Lightwater, who was the old Speaker of the law, and gave him
three marks of silver (2) to utter what the law should be, but
still that was most hazardous counsel, since he was an heathen.
Thorgeir lay all that day on the ground, and spread a cloak over
his head, so that no man spoke with him; but the day after men
went to the Hill of Laws, and then Thorgeir bade them be silent
and listen, and spoke thus: “It seems to me as though our matters
were come to a dead lock, if we are not all to have one and the
same law; for if there be a sundering of the laws, then there
will be a sundering of the peace, and we shall never be able to
live in the land. Now, I will ask both Christian men and heathen
whether they will hold to those laws which I utter?”
They all said they would.
He said he wished to take an oath of them, and pledges that they
would hold to them, and they all said “yea” to that, and so he
took pledges from them.
“This is the beginning of our laws,” he said, “that all men shall
be Christian here in the land, and believe in one God, the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, but leave off all idol-worship, not expose children to perish, and not eat horseflesh.
It shall be outlawry if such things are proved openly against any
man; but if these things are done by stealth, then it shall be
blameless.”
But all this heathendom was all done away with within a few
years’ space, so that those things were not allowed to be done
either by stealth or openly.
Thorgeir then uttered the law as to keeping the Lord’s day and
fast days, Yuletide and Easter, and all the greatest highdays and
holidays.
The heathen men thought they had been greatly cheated; but still
the true faith was brought into the law, and so all men became
Christian here in the land.
After that men fare home from the Thing.
ENDNOTES:
(1) Kettle and Thorkel were both sons of Thorir Tag, the son of
Kettle the Seal, the son of Ornolf, the son of Bjornolf, the
son of Grim Hairycheek, the son of Kettle Haeing, the son of
Hallbjorn Halftroll of Ravensfood.
(2) This was no bribe, but his lawful fee.
102. THE WEDDING OF HAUSKULD, THE PRIEST OF WHITENESS
Now we must take up the story, and say that Njal spoke thus to
Hauskuld, his fosterson, and said, “I would seek thee a match.”
Hauskuld bade him settle the matter as he pleased, and asked
whether he was most likely to turn his eyes.
“There is a woman called Hildigunna,” answers Njal, “and she is
the daughter of Starkad, the son of Thord Freyspriest. She is
the best match I know of.”
“See thou to it, foster-father,” said Hauskuld; “that shall be my
choice which thou choosest.”
“Then we will look thitherward,” says Njal.
