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
After that Mord summoned to him nine neighbours, they were all
near neighbours to the spot where the deed was done. Then Mord
took Thorgeir by the hand and named two witnesses to bear
witness, "That Thorgeir Thorir's son hands me over a suit for
manslaughter against Flosi Thord's son, to plead it for the
slaying of Helgi Njal's son, with all those proofs which have to
follow the suit. Thou handest over to me this suit to plead and
to settle, and to enjoy all rights in it, as though I were the
rightful next of kin. Thou handest it over to me by law, and I
take it from thee by law."
A second time Mord named his witnesses, "To bear witness," said
he, "that I give notice of an assault laid down by law against
Flosi Thord's son, for that he dealt Helgi Njal's son a brain, or
a body, or a marrow wound, which proved a death wound; and from
which Helgi got his death. I give notice of this before five
witnesses" -- here he named them all by name -- "I give this
lawful notice. I give notice of a suit which Thorgeir Thorir's
son has handed over to me."
Again he named witnesses "To bear witness that I give notice of a
brain, or a body, or a marrow wound against Flosi Thord's son,
for that wound which proved a death wound, but Helgi got his
death therefrom on such and such a spot, when Flosi Thord's son
first rushed on Helgi Njal's son with an assault laid down by
law. I give notice of this before five neighbours" -- then he
named them all by name -- "I give this lawful notice. I give
notice of a suit which Thorgeir Thorir's son has handed over to
me."
Then Mord named his witnesses again "To bear witness," said he,
"that I summon these nine neighbours who dwell nearest the spot"
-- here he named them all by name -- "to ride to the Althing, and
to sit on the inquest to find whether Flosi Thord's son rushed
with an assault laid down by law on Helgi Njal's son, on that
spot where Flosi Thord's son dealt Helgi Njal's son a brain, or a
body, or a marrow wound, which proved a death wound, and from
which Helgi got his death. I call on you to utter all those
words which ye are bound to find by law, and which I shall call
on you to utter before the court, and which belong to this suit;
I call upon you by a lawful summons -- I call on you so that ye
may yourselves hear -- I call on you in the suit which Thorgeir
Thorir's son has handed over to me."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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