Njála, 159

Chapter 159

OF FLOSI AND KARI.

Now it is to be told of Kari that the summer after he went down to his ship and sailed south across the sea, and began his pilgrimage in Normandy, and so went south and got absolution and fared back by the western way, and took his ship again in Normandy, and sailed in her north across the sea to Dover in England.

Thence he sailed west, round Wales, and so north, through Scotland's firths, and did not stay his course till he came to Thraswick in Caithness, to master Skeggi's house.

There he gave over the ship of burden to Kolbein and David, and Kolbein sailed in that ship to Norway, but David stayed behind in the Fair Isle.

Kari was that winter in Caithness. In this winter his housewife died out in Iceland.

The next summer Kari busked him for Iceland. Skeggi gave him a ship of burden, and there were eighteen of them on board her.

They were rather late "boun," but still they put to sea, and had a long passage, but at last they made Ingolf's Head. There their ship was dashed all to pieces, but the men's lives were saved. Then, too, a gale of wind came on them.

Now they ask Kari what counsel was to be taken; but he said their best plan was to go to Swinefell and put Flosi's manhood to the proof.

So they went right up to Swinefell in the storm. Flosi was in the sitting-room. He knew Kari as soon as ever he came into the room, and sprang up to meet him, and kissed him, and sate him down in the high seat by his side.

Flosi asked Kari to be there that winter, and Kari took his offer. Then they were atoned with a full atonement.

Then Flosi gave away his brother's daughter Hildigunna, whom Hauskuld the priest of Whiteness had had to wife to Kari, and they dwelt first of all at Broadwater.

Men say that the end of Flosi's life was, that he fared abroad, when he had grown old, to seek for timber to build him a hall; and he was in Norway that winter, but the next summer he was late "boun"; and men told him that his ship was not seaworthy.

Flosi said she was quite good enough for an old and deathdoomed man, and bore his goods on shipboard and put out to sea. But of that ship no tidings were ever heard.

These were the children of Kari Solmund's son and Helga Njal's daughter--Thorgerda and Ragneida, Valgerda, and Thord who was burnt in Njal's house. But the children of Hildigunna and Kari, were these, Starkad, and Thord, and Flosi.

The son of Burning-Flosi was Kolbein, who has been the most famous man of any of that stock.

And here we end the STORY of BURNT NJAL.

Kafli 159

Nú er segja frá Kára að um sumarið eftir fór hann til skips síns og sigldi suður um sjá og hóf upp suðurgöngu sína í Norðmandí og gekk suður og þá lausn og fór aftur hina vestri leið og tók skip sitt í Norðmandí og sigldi norður um sjó til Dofra á Englandi. Þaðan sigldi hann vestur um Bretland og svo norður fyrir Skotlandsfjörðu og létti eigi fyrr ferð sinni en hann kom í Þrasvík á Katanesi til Skeggja bónda. Fékk hann þá þeim Kolbeini og Davíði byrðinginn. Sigldi Kolbeinn þessu skipi til Noregs en Davíður var eftir í Friðarey. Kári var þenna vetur á Katanesi. Á þessum vetri andaðist húsfreyja hans á Íslandi.

Um sumarið eftir bjóst Kári til Íslands. Skeggi fékk honum byrðing. Voru þeir þar á átján. Þeir urðu heldur síðbúnir og sigldu þó í haf og höfðu langa útivist. En um síðir tóku þeir Ingólfshöfða og brutu þar skipið allt í spón. Þar varð mannbjörg. Þá gerði og á hríðveður. Spyrja þeir nú Kára hvað nú skal til ráða taka en hann sagði það ráð að fara til Svínafells og reyna þegnskap Flosa. Gengu þeir nú heim til Svínafells í hríðinni.

Flosi var í stofu. Hann kenndi Kára er hann kom í stofuna og spratt upp í móti honum og minntist til hans og setti hann í hásæti hjá sér. Flosi bauð Kára að vera þar um veturinn. Kári þá það. Sættust þeir þá heilum sáttum. Flosi gifti þá Kára Hildigunni bróðurdóttur sína er Höskuldur Hvítanesgoði hafði átta. Bjuggu þau þá fyrst að Breiðá.

Það segja menn að þau yrðu ævilok Flosa að hann færi utan þá er hann var orðinn gamall að sækja sér skálavið og var hann í Noregi þann vetur. En um sumarið var hann síðbúinn. Menn ræddu um að vant væri skip hans. Flosi sagði vera ærið gott gömlum og feigum og sté á skip og lét í haf. Og hefir til þess skips aldrei spurst síðan.

Þessi voru börn þeirra Kára Sölmundarsonar og Helgu Njálsdóttur: Þorgerður og Ragneiður, Valgerður og Þórður er inni brann. En börn þeirra Hildigunnar og Kára voru þeir Starkaður og Þórður og Flosi. Son Brennu-Flosa var Kolbeinn er ágætastur maður hefir verið einnhver í þeirri ætt.

Og lúkum vér þar Brennu-Njálssögu.