“Thee am I come to see, Thrain,” said Helgi, “and to know if thou
wilt make me any amends for those wrongs and hardships which
befell me for thy sake in Norway.”
“I never knew,” said Thrain, “that ye two brothers were wont to
measure your manhood by money; or, how long shall such a claim
for amends stand over?”
“Many will say,” says Helgi, “that thou oughtest to offer us
atonement, since thy life was at stake.”
Then Hrapp said, “‘Twas just luck that swayed the balance, when
he got stripes who ought to bear them; and she dragged you under
disgrace and hardships, but us away from them.”
“Little good luck was there in that,” says Helgi, “to break faith
with the earl, and to take to thee instead.”
“Thinkest thou not that thou hast some amends to seek from me,”
says Hrapp. “I will atone thee in a way that, methinks, were
fitting.”
“The only dealings we shall have,” says Helgi, “will be those
which will not stand thee in good stead.”
“Don’t bandy words with Hrapp,” said Skarphedinn, “but give him a
red skin for a grey.” (4)
“Hold thy tongue, Skarphedinn,” said Hrapp, “or I will not spare
to bring my axe on thy head.”
“‘Twill be proved soon enough, I dare say,” says Skarphedinn,
“which of us is to scatter gravel over the other’s head.”
“Away with you home, ye `Dungbeardlings!’” says Hallgerda, “and
so we will call you always from this day forth; but your father
we will call `the Beardless Carle.’”
They did not fare home before all who were there had made
themselves guilty of uttering those words, save Thrain; he
forbade men to utter them.
Then Njal’s sons went away, and fared till they came home, then
they told their father.
“Did ye call any men to witness of those words?” says Njal.
“We called none,” says Skarphedinn; “we do not mean to follow
that suit up except on the battlefield.”
“No one will now think,” says Bergthora, “that ye have the heart
to lift your weapons.”
“Spare thy tongue, mistress!” says Kari, “in egging on thy sons,
for they will be quite eager enough.”
After that they all talk long in secret, Njal and his sons, and
Kari Solmund’s son, their brother-in-law.
ENDNOTES:
(l) “Prop of sea-waves’ fire,” a periphrasis for woman that
bears gold on her arm.
(2) “Skates that skim.” etc.. a periphrasis for ships.
(3) “Odin’s mocking cup,” mocking songs.
(4) An allusion to the Beast Epic, where the cunning fox laughs
at the flayed condition of his stupid foes, the wolf and
bear. We should say, “Don’t stop to speak with him, but
rather beat him black and blue.”
