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

CHAPTER LXIX.

OLAF THE PEA­COCK'S GIFTS TO GUN­NAR.

Gun­nar thanked Njal for his aid, and Njal rode away un­der the Three­corner, and told those name­sakes that Gun­nar would not break up his band of men be­fore he had fought it out with them.

They be­gan to of­fer terms for them­selves, and were full of dread, and bade Njal to come be­tween them with an of­fer of atone­ment.

Njal said that could on­ly be if there were no guile be­hind. Then they begged him to have a share in the award, and said they would hold to what he award­ed.

Njal said he would make no award un­less it were at the Thing, and un­less the best men were by; and they agreed to that.

Then Njal came be­tween them, so that they gave each oth­er pledges of peace and atone­ment.

Njal was to ut­ter the award, and to name as his fel­lows those whom he chose.

A lit­tle while af­ter those name­sakes met Mord Val­gard's son, and Mord blamed them much for hav­ing laid the mat­ter in Njal's hands, when he was Gun­nar's great friend. He said that would turn out ill for them.

Now men ride to the Al­th­ing af­ter their wont, and now both sides are at the Thing.

Njal begged for a hear­ing, and asked all the best men who were come thith­er, what right at law they thought Gun­nar had against those name­sakes for their trea­son. They said they thought such a man had great right on his side.

Njal went on to ask, whether he had a right of ac­tion against all of them, or whether the lead­ers had to an­swer for them all in the suit?

They say that most of the blame would fall on the lead­ers, but a great deal still on them all.

“Many will say this,” said Mord, “that it was not with­out a cause when Gun­nar broke the set­tle­ment made with those name­sakes.”

“That is no breach of set­tle­ment,” says Njal, “that any man should take the law against an­oth­er; for with law shall our land be built up and set­tled, and with law­less­ness wast­ed and spoiled.”

Then Njal tells them that Gun­nar had of­fered land for Moei­dsknoll, or oth­er goods.

Then those name­sakes thought they had been be­guiled by Mord, and scold­ed him much, and said that this fine was all his do­ing.

Njal named twelve men as judges in the suit, and then ev­ery man paid a hun­dred in sil­ver who had gone out, but each of those name­sakes two hun­dred.

Njal took this mon­ey in­to his keep­ing, but ei­ther side gave the oth­er pledges of peace, and Njal gave out the terms.

Then Gun­nar rode from the Thing west to the Dales, till he came to Hjar­darholt, and Olaf the pea­cock gave him a hearty wel­come. There he sat half a month, and rode far and wide about the Dales, and all wel­comed him with joy­ful hands. But at their part­ing Olaf said--

“I will give thee three things of price, a gold ring, and a cloak which Moork­jar­tan the Erse king owned, and a hound that was giv­en me in Ire­land; he is big, and no worse fol­low­er than a stur­dy man. Be­sides, it is part of his na­ture that he has man's wit, and he will bay at ev­ery man whom he knows is thy foe, but nev­er at thy friends; he can see, too, in any man's face, whether he means thee well or ill, and he will lay down his life to be true to thee. This hound's name is Sam.”

Af­ter that he spoke to the hound, “Now shalt thou fol­low Gun­nar, and do him all the ser­vice thou canst”.

The hound went at once to Gun­nar and laid him­self down at his feet.

Olaf bade Gun­nar to be ware of him­self, and said he had many en­viers, “For now thou art thought to be a fa­mous man through­out all the land”.

Gun­nar thanked him for his gifts and good coun­sel, and rode home.

Now Gun­nar sits at home for some time, and all is qui­et.