The Story of Burnt Njal: The Great Icelandic Tribune, Jurist, and Counsellor
E-text produced, edited, and prepared by Douglas B. Killings
(DeTroyes@AOL.COM), July 1995. Document scanning provided by David Reid and John Servilio.
The Story of Burnt Njal <Njal's Saga>
Originally written in Icelandic, sometime in the 13th Century A.D. Author unknown.
This electronic edition was produced, edited, and prepared by Douglas B. Killings (DeTroyes@AOL.COM), July 1995. Document scanning provided by David Reid and John Servilio.
There was a man named Mord whose surname was Fiddle; he was the son of Sigvat the Red, and he dwelt at the Vale in the Rangrivervales. He was a mighty chief, and a great taker up of suits, and so great a lawyer that no judgments were thought lawful unless he had a hand in them. He had an only daughter, named Unna. She was a fair, courteous, and gifted woman, and that was thought the best match in all the Rangrivervales.
Now the story turns westward to the Broadfirth dales, where, at Hauskuldstede, in Laxriverdale, dwelt a man named Hauskuld, who was Dalakoll's son, and his mother's name was Thorgerda.(1) He had a brother named Hrut, who dwelt at Hrutstede; he was of the same mother as Hauskuld, but his father's name was Heriolf. Hrut was handsome, tall and strong, well skilled in arms, and mild of temper; he was one of the wisest of men — stern towards his foes, but a good counsellor on great matters. It happened once that Hauskuld bade his friends to a feast, and his brother Hrut was there, and sat next him. Hauskuld had a daughter named Hallgerda, who was playing on the floor with some other girls. She was fair of face and tall of growth, and her hair was as soft as silk; it was so long, too, that it came down to her waist. Hauskuld called out to her, Come hither to me, daughter. So she went up to him, and he took her by the chin, and kissed her; and after that she went away.
Then Hauskuld said to Hrut, What dost thou think of this maiden? Is she not fair? Hrut held his peace. Hauskuld said the same thing to him a second time, and then Hrut answered, Fair enough is this maid, and many will smart for it, but this I know not, whence thief's eyes have come into our race. Then Hauskuld was wroth, and for a time the brothers saw little of each other.
Unknown
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THE STORY OF BURNT NJAL
1. OF FIDDLE MORD
ENDNOTES:
2. HRUT WOOS UNNA
3. HRUT AND GUNNHILLDA, KING'S MOTHER
4. OF HRUT'S CRUISE
5. ATLI ARNVID SON'S SLAYING
ENDNOTES:
6. HRUT SAILS OUT TO ICELAND
7. UNNA SEPARATES FROM HRUT
8. MORD CLAIMS HIS GOODS FROM HRUT
9. THORWALD GETS HALLGERDA TO WIFE
ENDNOTES:
10. HALLGERDA'S WEDDING
11. THORWALD'S SLAYING
12. THIOSTOLF'S FLIGHT
13. GLUM'S WOOING
14. GLUM'S WEDDING
15. THIOSTOLF GOES TO GLUM'S HOUSE
16. GLUM'S SHEEP HUNT
17. GLUM'S SLAYING
18. FIDDLE MORD'S DEATH
19. GUNNAR COMES INTO THE STORY
ENDNOTES:
20. OF NJAL AND HIS CHILDREN
ENDNOTES:
21. UNNA GOES TO SEE GUNNAR
22. NJAL'S ADVICE
23. HUCKSTER HEDINN.
ENDNOTES:
24. GUNNAR AND HRUT STRIVE AT THE THING.
25. UNNA'S SECOND WEDDING
ENDNOTES:
26. OF ASGRIM AND HIS CHILDREN
ENDNOTES:
27. HELGI NJAL'S SON'S WOOING
28. HALLVARD COMES OUT TO ICELAND
ENDNOTES:
29. GUNNAR GOES ABROAD
ENDNOTES:
30. GUNNAR GOES A-SEA-ROVING
ENDNOTES:
31. GUNNAR GOES TO KING HAROLD GORM'S SON AND EARL HACON
32. GUNNAR COMES OUT TO ICELAND
33. GUNNAR'S WOOING
34. OF THRAIN SIGFUS' SON
35. THE VISIT TO BERGTHORSKNOLL
36. KOL SLEW SWART
ENDNOTES:
37. THE SLAYING OF KOL, WHOM ATLI SLEW
38. THE KILLING OF ATLI THE THRALL
39. THE SLAYING OF BRYNJOLF THE UNRULY
40. GUNNAR AND NJAL MAKE PEACE ABOUT BRYNJOLF'S SLAYING
41. SIGMUND COMES OUT TO ICELAND
42. THE SLAYING OF THORD FREEDMANSON
43. NJAL AND GUNNAR MAKE PEACE FOR THE SLAYING OF THORD
44. SIGMUND MOCKS NJAL AND HIS SONS
ENDNOTES:
45. THE SLAYING OF SIGMUND AND SKIOLLD
ENDNOTES:
46. OF GIZUR THE WHITE AND GEIR THE PRIEST
ENDNOTES:
47. OF OTKELL IN KIRKBY
ENDNOTES:
48. HOW HALLGERDA MAKES MALCOLM STEAL FROM KIRKBY
ENDNOTES:
49. OF SKAMKELL'S EVIL COUNSEL
50. OF SKAMKELL'S LYING
51. OF GUNNAR
52. OF RUNOLF, THE SON OF WOLF AURPRIEST
53. HOW OTKELL RODE OVER GUNNAR
54. THE FIGHT AT RANGRIVER
ENDNOTES:
55. NJAL'S ADVICE TO GUNNAR
56. GUNNAR AND GEIR THE PRIEST STRIVE AT THE THING
ENDNOTES:
57. OF STARKAD AND HIS SONS
ENDNOTES:
58. HOW GUNNAR'S HORSE FOUGHT
59. OF ASGRIM AND WOLF UGGIS' SON
60. AN ATTACK AGAINST GUNNAR AGREED ON
61. GUNNAR'S DREAM
ENDNOTES:
62. THE SLAYING OF HJORT AND FOURTEEN MEN
ENDNOTES:
63. NJAL'S COUNSEL TO GUNNAR
64. OF VALGARD AND MORD
65. OF FINES AND ATONEMENTS
66. OF THORGEIR OTKELL'S SON
67. OF THORGEIR STARKAD'S SON
68. OF NJAL AND THOSE NAMESAKES
69. OLAF THE PEACOCK'S GIFTS TO GUNNAR
70. MORD'S COUNSEL
71. THE SLAYING OF THORGEIR OTKELL'S SON
ENDNOTES:
72. OF THE SUITS FOR MANSLAUGHTER AT THE THING
73. OF THE ATONEMENT
74. KOLSKEGG GOES ABROAD
ENDNOTES:
75. THE RIDING TO LITHEND
76. GUNNAR'S SLAYING
ENDNOTES:
77. GUNNAR SINGS A SONG DEAD
78. GUNNAR OF LITHEND AVENGED
79. HOGNI TAKES AN ATONEMENT FOR GUNNAR'S DEATH
80. OF KOLSKEGG: HOW HE WAS BAPTIZED
ENDNOTES:
81. OF THRAIN: HOW HE SLEW KOL
ENDNOTES:
82. NJAL'S SONS SAIL ABROAD
83. OF KARI SOLMUND'S SON
84. OF EARL SIGURD
ENDNOTES:
85. THE BATTLE WITH THE EARLS
86. HRAPP'S VOYAGE FROM ICELAND
87. THRAIN TOOK TO HRAPP
88. EARL HACON FIGHTS WITH NJAL'S SONS.
89. NJAL'S SONS AND KARI COME OUT TO ICELAND
90. THE QUARREL OF NJAL'S SONS WITH THRAIN SIGFUS' SON
ENDNOTES:
91. THRAIN SIGFUS' SON'S SLAYING
ENDNOTES:
92. KETTLE TAKES HAUSKULD AS HIS FOSTER-SON
93. NJAL TAKES HAUSKULD TO FOSTER
94. OF FLOSI THORD'S SON
ENDNOTES:
95. OF HALL OF THE SIDE
ENDNOTES:
96. OF THE CHANGE OF FAITH
ENDNOTES:
97. OF THANGBRAND'S JOURNEYS
ENDNOTES:
98. OF THANGBRAND AND GUDLEIF
ENDNOTES:
99. OF GEST ODDLEIF'S SON
100. OF GIZUR THE WHITE AND HJALLTI
ENDNOTES:
101. OF THORGEIR OF LIGHTWATER
ENDNOTES:
102. THE WEDDING OF HAUSKULD, THE PRIEST OF WHITENESS
103. THE SLAYING OF HAUSKULD NJAL'S SON
ENDNOTES:
104. THE SLAYING OF LYTING'S BROTHERS
105. OF AMUND THE BLIND
106. OF VALGARD THE GUILEFUL
107. OF MORD AND NJAL'S SONS
108. OF THE SLANDER OF MORD VALGARD'S SON.
109. OF MORD AND NJAL'S SONS
110. THE SLAYING OF HAUSKULD, THE PRIEST OF WHITENESS
111. OF HILDIGUNNA AND MORD VALGARD'S SON
112. THE PEDIGREE OF GUDMUND THE POWERFUL
ENDNOTES:
113. OF SNORRI THE PRIEST, AND HIS STOCK
ENDNOTES:
114. OF FLOSI THORD'S SON
115. OF FLOSI AND HILDIGUNNA
ENDNOTES:
116. OF FLOSI AND MORD AND THE SONS OF SIGFUS
117. NJAL AND SKARPHEDINN TALK TOGETHER
118. ASGRIM AND NJAL'S SONS PRAY MEN FOR HELP
ENDNOTES:
119. OF SKARPHEDINN AND THORKEL FOULMOUTH
120. OF THE PLEADING OF THE SUIT
121. OF THE AWARD OF ATONEMENT BETWEEN FLOSI AND NJAL
ENDNOTES:
122. OF THE JUDGES
123. AN ATTACK PLANNED ON NJAL AND HIS SONS
124. OF PORTENTS
125. FLOSI'S JOURNEY FROM HOME
ENDNOTES:
126. OF PORTENTS AT BERGTHORSKNOLL
127. THE ONSLAUGHT (1) ON BERGTHORSKNOLL
ENDNOTES:
128. NJAL'S BURNING
129. SKARPHEDINN'S DEATH
ENDNOTES:
130. OF KARI SOLMUND'S SON
131. NJAL'S AND BERGTHORA'S BONES FOUND
132. FLOSI'S DREAM
133. OF FLOSI'S JOURNEY AND HIS ASKING FOR HELP
ENDNOTES:
134. OF THORHALL AND KARI
ENDNOTES:
135. OF FLOSI AND THE BURNERS
136. OF THORGEIR CRAGGEIR
137. OF EYJOLF BOLVERK'S SON
ENDNOTES:
138. OF ASGRIM, AND GIZUR, AND KARI
139. OF ASGRIM AND GUDMUND
140. OF THE DECLARATIONS OF THE SUITS
141. NOW MEN GO TO THE COURTS
ENDNOTES:
142. OF EYJOLF BOLVERK'S SON
143. THE COUNSEL OF THORHALL ASGRIM'S SON
ENDNOTES:
144. BATTLE AT THE ALTHING
ENDNOTES:
145. OF KARI AND THORGEIR
ENDNOTES:
146. THE AWARD OF ATONEMENT WITH THORGEIR CRAGGEIR
ENDNOTES:
147. KARI COMES TO BJORN'S HOUSE IN THE MARK
148. OF FLOSI AND THE BURNERS
149. OF KARI AND BJORN
150. MORE OF KARI AND BJORN
151. OF KARI AND BJORN AND THORGEIR
152. FLOSI GOES ABROAD
153. KARI GOES ABROAD
154. GUNNAR LAMBI'S SON'S SLAYING
155. OF SIGNS AND WONDERS
156. BRIAN'S BATTLE
ENDNOTES:
157. THE SLAYING OF KOL THORSTEIN'S SON
158. OF FLOSI AND KARI