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
Then Njal begged for a hearing, and spoke thus: "It is known to
many men what passed between my sons and the men of Gritwater
when they slew Thrain Sigfus' son. But for all that we settled
the matter; and now I have taken Hauskuld into my house, and
planned a marriage for him if he can get a priesthood anywhere;
but no man will sell his priesthood, and so I will beg you to
give me leave to set up a new priesthood at Whiteness for
Hauskuld."
He got this leave from all, and after that he set up the new
priesthood for Hauskuld; and he was afterwards called Hauskuld,
the Priest of Whiteness.
After that, men ride home from the Thing, and Njal stayed but a
short time at home ere he rides east to Swinefell, and his sons
with him, and again stirs in the matter of the marriage with
Flosi; but Flosi said he was ready to keep faith with them in
everything.
Then Hildigunna was betrothed to Hauskuld, and the day for the
wedding feast was fixed, and so the matter ended. They then ride
home, but they rode again shortly to the bridal, and Flosi paid
down all her goods and money after the wedding, and all went off
well.
They fared home to Bergthorsknoll, and were there the next year,
and all went well between Hildigunna and Bergthora. But the next
spring Njal bought land in Ossaby, and hands it over to Hauskuld,
and thither he fares to his own abode. Njal got him all his
household, and there was such love between them all, that none of
them thought anything that he said or did any worth unless the
others had a share in it.
Hauskuld dwelt long at Ossaby, and each backed the other's
honour, and Njal's sons were always in Hauskuld's company. Their
friendship was so warm, that each house bade the other to a feast
every harvest, and gave each other great gifts; and so it goes on
for a long while.
103. 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account