Njála, 082

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Chapter 82

Now we must take up the story, and say how Thrain Sigfus' son came to Norway. They made the land north in Helgeland, and held on south to Drontheim, and so to Hlada. But as soon as Earl Hacon heard of that, he sent men to them, and would know what men were in the ship. They came back and told him who the men were. Then the earl sent for Thrain Sigfus' son, and he went to see him. The earl asked of what stock he might be. He said that he was Gunnar of Lithend's near kinsman. The earl said, "That shall stand thee in good stead; for I have seen many men from Iceland, but none his match."

"Lord," said Thrain, "is it your will that I should be with you this winter?"

The earl took to him, and Thrain was there that winter, and was thought much of.

There was a man named Kol, he was a great sea-rover. He was the son of Asmund Ashside, east out of Smoland. He lay east in the Gota-Elf, and had five ships, and much force.

Thence Kol steered his course out of the river to Norway and landed at Fold, in the bight of the "Bay," and came on Hallvard Soti unawares, and found him in a loft. He kept them off bravely till they set fire to the house, then he gave himself up; but they slew him, and took there much goods, and sailed thence to Lodese.

Earl Hacon heard these tidings, and made them make Kol an outlaw over all his realm, and set a price upon his head.

Once on a time it so happened that the earl began to speak thus, "Too far off from us now is Gunnar of Lithend. He would slay my outlaw if he were here; but now the Icelanders will slay him, and it is ill that he hath not fared to us."

Then Thrain Sigfus' son answered, "I am not Gunnar, but still I am near akin to him, and I will undertake this voyage."

The earl said, "I should be glad of that, and thou shalt be very well fitted out for the journey."

After that his son Eric began to speak, and said, "Your word, father, is good to many men, but fulfilling it is quite another thing. This is the hardest undertaking; for this sea-rover is tough and ill to deal with, wherefore thou wilt need to take great pains, both as to men and ships for this voyage."

Thrain said, "I will set out on this voyage, though it looks ugly."

After that the earl gave him five ships, and all well trimmed and manned. Along with Thrain was Gunnar Lambi's son, and Lambi Sigurd's son. Gunnar was Thrain's brother's son, and had come to him young, and each loved the other much.

Eric, the earl's son, went heartily along with them, and looked after strength for them, both in men and weapons and made such changes in them as he thought were needful. After they were "boun," Eric got them a pilot. Then they sailed south along the land; but wherever they came to land, the earl allowed them to deal with whatever they needed as their own.

So they held on east to Lodese, and then they heard that Kol was gone to Denmark. Then they shaped their course south thither; but when they came south to Helsingborg, they met men in a boat who said that Kol was there just before them, and would be staying there for a while.

One day when the weather was good, Kol saw the ships as they sailed up towards him, and said he had dreamt of Earl Hacon the night before, and told his people he was sure these must be his men, and bade them all to take their weapons.

After that they busked them, and a fight arose; and they fought long, so that neither side had the mastery.

Then Kol sprang up on Thrain's ship, and cleared the gangways fast, and slays many men. He had a gilded helm.

Now Thrain sees that this is no good, and now he eggs on his men to go along with him, but he himself goes first and meets Kol.

Kol hews at him, and the blow fell on Thrain's shield, and cleft it down from top to bottom. Then Kol got a blow on the arm, from a stone and then down fell his sword.

Thrain hews at Kol, and the stroke came on his leg so that it cut it off. After that they slew Kol, and Thrain cut off his head, and they threw the trunk overboard, but kept his head.

They took much spoil, and then they held on north to Drontheim, and go to see the earl.

The earl gave Thrain a hearty welcome, and he shewed the earl Kol's head, but the earl thanked him for that deed.

Eric said it was worth more than words alone, and the earl said so it was, and bade them come along with him.

They went thither, where the earl had made them make a good ship that was not made like a common long-ship. It had a vulture's head, and was much carved and painted.

"Thou art a great man for show, Thrain," said the earl, "and so have both of you, kinsmen, been, Gunnar and thou; and now I will give thee this ship, but it is called the Vulture. Along with it shall go my friendship; and my will is that thou stayest with me as long as thou wilt."

He thanked him for his goodness, and said he had no longing to go to Iceland just yet.

The earl had a journey to make to the marches of the land to meet the Swede-king. Thrain went with him that summer, and was a shipmaster and steered the Vulture, and sailed so fast that few could keep up with him, and he was much envied. But it always came out that the earl laid great store on Gunnar, for he set down sternly all who tried Thrain's temper.

So Thrain was all that winter with the earl, but next spring the earl asked Thrain whether he would stay there or fare to Iceland; but Thrain said he had not yet made up his mind, and said that he wished first to know tidings from Iceland.

The earl said that so it should be as he thought it suited him best; and Thrain was with the earl.

Then those tidings were heard from Iceland, which many thought great news, the death of Gunnar of Lithend. Then the earl would not that Thrain should fare out of Iceland, and so there he stayed with him.

References


Kafli 82

Nú er þar til máls að taka að Þráinn Sigfússon kom til Noregs. Þeir komu norður við Hálogaland og til Hlaða. En þegar Hákon jarl spurði það sendi hann menn til þeirra og vildi vita hvað manna væri á skipi. Þeir komu aftur og sögðu honum hverjir voru. Jarlinn sendi þá eftir Þráni Sigfússyni og kom hann á hans fund. Jarl spurði hverrar ættar hann væri. Hann segir að hann væri skyldur mjög Gunnari að Hlíðarenda.

Jarl mælti: „Njóta skaltu þess því að séð hefi eg marga íslenska menn og engan hans nóta.“

Þráinn mælti: „Herra, viljið þér að eg sé með yður í vetur?“

Jarl tók við honum. Var Þráinn þar um veturinn og virðist vel.

Kolur hét maður. Hann var víkingur mikill. Hann var son Ásmundar eskisíðu austan úr Smálöndum. Hann lá í Gautelfi austur og hafði fimm skip og lið mikið. Þaðan hélt Kolur úr Elfinni til Noregs og gekk upp á Foldinni og kom á óvart Hallvarði sóta og fundu hann í lofti einu. Hann varðist þaðan vel þar til er þeir báru eld að. Þá gafst hann upp en þeir drápu hann og tóku þar fé mikið og héldu þaðan til Ljóðhúsa.

Þessi tíðindi spurði Hákon jarl og lét dæma Kol útlagan um allt ríki sitt og lagði fé til höfuðs honum.

Einhverju sinni var það að jarl tók svo til orða: „Of fjarri er oss nú Gunnar að Hlíðarenda. Hann mundi drepa útlaga minn ef hann væri hér en nú munu Íslendingar drepa hann og er það illa er hann hefir eigi til vor farið.“

Þráinn Sigfússon svaraði: „Eigi er eg Gunnar en þó skyldur til honum og vil eg játast undir þessa ferð.“

Jarl mælti: „Það vil eg gjarna. Skal og þína för allvel búa.“

Síðan tók Eiríkur son hans til orða: „Við marga hefir þú heit góð en misjafnt þykir út seljast. Er þetta hin torveldlegasta för því að víkingur sjá er harður og illur viðureignar. Muntu þurfa að vanda til ferðar þessar bæði menn og skip.“

Þráinn mælti: „Þó skal eg fara þótt ferðin sé órífleg.“

Síðan fékk jarl honum fimm skip og öll vel skipuð. Með þeim var Gunnar Lambason og Lambi Sigurðarson. Gunnar var bróðurson Þráins og hafði komið til hans ungur og unni hvor öðrum mikið. Eiríkur jarlsson gekk til með þeim og hugði að mönnum og vopnaafla og skipti þar um er honum þótti þurfa. Síðan er þeir voru búnir fékk Eiríkur þeim leiðsögumann.

Sigldu þeir þá suður með landi. En hvar sem þeir kæmu við heimilaði jarl þeim það er þeir þyrftu að hafa. Þeir héldu austur til Ljóðhúsa. Þá spurðu þeir að Kolur var farinn austur til Danmerkur. Héldu þeir þá suður þangað. En þá spurðu þeir að Kolur var þar fyrir og mundi þar dveljast um hríð.

Veðurdagur var góður. Þá sá Kolur skipin er að fóru og kvað sig dreymt hafa Hákon jarl um nóttina og kvað þetta vera mundu menn hans og bað alla menn sína taka vopn sín. Síðan bjuggust þeir við og tekst þar orusta. Berjast þeir lengi svo að eigi urðu umskipti. Síðan hljóp Kolur upp á skip Þráins og ruddist um fast og drepur margan mann. Hann hafði gylltan hjálm. Nú sér Þráinn að eigi mun duga, eggjar nú mennina með sér en hann gengur sjálfur og mætir Kol. Kolur höggur til hans og kom í skjöldinn Þráins og klauf ofan skjöldinn. Þá fékk Kolur steinshögg á höndina. Féll þá niður sverðið. Þráinn hjó til Kols og kom á fótinn svo að af tók. Eftir það drápu þeir Kol. Hjó Þráinn höfuð af honum en steypti búkinum fyrir borð en varðveitti höfuð hans.

Þeir tóku þar fé mikið, héldu þá norður til Þrándheims og fara á fund jarls. Tekur jarl vel við honum. Hann sýndi jarli höfuð Kols en jarl þakkaði honum verk það. Eiríkur kvað meira vert en orða einna. Jarlinn svaraði að svo var og bað þá ganga með sér. Gengu þeir þangað sem jarl hafði gera látið skip gott það er eigi var gert sem langskip. Þar var gammshöfuð á og búið mjög.

Jarl mælti: „Þú ert skrautmenni mikið, Þráinn, og hafið þið svo verið báðir frændur þið Gunnar. Vil eg nú gefa þér skip þetta en skipið heitir Gammur. Þar skal fylgja með vinátta mín. Vil eg að þú sért með mér svo lengi sem þú vilt.“

Hann þakkaði honum velgerning sinn og kveðst ekki fýsast til Íslands að svo búnu.

Jarl átti ferð austur til landamæris að finna Svíakonung. Fór Þráinn með honum um sumarið og var skipstjórnarmaður og stýrði Gamminum og sigldi svo mikið að fáir þurftu við hann og var hann öfundaður mjög. En það fannst á jafnan að jarl virti mikils Gunnar því að hann setti þá harðlega aftur alla er á Þráin leituðu. Var Þráinn með jarli allan þann vetur. En um vorið spurði jarl Þráin hvort hann vildi þar vera eða fara til Íslands en hann kvaðst eigi það hafa ráðið við sig og sagðist vita vilja áður tíðindi af Íslandi. Jarl sagði að svo skyldi vera sem honum þætti henta. Var Þráinn með jarli.

Þá spurðust tíðindi af Íslandi þau er mörgum þóttu mikil, lát Gunnars frá Hlíðarenda. Þá vildi jarl eigi að Þráinn færi út og var hann með honum eftir.


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