Burnt Njal chap. 149-154 by Icelandic Saga Lyrics

CHAPTER CXLIX.

OF KARI AND BJORN.


Now Kari talks to Bjorn and says--

"We shall ride east across the fell and down into Skaptartongue, and
fare stealthily over Flosi's country, for I have it in my mind to get
myself carried abroad east in Alftafirth."

"This is a very riskful journey," said Bjorn, "and few would have the
heart to take it save thou and I."

"If thou backest Kari ill," said his housewife, "know this, that thou
shalt never come afterwards into my bed, and my kinsmen shall share our
goods between us."

"It is likelier, mistress," said he, "that thou wilt have to look out
for something else than this if thou hast a mind to part from me; for I
will bear my own witness to myself what a champion and daredevil I am
when weapons clash."
Now they rode that day east on the fell to the north of the Jokul, but
never on the highway, and so down into Skaptartongue, and above all the
homesteads to Skaptarwater, and led their horses into a dell, but they
themselves were on the look-out, and had so placed themselves that they
could not be seen.

Then Kari said to Bjorn--

"What shall we do now if they ride down upon us here from the fell?"

"Are there not but two things to be done," said Bjorn; "one to ride away
from them north under the crags, and so let them ride by us, or to wait
and see if any of them lag behind, and then to fall on them."

They talked much about this, and one while Bjorn was for flying as fast
as he could in every word he spoke, and at another for staying and
fighting it out with them, and Kari thought this the greatest sport.

The sons of Sigfus rode from their homes the same day that they had
named to Bjorn. They came to the Mark and knocked at the door there, and
wanted to see Bjorn; but his mistress went to the door and greeted them.
They asked at once for Bjorn, and she said he had ridden away down under
Eyjafell, and so east under Selialandsmull, and on east to Holt, "for he
has some money to call in thereabouts," she said.

They believed this, for they knew that Bjorn had money out at call
there.
After that they rode east on the fell, and did not stop before they came
to Skaptartongue, and so rode down along Skaptarwater, and baited their
horses just where Kari had thought they would. Then they split their
band. Kettle of the Mark rode east into Middleland, and eight men with
him, but the others laid them down to sleep, and were not ware of aught
until Kari and Bjorn came up to them. A little ness ran out there into
the river; into it Kari went and took his stand, and bade Bjorn stand
back to back with him, and not to put himself too forward, "but give me
all the help thou canst".

"Well," says Bjorn, "I never had it in my head that any man should stand
before me as a shield, but still as things are thou must have thy way;
but for all that, with my gift of wit and my swiftness I may be of some
use to thee, and not harmless to our foes."

Now they all rose up and ran at them, and Modolf Kettle's son was
quickest of them, and thrust at Kari with his spear. Kari had his shield
before him, and the blow fell on it, and the spear stuck fast in the
shield. Then Kari twists the shield so smartly, that the spear snapped
short off, and then he drew his sword and smote at Modolf; but Modolf
made a cut at him too, and Kari's sword fell on Modolf's hilt, and
glanced off it on to Modolph's wrist, and took the arm off, and down it
fell, and the sword too. Then Kari's sword passed on into Modolf's side,
and between his ribs, and so Modolf fell down and was dead on the spot.

Grani Gunnar's son snatched up a spear and hurled it at Kari, but Kari
thrust down his shield so hard that the point stood fast in the ground,
but with his left hand he caught the spear in the air, and hurled it
back at Grani, and caught up his shield again at once with his left
hand. Grani had his shield before him, and the spear came on the shield
and passed right through it, and into Grani's thigh just below the small
guts, and through the limb, and so on, pinning him to the ground, and he
could not get rid of the spear before his fellows drew him off it, and
carried him away on their shields, and laid him down in a dell.
There was a man who ran up to Kari's side, and meant to cut off his leg,
but Bjorn cut off that man's arm, and sprang back again behind Kari, and
they could not do him any hurt. Kari made a sweep at that same man with
his sword, and cut him asunder at the waist.

Then Lambi Sigfus' son rushed at Kari, and hewed at him with his sword.
Kari caught the blow sideways on his shield, and the sword would not
bite; then Kari thrust at Lambi with his sword just below the breast, so
that the point came out between his shoulders, and that was his
death-blow.

Then Thorstein Geirleif's son rushed at Kari, and thought to take him in
flank, but Kari caught sight of him, and swept at him with his sword
across the shoulders, so that the man was cleft asunder at the chine.

A little while after he gave Gunnar of Skal, a good man and true, his
death-blow. As for Bjorn, he had wounded three men who had tried to give
Kari wounds, and yet he was never so far forward that he was in the
least danger, nor was he wounded, nor was either of those companions
hurt in that fight, but all those that got away were wounded.

Then they ran for their horses, and galloped them off across
Skaptarwater as hard as they could; and they were so scared that they
stopped at no house, nor did they dare to stay and tell the tidings
anywhere.

Kari and Bjorn hooted and shouted after them as they galloped off. So
they rode east to Woodcombe, and did not draw bridle till they came to
Swinefell.

Flosi was not at home when they came thither, and that was why no hue
and cry was made thence after Kari.

This journey of theirs was thought most shameful by all men.

Kari rode to Skal, and gave notice of these manslayings as done by his
hand; there, too, he told them of the death of their master and five
others, and of Grani's wound, and said it would be better to bear him to
the house if he were to live.

Bjorn said he could not bear to slay him, though he said he was worthy
of death; but those who answered him said they were sure few had bitten
the dust before him. But Bjorn told them he had it now in his power to
make as many of the Sidemen as he chose bite the dust; to which they
said it was a bad look out.

Then Kari and Bjorn ride away from the house.




CHAPTER CL.

MORE OF KARI AND BJORN.


Then Kari asked Bjorn--

"What counsel shall we take now? Now I will try what thy wit is worth."

"Dost thou think now," answered Bjorn, "that much lies on our being as
wise as ever we can?"

"Ay," said Kari, "I think so surely."

"Then our counsel is soon taken," says Bjorn. "We will cheat them all as
though they were giants; and now we will make as though we were riding
north on the fell, but as soon as ever we are out of sight behind the
brae, we will turn down along Skaptarwater, and hide us there where we
think handiest, so long as the hue and cry is hottest, if they ride
after us."

"So will we do," said Kari; "and this I had meant to do all along."

"And so you may put it to the proof," said Bjorn, "that I am no more of
an everyday body in wit than I am in bravery."

Now Kari and his companion rode as they had purposed down along
Skaptarwater, till they came where a branch of the stream ran away to
the south-east; then they turned down along the middle branch, and did
not draw bridle till they came into Middleland, and on that moor which
is called Kringlemire; it has a stream of lava all around it.

Then Kari said to Bjorn that he must watch their horses, and keep a good
look-out; "but as for me," he says, "I am heavy with sleep".

So Bjorn watched the horses, but Kari lay him down, and slept but a very
short while ere Bjorn waked him up again, and he had already led their
horses together, and they were by their side. Then Bjorn said to Kari--

"Thou standest in much need of me, though! A man might easily have run
away from thee if he had not been as brave-hearted as I am; for now thy
foes are riding upon thee, and so thou must up and be doing."

Then Kari went away under a jutting crag, and Bjorn said--

"Where shall I stand now?"

"Well!" answers Kari, "now there are two choices before thee; one is,
that thou standest at my back and have my shield to cover thyself with,
if it can be of any use to thee; and the other is, to get on thy horse
and ride away as fast as thou canst."

"Nay," says Bjorn, "I will not do that, and there are many things
against it; first of all, may be, if I ride away, some spiteful tongues
might begin to say that I ran away from thee for faintheartedness; and
another thing is, that I well know what game they will think there is in
me, and so they will ride after me, two or three of them, and then I
should be of no use or help to thee after all. No! I will rather stand
by thee and keep them off so long as it is fated."

Then they had not long to wait ere horses with pack-saddles were driven
by them over the moor, and with them went three men.

Then Kari said--

"These men see us not."

"Then let us suffer them to ride on," said Bjorn.

So those three rode on past them; but the six others then came riding
right up to them, and they all leapt off their horses straightway in a
body, and turned on Kari and his companion.

First, Glum Hilldir's son rushed at them, and thrust at Kari with a
spear; Kari turned short round on his heel, and Glum missed him, and the
blow fell against the rock. Bjorn sees that, and hewed at once the head
off Glum's spear. Kari leant on one side and smote at Glum with his
sword, and the blow fell on his thigh, and took off the limb high up in
the thigh, and Glum died at once.

Then Vebrand and Asbrand the sons of Thorbrand ran up to Kari, but Kari
flew at Vebrand and thrust his sword through him, but afterwards he
hewed off both of Asbrand's feet from under him.

In this bout both Kari and Bjorn were wounded.

Then Kettle of the Mark rushed at Kari, and thrust at him with his
spear. Kari threw up his leg, and the spear stuck in the ground, and
Kari leapt on the spear-shaft, and snapped it in sunder.

Then Kari grasped Kettle in his arms, and Bjorn ran up just then, and
wanted to slay him, but Kari said--

"Be still now. I will give Kettle peace; for though it may be that
Kettle's life is in my power, still I will never slay him."

Kettle answers never a word, but rode away after his companions, and
told those the tidings who did not know them already.

They told also these tidings to the men of the Hundred, and they
gathered together at once a great force of armed men, and went
straightway up all the water-courses, and so far up on the fell that
they were three days in the chase; but after that they turned back to
their own homes, but Kettle and his companions rode east to Swinefell,
and told the tidings there.

Flosi was little stirred at what had befallen them, but said no one
could tell whether things would stop there, "for there is no man like
Kari of all that are now left in Iceland".




CHAPTER CLI.

OF KARI AND BJORN AND THORGEIR.


Now we must tell of Bjorn and Kari that they ride down on the Sand, and
lead their horses under the banks where the wild oats grew, and cut the
oats for them, that they might not die of hunger. Kari made such a near
guess, that he rode away thence at the very time that they gave over
seeking for him. He rode by night up through the Hundred, and after that
he took to the fell; and so on all the same way as they had followed
when they rode east, and did not stop till they came to Midmark.

Then Bjorn said to Kari--

"Now shalt thou be my great friend before my mistress, for she will
never believe one word of what I say; but everything lies on what you
do, so now repay me for the good following which I have yielded to
thee."

"So it shall be; never fear," says Kari.

After that they ride up to the homestead, and then the mistress asked
them what tidings, and greeted them well.

"Our troubles have rather grown greater, old lass!"

She answered little, and laughed; and then the mistress went on to ask--

"How did Bjorn behave to thee, Kari?"

"Bare is back," he answers, "without brother behind it, and Bjorn
behaved well to me. He wounded three men, and, besides, he is wounded
himself, and he stuck as close to me as he could in everything."

They were three nights there, and after that they rode to Holt to
Thorgeir, and told him alone these tidings, for those tidings had not
yet been heard there.

Thorgeir thanked him, and it was quite plain that he was glad at what he
heard. He asked Kari what now was undone which he meant to do.

"I mean," answers Kari, "to kill Gunnar Lambi's son and Kol Thorstein's
son, if I can get a chance. Then we have slain fifteen men, reckoning
those five whom we two slew together. But one boon I will now ask of
thee."

Thorgeir said he would grant him whatever he asked.

"I wish, then, that thou wilt take under thy safeguard this man whose
name is Bjorn, and who has been in these slayings with me, and that thou
wilt change farms with him, and give him a farm ready stocked here close
by thee, and so hold thy hand over him that no vengeance may befall him;
but all this will be an easy matter for thee who art such a chief."

"So it shall be," says Thorgeir.

Then he gave Bjorn a ready-stocked farm at Asolfskal, but he took the
farm in the Mark into his own hands. Thorgeir flitted all Bjorn's
household stuff and goods to Asolfskal, and all his live stock; and
Thorgeir settled all Bjorn's quarrels for him, and he was reconciled to
them with a full atonement. So Bjorn was thought to be much more of a
man than he had been before.

Then Kari rode away, and did not draw rein till he came west to Tongue
to Asgrim Ellidagrim's son. He gave Kari a most hearty welcome, and Kari
told him of all the tidings that had happened in these slayings.

Asgrim was well pleased at them, and asked what Kari meant to do next.

"I mean," said Kari, "to fare abroad after them, and so dog their
footsteps and slay them, if I can get at them."

Asgrim said there was no man like him for bravery and hardihood.

He was there some nights, and after that he rode to Gizur the white, and
he took him by both hands. Kari stayed there some while, and then he
told Gizur that he wished to ride down to Eyrar.

Gizur gave Kari a good sword at parting.

Now he rode down to Eyrar, and took him a passage with Kolbein the
black; he was an Orkneyman and an old friend of Kari, and he was the
most forward and brisk of men.

He took Kari by both hands, and said that one fate should befall both of
them.




CHAPTER CLII.

FLOSI GOES ABROAD.


Now Flosi rides east to Hornfirth, and most of the men in his Thing
followed him, and bore his wares east, as well as all his stores and
baggage which he had to take with him.

After that they busked them for their voyage, and fitted out their ship.

Now Flosi stayed by the ship until they were "boun". But as soon as ever
they got a fair wind they put out to sea. They had a long passage and
hard weather.

Then they quite lost their reckoning, and sailed on and on, and all at
once three great waves broke over their ship, one after the other. Then
Flosi said they must be near some land, and that this was a
ground-swell. A great mist was on them, but the wind rose so that a
great gale overtook them, and they scarce knew where they were before
they were dashed on shore at dead of night, and the men were saved, but
the ship was dashed all to pieces, and they could not save their goods.

Then they had to look for shelter and warmth for themselves, and the day
after they went up on a height. The weather was then good.

Flosi asked if any man knew this land, and there were two men of their
crew who had fared thither before, and said they were quite sure they
knew it, and, say they--

"We are come to Hrossey in the Orkneys."

"Then we might have made a better landing," said Flosi, "for Grim and
Helgi, Njal's sons, whom I slew, were both of them of Earl Sigurd
Hlodver's son's bodyguard."

Then they sought for a hiding-place, and spread moss over themselves,
and so lay for a while, but not for long, ere Flosi spoke and said--

"We will not lie here any longer until the landsmen are ware of us."

Then they arose, and took counsel, and then Flosi said to his men--

"We will go all of us and give ourselves up to the Earl; for there is
naught else to do, and the Earl has our lives at his pleasure if he
chooses to seek for them."

Then they all went away thence, and Flosi said that they must tell no
man any tidings of their voyage, or what manner of men they were, before
he told them to the Earl.

Then they walked on until they met men who showed them to the town, and
then they went in before the Earl, and Flosi and all the others hailed
him.

The Earl asked what men they might be, and Flosi told his name, and said
out of what part of Iceland he was.

The Earl had already heard of the Burning, and so he knew the men at
once, and then the Earl asked Flosi--"What hast thou to tell me about
Helgi Njal's son, my henchman?"

"This," said Flosi, "that I hewed off his head."

"Take them all," said the Earl.

Then that was done, and just then in came Thorstein, son of Hall of the
Side. Flosi had to wife Steinvora, Thorstein's sister. Thorstein was one
of Earl Sigurd's bodyguard, but when he saw Flosi seized and held, he
went in before the Earl, and offered for Flosi all the goods he had.

The Earl was very wroth a long time, but at last the end of it was, by
the prayer of good men and true, joined to those of Thorstein, for he
was well backed by friends, and many threw in their word with his, that
the Earl took an atonement from them, and gave Flosi and all the rest of
them peace. The Earl held to that custom of mighty men that Flosi took
that place in his service which Helgi Njal's son had filled.

So Flosi was made Earl Sigurd's henchman, and he soon won his way to
great love with the Earl.




CHAPTER CLIII.

KARI GOES ABROAD.


Those messmates Kari and Kolbein the black put out to sea from Eyrar
half a month later than Flosi and his companions from Hornfirth.

They got a fine fair wind, and were but a short time out. The first land
they made was the Fair Isle; it lies between Shetland and the Orkneys.
There that man whose name was David the white took Kari into his house,
and he told him all that he had heard for certain about the doings of
the Burners. He was one of Kari's greatest friends, and Kari stayed
with him for the winter.

There they heard tidings from the west out of the Orkneys of all that
was done there.

Earl Sigurd bade to his feast at Yule Earl Gilli, his brother-in-law,
out of the Southern Isles; he had to wife Swanlauga, Earl Sigurd's
sister; and then too came to see Earl Sigurd that king from Ireland
whose name was Sigtrygg. He was a son of Olaf rattle, but his mother's
name was Kormlada; she was the fairest of all women, and best gifted in
everything that was not in her own power, but it was the talk of men
that she did all things ill over which she had any power.

Brian was the name of the king who first had her to wife, but they were
then parted. He was the best-natured of all kings. He had his seat in
Connaught, in Ireland; his brother's name was Wolf the quarrelsome, the
greatest champion and warrior; Brian's foster-child's name was
Kerthialfad. He was the son of King Kylfi, who had many wars with King
Brian, and fled away out of the land before him, and became a hermit;
but when King Brian went south on a pilgrimage, then he met King Kylfi,
and then they were atoned, and King Brian took his son Kerthialfad to
him, and loved him more than his own sons. He was then full grown when
these things happened, and was the boldest of all men.

Duncan was the name of the first of King Brian's sons; the second was
Margad; the third, Takt, whom we call Tann, he was the youngest of them;
but the elder sons of King Brian were full grown, and the briskest of
men.

Kormlada was not the mother of King Brian's children, and so grim was
she against King Brian after their parting, that she would gladly have
him dead.

King Brian thrice forgave all his outlaws the same fault, but if they
misbehaved themselves oftener, then he let them be judged by the law;
and from this one may mark what a king he must have been.

Kormlada egged on her son Sigtrygg very much to kill King Brian, and she
now sent him to Earl Sigurd to beg for help.

King Sigtrygg came before Yule to the Orkneys, and there, too, came Earl
Gilli, as was written before.

The men were so placed that King Sigtrygg sat in a high seat in the
middle, but on either side of the king sat one of the earls. The men of
King Sigtrygg and Earl Gilli sate on the inner side away from him, but
on the outer side away from Earl Sigurd, sate Flosi and Thorstein, son
of Hall of the Side, and the whole hall was full.

Now King Sigtrygg and Earl Gilli wished to hear of these tidings which
had happened at the Burning, and so, also, what had befallen since.

Then Gunnar Lambi's son was got to tell the tale, and a stool was set
for him to sit upon.




CHAPTER CLIV.

GUNNAR LAMBI'S SON'S SLAYING.


Just at that very time Kari and Kolbein and David the white came to
Hrossey unawares to all men. They went straightway up on land, but a few
men watched their ship.

Kari and his fellows went straight to the Earl's homestead, and came to
the hall about drinking time.

It so happened that just then Gunnar was telling the story of the
Burning, but they were listening to him meanwhile outside. This was on
Yule-day itself.

Now King Sigtrygg asked--

"How did Skarphedinn bear the Burning?"

"Well at first for a long time," said Gunnar, "but still the end of it
was that he wept." And so he went on giving an unfair leaning in his
story, but every now and then he laughed out loud.

Kari could not stand this, and then he ran in with his sword drawn, and
sang this song--

Men of might, in battle eager,
Boast of burning Njal's abode,
Have the Princes heard how sturdy
Seahorse racers sought revenge?
Hath not since, on foemen holding
High the shield's broad orb aloft,
All that wrong been fully wroken?
Raw flesh ravens got to tear.

So he ran in up the hall, and smote Gunnar Lambi's son on the neck with
such a sharp blow, that his head spun off on to the board before the
king and the earls, and the board was all one gore of blood, and the
Earl's clothing too.

Earl Sigurd knew the man that had done the deed, and called out--

"Seize Kari and kill him."

Kari had been one of Earl Sigurd's bodyguard, and he was of all men most
beloved by his friends; and no man stood up a whit more for the Earl's
speech.

"Many would say, Lord," said Kari, "that I have done this deed on your
behalf, to avenge your henchman."

Then Flosi said--"Kari hath not done this without a cause; he is in no
atonement with us, and he only did what he had a right to do".

So Kari walked away, and there was no hue and cry after him. Kari fared
to his ship, and his fellows with him. The weather was then good, and
they sailed off at once south to Caithness, and went on shore at
Thraswick to the house of a worthy man whose name was Skeggi, and with
him they stayed a very long while.

Those behind in the Orkneys cleansed the board, and bore out the dead
man.

The Earl was told that they had set sail south for Scotland, and King
Sigtrygg said--

"This was a mighty bold fellow, who dealt his stroke so stoutly, and
never thought twice about it!"

Then Earl Sigurd answered--

"There is no man like Kari for dash and daring."

Now Flosi undertook to tell the story of the Burning, and he was fair to
all; and therefore what he said was believed.

Then King Sigtrygg stirred in his business with Earl Sigurd, and bade
him go to the war with him against King Brian.

The Earl was long steadfast, but the end of it was that he let the king
have his way, but said he must have his mother's hand for his help, and
be king in Ireland, if they slew Brian. But all his men besought Earl
Sigurd not to go into the war, but it was all no good.

So they parted on the understanding that Earl Sigurd gave his word to
go; but King Sigtrygg promised him his mother and the kingdom.

It was so settled that Earl Sigurd was to come with all his host to
Dublin by Palm Sunday.

Then King Sigtrygg fared south to Ireland, and told his mother Kormlada
that the Earl had undertaken to come, and also what he had pledged
himself to grant him.

She showed herself well pleased at that, but said they must gather
greater force still.

Sigtrygg asked whence this was to be looked for?

She said there were two vikings lying off the west of Man; and that they
had thirty ships, and, she went on, "they are men of such hardihood that
nothing can withstand them. The one's name is Ospak, and the other's
Brodir. Thou shalt fare to find them, and spare nothing to get them into
thy quarrel, whatever price they ask."

Now King Sigtrygg fares and seeks the vikings, and found them lying
outside off Man; King Sigtrygg brings forward his errand at once, but
Brodir shrank from helping him until he, King Sigtrygg, promised him the
kingdom and his mother, and they were to keep this such a secret that
Earl Sigurd should know nothing about it; Brodir too was to come to
Dublin on Palm Sunday.

So King Sigtrygg fared home to his mother, and told her how things
stood.

After that those brothers, Ospak and Brodir, talked together, and then
Brodir told Ospak all that he and Sigtrygg had spoken of, and bade him
fare to battle with him against King Brian, and said he set much store
on his going.

But Ospak said he would not fight against so good a king.

Then they were both wroth, and sundered their band at once. Ospak had
ten ships and Brodir twenty.

Ospak was a heathen, and the wisest of all men. He laid his ships inside
in a sound, but Brodir lay outside him.

Brodir had been a Christian man and a mass-deacon by consecration, but
he had thrown off his faith and become God's dastard, and now worshipped
heathen fiends, and he was of all men most skilled in sorcery. He had
that coat of mail on which no steel would bite. He was both tall and
strong, and had such long locks that he tucked them under his belt. His
hair was black.