The Story of Burnt Njal: The Great Icelandic Tribune, Jurist, and CounsellorDasent, George Webbe, Sir
General
The Story of Burnt Njal: The Great Icelandic Tribune, Jurist, and Counsellor
Dasent, George Webbe, Sir
Njáll Þorgursson, approximately 930-1011
Thrand was the name of Gudbrand's son, but his daughter's name
was Gudruna.
Hrapp went in before Gudbrand, and hailed him well.
He asked whence he came and what was his name. Hrapp told him
about himself, and how he had sailed abroad from Iceland.
After that he asks Gudbrand to take him into his household as a
guest.
"It does not seem," said Gudbrand, "to look on thee, as thou wert
a man to bring good luck."
"Methinks, then," says Hrapp, "that all I have heard about thee
has been great lies; for it is said that thou takest every one
into thy house that asks thee; and that no man is thy match for
goodness and kindness, far or near; but now I shall have to speak
against that saying, if thou dost not take me in."
"Well, thou shalt stay here," said Gudbrand.
"To what seat wilt thou shew me?" says Hrapp.
"To one on the lower bench, over against my high seat."
Then Hrapp went and took his seat. He was able to tell of many
things, and so it was at first that Gudbrand and many thought it
sport to listen to him; but still it came about that most men
thought him too much given to mocking, and the end of it was that
he took to talking alone with Gudruna, so that many said that he
meant to beguile her.
But when Gudbrand was aware of that, he scolded her much for
daring to talk alone with him, and bade her beware of speaking
aught to him if the whole household did not hear it. She gave
her word to be good at first, but still it was soon the old story
over again as to their talk. Then Gudbrand got Asvard, his
overseer, to go about with her, out of doors and in, and to be
with her wherever she went. One day it happened that she begged
for leave to go into the nutwood for a pastime, and Asvard went
along with her. Hrapp goes to seek for them and found them, and
took her by the hand, and led her away alone.
Then Asvard went to look for her, and found them both together
stretched on the grass in a thicket.
He rushes at them, axe in air, and smote at Hrapp's leg, but
Hrapp gave himself a sudden turn, and he missed him. Hrapp
springs on his feet as quick as he can, and caught up his axe.
Then Asvard wished to turn and get away, but Hrapp hewed asunder
his back-bone.
Then Gudruna said, "Now hast thou done that deed which will
hinder thy stay any longer with my father; but still there is
something behind which he will like still less, for I go with
child."
"He shall not learn this from others," says Hrapp, "but I will go
home and tell him both these tidings."
"Then," she says, "thou wilt not come away with thy life."
"I will run the risk of that," he says.
After that he sees her back to the other women, but he went home.
Gudbrand sat in his high seat, and there were few men in the
room.
Hrapp went in before him, and bore his axe high.
"Why is thine axe bloody?" asks Gudbrand.
"I made it so by doing a piece of work on thy overseer Asvard's
back," says Hrapp.
"That can be no good work," says Gudbrand; "thou must have slain
him."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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