Njála, 087: Difference between revisions

From WikiSaga
Jump to navigationJump to search
Created page with "{{Njála_TOC}} ==Chapter 87== '''TITLE.''' ENSKA ==References== <references /> ==Kafli 87== Kolbeinn hét maður og var Arnljótarson. Hann var þrænskur maður. Hann si..."
 
Barbora (talk | contribs)
 
(One intermediate revision by one other user not shown)
Line 4: Line 4:
==Chapter 87==
==Chapter 87==


'''TITLE.'''
There was a man named Kolbein, and his surname was Arnljot's son; he was a man from Drontheim; he sailed out to Iceland that same summer in which Kolskegg and Njal's sons went abroad. He was that winter east in Broaddale; but the spring after, he made his ship ready for sea in Gautawick; and when men were almost "boun," a man rowed up to them in a boat, and made the boat fast to the ship, and afterwards he went on board the ship to see Kolbein.


ENSKA
Kolbein asked that man for his name.
 
"My name is Hrapp," says he.
 
"What wilt thou with me?" says Kolbein.
 
"I wish to ask thee to put me across the Iceland main."
 
"Whose son art thou?" asks Kolbein.
 
"I am a son of Aurgunleid, the son of Geirolf the Fighter."
 
"What need lies on thee," asked Kolbein, "to drive thee abroad?"
 
"I have slain a man," says Hrapp.
 
"What manslaughter was that," says Kolbein, "and what men have the blood-feud?"
 
"The men of Weaponfirth," says Hrapp, "but the man I slew was Aurlyg, the son of Aurlyg, the son of Roger the White."
 
"I guess this," says Kolbein, "that he will have the worst of it who bears thee abroad."
 
"I am the friend of my friend," said Hrapp, "but when ill is done to me I repay it. Nor am I short of money to lay down for my passage."
 
Then Kolbein took Hrapp on board, and a little while after a fair breeze sprung up, and they sailed away on the sea.
 
Hrapp ran short of food at sea and then he sate him down at the mess of those who were nearest to him. They sprang up with ill words, and so it was that they came to blows, and Hrapp, in a trice, has two men under him.
 
Then Kolbein was told, and he bade Hrapp to come and share his mess, and he accepted that.
 
Now they come off the sea, and lie outside off Agdirness.
 
Then Kolbein asked where that money was which he had offered to pay for his fare?
 
"It is out in Iceland," answers Hrapp.
 
"Thou wilt beguile more men than me, I fear," says Kolbein; "but now I will forgive thee all the fare."
 
Hrapp bade him have thanks for that. "But what counsel dost thou give as to what I ought to do?"
 
"That first of all," he says, "that thou goest from the ship as soon as ever thou canst, for all Easterlings will bear thee bad witness; but there is yet another bit of good counsel which I will give thee, and that is, never to cheat thy master."
 
Then Hrapp went on shore with his weapons, and he had a great axe with an iron-bound haft in his hand.
 
He fares on and on till he comes to Gudbrand of the Dale. He was the greatest friend of Earl Hacon. They two had a shrine between them, and it was never opened but when the earl came thither. That was the second greatest shrine in Norway, but the other was at Hlada.
 
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."
 
"So it is, be sure," says Hrapp.
 
"What did ye fall out about?" asks Gudbrand.
 
"Oh!" says Hrapp, "what you would think small cause enough. He wanted to hew off my leg."
 
"What hadst thou done first?" asked Gudbrand.
 
"What he had no right to meddle with," says Hrapp.
 
"Still thou wilt tell me what it was."
 
"Well!" said Hrapp, "if thou must know, I lay by thy daughter's side, and he thought that bad."
 
"Up men!" cried Gudbrand, "and take him. He shall be slain out of hand."
 
"Very little good wilt thou let me reap of my son-in-lawship," says Hrapp, "but thou hast not so many men at thy back as to do that speedily."
 
Up they rose, but he sprang out of doors. They run after him, but he got away to the wood, and they could not lay hold of him.
 
Then Gudbrand gathers people, and lets the wood be searched; but they find him not, for the wood was great and thick.
 
Hrapp fares through the wood till he came to a clearing; there he found a house, and saw a man outside cleaving wood.
 
He asked that man for his name, and he said his name was Tofi.
 
Tofi asked him for his name in turn, and Hrapp told him his true name.
 
Hrapp asked why the householder had set up his abode so far from other men?
 
"For that here," he says, "I think I am less likely to have brawls with other men."
 
"It is strange how we beat about the bush in our talk," says Hrapp, "but I will first tell thee who I am. I have been with Gudbrand of the Dale, but I ran away thence because I slew his overseer; but now I know that we are both of us bad men; for thou wouldst not have come hither away from other men unless thou wert some man's outlaw. And now I give thee two choices, either that I will tell where thou art, or that we two have between us, share and share alike, all that is here."
 
"This is even as thou savest," said the householder; "I seized and carried off this woman who is here with me, and many men have sought for me."
 
Then he led Hrapp in with him; there was a small house there, but well built.
 
The master of the house told his mistress that he had taken Hrapp into his company.
 
"Most men will get ill luck from this man," she says; "but thou wilt have thy way."
 
So Hrapp was there after that. He was a great wanderer, and was never at home. He still brings about meetings with Gudruna; her father and brother, Thrand and Gudbrand, lay in wait for him, but they could never get nigh him, and so all that year passed away.
 
Gudbrand sent and told Earl Hacon what trouble he had had with Hrapp, and the earl let him be made an outlaw, and laid a price upon his head. He said, too, that he would go himself to look after him; but that passed off, and the earl thought it easy enough for them to catch him when he went about so unwarily.


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 15:03, 27 May 2016


Chapter 87

There was a man named Kolbein, and his surname was Arnljot's son; he was a man from Drontheim; he sailed out to Iceland that same summer in which Kolskegg and Njal's sons went abroad. He was that winter east in Broaddale; but the spring after, he made his ship ready for sea in Gautawick; and when men were almost "boun," a man rowed up to them in a boat, and made the boat fast to the ship, and afterwards he went on board the ship to see Kolbein.

Kolbein asked that man for his name.

"My name is Hrapp," says he.

"What wilt thou with me?" says Kolbein.

"I wish to ask thee to put me across the Iceland main."

"Whose son art thou?" asks Kolbein.

"I am a son of Aurgunleid, the son of Geirolf the Fighter."

"What need lies on thee," asked Kolbein, "to drive thee abroad?"

"I have slain a man," says Hrapp.

"What manslaughter was that," says Kolbein, "and what men have the blood-feud?"

"The men of Weaponfirth," says Hrapp, "but the man I slew was Aurlyg, the son of Aurlyg, the son of Roger the White."

"I guess this," says Kolbein, "that he will have the worst of it who bears thee abroad."

"I am the friend of my friend," said Hrapp, "but when ill is done to me I repay it. Nor am I short of money to lay down for my passage."

Then Kolbein took Hrapp on board, and a little while after a fair breeze sprung up, and they sailed away on the sea.

Hrapp ran short of food at sea and then he sate him down at the mess of those who were nearest to him. They sprang up with ill words, and so it was that they came to blows, and Hrapp, in a trice, has two men under him.

Then Kolbein was told, and he bade Hrapp to come and share his mess, and he accepted that.

Now they come off the sea, and lie outside off Agdirness.

Then Kolbein asked where that money was which he had offered to pay for his fare?

"It is out in Iceland," answers Hrapp.

"Thou wilt beguile more men than me, I fear," says Kolbein; "but now I will forgive thee all the fare."

Hrapp bade him have thanks for that. "But what counsel dost thou give as to what I ought to do?"

"That first of all," he says, "that thou goest from the ship as soon as ever thou canst, for all Easterlings will bear thee bad witness; but there is yet another bit of good counsel which I will give thee, and that is, never to cheat thy master."

Then Hrapp went on shore with his weapons, and he had a great axe with an iron-bound haft in his hand.

He fares on and on till he comes to Gudbrand of the Dale. He was the greatest friend of Earl Hacon. They two had a shrine between them, and it was never opened but when the earl came thither. That was the second greatest shrine in Norway, but the other was at Hlada.

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."

"So it is, be sure," says Hrapp.

"What did ye fall out about?" asks Gudbrand.

"Oh!" says Hrapp, "what you would think small cause enough. He wanted to hew off my leg."

"What hadst thou done first?" asked Gudbrand.

"What he had no right to meddle with," says Hrapp.

"Still thou wilt tell me what it was."

"Well!" said Hrapp, "if thou must know, I lay by thy daughter's side, and he thought that bad."

"Up men!" cried Gudbrand, "and take him. He shall be slain out of hand."

"Very little good wilt thou let me reap of my son-in-lawship," says Hrapp, "but thou hast not so many men at thy back as to do that speedily."

Up they rose, but he sprang out of doors. They run after him, but he got away to the wood, and they could not lay hold of him.

Then Gudbrand gathers people, and lets the wood be searched; but they find him not, for the wood was great and thick.

Hrapp fares through the wood till he came to a clearing; there he found a house, and saw a man outside cleaving wood.

He asked that man for his name, and he said his name was Tofi.

Tofi asked him for his name in turn, and Hrapp told him his true name.

Hrapp asked why the householder had set up his abode so far from other men?

"For that here," he says, "I think I am less likely to have brawls with other men."

"It is strange how we beat about the bush in our talk," says Hrapp, "but I will first tell thee who I am. I have been with Gudbrand of the Dale, but I ran away thence because I slew his overseer; but now I know that we are both of us bad men; for thou wouldst not have come hither away from other men unless thou wert some man's outlaw. And now I give thee two choices, either that I will tell where thou art, or that we two have between us, share and share alike, all that is here."

"This is even as thou savest," said the householder; "I seized and carried off this woman who is here with me, and many men have sought for me."

Then he led Hrapp in with him; there was a small house there, but well built.

The master of the house told his mistress that he had taken Hrapp into his company.

"Most men will get ill luck from this man," she says; "but thou wilt have thy way."

So Hrapp was there after that. He was a great wanderer, and was never at home. He still brings about meetings with Gudruna; her father and brother, Thrand and Gudbrand, lay in wait for him, but they could never get nigh him, and so all that year passed away.

Gudbrand sent and told Earl Hacon what trouble he had had with Hrapp, and the earl let him be made an outlaw, and laid a price upon his head. He said, too, that he would go himself to look after him; but that passed off, and the earl thought it easy enough for them to catch him when he went about so unwarily.

References


Kafli 87

Kolbeinn hét maður og var Arnljótarson. Hann var þrænskur maður. Hann sigldi það sumar út til Íslands er þeir Kolskeggur og Njálssynir fóru utan. Hann var þann vetur í Breiðdal austur. En um vorið eftir bjó hann skip sitt í Gautavík. Og þá er þeir voru búnir reri að þeim maður á báti og festi bátinn við skipið en gekk síðan upp á skipið til fundar við Kolbein. Kolbeinn spurði þenna mann að nafni.

„Hrappur heiti eg,“ segir hann.

„Hvað viltu mér?“ segir Kolbeinn.

„Eg vil biðja þig að þú flytjir mig um haf.“

Kolbeinn spyr: „Hver nauðsyn er þér á?“

„Eg hefi vegið víg eitt,“ segir Hrappur.

„Hvert víg er það,“ segir Kolbeinn, „eða hverjir eru til eftirmáls?“

„Vopnfirðingar,“ segir Hrappur, „en eg vó Örlyg Örlygsson Hróðgeirssonar hins hvíta.“

„Þess get eg að sá hafi verr er þig flytur,“ segir Kolbeinn.

Hrappur mælti: „Vinur er eg vinar míns en geld eg það er illa er til mín gert enda skortir mig eigi fé til að leggja fyrir farið.“

Síðan tók Kolbeinn við Hrappi.

Litlu síðar gaf byr og sigla þeir í haf. Hrapp þraut vistir í hafi. Settist hann þá að með þeim er nestir voru. Þeir spruttu upp með illyrðum og svo kom að þeir ráðast á og hefir Hrappur þá þegar undir tvo menn. Þá var sagt Kolbeini og bauð hann Hrappi í mötuneyti sitt og hann þá það.

Þeir koma af hafi og leggja utan við Agðanes. Þá spurði Kolbeinn hvar fé það væri er hann bauð í leigu undir sig.

Hrappur svaraði: „Það er út á Íslandi.“

„Vera muntu fleirum prettóttur en mér en þó vil eg þér nú upp gefa alla leiguna.“

Hrappur bað hann hafa þökk fyrir „eða hvað leggur þú nú til ráðs með mér?“

„Það fyrst,“ segir hann, „að þú far sem bráðast frá skipi því að allir Austmenn munu illa túlka fyrir þér en þó ræð eg þér það annað heilræði að þú svík aldrei lánardrottin þinn.“

Síðan gekk Hrappur á land upp með vopnum sínum og hafði öxi eina mikla í hendi, vafinskeftu. Hann fer þar til er hann kemur til Guðbrands í Dala. Hann var hinn mesti vin Hákonar jarls. Þeir áttu hof báðir saman og var því aldrei upp lokið nema þá jarl kom þangað. Það var annað mest hof í Noregi en annað á Hlöðum. Þrándur hét sonur Guðbrands en Guðrún dóttir. Hrappur gekk fyrir Guðbrand og kvaddi hann vel. Hann spurði hvað manna hann væri. Hrappur sagði til sín að hann væri utan af Íslandi. Síðan biður hann Guðbrand að hann tæki við honum.

Guðbrandur mælti: „Ekki líst mér svo á þig sem þú munir gæfumaður vera.“

„Mjög þykir mér og logið frá þér,“ segir Hrappur, „er það var sagt að þú tækir við öllum þeim er þig bæðu og engi maður væri jafnágætur sem þú. Mun eg því í móti mæla ef þú tekur eigi við mér.“

Guðbrandur mælti: „Hér muntu vera hljóta.“

„Hvar vísar þú mér til sess?“ segir Hrappur.

„Á hinn óæðra bekk gagnvart öndvegi mínu.“

Hrappur fór í sæti sitt. Hann kunni frá mörgu að segja. Var það fyrst að Guðbrandi þótti gaman að og mörgum öðrum en þó kom svo að mörgum þótti ofkerski.

Og svo kom að hann slóst á tal við Guðrúnu svo að margir töluðu að hann mundi fífla hana. En er Guðbrandur varð þess var taldi hann á hana mjög er hún átti tal við hann og bað hana varast að mæla nokkuð við hann svo að eigi heyrðu allir menn. Hún hét góðu um fyrst en þó dró til vanda um tal þeirra. Þá setti Guðbrandur til Ásvarð verkstjóra sinn að ganga með henni hvert er hún færi.

Einhverju sinni var það að hún beiddist að fara á hnotskóg að skemmta sér og fylgdi Ásvarður henni. Hrappur leitar eftir þeim og fann þau og tók í hönd henni og leiddi hana eina saman. Síðan fór Ásvarður að leita hennar og fann þau liggja í runni bæði saman. Hann hleypur að með öxi reidda og hjó til fótar Hrapps en Hrappur brást við fast og missti hann Hrapps. Hann sprettur á fætur sem skjótast og þreif öxi sína. Síðan vildi Ásvarður undan snúast. Hrappur höggur í sundur í honum hrygginn.

Þá mælti Guðrún: „Nú hefir þú það unnið er þú munt eigi með föður mínum lengur vera. En þó mun honum enn sumt verr þykja því að eg fer með barni.“

Hrappur svarar: „Eigi skal hann þetta af öðrum spyrja og skal eg fara heim og segja honum hvorttveggja.“

„Þá muntu eigi með fjörvi í braut komast,“ segir hún.

„Á það skal hætta,“ segir hann.

Eftir það fylgir hann henni til kvenna annarra en hann fór heim.

Guðbrandur sat í öndvegi og var fátt manna í stofunni. Hrappur gekk fyrir hann og bar hátt öxina.

Guðbrandur spurði: „Hví er blóðug öx þín?“

„Eg gerði að bakverk Ásvarðs.“

„Það mun eigi af góðu. Þú munt hafa vegið hann.“

„Svo er víst,“ segir Hrappur.

„Hvað var til saka?“ segir Guðbrandur.

„Lítið mundi yður þykja,“ segir Hrappur. „Hann vildi höggva af mér fótinn.“

„Hvað hafðir þú til gert áður?“ segir Guðbrandur.

„Það er hann átti enga sök á,“ segir Hrappur.

„Þó muntu segja hvað það var.“

Hrappur mælti: „Ef þú vilt vita þá lá eg hjá dóttur þinni og þótti honum það illa.“

Guðbrandur mælti: „Standi menn upp og taki hann og skal hann drepa.“

„Alllítt lætur þú mig njóta mágsemdar,“ segir Hrappur, „en hefir þú eigi það mannval að þetta muni skjótlega gera.“

Þeir stóðu upp en hann hopaði út undan. Þeir hlaupa eftir en hann kemst á skóg undan og höfðu þeir hans ekki. Guðbrandur safnar liði og lét kanna skóginn og finna þeir hann eigi því að skógurinn var mikill og þröngur.

Hrappur fer um skóginn þar til er hann kom í rjóður nokkurt. Þar fann hann húsabæ og mann úti og klauf skíð. Hann spurði þenna mann að nafni og nefndist hann Tófi. Tófi spurði að hans nafni og nefndist Hrappur sem hann hét. Hrappur spyr hví bóndi byggi svo fjarri öðrum mönnum.

„Því,“ sagði hann, „að eg þykist hér lítt þurfa að amast við aðra menn.“

„Við förum kynlega með okkur um málin,“ segir Hrappur, „og mun eg fyrri segja þér hver eg er. Eg hefi verið með Guðbrandi í Dölum og stökk eg þaðan fyrir það er eg drap verkstjóra hans. En eg veit að við erum báðir illmenni því að þú mundir ekki hér kominn frá öðrum mönnum nema þú værir nokkurs manns útlagi. Og geri eg þér tvo kosti, að eg mun segja til þín eða við njótum báðir jafnt þess er hér er.“

Bóndi mælti: „Þetta er jafnt sem þú segir. Eg nam konu þessa er hér er hjá mér og hefir margur maður eftir mér leitað.“

Síðan leiddi hann Hrapp inn með sér. Þar voru hús lítil og vel ger. Bóndi sagði húsfreyju sinni að hann hafði Hrapp ráðið með sér.

„Flestir munu af manni þessum illt hljóta,“ segir hún, „en þó muntu ráða vilja.“

Síðan var Hrappur þar. Hann var förull mjög og var aldrei heima. Hann fær náð fundi Guðrúnar við jafnan. Þeir sátu um hann feðgar, Þrándur og Guðbrandur, og varð það aldrei að þeir fengju honum náð. Og fór svo fram öll þau misseri.

Guðbrandur lét segja Hákoni jarli hver vandræði hann hafði af Hrappi. Jarl lét dæma Hrapp útlaga og lagði fé til höfuðs honum en hét þó að fara sjálfur að leita eftir honum en það fórst þó fyrir og þótti jarli þeim sjálfrátt að taka hann er hann fór svo óvarlega.



Tilvísanir

Links