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

CHAPTER LX.

AN AT­TACK AGAINST GUN­NAR AGREED ON.

They rode three to­geth­er, Gun­nar and his broth­ers. Gun­nar had the bill and his sword, Oliv­er's gift; but Kolskegg had his short sword; Hjort, too, had prop­er weapons.

Now they rode to Tongue, and As­grim gave them a hearty wel­come, and they were there some while. At last they gave it out that they meant to go home there and then. As­grim gave them good gifts, and of­fered to ride east with them, but Gun­nar said there was no need of any such thing; and so he did not go.

Sig­urd Swine­head was the name of a man who dwelt by Thur­so wa­ter. He came to the farm un­der the Three­corner, for he had giv­en his word to keep watch on Gun­nar's do­ings, and so he went and told them of his jour­ney home; “and,” quoth he, “there could nev­er be a fin­er chance than just now, when he has on­ly two men with him”.

“How many men shall we need to have to lie in wait for him?” says Starkad.

“Weak men shall be as noth­ing be­fore him,” he says; “and it is not safe to have few­er than thir­ty men.”

“Where shall we lie in wait?”

“By Knafahills,” he says; “there he will not see us be­fore he comes on us.”

“Go thou to Sandg­il and tell Egil that fif­teen of them must busk them­selves thence, and now oth­er fif­teen will go hence to Knafahills.”

Thorgeir said to Hildigun­na, “This hand shall show thee Gun­nar dead this very night”.

“Nay, but I guess,” says she, “that thou wilt hang thy head af­ter ye two meet.”

So those four, fa­ther and sons, fare away from the Three­corner, and eleven men be­sides, and they fared to Knafahills, and lay in wait there.

Sig­urd Swine­head came to Sandg­il and said, “Hith­er am I sent by Starkad and his sons to tell thee, Egil, that ye, fa­ther and sons, must fare to Knafahills to lie in wait for Gun­nar”.

“How many shall we fare in all?” says Egil.

“Fif­teen, reck­on­ing me,” he says.

Kol said, “Now I mean to try my hand on Kolskegg”.

“Then I think thou mean­est to have a good deal on thy hands,” says Sig­urd.

Egil begged his East­er­lings to fare with them. They said they had no quar­rel with Gun­nar; “and be­sides,” says Thorir, “ye seem to need much help here, when a crowd of men shall go against three men”.

Then Egil went away and was wroth.

Then the mis­tress of the house said to the East­er­ling: “In an evil hour hath my daugh­ter Gu­druna hum­bled her­self, and bro­ken the point of her maid­en­ly pride, and lain by thy side as thy wife, when thou wilt not dare to fol­low thy fa­ther-​in-​law, and thou must be a cow­ard,” she says.

“I will go,” he says, “with thy hus­band, and nei­ther of us two shall come back.”

Af­ter that he went to Thor­grim his mess­mate, and said, “Take thou now the keys of my chests; for I shall nev­er un­lock them again. I bid thee take for thine own what­ev­er of our goods thou wilt; but sail away from Ice­land, and do not think of re­venge for me. But if thou dost not leave the land, it will be thy death.”

So the East­er­ling joined him­self to their band.