wife’s name; she was Skarphedinn’s daughter, a very high-spirited, brave-hearted woman, but somewhat hard-tempered. They
had six children, three daughters and three sons, and they all
come afterwards into this story.
ENDNOTES:
(1) She was the daughter of Lord Ar the Silent. She had come
out hither to Iceland from Norway, and taken land to the
west of Markfleet, between Auldastone and Selialandsmull.
Her son was Holt-Thorir, the father of Thorleif Crow, from
whom the Wood-dwellers are sprung, and of Thorgrim the Tall,
and Skorargeir.
(2) This means that Njal was one of those gifted beings who,
according to the firm belief of that age, had a more than
human insight into things about to happen. It answers very
nearly to the Scottish “second sight.”
21. UNNA GOES TO SEE GUNNAR
Now it must be told how Unna had lost all her ready money. She
made her way to Lithend, and Gunnar greeted his kinswoman well.
She stayed there that night, and the next morning they sat out of
doors and talked. The end of their talk was, that she told him
how heavily she was pressed for money.
“This is a bad business,” he said.
“What help wilt thou give me out of my distress?” she asked.
He answered, “Take as much money as thou needest from what I have
out at interest.”
“Nay,” she said, “I will not waste thy goods.”
“What then dost thou wish?”
“I wish thee to get back my goods out of Hrut’s hands,” she
answered.
“That, methinks, is not likely,” said he, “when thy father could
not get them back, and yet he was a great lawyer, but I know
little about law.”
She answered, “Hrut pushed that matter through rather by boldness
than by law; besides, my father was old, and that was why men
thought it better not to drive things to the uttermost. And now
there is none of my kinsmen to take this suit up if thou hast not
daring enough.
“I have courage enough,” he replied, “to get these goods back;
but I do not know how to take the suit up.”
“Well!” she answered, “go and see Njal of Bergthorsknoll, he will
know how to give thee advice. Besides, he is a great friend of
thine.”
“‘Tis like enough he will give me good advice, as he gives it to
every one else,” says Gunnar.
So the end of their talk was, that Gunnar undertook her cause,
and gave her the money she needed for her housekeeping, and after
that she went home.
Now Gunnar rides to see Njal, and he made him welcome, and they
began to talk at once.
Then Gunnar said, “I am come to seek a bit of good advice from
