were set at one again, and that atonement they held to ever
afterwards.
Geir the Priest dwelt in the Lithe till his deathday, and he is
out of the story.
Njal asked as a wife for Hogni Alfeida the daughter of Weatherlid
the Skald, and she was given away to him. Their son was Ari, who
sailed for Shetland, and took him a wife there; from him is come
Einar the Shetlander, one of the briskest and boldest of men.
Hogni kept up his friendship with Njal, and he is now out of the
story.
80. OF KOLSKEGG: HOW HE WAS BAPTIZED
Now it is to be told of Kolskegg how he comes to Norway, and is
in the Bay east that winter. But the summer after he fares east
to Denmark, and bound himself to Sweyn Forkbeard the Dane-king,
and there he had great honour.
One night he dreamt that a man came to him; he was bright and
glistening, and he thought he woke him up. He spoke, and said to
him, “Stand up and come with me.”
“What wilt thou with me?” he asks.
“I will get thee a bride, and thou shalt be my knight.”
He thought he said yea to that, and after that he woke up.
Then he went to a wizard and told him the dream, but he read it
so that he should fare to southern lands and become God’s knight.
Kolskegg was baptized in Denmark, but still he could not rest
there, but fared east to Russia, and was there one winter. Then
he fared thence out to Micklegarth (1), and there took service
with the Emperor. The last that was heard of him was, that he
wedded a wife there, and was captain over the Varangians, and
stayed there till his deathday; and he, too, is out of this
story.
ENDNOTES:
(1) Constantinople.
81. OF THRAIN: HOW HE SLEW KOL
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 (1). 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 searover. He was the
son of Asmund Ashside, east out of Smoland. He lay east in the
