Njal Five

Njal's Saga, Week Five:

Image from a Clan McLeod piper's webpage.

I should begin by noting that Lars Walker had a post up earlier this week on Norse Law.

This week's reading is here, and next week's is here.

So let's start with this:

The day after he gets ready early for his journey to the ship,
and told all his people that he would ride away for good and all,
and men took that much to heart, but still they said that they
looked to his coming back afterwards.

Gunnar threw his arms round each of the household when he was
"boun," and every one of them went out of doors with him; he
leans on the butt of his spear and leaps into the saddle, and he
and Kolskegg ride away.

They ride down along Markfleet, and just then Gunnar's horse
tripped and threw him off. He turned with his face up towards
the Lithe and the homestead at Lithend, and said:

"Fair is the Lithe; so fair that it has never seemed to me so fair;
the corn fields are white to harvest and the home mead is mown;
and now I will ride back home, and not fare abroad at all."

We have all been there -- looking last on home, and with a long deployment ahead before our beloved family and friends will be seen again. We know how much the heart longs not to go!

Gunnar does not go. For the sake of the story, Njal has foresight and has told him truthfully what the consequences of his choice will be. Yet we can think on what it might be like for a brave man, who really has no wish to leave home -- and one who has often known success in battle -- to decide to dare outlawry instead of leaving everything he loves.

And indeed, for a time it works.

It is said that Gunnar rode to all meetings of men, and to all lawful Things, and his foes never dared to fall on him.

And so some time went on that he went about as a free and guiltless man.

Note that he is not defying the law: this is the law. The law does not compel anyone to attack him, or to drive him away from Things. It merely has removed its protection from him. Had he gone abroad for three years, he would have come home to its restored protection. Because instead he remains, anyone may attack him blamelessly under the law: but no one dares.

At last, though, the shame of having their enemy break his atonement with them -- and now go about free and careless -- drives his foes to a sneak attack in force.

Gunnar's hall was made all of wood, and roofed with beams above,
and there were window-slits under the beams that carried the
roof, and they were fitted with shutters.

Gunnar slept in a loft above the hall, and so did Hallgerda and
his mother.

Now when they were come near to the house they knew not whether
Gunnar were at home, and bade that some one would go straight up
to the house and see if he could find out. But the rest sat them
down on the ground.

Thorgrim the Easterling went and began to climb up on the hall;
Gunnar sees that a red kirtle passed before the windowslit, and
thrusts out the bill, and smote him on the middle. Thorgrim's
feet slipped from under him, and he dropped his shield, and down
he toppled from the roof.

Then he goes to Gizur and his band as they sat on the ground.

Gizur looked at him and said, "Well, is Gunnar at home?

"Find that out for yourselves," said Thorgrim; "but this I am
sure of, that his bill is at home," and with that he fell down
dead.

Hallgerda, it proves, has long remembered the time her husband struck her for a misdeed. She refuses him a braid of her hair to use as a bowstring when his breaks, with which he might have held off her attackers. He does not make any attempt to force her, but instead meets his death in battle.

Of this defence of his, Thorkell the Skald of Gota-Elf sang in
the verses which follow --

"We have heard how south in Iceland
Gunnar guarded well himself,
Boldly battle's thunder wielding,
Fiercest foeman on the wave;
Hero of the golden collar,
Sixteen with the sword he wounded;
In the shock that Odin loveth,
Two before him tasted death."

But this is what Thormod Olaf's son sang --

"None that scattered sea's bright sunbeams,
Won more glorious fame than Gunnar,
So runs fame of old in Iceland,
Fitting fame of heathen men;
Lord of fight when helms were crashing,
Lives of foeman twain he took,
Wielding bitter steel he sorely
Wounded twelve, and four besides."

And this is only the beginning of this week's story!