The story of Burnt Njal From the Icelandic of the Njals Saga

CHAPTER XXXIII.

GUN­NAR'S WOO­ING.

So Gun­nar rode, and they all rode. But when they came to the Thing they were so well ar­rayed that none could match them in brav­ery; and men came out of ev­ery booth to won­der at them. Gun­nar rode to the booths of the men of Ran­griv­er, and was there with his kins­men. Many men came to see Gun­nar, and ask tid­ings of him; and he was easy and mer­ry to all men, and told them all they wished to hear.

It hap­pened one day that Gun­nar went away from the Hill of Laws, and passed by the booths of the men from Moss­fell; then he saw a wom­an com­ing to meet him, and she was in good­ly at­tire; but when they met she spoke to Gun­nar at once. He took her greet­ing well, and asks what wom­an she might be. She told him her name was Hall­ger­da, and said she was Hauskuld's daugh­ter, Dalakoll's son. She spoke up bold­ly to him, and bade him tell her of his voy­ages; but he said he would not gain­say her a talk. Then they sat them down and talked. She was so clad that she had on a red kir­tle, and had thrown over her a scar­let cloak trimmed with needle­work down to the waist. Her hair came down to her bo­som, and was both fair and full. Gun­nar was clad in the scar­let clothes which King Harold Gorm's son had giv­en him; he had al­so the gold ring on his arm which Earl Ha­con had giv­en him.

So they talked long out loud, and at last it came about that he asked whether she were un­mar­ried. She said, so it was, “and there are not many who would run the risk of that”.

“Think­est thou none good enough for thee?”

“Not that,” she says, “but I am said to be hard to please in hus­bands.”

“How wouldst thou an­swer were I to ask for thee?”

“That can not be in thy mind,” she says.

“It is though,” says he.

“If thou hast any mind that way, go and see my fa­ther.”

Af­ter that they broke off their talk.

Gun­nar went straight­way to the Dales­men's booths, and met a man out­side the door­way, and asks whether Hauskuld were in­side the booth?

The man says that he was. Then Gun­nar went in, and Hauskuld and Hrut made him wel­come. He sat down be­tween them, and no one could find out from their talk that there had ev­er been any mis­un­der­stand­ing be­tween them. At last Gun­nar's speech turned thith­er; how these broth­ers would an­swer if he asked for Hall­ger­da?

“Well,” says Hauskuld, “if that is in­deed thy mind.”

Gun­nar says that he is in earnest, “but we so part­ed last time, that many would think it un­like­ly that we should ev­er be bound to­geth­er”.

“How think­est thou, kins­man Hrut?” says Hauskuld.

Hrut an­swered, “Me­thinks this is no even match”.

“How dost thou make that out?” says Gun­nar.

Hrut spoke--“In this wise will I an­swer thee about this mat­ter, as is the very truth. Thou art a brisk brave man, well to do, and un­blem­ished; but she is much mixed up with ill re­port, and I will not cheat thee in any­thing.”

“Good go with thee for thy words,” says Gun­nar, “but still I shall hold that for true, that the old feud weighs with ye, if ye will not let me make this match.”

“Not so,” says Hrut, “'tis more be­cause I see that thou art un­able to help thy­self; but though we make no bar­gain, we would still be thy friends.”

“I have talked to her about it,” says Gun­nar, “and it is not far from her mind.”

Hrut says--“I know that you have both set your hearts on this match; and, be­sides, ye two are those who run the most risk as to how it turns out”.

Hrut told Gun­nar unasked all about Hall­ger­da's tem­per, and Gun­nar at first thought that there was more than enough that was want­ing; but at last it came about that they struck a bar­gain.

Then Hall­ger­da was sent for, and they talked over the busi­ness when she was by, and now, as be­fore, they made her be­troth her­self. The bridal feast was to be at Lithend, and at first they were to set about it se­cret­ly; but the end af­ter all was that ev­ery one knew of it.

Gun­nar rode home from the Thing, and came to Bergth­orsknoll, and told Njal of the bar­gain he had made. He took it heav­ily.

Gun­nar asks Njal why he thought this so un­wise?

“Be­cause from her,” says Njal, “will arise all kind of ill if she comes hith­er east.”

“Nev­er shall she spoil our friend­ship,” says Gun­nar.

“Ah! but yet that may come very near,” says Njal; “and, be­sides, thou wilt have al­ways to make atone­ment for her.”

Gun­nar asked Njal to the wed­ding, and all those as well whom he wished should be at it from Njal's house.

Njal promised to go; and af­ter that Gun­nar rode home, and then rode about the dis­trict to bid men to his wed­ding.