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.

Now Daurrud goes away from the slit, and home; but they got on their steeds and rode six to the south, and the other six to the north.

A like event befell Brand Gneisti’s son in the Faroe Isles.

At Swinefell, in Iceland, blood came on the priest’s stole on Good Friday, so that he had to put it off.

At Thvattwater the priest thought he saw on Good Friday a long deep of the sea hard by the altar, and there he saw many awful sights, and it was long ere he could sing the prayers.

This event happened in the Orkneys, that Hareck thought he saw Earl Sigurd, and some men with him.  Then Hareck took his horse and rode to meet the Earl.  Men saw that they met and rode under a brae, but they were never seen again, and not a scrap was ever found of Hareck.

Earl Gilli in the Southern Isles dreamed that a man came to him and said his name was Hostfinn, and told him he was come from Ireland.

The Earl thought he asked him for tidings thence, and then he sang this song—­

  I have been where warriors wrestled,
  High in Erin sang the sword,
  Boss to boss met many bucklers. 
  Steel rung sharp on rattling helm;
  I can tell of all their struggle;
  Sigurd fell in flight of spears;
  Brian fell, but kept his kingdom
  Ere he lost one drop of blood.

Those two, Flosi and the Earl, talked much of this dream.  A week after, Hrafn the red came thither, and told them all the tidings of Brian’s battle, the fall of the king, and of Earl Sigurd, and Brodir, and all the Vikings.

“What,” said Flosi, “hast thou to tell me of my men?”

“They all fell there,” says Hrafn, “but thy brother-in-law Thorstein took peace from Kerthialfad, and is now with him.”

Flosi told the Earl that he would now go away, “for we have our pilgrimage south to fulfil”.

The Earl bade him go as he wished, and gave him a ship and all else that he needed, and much silver.

Then they sailed to Wales, and stayed there a while.

CHAPTER CLVII.

THE SLAYING OF KOL THORSTEIN’S SON.

Kari Solmund’s son told master Skeggi that he wished he would get him a ship.  So master Skeggi gave Kari a long-ship, fully trimmed and manned, and on board it went Kari, and David the white, and Kolbein the black.

Now Kari and his fellows sailed south through Scotland’s Firths, and there they found men from the Southern Isles.  They told Kari the tidings from Ireland, and also that Flosi was gone to Wales, and his men with him.

But when Kari heard that, he told his messmates that he would hold on south to Wales, to fall in with Flosi and his band.  So he bade them then to part from his company, if they liked it better, and said that he would not wish to beguile any man into mischief, because he thought he had not yet had revenge enough on Flosi and his band.

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