing.

Njal was home only a short time before he and his sons rode east to Svinafell and brought up the marriage proposal with Flosi, and Flosi said he would keep his word. Hildigunn was then betrothed to Hoskuld and a date for the wedding feast was fixed and the matter was settled. Then they rode home.

They rode to Svinafell again for the wedding. Flosi paid out the agreed dowry for Hildigunn and did so readily. The couple went to Bergthorshvol and lived there for a year, and Hildigunn and Bergthora got along well.

The next summer Njal bought land at Ossabaer and gave it to Hoskuld, and he went and settled there.
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Njal hired all the servants for him. They were on such warm terms that no one took a decision unless all the others agreed to it.

Hoskuld lived for a long time at Ossabaer, and he and the Njalssons added to each other's prestige, and they went with him on his journeys. So fervent was their friendship that they invited each other to a feast every autumn and exchanged generous gifts. This went on for a long time.

There was a man called Lyting, who lived at Samsstadir. He was married to a woman named Steinvor Sigfussdottir, Thrain's sister. Lyting was a big, strong man, prosperous but vicious to deal with.

One day it happened that Lyting had a feast at Samsstadir. He had invited Hoskuld and the Sigfussons, and they all came. Grani Gunnarsson and Gunnar Lambason and Lambi Sigurdarson were also there.

Hoskuld Njalsson
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and his mother Hrodny had a farm at Holt, and Hoskuld often rode there from Bergthorshvol and passed by the farm at Samsstadir. Hoskuld had a son called Amundi, who had been born blind. He was none the less big and powerful.

Lyting had two brothers, one named Hallstein and the other Hallgrim. They were the worst troublemakers and always lived with their brother because no one else could stand them.

Lyting was mostly outdoors on the day of the feast, but went inside now and then. When he took his seat, a woman who had been outdoors came in.

She spoke: ‘It's too bad you were not outside when the show-off rode past the farm.'

‘Who's this show-off you're talking about?' asked Lyting.

‘Hoskuld Njalsson,' she said, ‘has just ridden past the farm.'

Lyting spoke: ‘He often rides past, and not without annoyance to me, and I'll offer to go with you, Hoskuld, if you want to avenge your father and kill Hoskuld Njalsson.'

‘I don't want that,' said Hoskuld, ‘for then I would be repaying my foster-father far worse than he deserves. May no luck come to you and your feast!' – and he jumped up from the table and called for his horses and rode home.

Then Lyting spoke to Grani Gunnarsson: ‘You were there when Thrain was slain, and it must be fresh in your mind, and you too, Gunnar Lambason and Lambi Sigurdarson. I want us to ride out to meet him and kill him this evening when he rides home.'

‘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,
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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,
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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.'
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