Njála, 133

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Chapter 133

FLOSI'S DREAM.


One night it so happened that Flosi struggled much in his sleep. Glum Hildir's son woke him up, and then Flosi said, "Call me Kettle of the Mark."

Kettle came thither, and Flosi said, "I will tell thee my dream."

"I am ready to hear it," says Kettle.

"I dreamt," says Flosi, "that methought I stood below Loom-nip, and went out and looked up to the Nip, and all at once it opened, and a man came out of the Nip, and he was clad in goatskins, and had an iron staff in his hand. He called, as he walked, on many of my men, some sooner and some later, and named them by name. First he called Grim the Red my kinsman, and Ami Kol's son. Then methought something strange followed, methought he called Eyjolf Bolverk's son, and Ljot son of Hall of the Side, and some six men more. Then he held his peace awhile. After that he called five men of our band, and among them were the sons of Sigfus, thy brothers; then he called other six men, and among them were Lambi, and Modolf, and Glum. Then he called three men. Last of all he called Gunnar Lambi's son, and Kol Thorstein's son. After that he came up to me; I asked him 'What news?' He said he had tidings enough to tell. Then I asked him for his name, but he called himself Irongrim. I asked him whither he was going; he said he had to fare to the Althing. 'What shalt thou do there?' I said. 'First I shall challenge the inquest,' he answers, 'and then the courts, then clear the field for fighters.' After that he sang this song:

"Soon a man death's snake-strokes dealing High shall lift his head on earth, Here amid the dust low rolling Battered brainpans men shall see; Now upon the hills in hurly Buds the blue steel's harvest bright; Soon the bloody dew of battle Thigh-deep through the ranks shall rise."

"Then he shouted with such a mighty shout that methought everything near shook, and dashed down his staff, and there was a mighty crash. Then he went back into the fell, but fear clung to me; and now I wish thee to tell me what thou thinkest this dream is."

"It is my foreboding,"[1] says Kettle, "that all those who were called must be 'fey.' It seems to me good counsel that we tell this dream to no man just now."

Flosi said so it should be. Now the winter passes away till Yule was over. Then Flosi said to his men, "Now I mean that we should fare from home, for methinks we shall not be able to have an idle peace. Now we shall fare to pray for help, and now that will come true which I told you, that we should have to bow the knee to many ere this quarrel were ended."


References

  1. ↑ my foreboding: “Ketill’s interpretation of the dream proves prescient as each man that Járngrímr has called will in due course fall to his death. More than simply providing an itinerary for forthcoming event, however, Flosi’s dream paints the latter part of the saga in a powerful shade of eventuality and inescapability, at once informing his forestalling tactics but also continually undermining their utility.” Crocker, Christopher, To Dream is to Bury (pp. 270-271).

Kafli 133

Eina nótt bar svo til að Svínafelli að Flosi lét illa í svefni. Glúmur Hildisson vakti hann og var lengi áður en hann gæti vakið hann. Flosi mælti þá: „Kallið mér Ketil úr Mörk.“

Ketill kom þangað.

Flosi mælti: „Segja vil eg þér draum minn.“

„Það má vel,“ segir Ketill.

„Mig dreymdi það,“ segir Flosi, „að eg þóttist staddur að Lómagnúpi og ganga út og sjá upp til gnúpsins. Og opnaðist hann og gekk maður út úr gnúpinum og var í geithéðni og hafði járnstaf í hendi. Hann fór kallandi og kallaði á menn mína, suma fyrr en suma síðar, og nefndi þá á nafn. Hann kallaði fyrstan Grím hinn rauða frænda minn og Árna Kolsson. Þá þótti mér undarlega við bregða. Mér þótti hann þá kalla Eyjólf Bölverksson og Ljót son Halls af Síðu og nokkura sex. Þá þagði hann stund nokkura. Síðan kallaði hann fimm menn og var þar Lambi og Móðólfur og Glúmur. Þá kallaði hann þrjá menn. Síðast kallaði hann Gunnar Lambason og Kol Þorsteinsson. Eftir það gekk hann að mér. Eg spurði hann tíðinda. Hann lést kunna að segja tíðindin. Þá spurði eg hann að nafni en hann nefndist Járngrímur. Eg spurði hvert hann skyldi fara. Hann kvaðst fara skyldu til alþingis. „Hvað skaltu þar gera?“ sagði eg. Hann svaraði: „Fyrst skal eg ryðja kviðu en þá dóma, þá vígvöll fyrir vegöndum.“ Síðan kvað hann þetta:


41. Höggorma mun hefjast

herði-Þundur á landi.

Sjá megu menn á moldu

margar heila borgir.

Nú vex blárra brodda

beystisullur í fjöllum.

Koma mun sumra seggja

sveita dögg á leggi.


Hann laust niður stafnum og varð brestur mikill. Gekk hann þá inn í fjallið en mér bauð ótta. Vil eg nú að þú segir hvað þú ætlar draum minn vera.“

„Það er hugboð mitt,“[1] segir Ketill, „að þeir muni allir feigir er kallaðir voru. Sýnist mér það ráð að þenna draum segjum við engum manni að svo búnu.“

Nú líður veturinn þar til er lokið var jólum.

Flosi mælti þá til sinna manna: „Nú ætla eg að vér skulum fara heiman því að mér þykir sem vér munum eigi setugrið hafa mega. Skulum vér nú fara í liðsbón. Mun nú það sannast sem eg sagði yður að vér mundum fyrir mörgum kné ganga verða áður en lokið er þessum málum.“



Tilvísanir

  1. ↑ hugboð mitt: “Ketill’s interpretation of the dream proves prescient as each man that Járngrímr has called will in due course fall to his death. More than simply providing an itinerary for forthcoming event, however, Flosi’s dream paints the latter part of the saga in a powerful shade of eventuality and inescapability, at once informing his forestalling tactics but also continually undermining their utility.” Crocker, Christopher, To Dream is to Bury (s. 270-271).

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