Njal's Saga (34 page)

Afterwards, Hjalti spoke: ‘I always want my thoughts out in the open. Njal has asked me for help; I have agreed and promised him my support. He has already paid me, and many others, with his sound advice.'

Hjalti told Njal all about Flosi's movements. They sent Thorhall ahead to Tunga to say that they planned to come there that evening. Asgrim made preparations at once and was outside when Njal rode into the hayfield. Njal was wearing a black cape and a felt hood and carried a short axe in his hand. Asgrim helped Njal off his horse and carried him in and placed him on the high seat. Then all the Njalssons and Kari went in. Asgrim went back out. Hjalti was about to leave – he thought there were too many there. Asgrim seized the reins and said that Hjalti was not going to slip away, and he had the saddles taken off the horses and led him inside and placed him next to Njal. Thorleif and Thorgrim sat on the other bench with their men.

Asgrim sat down on a stool facing Njal and asked, ‘What are your thoughts on the case?'

Njal answered, ‘Rather heavy ones, for I fear that the men involved are not blessed with good fortune.'

He went on, ‘Send for all your thingmen and ride to the Thing with me.'

‘I've been planning that,' said Asgrim, ‘and I promise you here and now never to give up your cause as long as I have any men left.'

Everybody in the room thanked him and said that he had spoken nobly. They stayed there overnight, and the next morning all Asgrim's followers arrived. Then they all rode to the Thing, where their booths had already been covered.

Flosi had already arrived at the Thing and took charge of his booth. Runolf took charge of the booth of the men from Dal, and Mord the booth of the men from the Rangarvellir district. Hall of Sida had come the longest distance from the east and was almost the only man from there. He had, however, brought a large number of men from
his district and at once joined forces with Flosi and asked him to accept a peaceful settlement. Hall was a wise and good-hearted man. Flosi answered him well but did not commit himself.

Hall asked who had promised him support. Flosi named Mord Valgardsson and said that he had asked for the hand of Mord's daughter for his nephew Starkad. Hall said that the woman was good, but that it was bad to have dealings with Mord – ‘and you'll have proof of this before the Thing is over.'

At this they stopped talking.

One day Njal and his sons talked privately for a long time with Asgrim. Then Asgrim jumped up and spoke to the Njalssons: ‘Let's go and find ourselves some friends, so that we're not overcome by force of numbers, for this is going to be a hard-fought case.'

Asgrim went out, followed by Helgi Njalsson, then Kari Solmund-arson, then Grim Njalsson, then Skarphedin, then Thorhall Asgrims-son, then Thorgrim the Tall and Thorleif Crow. They went to Gizur the White's booth and entered. Gizur stood up to receive them and asked them to sit and drink.

Asgrim said, ‘That's not how things are, and let me be blunt – what support can I expect from you, as my kinsman?'

Gizur answered, ‘My sister Jorunn will not expect me to avoid helping you
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– one fate awaits us both, now and always.'

Asgrim thanked him and then went out.

Skarphedin asked, ‘Where shall we go now?'

Asgrim answered, ‘To the booth of the men from Olfus.'

They went there. Asgrim asked whether Skafti Thoroddsson was in the booth. He was told that he was, and they went in. Skafti was sitting on the cross-bench and welcomed Asgrim, and he responded politely. Skafti asked him to sit beside him. Asgrim said he would stay only a short time – ‘but I've come to you for a reason.'

‘Let's hear it,' said Skafti.

‘I want to ask your support,' said Asgrim, ‘for me and my kinsmen.'

‘I'd been hoping for something different,' said Skafti – ‘to keep your troubles out of my house.'

Asgrim answered, ‘Those are ugly words, and you're of least use when the need is greatest.'

‘Who's that man,' said Skafti, ‘who goes fifth in line, a big man with a pale and luckless look about him, but fierce and troll-like?'

He answered, ‘My name is Skarphedin, and you have often seen me here at the Thing, but I must be smarter than you because I don't need to ask your name. You're Skafti Thoroddsson, but you called yourself Brush-head after you killed Ketil of Elda; you shaved your head and smeared tar on it. Then you paid slaves to cut some turf and prop it up so you could crawl under it for the night. Later you went to Thorolf Loftsson at Eyrar, and he took you in and smuggled you abroad in his flour sacks.'
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Then Asgrim and his party left.

Skarphedin spoke: ‘Where shall we go now?'

‘To Snorri the Godi's booth,' said Asgrim.

They went to Snorri's booth. A man was standing out in front. Asgrim asked whether Snorri was in the booth; he said that he was. Asgrim and all the others went inside. Snorri was sitting on the cross-bench. Asgrim went up to him and greeted him warmly. Snorri received him cordially and invited him to sit down. Asgrim said he would stay only a short time – ‘but I've come to you for a reason.'

Snorri asked him to state it.

Asgrim said, ‘I would like you to go to court with me and give me your support, for you are a clever and accomplished man.'

‘Our legal matters are going badly now,' said Snorri, ‘and many men are pressing us hard, and so we're not eager to take on the troubles of men from other quarters.'

‘That's reason enough,' said Asgrim, ‘since you have no debt to us.'

‘I know you to be a fine man,' said Snorri, ‘and I promise not to take sides against you or give help to your enemies.'

Asgrim thanked him.

Snorri spoke: ‘Who is that man, who goes fifth in line, pale-looking, sharp-featured, with a toothy sneer and an axe on his shoulder?'

‘Hedin's my name,' he said, ‘but some call me by my full name Skarphedin. Is there any more you wish to say to me?'

Snorri spoke: ‘I see that you are fierce and daunting, and yet my guess is that your good luck is at an end and that you have only a short time to live.'

‘Good,' said Skarphedin, ‘because that's a debt we all have to pay. But you need to be avenging your father rather than predicting my fate.'
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‘Many have said that already' said Snorri, ‘and I'm not angered by such words.'

After that they left the booth, and had no support from him.

From there they went to the booth of the men from Skagafjord. Haf the Wealthy owned the booth. He was the son of Thorkel, the son of Eirik of Goddalir, the son of Geirmund, the son of Hroald, the son of Eirik Stiff-beard who killed Grjotgard in Sokndal in Norway. Haf's mother was Thorunn, the daughter of Asbjorn the Bald of Myrka, the son of Hrossbjorn.

Asgrim and the others entered the booth. Haf was sitting in the middle and was talking to a man. Asgrim went up to him and greeted him. Haf welcomed him and asked him to sit down.

Asgrim spoke: ‘I prefer to ask you to support me and my kinsmen.'

Haf responded quickly that he did not want to take on their troubles − ‘but I want to ask who that pale-looking one is who goes fifth in line, and is as foul-looking as if he had come out of a sea-cliff'

Skarphedin spoke: ‘Don't fuss about that, milksop. I would dare to go where you were waiting in ambush for me, and I wouldn't be afraid at all if there were boys like you in my path. It would be more fitting for you to rescue your sister Svanlaug, whom Eydis Iron-sword and Anvil-head took from your home.'
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Asgrim said, ‘Let's go − there's no hope of support here.'

Then they went to the booth of the men from Modruvellir and asked whether Gudmund the Powerful was inside, and they were told that he was. Asgrim entered the booth. There was a high seat in the middle and Gudmund was sitting in it. Asgrim went up to him and greeted him. Gudmund welcomed him and invited him to sit down.

Asgrim spoke: ‘I don't want to sit – I want to ask you for help, since you are a forceful and great chieftain.'

Gudmund said, ‘I will not be against you. But if I'm inclined to support you, we can talk about that later' − and he was kind to them in every way. Asgrim thanked him for his words.

Gudmund spoke: ‘There's a man in your group whom I've been looking at for a while and who seems to me unlike other men I have seen.'

‘Which one is he?' said Asgrim.

‘He's fifth in line,' said Gudmund, ‘chestnut-haired and pale in complexion, of great size and powerful-looking, and so clearly fit for manly deeds that I would rather have him on my side than any ten others. And yet he's a luckless man.'

Skarphedin spoke: ‘I know that you're talking about me, and that we're both men with bad luck, though in different ways. I deserve the blame for the slaying of Hoskuld the Godi of Hvitanes, as is to be expected. But Thorkel Bully and Thorir Helgason have been spreading slander about you and you deserve blame for that.'
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Then they went out.

Skarphedin said, ‘Where shall we go now?'

‘To the booth of the men from Ljosavatn,' said Asgrim.

Thorkel Bully had set up that booth. He was the son of Thorgeir the Godi, the son of Tjorvi, the son of Thorkel the Long, and his mother was Thorunn, the daughter of Thorstein, the son of Sigmund, the son of Gnupa-Bard. Thorkel Bully's mother was Gudrid; she was the daughter of Thorkel the Black from Hleidrargard, the son of Thorir Snepil, the son of Ketil Brimil, the son of Ornolf, the son of Bjornolf, the son of Grim Hairy-cheeks, the son of Ketil Haeng, the son of Hallbjorn Half-troll.
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Thorkel Bully had travelled abroad and earned fame in other lands. He had killed a trouble-maker out east in Jamtskog, and then he went to Sweden and became the companion of Old Sorkvir and they went raiding in the Baltic. One evening, east of Balagardssida,
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Thorkel had to fetch their water. He met with a creature half-man, half-beast,
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and fought it off for a long time, and the fight ended with Thorkel killing the creature. Then he went south to Estonia; there he killed a flying dragon. After that he went back to Sweden and from there to
Norway and to Iceland, and he had these mighty feats of his carved above his bed closet and on a stool in front of his high seat.

He and his brothers fought against Gudmund the Powerful at the Ljosavatn Assembly, and the men of Ljosavatn were victorious. It was then that Thorir Helgason and Thorkel Bully spread slander about Gudmund.

Thorkel claimed that there was no one in Iceland he would refuse to fight with in single combat, or give way to. He was called Thorkel Bully because neither in word nor in deed would he spare any man whom he faced.

Asgrim Ellida-Grimsson and his companions went to Thorkel's booth. Asgrim spoke to the others: ‘This booth belongs to Thorkel Bully, a great champion, and it would mean a lot if we could have his help. We must watch our every step, for he is headstrong and obstinate. I must ask you, Skarphedin, not to take part in our conversation.'

Skarphedin grinned. He was dressed in a black tunic and blue-striped trousers and high black boots; he had a silver belt around his waist and in his hand the axe with which he had killed Thrain – he called it Battle-hag – and a small shield, and around his head he had a silk band, with his hair combed back over his ears. He looked the complete warrior, and everybody recognized him without having seen him before. He walked in his assigned place, neither ahead nor behind.

They went into the booth and all the way to the end. Thorkel was sitting in the middle of the bench, with his men on both sides of him. Asgrim greeted him; Thorkel responded politely.

Asgrim spoke: ‘We've come here to ask you to support us by going to court with us.'

Thorkel said, ‘What need do you have of my support, since you have already gone to Gudmund? He must have promised to help you.'

Asgrim answered, We did not get his support'

Thorkel spoke: ‘Then Gudmund thought your case to be unpopular, and he must be right, for the worst sort of deed has been
committed. I see now what has brought you here: you thought I would be less scrupulous than Gudmund and that I would back an unjust cause.'

Asgrim remained silent and thought that things were looking difficult.

Thorkel spoke: ‘Who is that big and frightening man who goes fifth in line, pale-looking and sharp-featured, with a wicked and luckless look about him?'

Skarphedin spoke: ‘My name is Skarphedin and there's no need for you pick out insulting words for me, an innocent man. It's never happened that I threatened my own father or fought him, as you did with your father. Also, you haven't come to the Althing often or taken part in lawsuits, and you're probably handier at dairy work amidst your little household at Oxara. You really ought to pick from your teeth the pieces from the mare's arse you ate before riding to the Thing – your shepherd watched you and was shocked that you could do such a filthy thing.'
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Thorkel sprang up in great anger and seized his short sword and spoke: ‘I got this sword in Sweden, where I killed a mighty champion for it, and I've since killed many others with it. As soon as I'm close enough I'll run you through with it, and that's what you'll get for your foul language.'

Skarphedin stood with his axe at the ready and grinned and spoke: ‘I had this axe in my hand when I leaped twelve ells across the Markarfljot river and killed Thrain Sigfusson; eight men were standing around him and they didn't manage to catch me.
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And I've never lifted a weapon against any man without hitting my mark.'

With that he broke away from his brothers and Kari and rushed towards Thorkel.

Then he spoke: ‘You have two choices, Thorkel Bully: sheathe your sword and sit down, or I'll smash this axe into your head and split it down to your shoulders.'