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Now we must take up the story, and say how, when Earl Hacon missed Thrain, he spoke to Sweyn his son, and said, "Let us take four long-ships, and let us fare against Njal's sons and slay them, for they must have known all about it with Thrain."
Now we must take up the story, and say how, when Earl Hacon missed Thrain, he spoke to Sweyn his son, and said, "Let us take four long-ships, and let us fare against Njal's sons and slay them, for they must have known all about it with Thrain."


"'Tis not good counsel," says Sweyn, "to throw the blame on guiltless men, but to let him escape who is guilty."
"'Tis not good counsel," says Sweyn,<ref>''' Tis not good counsel," says Sweyn ''': “the establishing of character allows for the presence of reliable spokesmen whose pronouncements on events and persons indicate what ought to be thought of them… [such as when Earl Hákon] wants to take out his anger on the Njálssons […] his son Sveinn counsels restraint.” [[Allen, Richard F.. The Rhetoric of Njáls saga]] (p. 107). </ref> "to throw the blame on guiltless men, but to let him escape who is guilty."


"I shall have my way in this," says the earl.
"I shall have my way in this," says the earl.
Line 98: Line 98:
Nú er þar til máls að taka er Hákon jarl missti Þráins að hann mælti við Svein son sinn: „Tökum við langskip fjögur og förum að Njálssonum og drepum þá því að þeir munu vitað hafa með Þráni.“  
Nú er þar til máls að taka er Hákon jarl missti Þráins að hann mælti við Svein son sinn: „Tökum við langskip fjögur og förum að Njálssonum og drepum þá því að þeir munu vitað hafa með Þráni.“  


„Það er eigi gott ráð,“ segir Sveinn, „að snúa sökinni á óvalda menn en láta þann undan setja er sekur er.“  
„Það er eigi gott ráð,“ segir Sveinn,<ref>''' Það er eigi gott ráð,“ segir Sveinn ''': “the establishing of character allows for the presence of reliable spokesmen whose pronouncements on events and persons indicate what ought to be thought of them… [such as when Earl Hákon] wants to take out his anger on the Njálssons […] his son Sveinn counsels restraint.” [[Allen, Richard F.. The Rhetoric of Njáls saga]] (s. 107). </ref> „að snúa sökinni á óvalda menn en láta þann undan setja er sekur er.“  


„Eg skal þessu ráða,“ segir jarl.  
„Eg skal þessu ráða,“ segir jarl.  

Latest revision as of 15:21, 4 June 2019


Chapter 89

Now we must take up the story, and say how, when Earl Hacon missed Thrain, he spoke to Sweyn his son, and said, "Let us take four long-ships, and let us fare against Njal's sons and slay them, for they must have known all about it with Thrain."

"'Tis not good counsel," says Sweyn,[1] "to throw the blame on guiltless men, but to let him escape who is guilty."

"I shall have my way in this," says the earl.

Now they hold on after Njal's sons, and seek for them, and find them under an island.

Grim first saw the earl's ships and said to Helgi, "Here are war ships sailing up, and I see that here is the earl, and he can mean to offer us no peace."

"It is said," said Helgi, "that he is the boldest man who holds his own against all comers, and so we will defend ourselves."

They all bade him take the course he thought best, and then they took to their arms.

Now the earl comes up and called out to them, and bade them give themselves up.

Helgi said that they would defend themselves so long as they could.

Then the earl offered peace and quarter to all who would neither defend themselves nor Helgi; but Helgi was so much beloved that all said they would rather die with him.

Then the earl and his men fall on them, but they defended themselves well, and Njal's sons were ever where there was most need. The earl often offered peace, but they all made the same answer, and said they would never yield.

Then Aslak of Longisle pressed them hard and came on board their ship thrice. Then Grim said, "Thou pressest on hard, and 'twere well that thou gettest what thou seekest;" and with that he snatched up a spear and hurled it at him, and hit him under the chin, and Aslak got his death wound there and then.

A little after, Helgi slew Egil the earl's banner-bearer.

Then Sweyn, Earl Hacon's son, fell on them, and made men hem them in and bear them down with shields, and so they were taken captive.

The earl was for letting them all be slain at once, but Sweyn said that should not be, and said too that it was night.[2]

Then the earl said, "Well, then, slay them to-morrow, but bind them fast to-night."

"So, I ween, it must be," says Sweyn; "but never yet have I met brisker men than these, and I call it the greatest manscathe to take their lives."

"They have slain two of our briskest men," said the earl, "and for that they shall be slain."

"Because they were brisker men themselves," says Sweyn; "but still in this it must be done as thou willest."

So they were bound and fettered.

After that the earl fell asleep; but when all men slept, Grim spoke to Helgi, and said, "Away would I get if I could."

"Let us try some trick then," says Helgi.

Grim sees that there lies an axe edge up, so Grim crawled thither, and gets the bowstring which bound him cut asunder against the axe, but still he got great wounds on his arms.

Then he set Helgi loose, and after that they crawled over the ship's side, and got on shore, so that neither Hacon nor his men were ware of them. Then they broke off their fetters, and walked away to the other side of the island. By that time it began to dawn. There they found a ship, and knew that there was come Kari Solmund's son. They went at once to meet him, and told him of their wrongs and hardships, and showed him their wounds, and said the earl would be then asleep.

"Ill is it," said Kari, "that ye should suffer such wrongs for wicked men; but what now would be most to your minds?"

"To fall on the earl," they say, "and slay, him."

"This will not be fated," says Kari; "but still ye do not lack heart, but we will first know whether he is there now."

After that they fared thither, and then the earl was up and away.

Then Kari sailed in to Hlada to meet the earl, and brought him the Orkney scatts, so the earl said, "Hast thou taken Njal's sons into thy keeping?"

"So it is, sure enough," says Kari.

"Wilt thou hand Njal's sons over to me?" asks the earl.

"No, I will not," said Kari.

"Wilt thou swear this," says the earl, "that thou wilt not fall on me with Njal's sons?"

Then Eric, the earl's son, spoke and said, "Such things ought not to be asked. Kari has always been our friend, and things should not have gone as they have, had I been by. Njal's sons should have been set free from all blame, but they should have had chastisement who had wrought for it. Methinks now it would be more seemly to give Njal's sons good gifts for the hardships and wrongs which have been put upon them, and the wounds they have got."

"So it ought to be, sure enough," says the earl, "but I know not whether they will take an atonement."

Then the earl said that Kari should try the feeling of Njal's sons as to an atonement.

After that Kari spoke to Helgi, and asked whether he would take any amends from the earl or not.

"I will take them," said Helgi, "from his son Eric, but I will have nothing to do with the earl."

Then Kari told Eric their answer.

"So it shall be." says Eric. "He shall take the amends from me if he thinks it better; and tell them this too, that I bid them to my house, and my father shall do them no harm."

This bidding they took, and went to Eric's house, and were with him till Kari was ready to sail west across the sea to meet Earl Sigurd.

Then Eric made a feast for Kari, and gave him gifts, and Njal's sons gifts too. After that Kari fared west across the sea, and met Earl Sigurd, and he greeted them very well, and they were with the earl that winter.

But when the spring came, Kari asked Njal's sons to go on warfare with him, but Grim said they would only do so if he would fare with them afterwards out to Iceland. Kari gave his word to do that, and then they fared with him a-searoving.[3] They harried south about Anglesea and all the Southern isles. Thence they held on to Cantyre, and landed there, and fought with the landsmen, and got thence much goods, and so fared to their ships. Thence they fared south to Wales, and harried there. Then they held on for Alan, and there they met Godred, and fought with him, and got the victory, and slew Dungal the king's son. There they took great spoil. Thence they held on north to Coll, and found Earl Gilli there, and he greeted them well and there they stayed with him a while. The earl fared with them to the Orkneys to meet Earl Sigurd, but next spring Earl Sigurd gave away his sister Nereida to Earl Gilli, and then he fared back to the Southern isles.

References

  1. Tis not good counsel," says Sweyn : “the establishing of character allows for the presence of reliable spokesmen whose pronouncements on events and persons indicate what ought to be thought of them… [such as when Earl Hákon] wants to take out his anger on the Njálssons […] his son Sveinn counsels restraint.” Allen, Richard F.. The Rhetoric of Njáls saga (p. 107).
  2. said that should not be, and said too that it was night : " Comme dans les idées du Nord, une exécution nocturne passait pour une sorte de meurtre de félonie, on garrotte les prisonniers avec le dessein de les mettre à mort le lendemain." Gourdault, Jules. Gunnar et Nial: scènes et moeurs de la vieille Islande (p. 34)
  3. they fared with him a-searoving. : “A characteristic motif is to name different islands in connection with raids and battles … A typical account of corresponding events meets us in ch. 89 of Njáls saga, which summarizes the activities of Kári and the sons of Njáll in the regions of Scotland and Wales. Among other undertakings, the men are said to have raided all around the Hebrides and killed a king’s son on the Isle of Man” Zilmer, Kristel. Scenes Of Island Encounters In Icelandic Sagas (pp. 234-35).

Kafli 89

Nú er þar til máls að taka er Hákon jarl missti Þráins að hann mælti við Svein son sinn: „Tökum við langskip fjögur og förum að Njálssonum og drepum þá því að þeir munu vitað hafa með Þráni.“

„Það er eigi gott ráð,“ segir Sveinn,[1] „að snúa sökinni á óvalda menn en láta þann undan setja er sekur er.“

„Eg skal þessu ráða,“ segir jarl.

Halda þeir nú eftir Njálssonum og leita þeirra og finna þá undir eyju einni.

Grímur sá fyrr skip jarlsins og mælti til Helga: „Herskip fara hér og kenni eg að hér er jarl og mun hann oss engan frið bjóða.“

„Það er mælt að sá sé hver vaskur er sig ver við hvern sem hann á. Skulum vér og verja oss.“

Allir báðu hann fyrir sjá. Tóku þeir þá vopn sín.

Jarl kemur nú að og kallaði á þá og bað þá upp gefast. Helgi svarar að þeir mundu verjast meðan þeir mættu. Jarl bauð öllum grið, þeim er eigi vildu verja hann, en svo var Helgi vinsæll að allir vildu deyja með honum. Jarl sækir að og hans menn en þeir verjast vel og voru þeir Njálssynir þar jafnan sem mest var raunin. Jarl bauð oft grið en þeir svöruðu hinu sama og sögðust aldrei mundu upp gefast. Þá sótti að þeim fast Áslákur úr Langeyju og komst upp á skipið þremur sinnum.

Þá mælti Grímur: „Þú sækir fast að og væri vel að þú hefðir erindi.“

Grímur þreif upp spjót og skaut undir kverkina og hafði Áslákur þegar bana. Litlu síðar vó Helgi Egil merkismann jarls. Þá sótti að Sveinn Hákonarson og lét bera að þeim skjöldu og urðu þeir handteknir.

Jarl vildi láta þegar drepa þá en Sveinn kvað það eigi skyldu og sagði að væri nótt.[2]

Þá mælti jarl: „Drepið þá á morgun en bindið þá rammlega í nótt.“

„Svo mun vera verða,“ segir Sveinn, „en eigi hefi eg vaskari menn fyrir fundið en þessa og er það hinn mesti mannskaði að taka þá af lífi.“

Jarl mælti: „Þeir hafa drepið tvo eina vöskustu vora menn og skal fyrir það drepa þá.“

„Menn voru þeir að vaskari,“ segir Sveinn, „en þó mun þetta gera verða sem þú vilt.“

Voru þeir bundnir og fjötraðir.

Eftir það sofnaði jarl. En þá er hann var sofnaður mælti Grímur til Helga: „Braut vildi eg komast ef eg mætti.“

„Leitum við nokkurra bragða þá,“ segir Helgi.

Grímur sér að þar liggur öx ein og horfði upp eggin. Grímur skreið þangað til og fær skorið af sér bogastrenginn við öxinni en þó fékk hann sár mikil á höndunum. Þá leysti hann Helga. Eftir það skreiddust þeir fyrir borð og komust á land svo að þeir Hákon urðu eigi varir við. Þeir brutu af sér fjötrana og gengu annan veg á eyna. Tók þá að morgna. Þeir fundu þar skip og kenndu að þar var kominn Kári Sölmundarson. Fóru þeir þegar á fund hans og sögðu honum hrakning sína og sýndu honum sár sín og kváðu þá jarl mundu í svefni.

Kári mælti: „Illa verður slíkt að þér skuluð taka hrakning fyrir vonda menn eða hvað er nú gert að skapi ykkru?“

„Fara að jarli og drepa hann,“ sögðu þeir.

„Ekki mun þess auðið verða,“ segir Kári, „en ekki skortir ykkur áhuga. En þó skulum vér vita hvort hann er þar nú.“

Síðan fóru þeir þangað og var jarl þá í brottu.

Þá fór Kári inn til Hlaða á fund jarls og færði honum skattinn.

Jarl mælti: „Hefir þú tekið Njálssonu til þín?“

„Svo er víst,“ segir Kári.

„Vilt þú selja mér fram Njálssonu?“

„Það vil eg eigi,“ sagði Kári.

„Vilt þú sverja þess að þú vildir eigi að mér fara eftir?“ segir jarl.

Þá mælti Eiríkur jarlsson: „Ekki er slíks að leita. Hefir Kári jafnan verið vinur vor. Og skyldi eigi svo farið hafa ef eg hefði við verið. Njálssynir skyldu hafa haldið öllu en hinir skyldu haft hafa refsing er til höfðu gert. Þætti mér nú sæmilegra að gefa Njálssonum góðar gjafir fyrir hrakningar þær er þeir höfðu og sárafar.“

Jarlinn mælti: „Svo mundi vera víst,“ segir hann, „en eigi veit eg hvort þeir vilja taka sættir.“

Þá mælti jarl að Kári skyldi leita við Njálssonu um sættir. Síðan ræddi Kári við Helga hvort hann vildi taka sæmdir af jarli.

Helgi sagði: „Taka vil eg af syni hans Eiríki en ekki vil eg eiga við jarl.“

Þá segir Kári Eiríki svör þeirra.

„Svo skal vera,“ segir Eiríkur, „að hann skal af mér taka sæmdina ef honum þykir það betra og segið þeim það að eg býð þeim til mín og skal faðir minn þeim ekki mein gera.“

Þetta þágu þeir og fóru til Eiríks og voru með honum þar til er Kári var búinn vestur að sigla. Þá gerði Eiríkur Kára veislu og gaf honum gjafir og svo Njálssonum.

Síðan fór Kári vestur um haf á fund Sigurðar jarls og tók hann við þeim allvel og voru með jarli um veturinn.

En um vorið bað Kári þá Njálssonu að þeir færu í hernað með honum en Grímur kvaðst það mundu gera ef hann vildi fara með honum út til Íslands. Kári hét því. Fóru þeir þá með honum í hernað.[3] Þeir herjuðu suður um Öngulseyjar og allar Suðureyjar. Þá héldu þeir til Saltíris og gengu þar upp og börðust við landsmenn og fengu til fjár mikils og fóru til skipa. Þaðan fóru þeir suður til Bretlands og herjuðu þar. Þá héldu þeir til Manar. Þar mættu þeir Guðröði konungi úr Mani og börðust þeir við hann og höfðu sigur og drápu Dungal son konungs. Þar tóku þeir fé mikið. Þaðan héldu þeir norður til Kolu og fundu þar Gilla jarl og tók hann við þeim vel og dvöldust með honum nokkura hríð. Jarl fór með þeim til Orkneyja á fund Sigurðar jarls. En um vorið gifti Sigurður jarl Gilla jarli Nereiði systur sína. Fór hann þá í Suðureyjar.


Tilvísanir

  1. Það er eigi gott ráð,“ segir Sveinn : “the establishing of character allows for the presence of reliable spokesmen whose pronouncements on events and persons indicate what ought to be thought of them… [such as when Earl Hákon] wants to take out his anger on the Njálssons […] his son Sveinn counsels restraint.” Allen, Richard F.. The Rhetoric of Njáls saga (s. 107).
  2. kvað það eigi skyldu og sagði að væri nótt : " Comme dans les idées du Nord, une exécution nocturne passait pour une sorte de meurtre de félonie, on garrotte les prisonniers avec le dessein de les mettre à mort le lendemain." Gourdault, Jules. Gunnar et Nial: scènes et moeurs de la vieille Islande (s. 34)
  3. Fóru þeir þá með honum í hernað. : “A characteristic motif is to name different islands in connection with raids and battles … A typical account of corresponding events meets us in ch. 89 of Njáls saga, which summarizes the activities of Kári and the sons of Njáll in the regions of Scotland and Wales. Among other undertakings, the men are said to have raided all around the Hebrides and killed a king’s son on the Isle of Man” Zilmer, Kristel. Scenes Of Island Encounters In Icelandic Sagas (s. 234-35).

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