Icelandic Saga - Burnt Njal (chap. 103-109) lyrics

CHAPTER CIII. THE SLAYING OF HAUSKULD NJAL'S SON. There was a man named Lyting; he dwelt at Samstede, and he had to wife a woman named Steinvora; she was a daughter of Sigfus, and Thrain's sister. Lyting was tall of growth and a strong man, wealthy in goods and ill to deal with. It happened once that Lyting had a feast in his house at Samstede, and he had bidden thither Hauskuld and the sons of Sigfus, and they all came. There, too, was Grani Gunnar's son, and Gunnar Lambi's son, and Lambi Sigurd's son. Hauskuld Njal's son and his mother had a farm at Holt, and he was always riding to his farm from Bergthorsknoll, and his path lay by the homestead at Samstede. Hauskuld had a son called Amund; he had been born blind, but for all that he was tall and strong. Lyting had two brothers--the one's name was Hallstein, and the other's Hallgrim. They were the most unruly of men, and they were ever with their brother, for other men could not bear their temper. Lyting was out of doors most of that day, but every now and then he went inside his house. At last he had gone to his seat, when in came a woman who had been out of doors, and she said-- "You were too far off to see outside how that proud fellow rode by the farmyard!" "What proud fellow was that," says Lyting, "of whom thou speakest?" "Hauskuld Njal's son rode here by the yard," she says. "He rides often here by the farmyard," said Lyting, "and I can't say that it does not try my temper; and now I will make thee an offer, Hauskuld [Sigfus' son], to go along with thee if thou wilt avenge thy father and slay Hauskuld Njal's son." "That I will not do," says Hauskuld, "for then I should repay Njal, my foster father, evil for good, and mayst thou and thy feasts never thrive henceforth." With that he sprang up away from the board, and made them catch his horses, and rode home. Then Lyting said to Grani Gunnar's son-- "Thou wert by when Thrain was slain, and that will still be in thy mind; and thou, too, Gunnar Lambi's son, and thou, Lambi Sigurd's son. Now, my will is that we ride to meet him this evening, and slay him." "No," says Grani, "I will not fall on Njal's son, and so break the atonement which good men and true have made." With like words spoke each man of them, and so, too, spoke all the sons of Sigfus; and they took that counsel to ride away. Then Lyting said, when they had gone away-- "All men know that I have taken no atonement for my brother-in-law Thrain, and I shall never be content that no vengeance--man for man--shall be taken for him." After that he called on his two brothers to go with him, and three house-carles as well. They went on the way to meet Hauskuld [Njal's son] as he came back, and lay in wait for him north of the farmyard in a pit; and there they bided till it was about mid-even [six o'clock P.M.]. Then Hauskuld rode up to them. They jump up all of them with their arms, and fall on him. Hauskuld guarded himself well, so that for a long while they could not get the better of him; but the end of it was at last that he wounded Lyting on the arm, and slew two of his serving-men, and then fell himself. They gave Hauskuld sixteen wounds, but they hewed not off the head from his body. They fared away into the wood east of Rangriver, and hid themselves there. That same evening, Rodny's shepherd found Hauskuld dead, and went home and told Rodny of her son's slaying. "Was he surely dead?" she asks; "was his head off?" "It was not," he says. "I shall know if I see," she says; "so take thou my horse and driving gear." He did so, and got all things ready, and then they went thither where Hauskuld lay. She looked at the wounds, and said-- "'Tis even as I thought, that he could not be quite dead, and Njal no doubt can cure greater wounds." After that they took the body and laid it on the sledge and drove to Bergthorsknoll, and drew it into the sheepcote, and made him sit upright against the wall. Then they went both of them and knocked at the door, and a house-carle went to the door. She steals in by him at once, and goes till she comes to Njal's bed. She asked whether Njal were awake? He said he had slept up to that time, but was then awake. "But why art thou come hither so early?" "Rise thou up," said Rodny, "from thy bed by my rival's side, and come out, and she too, and thy sons, to see thy son Hauskuld." They rose and went out. "Let us take our weapons," said Skarphedinn, "and have them with us." Njal said naught at that, and they ran in and came out again armed. She goes first till they come to the sheepcote; she goes in and bade them follow her. Then she lit a torch and held it up and said-- "Here, Njal, is thy son Hauskuld, and he hath gotten many wounds upon him, and now he will need leechcraft." "I see d**h marks on him," said Njal, "but no signs of life; but why hast thou not closed his eyes and nostrils? see, his nostrils are still open!" "That duty I meant for Skarphedinn," she says. Then Skarphedinn went to close his eyes and nostrils, and said to his father-- "Who, sayest thou, hath slain him?" "Lyting of Samstede and his brothers must have slain him," says Njal. Then Rodny said, "Into thy hands, Skarphedinn, I leave it to take vengeance for thy brother, and I ween that thou wilt take it well, though he be not lawfully begotten, and that thou wilt not be slow to take it". "Wonderfully do ye men behave," said Bergthora, "when ye slay men for small cause, but talk and tarry over such wrongs as this until no vengeance at all is taken; and now tidings of this will soon come to Hauskuld, the Priest of Whiteness, and he will be offering you atonement, and you will grant him that, but now is the time to act about it, if ye seek for vengeance." "Our mother eggs us on now with a just goading," said Skarphedinn, and sang a song. Well we know the warrior's temper,[64] One and all, well, father thine, But atonement to the mother, Snake-land's stem[65] and thee were base; He that hoardeth ocean's fire[66] Hearing this will leave his home; Wound of weapon us hath smitten, Worse the lot of those that wait! After that they all ran out of the sheepcote, but Rodny went indoors with Njal, and was there the rest of the night. CHAPTER CIV. THE SLAYING OF LYTING'S BROTHERS. Now we must speak of Skarphedinn and his brothers, how they bend their course up to Rangriver. Then Skarphedinn said-- "Stand we here and listen, and let us go stilly, for I hear the voices of men up along the river's bank. But will ye, Helgi and Grim, deal with Lyting single-handed, or with both his brothers?" They said they would sooner deal with Lyting alone. "Still," says Skarphedinn, "there is more game in him, and methinks it were ill if he gets away, but I trust myself best for not letting him escape." "We will take such steps," says Helgi, "if we get a chance at him, that he shall not slip through our fingers." Then they went thitherward, Where they heard the voices of men, and see where Lyting and his brothers are by a stream. Skarphedinn leaps over the stream at once, and alights on the sandy brink on the other side. There upon it stands Hallgrim and his brother. Skarphedinn smites at Hallgrim's thigh, so that he cut the leg clean off, but he grasps Hallstein with his left hand. Lyting thrust at Skarphedinn, but Helgi came up then and threw his shield before the spear, and caught the blow on it. Lyting took up a stone and hurled it at Skarphedinn, and he lost his hold on Hallstein. Hallstein sprang up the sandy bank, but could get up it in no other way than by crawling on his hands and knees. Skarphedinn made a side blow at him with his axe, "the ogress of war," and hews asunder his backbone. Now Lyting turns and flies, but Helgi and Grim both went after him, and each gave him a wound, but still Lyting got across the river away from them, and so to the horses, and gallops till he comes to Ossaby. Hauskuld was at home, and meets him at once. Lyting told him of these deeds. "Such things were to be looked for by thee," says Hauskuld. "Thou hast behaved like a madman, and here the truth of the old saw will be proved: 'but a short while is hand fain of blow'. Methinks what thou hast got to look to now is whether thou wilt be able to save thy life or not." "Sure enough," says Lyting, "I had hard work to get away, but still I wish now that thou wouldest get me atoned with Njal and his sons, so that I might keep my farm." "So it shall be," says Hauskuld. After that Hauskuld made them saddle his horse, and rode to Bergthorsknoll with five men. Njal's sons were then come home and had laid them down to sleep. Hauskuld went at once to see Njal, and they began to talk. "Hither am I come," said Hauskuld to Njal, "to beg a boon on behalf of Lyting, my uncle. He has done great wickedness against you and yours, broken his atonement and slain thy son." "Lyting will perhaps think," said Njal, "that he has already paid a heavy fine in the loss of his brothers, but if I grant him any terms, I shall let him reap the good of my love for thee, and I will tell thee before I utter the award of atonement, that Lyting's brothers shall fall as outlaws. Nor shall Lyting have any atonement for his wounds, but on the other hand, he shall pay the full blood-fine for Hauskuld." "My wish," said Hauskuld, "is, that thou shouldest make thine own terms." "Well," says Njal, "then I will utter the award at once if thou wilt." "Wilt thou," says Hauskuld, "that thy sons should be by?" "Then we should be no nearer an atonement than we were before," says Njal, "but they will keep to the atonement which I utter." Then Hauskuld said, "Let us close the matter then, and handsel him peace on behalf of thy sons". "So it shall be," says Njal. "My will then is that he pays two hundred in silver for the slaying of Hauskuld, but he may still dwell at Samstede; and yet I think it were wiser if he sold his land and changed his abode; but not for this quarrel; neither I nor my sons will break our pledges of peace to him: but methinks it may be that some one may rise up in this country against whom he may have to be on his guard. Yet, lest it should seem that I make a man an outcast from his native place, I allow him to be here in this neighbourhood, but in that case he alone is answerable for what may happen." After that Hauskuld fared home, and Njal's sons woke up as he went, and asked their father who had come, but he told them that his foster-son Hauskuld had been there. "He must have come to ask a boon for Lyting then," said Skarphedinn. "So it was," says Njal "Ill was it then," says Grim. "Hauskuld could not have thrown his shield before him," says Njal, "if thou hadst slain him, as it was meant thou shouldst." "Let us throw no blame on our father," says Skarphedinn. Now it is to be said that this atonement was kept between them afterwards. CHAPTER CV. OF AMUND THE BLIND. That event happened three winters after at the Thingskala-Thing that Amund the blind was at the Thing; he was the son of Hauskuld Njal's son. He made men lead him about among the booths, and so he came to the booth inside which was Lyting of Samstede. He made them lead him into the booth till he came before Lyting. "Is Lyting of Samstede here?" he asked. "What dost thou want?" says Lyting. "I want to know," says Amund, "what atonement thou wilt pay me for my father, I am base-born, and I have touched no fine." "I have atoned for the slaying of thy father," says Lyting, "with a full price, and thy father's father and thy father's brothers took the money; but my brothers fell without a price as outlaws; and so it was that I had both done an ill-deed, and paid dear for it." "I ask not," says Amund, "as to thy having paid an atonement to them. I know that ye two are now friends, but I ask this, what atonement thou wilt pay to me?" "None at all," says Lyting. "I cannot see," says Amund, "how thou canst have right before God, when thou hast stricken me so near the heart; but all I can say is, that if I were blessed with the sight of both my eyes, I would have either a money fine for my father, or revenge man for man; and so may God judge between us." After that he went out; but when he came to the door of the booth, he turned short round towards the inside. Then his eyes were opened, and he said-- "Praised be the Lord! now I see what His will is." With that he ran straight into the booth until he comes before Lyting, and smites him with an axe on the head, so that it sunk in up to the hammer, and gives the axe a pull towards him. Lyting fell forwards and was dead at once. Amund goes out to the door of the booth, and when he got to the very same spot on which he had stood when his eyes were opened, lo! they were shut again, and he was blind all his life after. Then he made them lead him to Njal and his sons, and he told them of Lyting's slaying. "Thou mayest not be blamed for this," says Njal, "for such things are settled by a higher power; but it is worth while to take warning from such events, lest we cut any short who have such near claims as Amund had." After that Njal offered an atonement to Lyting's kinsmen. Hauskuld the Priest of Whiteness had a share in bringing Lyting's kinsmen to take the fine, and then the matter was put to an award, and half the fines fell away for the sake of the claim which he seemed to have on Lyting. After that men came forward with pledges of peace and good faith, and Lyting's kinsmen granted pledges to Amund. Men rode home from the Thing; and now all is quiet for a long while. CHAPTER CVI. OF VALGARD THE GUILEFUL. Valgard the guileful came back to Iceland that summer; he was then still heathen. He fared to Hof to his son Mord's house, and was there the winter over. He said to Mord-- "Here I have ridden far and wide all over the neighbourhood, and methinks I do not know it for the same. I came to Whiteness, and there I saw many tofts of booths and much ground levelled for building, I came to Thingskala-Thing, and there I saw all our booths broken down. What is the meaning of such strange things?" "New priesthoods," answers Mord, "have been set up here, and a law for a Fifth Court, and men have declared themselves out of my Thing, and have gone over to Hauskuld's Thing." "Ill hast thou repaid me," said Valgard, "for giving up to thee my priesthood, when thou hast handled it so little like a man, and now my wish is that thou shouldst pay them off by something that will drag them all down to d**h; and this thou canst do by setting them by the ears by tale-bearing, so that Njal's sons may slay Hauskuld; but there are many who will have the blood-feud after him, and so Njal's sons will be slain in that quarrel." "I shall never be able to get that done," says Mord. "I will give thee a plan," says Valgard; "thou shalt ask Njal's sons to thy house, and send them away with gifts, but thou shalt keep thy tale-bearing in the back ground until great friendship has sprung up between you, and they trust thee no worse than their own selves. So wilt thou be able to avenge thyself on Skarphedinn for that he took thy money from thee after Gunnar's d**h; and in this wise, further on, thou wilt be able to seize the leadership when they are all dead and gone." This plan they settled between them should be brought to pa**; and Mord said-- "I would, father, that thou wouldst take on thee the new faith. Thou art an old man." "I will not do that," says Valgard. "I would rather that thou shouldst cast off the faith, and see what follows then." Mord said he would not do that. Valgard broke crosses before Mord's face, and all holy tokens. A little after Valgard took a sickness and breathed his last, and he was laid in a cairn by Hof. CHAPTER CVII. OF MORD AND NJAL'S SONS. Some while after Mord rode to Bergthorsknoll and saw Skarphedinn there; he fell into very fair words with them, and so he talked the whole day, and said he wished to be good friends with them, and to see much of them. Skarphedinn took it all well, but said he had never sought for anything of the kind before. So it came about that he got himself into such great friendship with them, that neither side thought they had taken any good counsel unless the other had a share in it. Njal always disliked his coming thither, and it often happened that he was angry with him. It happened one day that Mord came to Bergthorsknoll, and Mord said to Njal's sons-- "I have made up my mind to give a feast yonder, and I mean to drink in my heirship after my father, but to that feast I wish to bid you, Njal's sons, and Kari; and at the same time I give you my word that ye shall not fare away giftless." They promised to go, and now he fares home and makes ready the feast. He bade to it many householders, and that feast was very crowded. Thither came Njal's sons and Kari. Mord gave Skarphedinn a brooch of gold, and a silver belt to Kari, and good gifts to Grim and Helgi. They come home and boast of these gifts, and show them to Njal. He said they would be bought full dear, "and take heed that ye do not repay the giver in the coin which he no doubt wishes to get". CHAPTER CVIII. OF THE SLANDER OF MORD VALGARD'S SON. A little after Njal's sons and Hauskuld were to have their yearly feasts, and they were the first to bid Hauskuld to come to them. Skarphedinn had a brown horse four winters old, both tall and sightly. He was a stallion, and had never yet been matched in fight. That horse Skarphedinn gave to Hauskuld, and along with him two mares. They all gave Hauskuld gifts, and a**ured him of their friendship. After that Hauskuld bade them to his house at Ossaby, and had many guests to meet them, and a great crowd. It happened that he had just then taken down his hall, but he had built three out-houses, and there the beds were made. So all that were bidden came, and the feast went off very well. But when men were to go home Hauskuld picked out good gifts for them, and went a part of the way with Njal's sons. The sons of Sigfus followed him and all the crowd, and both sides said that nothing should ever come between them to spoil their friendship. A little while after Mord came to Ossaby and called Hauskuld out to talk with him, and they went aside and spoke. "What a difference in manliness there is," said Mord, "between thee and Njal's sons! Thou gavest them good gifts, but they gave thee gifts with great mockery." "How makest thou that out?" says Hauskuld. "They gave thee a horse which they called a 'dark horse,' and that they did out of mockery at thee, because they thought thee too untried, I can tell thee also that they envy thee the priesthood, Skarphedinn took it up as his own at the Thing when thou camest not to the Thing at the summoning of the Fifth Court, and Skarphedinn never means to let it go." "That is not true," says Hauskuld, "for I got it back at the Folkmote last harvest." "Then that was Njal's doing," says Mord. "They broke, too, the atonement about Lyting." "I do not mean to lay that at their door," says Hauskuld. "Well," says Mord, "thou canst not deny that when ye two, Skarphedinn and thou, were going east towards Markfleet, an axe fell out from under his belt, and he meant to have slain thee then and there." "It was his woodman's axe," says Hauskuld, "and I saw how he put it under his belt; and now, Mord, I will just tell thee this right out, that thou canst never say so much ill of Njal's sons as to make me believe it; but though there were aught in it, and it were true as thou sayest, that either I must slay them or they me, then would I far rather suffer d**h at their hands than work them any harm. But as for thee, thou art all the worse a man for having spoken this." After that Mord fares home. A little after Mord goes to see Njal's sons, and he talks much with those brothers and Kari. "I have been told," says Mord, "that Hauskuld has said that thou, Skarphedinn, hast broken the atonement made with Lyting; but I was made aware also that he thought that thou hadst meant some treachery against him when ye two fared to Markfleet. But still, methinks that was no less treachery when he bade you to a feast at his house, and stowed you away in an outhouse that was farthest from the house, and wood was then heaped round the outhouse all night, and he meant to burn you all inside; but it so happened that Hogni Gunnar's son came that night, and naught came of their onslaught, for they were afraid of him. After that he followed you on your way and great band of men with him, then he meant to make another onslaught on you, and set Grani Gunnar's son, and Gunnar Lambi's son to k** thee; but their hearts failed them, and they dared not to fall on thee." But when he had spoken thus, first of all they spoke against it, but the end of it was that they believed him, and from that day forth a coldness sprung up on their part towards Hauskuld, and they scarcely ever spoke to him when they met; but Hauskuld showed them little deference, and so things went on for a while. Next harvest Hauskuld fared east to Swinefell to a feast, and Flosi gave him a hearty welcome. Hildigunna was there too. Then Flosi spoke to Hauskuld and said-- "Hildigunna tells me that there is great coldness with you and Njal's sons, and methinks that is ill, and I will beg thee not to ride west, but I will get thee a homestead in Skaptarfell, and I will send my brother, Thorgeir, to dwell at Ossaby." "Then some will say," says Hauskuld, "that I am flying thence for fear's sake, and that I will not have said." "Then it is more likely that great trouble will arise," says Flosi. "Ill is that then," says Hauskuld, "for I would rather fall unatoned, than that many should reap ill for my sake." Hauskuld busked him to ride home a few nights after, but Flosi gave him a scarlet cloak, and it was embroidered with needlework down to the waist. Hauskuld rode home to Ossaby, and now all is quiet for a while. Hauskuld was so much beloved that few men were his foes, but the same ill-will went on between him and Njal's sons the whole winter through. Njal had taken as his foster-child, Thord, the son of Kari. He had also fostered Thorhall, the son of Asgrim Ellidagrim's son. Thorhall was a strong man, and hardy both in body and mind, he had learnt so much law that he was the third greatest lawyer in Iceland. Next spring was an early spring, and men are busy sowing their corn. CHAPTER CIX. OF MORD AND NJAL'S SONS. It happened one day that Mord came to Bergthorsknoll. He and Kari and Njal's sons fell a-talking at once, and Mord slanders Hauskuld after his wont, and has now many new tales to tell, and does naught but egg Skarphedinn and them on to slay Hauskuld, and said he would be beforehand with them if they did not fall on him at once. "I will let thee have thy way in this," says Skarphedinn, "if thou wilt fare with us, and have some hand in it." "That I am ready to do," says Mord, and so they bound that fast with promises, and he was to come there that evening. Bergthora asked Njal-- "What are they talking about out of doors?" "I am not in their counsels," says Njal, "but I was seldom left out of them when their plans were good." Skarphedinn did not lie down to rest that evening, nor his brothers, nor Kari. That same night, when it was well-nigh spent, came Mord Valgard's son, and Njal's sons and Kari took their weapons and rode away. They fared till they came to Ossaby, and bided there by a fence. The weather was good, and the sun just risen.