and Njal, and many others thought ill of that, for he was a
cross-grained man and had few friends. They begot between them a
son, whose name was Mord, and he is long in this story. When he
was grown to man’s estate, he worked ill to his kinsfolk but
worst of all to Gunnar. He was a crafty man in his temper, but
spiteful in his counsels.
Now we will name Njal’s sons. Skarphedinn was the eldest of
them. He was a tall man in growth, and strong withal; a good
swordsman; he could swim like a seal, the swiftest-looted of men,
and bold and dauntless; he had a great flow of words and quick
utterance; a good skald too; but still for the most part he kept
himself well in hand; his hair was dark brown, with crisp curly
locks; he had good eyes; his features were sharp, and his face
ashen pale, his nose turned up and his front teeth stuck out, and
his mouth was very ugly. Still he was the most soldierlike of
men.
Grim was the name of Njal’s second son. He was fair of face and
wore his hair long. His hair was dark, and he was comelier to
look on than Skarphedinn. A tall strong man.
Helgi was the name of Njal’s third son. He too was fair of face
and had fine hair. He was a strong man and well-skilled in arms.
He was a man of sense and knew well how to behave. They were all
unwedded at that time, Njal’s sons.
Hauskuld was the fourth of Njal’s sons. He was baseborn. His
mother was Rodny, and she was Hauskuld’s daughter, the sister of
Ingialld of the Springs.
Njal asked Skarphedinn one day if he would take to himself a
wife. He bade his father settle the matter. Then Njal asked for
his hand Thorhilda, the daughter of Ranvir of Thorolfsfell, and
that was why they had another homestead there after that.
Skarphedinn got Thorhilda, but he stayed still with his father to
the end. Grim wooed Astrid of Deepback; she was a widow and very
wealthy. Grim got her to wife, and yet lived on with Njal.
ENDNOTES:
(1) The son of Ranveig the Silly, the son of Valgard, the son of
Aefar, the son of Vemund Wordstopper, the son of Thorolf
Hooknose, the son of Thrand the Old, the son of Harold
Hilditann, the son of Hraereck Ringscatterer. The mother of
Harold Hilditann, was Aud the daughter of Ivar Widefathom,
the son of Halfdan the Clever. The brother of Valgard the
Guileful was Wolf Aurpriest — from whom the Pointdwellers
sprung — Wolf Aurpriest was the father of Swart, the father
of Lodmund, the father of Sigfus, the father of Saemund the
Wise. But from Valgard is sprung Kolbein the Young.
26. OF ASGRIM AND HIS CHILDREN
There was a man named Asgrim (1). He was Ellidagrim’s son. The
brother of Asgrim Ellidagrim’s son was Sigfus (2). Gauk
Trandil’s son was Asgrim’s foster-brother, who is said to have
been the fairest man of his day, and best skilled in all things;
