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Updated: June 12, 2025
Njal and his wife greeted them heartily, and by-and-by Helgi, Njal's son, came, and with him Thorhalla his wife. Then Bergthora, Njal's wife, went up to Hallgerda, and said, 'Give place to Thorhalla, but Hallgerda would not, and she fell to quarrelling with Bergthora, and at last Bergthora taunted Hallgerda with having plotted to do Thorwald her husband to death.
'Our money-chests will be emptied for atonement for these men, said Gunnar as they drew near Lithend, and when they told their mother, Rannveig shook her head. 'I fear lest ill should come of it, said she. And ill did come of it. Njal's heart was sore when Gunnar told him of the fight by the Rang river, for he said: 'You have gone against my counsel, and have slain two men of the same race.
Njal's sons laughed at her warnings, and took no heed to them, but for all that they knew well that it was often the truth she told them. One day Skarphedinn was standing outside the door, and the old woman came out with a stick in her hand, and she passed silently by him, and walked up the path to where a pile of dried shrubs lay above the house.
At first, neither Njal's sons, nor Kari, who had married their sister, would give ear to Mord's false words, but in spite of themselves ill-feelings began to spring up in their breasts towards Hauskuld.
One day, when Grim and Helgi, Njal's sons, had ridden away to Holar to see their children, who were at nurse there, they heard strange tidings from some poor woman, that the country side was stirring and that bands of men were gathering together, and were seen riding along the same road. At this news Grim and Helgi looked at each other. 'Let us go home to Bergthorasknoll, said they.
At that Hallgerda turned and said to Gunnar: 'It is nothing to be married to the strongest man in Iceland, if you avenge not these insults, Gunnar. But Gunnar cried that he would take no part in women's quarrels, least of all in Njal's house, and bade Hallgerda come home with him. 'We shall meet again, Bergthora, said Hallgerda as she mounted the sleigh.
But first sundry of Njal's friends came to see him and offered to stand by him, and to set up their tents beside his, and among them were Gizur the white and Asgrim. And at the Thing an award was made, but was made void by a quarrel between Flosi, the friend of Hauskuld the slain, and Skarphedinn, and Njal and his sons returned home, and Njal's heart was heavy.
"Then Mord took Thorgeir by the hand and named two witnesses to bear witness, 'that Thorgeir Thofir's son hands me over a suit for manslaughter against Flosi Thord's son, to plead it for the slaying of Helgi Njal's son, with all those proofs which have to follow the suit.
Skarphedinn, Njal's son, was their leader, and had bidden the rest each to give Hauskuld a wound. But the first blow dealt by Skarphedinn brought him on his knees, and he died praying that they might be forgiven for the ill they had brought on him, guiltless. When he was dead they went home and told Njal what they had done.
And they sought the bones of other men, and found them, and nine bodies in all were carried into the church and buried there. And that is Burnt Njal's story. There was once an emperor who had two things that he loved more than all the world his daughter and his garden.
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