stand.”
Now we must take up the story, and say that the shepherd came
home to Lithend. He told Hallgerda the tidings.
“Skarphedinn put Sigmund’s head into my hands,” he says, “and
bade me bring it thee; but I dared not do it, for I knew not how
thou wouldst like that.”
“‘Twas ill that thou didst not do that,” she says; “I would have
brought it to Gunnar, and then he would have avenged his kinsman,
or have to bear every man’s blame.”
After that she went to Gunnar and said, “I tell thee of thy
kinsman Sigmund’s slaying: Skarphedinn slew him, and wanted them
to bring me the head.”
“Just what might be looked for to befall him,” says Gunnar, “for
ill redes bring ill luck, and both you and Skarphedinn have often
done one another spiteful turns.”
Then Gunnar went away; he let no steps be taken towards a suit
for manslaughter, and did nothing about it. Hallgerda often put
him in mind of it, and kept saying that Sigmund had fallen
unatoned. Gunnar gave no heed to that.
Now three Things passed away, at each of which men thought that
he would follow up the suit; then a knotty point came on Gunnar’s
hands, which he knew not how to set about, and then he rode to
find Njal. He gave Gunnar a hearty welcome. Gunnar said to
Njal, “I am come to seek a bit of good counsel at thy hands about
a knotty point.”
“Thou art worthy of it,” says Njal, and gave him counsel what to
do. Then Gunnar stood up and thanked him. Njal then spoke, and
said, and took Gunnar by the hand, “Over long hath thy kinsman
Sigmund been unatoned.”
“He has been long ago atoned,” says Gunnar, “but still I will not
fling back the honour offered me.”
Gunnar had never spoken an ill word of Njal’s sons. Njal would
have nothing else than that Gunnar should make his own award in
the matter. He awarded two hundred in silver, but let Skiolld
fall without a price. They paid down all the money at once.
Gunnar declared this their atonement at the Thingskala Thing,
when most men were at it, and laid great weight on the way in
which they (Njal and his sons) had behaved; he told too those bad
words which cost Sigmund his life, and no man was to repeat them
or sing the verses, but if any sung them, the man who uttered
them was to fall without atonement.
Both Gunnar and Njal gave each other their words that no such
matters should ever happen that they would not settle among
themselves; and this pledge was well kept ever after, and they
were always friends.
ENDNOTES:
(1) “Thou, that heapest boards,”
for man, and scarcely fitting, except in irony, to a
splitter of firewood.
46. OF GIZUR THE WHITE AND GEIR THE PRIEST
