The story of Burnt Njal eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 520 pages of information about The story of Burnt Njal.

The story of Burnt Njal eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 520 pages of information about The story of Burnt Njal.
shall be given for those that are right in form.  Every suit in this court shall be pleaded just as is now done in the Quarter Court, save and except that when four twelves are named in the Fifth Court, then the plaintiff shall name and set aside six men out of the court, and the defendant other six; but if he will not set them aside, then the plaintiff shall name them and set them aside as he has done with his own six; but if the plaintiff does not set them aside, then the suit comes to naught, for three twelves shall utter judgment on all suits.  We shall also have this arrangement in the Court of Laws, that those only shall have the right to make or change laws who sit on the middle bench, and to this bench those only shall be chosen who are wisest and best.  There, too, shall the Fifth Court sit; but if those who sit in the Court of Laws are not agreed as to what they shall allow or bring in as law, then they shall clear the court for a division, and the majority shall bind the rest; but if any man who has a seat in the Court be outside the Court of Laws and cannot get inside it, or thinks himself overborne in the suit, then he shall forbid them by a protest, so that they can hear it in the Court, and then he has made all their grants and all their decisions void and of none effect, and stopped them by his protest.”

After that, Skapti Thorod’s son brought the Fifth Court into the law, and all that was spoken of before.  Then men went to the Hill of Laws, and men set up new priesthoods:  in the Northlanders’ Quarter were these new priesthoods.  The priesthood of the Melmen in Midfirth, and the Laufesingers’ priesthood in the Eyjafirth.

Then Njal begged for a hearing, and spoke thus—­

“It is known to many men what passed between my sons and the men of Gritwater when they slew Thrain Sigfus’ son.  But for all that we settled the matter; and now I have taken Hauskuld into my house, and planned a marriage for him if he can get a priesthood anywhere; but no man will sell his priesthood, and so I will beg you to give me leave to set up a new priesthood at Whiteness for Hauskuld.”

He got this leave from all, and after that he set up the new priesthood for Hauskuld; and he was afterwards called Hauskuld, the Priest of Whiteness.

After that, men ride home from the Thing, and Njal stayed but a short time at home ere he rides east to Swinefell, and his sons with him, and again stirs in the matter of the marriage with Flosi; but Flosi said he was ready to keep faith with them in everything.

Then Hildigunna was betrothed to Hauskuld, and the day for the wedding feast was fixed, and so the matter ended.  They then ride home, but they rode again shortly to the bridal, and Flosi paid down all her goods and money after the wedding, and all went off well.

They fared home to Bergthorsknoll, and were there the next year, and all went well between Hildigunna and Bergthora.  But the next spring Njal bought land in Ossaby, and hands it over to Hauskuld, and thither he fares to his own abode.  Njal got him all his household, and there was such love between them all, that none of them thought anything that he said or did any worth unless the others had a share in it.

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The story of Burnt Njal from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.