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
Now Mord took witness, and bade all those men who had suits of
outlawry before the court to cast lots who should first plead or
declare his suit, and who next, and who last; he bade them by a
lawful bidding before the court, so that the judges heard it.
Then lots were cast as to the declarations, and he, Mord, drew
the lot to declare his suit first.
Now Mord Valgard's son took witness the second time, and said, "I
take witness to this, that I except all mistakes in words in my
pleading, whether they be too many or wrongly spoken, and I claim
the right to amend all my words until I have put them into proper
lawful shape. I take witness to myself of this."
Again Mord said, "I take witness to this, that I bid Flosi
Thord's son, or any other man who has undertaken the defence made
over to him by Flosi, to listen for him to my oath, and to my
declaration of my suit, and to all the proofs and proceedings
which I am about to bring forward against him; I bid him by a
lawful bidding before the court, so that the judges may hear it
across the court."
Again Mord Valgard's son said, "I take witness to this, that I
take an oath on the book, a lawful oath, and I say it before God,
that I will so plead this suit in the most truthful, and most
just and most lawful way, so far as I know; and that I will bring
forward all my proofs in due form, and utter them faithfully so
long as I am in this suit."
After that he spoke in these words, "I have called Thorodd as my
first witness, and Thorbjorn as my second; I have called them to
bear witness that I gave notice of an assault laid down by law
against Flosi Thord's son, on that spot where he, Flosi Thord's
son, rushed with an assault laid down by law on Helgi Njal's son,
when Flosi Thord's son wounded Helgi Njal's son with a brain, or
a body, or a marrow wound, which proved a death-wound, and from
which Helgi got his death. I said that he ought to be made in
this suit a guilty man, an outlaw, not to be fed, not to be
forwarded, not to be helped or harboured in any need; I said that
all his goods were forfeited half to me and half to the men of
the Quarter who have the right by law to take the goods which he
has forfeited; I gave notice of the suit in the quarter Court
into which the suit ought by law to come; I gave notice of that
lawful notice; I gave notice in the hearing of all men at the
Hill of Laws; I gave notice of this suit to be pleaded now this
summer, and of full outlawry against Flosi Thord's son. I gave
notice of a suit which Thorgeir Thorir's son had handed over to
me; and I had all these words in my notice which I have now used
in this declaration of my suit. I now declare this suit of
outlawry in this shape before the court of the Eastfirthers over
the head of John, as I uttered it when I gave notice of it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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