Njal's Saga
Page 8
18. FIDDLE MORD'S DEATH
Now it must be told how Fiddle Mord took a sickness and breathed his last;
and that was thought great scathe. His daughter Unna took all the goods
he left behind him. She was then still unmarried the second time. She
was very layish, and unthrifty of her property; so that her goods and
ready money wasted away, and at last she had scarce anything left but
land and stock.
19. GUNNAR COMES INTO THE STORY
There was a man whose name was Gunnar. He was one of Unna's kinsmen, and
his mother's name was Rannveig (1).
Gunnar's father was named Hamond (2).
Gunnar Hamond's son dwelt at Lithend, in the Fleetlithe. He was a tall
man in growth, and a strong man -- best skilled in arms of all men. He
could cut or thrust or shoot if he chose as well with his left as with
his right hand, and he smote so swiftly with his sword, that three seemed
to flash through the air at once. He was the best shot with the bow of
all men, and never missed his mark. He could leap more than his own height,
with all his war-gear, and as far backwards as forwards. He could swim
like a seal, and there was no game in which it was any good for any one
to strive with him; and so it has been said that no man was his match.
He was handsome of feature, and fair skinned. His nose was straight, and
a little turned up at the end. He was blue-eyed and bright-eyed, and ruddy-cheeked.
His hair thick, and of good hue, and hanging down in comely curls. The
most courteous of men was he, of sturdy frame and strong will, bountiful
and gentle, a fast friend, but hard to please when making them. He was
wealthy in goods. His brother's name was Kolskegg; he was a tall strong
man, a noble fellow, and undaunted in everything. Another brother's name
was Hjort; he was then in his childhood. Orm Skogarnef was a base- born
brother of Gunnar's; he does not come into this story. Arnguda was the
name of Gunnar's sister. Hroar, the priest at Tongue, had her to wife
(3).
20. OF NJAL AND HIS CHILDREN
There was a man whose name was Njal. He was the son of Thorgeir Gelling,
the son of Thorolf. Njal's mother's name was Asgerda (4).
Njal dwelt at Bergthorsknoll in the land-isles; he had another homestead
on Thorolfsfell. Njal was wealthy in goods, and handsome of face; no beard
grew on his chin. He was so great a lawyer, that his match was not to
be found. Wise too he was, and foreknowing and foresighted (5).
Of good counsel, and ready to give it, and all that he advised men was
sure to be the best for them to do. Gentle and generous, he unravelled
every man's knotty points who came to see him about them. Bergthora was
his wife's name; she was Skarphedinn's daughter, a very high- spirited,
brave-hearted woman, but somewhat hard-tempered. They had six children,
three daughters and three sons, and they all come afterwards into this
story.
21. UNNA GOES TO SEE GUNNAR
Now it must be told how Unna had lost all her ready money. She made her
way to Lithend, and Gunnar greeted his kinswoman well. She stayed there
that night, and the next morning they sat out of doors and talked. The
end of their talk was, that she told him how heavily she was pressed for
money.
"This is a bad business," he said.
"What help wilt thou give me out of my distress?" she asked.
He answered, "Take as much money as thou needest from what I have out
at interest."
"Nay," she said, "I will not waste thy goods."
"What then dost thou wish?"
"I wish thee to get back my goods out of Hrut's hands," she answered.
"That, methinks, is not likely," said he, "when thy father could not get
them back, and yet he was a great lawyer, but I know little about law."
She answered, "Hrut pushed that matter through rather by boldness than
by law; besides, my father was old, and that was why men thought it better
not to drive things to the uttermost. And now there is none of my kinsmen
to take this suit up if thou hast not daring enough.
"I have courage enough," he replied, "to get these goods back; but I do
not know how to take the suit up."
"Well!" she answered, "go and see Njal of Bergthorsknoll, he will know
how to give thee advice. Besides, he is a great friend of thine."
"'Tis like enough he will give me good advice, as he gives it to every
one else," says Gunnar.
So the end of their talk was, that Gunnar undertook her cause, and gave
her the money she needed for her housekeeping, and after that she went
home.
Now Gunnar rides to see Njal, and he made him welcome, and they began
to talk at once.
Then Gunnar said, "I am come to seek a bit of good advice from thee."
Njal replied, "Many of my friends are worthy of this, but still I think
I would take more pains for none than for thee."
Gunnar said, "I wish to let thee know that I have undertaken to get Unna's
goods back from Hrut."
"A very hard suit to undertake," said Njal, "and one very hazardous how
it will go; but still I will get it up for thee in the way I think likeliest
to succeed, and the end will be good if thou breakest none of the rules
I lay down; if thou dost, thy life is in danger."
"Never fear; I will break none of them," said Gunnar.
Then Njal held his peace for a little while, and after that he spoke as
follows: --
22. NJAL'S ADVICE
I have thought over the suit, and it will do so. Thou shalt ride from
home with two men at thy back. Over all thou shalt have a great rough
cloak, and under that, a russet kirtle of cheap stuff, and under all,
thy good clothes. Thou must take a small axe in thy hand, and each of
you must have two horses, one fat, the other lean. Thou shalt carry hardware
and smith's work with thee hence, and ye must ride off early to-morrow
morning, and when ye are come across Whitewater westwards, mind and slouch
thy hat well over thy brows. Then men will ask who is this tall man, and
thy mates shall say, `Here is Huckster Hedinn the Big, a man from Eyjafirth,
who is going about with smith's work for sale.' This Hedinn is ill-tempered
and a chatterer -- a fellow who thinks he alone knows everything. Very
often he snatches back his wares, and flies at men if everything is not
done as he wishes. So thou shalt ride west to Borgarfirth offering all
sorts of wares for sale, and be sure often to cry off thy bargains, so
that it will be noised abroad that Huckster Hedinn is the worst of men
to deal with, and that no lies have been told of his bad behaviour. So
thou shalt ride to Northwaterdale, and to Hrutfirth, and Laxriverdale,
till thou comest to Hauskuldstede. There thou must stay a night, and sit
in the lowest place, and hang thy head down. Hauskuld will tell them all
not to meddle nor make with Huckster Hedinn, saying he is a rude unfriendly
fellow. Next morning thou must be off early and go to the farm nearest
Hrutstede. There thou must offer thy goods for sale, praising up all that
is worst, and tinkering up the faults. The master of the house will pry
about and find out the faults. Thou must snatch the wares away from him,
and speak ill to him. He will say, 'twas not to be hoped that thou wouldst
behave well to him, when thou behavest ill to every one else. Then thou
shalt fly at him, though it is not thy wont, but mind and spare thy strength,
that thou mayest not be found out. Then a man will be sent to Hrutstede
to tell Hrut he had best come and part you. He will come at once and ask
thee to his house, and thou must accept his offer. Thou shalt greet Hrut
and he will answer well. A place will be given thee on the lower bench
over against Hrut's high seat. He will ask if thou art from the North,
and thou shalt answer that thou art a man of Eyjafirth. He will go on
to ask if there are very many famous men there. `Shabby fellows enough
and to spare,' thou must answer. `Dost thou know Reykiardale and the parts
about?' he will ask. To which thou must answer, `I know all Iceland by
heart.'
"`Are there any stout champions left in Reykiardale?' he will ask. `Thieves
and scoundrels,' thou shalt answer. Then Hrut will smile and think it
sport to listen. You two will go on to talk of the men in the Eastfirth
Quarter, and thou must always find something to say against them. At last
your talk will come Rangrivervale, and then thou must say, there is small
choice of men left in those parts since Fiddle Mord died. At the same
time sing some stave to please Hrut, for I know thou art a skald. Hrut
will ask what makes thee say there is never a man to come in Mord's place?
and then thou must answer, that he was so wise a man and so good a taker
up of suits, that he never made a false step in upholding his leadership.
He will ask, `Dost thou know how matters fared between me and him?'
"`I know all about it,' thou must reply, `he took thy wife from thee,
and thou hadst not a word to say.'"
Then Hrut will ask, `Dost thou not think it was some disgrace to him when
he could not get back his goods, though he set the suit on foot?'
"`I can answer thee that well enough,' thou must say. `Thou challengedst
him to single combat; but he was old, and so his friends advised him not
to fight with thee, and then they let the suit fall to the ground.'
"`True enough,' Hrut will say. `I said so, and that passed for law among
foolish men; but the suit might have been taken up again at another Thing
if he had the heart.'
"`I know all that,' thou must say.
Then he will ask, `Dost thou know anything about law?'
"`Up in the North I am thought to know something about it,' thou shalt
say. `But still I should like thee to tell me how this suit should be
taken up.'
"`What suit dost thou mean?' he will ask.
"`A suit,' thou must answer, `which does not concern me. I want to know
how a man must set to work who wishes to get back Unna's dower.'
"Then Hrut will say, `In this suit I must be summoned so that I can hear
the summons, or I must be summoned here in my lawful house.'
"`Recite the summons, then,' thou must say, 'and I will say it after thee.'
"Then Hrut will summon himself; and mind and pay great heed to every word
he says. After that Hrut will bid thee repeat the summons, and thou must
do so, and say it all wrong, so that no more than every other word is
right."
Then Hrut will smile and not mistrust thee, but say that scarce a word
is right. Thou must throw the blame on thy companions, and say they put
thee out, and then thou must ask him to say the words first, word by word,
and to let thee say the words after him. He will give thee leave, and
summon himself in the suit, and thou shalt summon after him there and
then, and this time say every word right. When it is done, ask Hrut if
that were rightly summoned, and he will answer, `There is no flaw to be
found in it.' Then thou shalt say in a loud voice, so that thy companions
may hear, `I summon thee in the suit which Unna, Mord's daughter, has
made over to me with her plighted hand.'
"But when men are sound asleep, you shall rise and take your bridles and
saddles, and tread softly, and go out of the house, and put your saddles
on your fat horses in the fields, and so ride off on them, but leave the
others behind you. You must ride up into the hills away from the home
pastures and stay there three nights, for about so long will they seek
you. After that ride home south, riding always by night and resting by
day. As for us, we will then ride this summer to the Thing, and help thee
in thy suit." So Gunnar thanked Njal, and first of all rode home.
ENDNOTES:
(1) She was the daughter of Sigfuss, the son of Sighvat the Red; he was
slain at Sandhol Ferry. Back
(2) He was the son of Gunnar Baugsson, after whom Gunnar's holt is called.
Hamond's mother's name was Hrafnhilda. She was the daughter of Storolf Heing's
son. Storolf was brother to Hrafn the Speaker of the Law, the son of Storolf
was Orin the Strong. Back
(3) He was the son of Uni the Unborn, Gardar's son who found Iceland. Arnguda's
son was Hamond the Halt, who dwelt at Hamondstede. Back
(4) She was the daughter of Lord Ar the Silent. She had come out hither
to Iceland from Norway, and taken land to the west of Markfleet, between
Auldastone and Selialandsmull. Her son was Holt-Thorir, the father of Thorleif
Crow, from whom the Wood-dwellers are sprung, and of Thorgrim the Tall,
and Skorargeir. Back
(5) This means that Njal was one of those gifted beings who, according to
the firm belief of that age, had a more than human insight into things about
to happen. It answers very nearly to the Scottish "second sight." Back
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