NJAL'S SAGA
Notes compiled by Nicole J. Wallace Copyrighted 2000
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1. Intro to Mord. Description and intro to Hrut pg. 39. Hrut insult's Hoskuld re: his daughter.
2. Hoskuld suggests Hrut find a wife - Unn - daughter of Mord Fiddle. They discuss a marriage arrangement and dowry. Hrut discovers he has claim to an inheritance in Norway and leaves.
3. Harald Grey cloak is the king of Norway. His mother is Queen Gunhild. She falls for Hrut and he sleeps in her bed for some time.
4. He gets two long ships to recover his inheritance. Ulf the Unwashed commands them.
5. There is a skirmish with Atli Arnvidarson. Soti is killed because of his interference with the inheritance.
6. Hrut lies to the queen about Unn because he wants to go back to Iceland. She puts a curse on him. He therefore could not have sex with his wife. Mord asks Unn why she is upset and then asks Hrut. In the end, he gets no answer.
7. At the next AllThing, Unn tells Mord she wishes to divorce Hrut. Mord creates a plan and at the next AllThing the divorce is declared.
8. Mord asks for the dowry back and Hrut refuses and then challenges him to a duel. Two boys mock Hrut who gets mad at them but compensates for Hoskuld' behavior. Hoskuld hits a boy and Hrut gives the boy a ring.
9. Thorvald wishes to ask for Hallgerd, Hoskuld's daughter to marry him despite her temper. She is quickly married off.
10. Hallgerd is upset that she was never asked her opinion about the marriage ordeal. Everyone felt it had been a bad match. Svan, Hallgerd's uncle, who is skilled in witchcrafy, comes to the wedding.
11. Hallgerd orders Thorvald to get more flour and supplies. Thorvald hits her in the face. She tells her foster father Thjostolf who avenges it and kills Thorvald.
12. Hallgerd sends Thjolstolf to Svan. When Osvif goes to avenge it, Svan creates a great fog that finally turns them away. Osvif then goes to Hoskuld. Via Hrut they come to an agreement.
13. Glum wants Hallgerd's hand in marriage. The marriage contract is devised insisting that Thjostolf can never go south with Hallgerd or stay more than three days and Glum can kill him. He must also propose to Hallgerd. She accepts.
14. Thorarin hands Varmabrook to Glum and Hallgerd. They have a daughter - Thorgerd. Svan dies.
15. Thjostolf goes to Varmabrook. Hallgerd begs Glum to let Thjostolf stay and he is allowed to as long as he causes no trouble.
16. Tension arises between Thjostolf and Glum regarding chasing sheep in the mountains. He ordered him to leave. Then he told Hallgerd who argued. He slapped her and she cried. Thjostolf offers to avenge it but she forbids it.
17. While herding the sheep, Thjostolf kills Glum. Hallgerd sends him to her uncle Hrut. Hrut kills him. Thorarin tries to get compensation for the death of Glum but finds his claim weak.
18. Mord dies. Unn inherits everything and blows it all.
19. Gunnar (kinsman of Unn) description pg. 73. Excellent at sports and handsome
20. Njal Description pg. 74 wealthy and handsome but has no beard. Njal's wife is called Bergthora.
21. Unn, who is out of money goes to see Gunnar. She wants to recover her money from Hrut. He goes to Njal for advice.
22. Njal devises a plan for Gunnar to dress up as Hawker-Hedin the Mighty who is a bad tempered merchant. Once he is dealing with Hrut, he can get info and get Hrut to give a summons.
23. Gunnar follows the plan. Hoskuld had a dream and they realize Gunnar would be coming and they then discover it was he who was Hawker Hedin.
24. Gunnar challenges Hrut to combat at the AllThing. However, it is an unfair duel so they just give him the money.
25. Valgard marries Unn and they have a son called Mord. Description pg. 83. Description of Njal's sons pg. 83-84.
26. Njal consults his son Helgi about marrying Thorhalla.
27. It was arranged. Njal offers to foster-father Thorhall who later becomes the greatest lawyer in Iceland.
28. Gunnar arranges to go abroad.
29. Gunnar meets Olvir.
30. Gunnar and Vandil's ships have a skirmish. More battles with ships. Tofi who warns Gunnar's men requests to be returned to Denmark.
31. The king offers Gunnar both wife and wealth if he would stay there but he decides to return to Iceland.
32. He returns to see Njal. Kolskegg urges Gunnar to show up at the AllThing.
33. Gunnar meets Hallherd. They talk and then Gunnar sees Hoskuld for an arrangement. It is agreed. Gunnar tells Njal who foresees trouble.
34. Intro to the Sigfussons. Thrain goes to the wedding feast and can not keep his eyes of Thorgerd, Hallgerd's daughter. His wife Thorhild notices, gets furious, and declares a divorce. Thrain then asks for Throgerd's hand in marriage and it was arranged.
35. Tension arises between Hallgerd and Bergthora. Gunnar gets angry and leaves.
36. Svart, Njal's servant is cutting wood. Hallgerd sends Kol to kill him. When Njal asks for compensation, Gunnar gives him 12oz. of silver. Atli comes to seek work at Njal's farm and Bergthora employs him.
37. Bergthora sends Atli to kill Kol. Njal pays Gunnar 12oz. of silver as compensation.
38. Njal advises Atli to leave but he stays on as a freeman. Hallgerd sends Brynjolf to kill Atli. Njal asks for 100 oz. of silver as compensation.
39. A free man named Thord lived with Njal and impregnated Gudfinna, the housekeeper there whom he liked. Bergthora employed Thord to kill Brynjolf. He kills him.
40. Njal offers Gunnar compensation - 100 oz. of silver.
41. Intro to Sigmund Lambason - description pg. 108. Hallgerd gets close to Sigmund. Njal sees a goat "drenched in blood" in a daydream. Hallgerd asks Thrain to avenge Thord.
42. Insults are exchanged and then Thord is killed.
43. Gunnar goes to Njal to assess compensation, which he assesses as 200 oz. Njal insists that his sons do not break this settlement.
44. A beggar woman visits Hallgerd who informs her of the happenings at Njal's house. Hallgerd calls Njal "Old Beardless" and his sons "Little Dung-Beards". Gunnar then enters the room and hears them mocking Njal.
45. Njalssons go fight Sigmund and Skjold and kill them. Hallgerd asks Gunnar to avenge Sigmund or get compensation but he doesn't care. At the AllThing Njal pays 200 oz. of compensation.
46. Intro to Gizur the White and Geir the Priest. Intro to Mord Valgardsson.
47. Otkel is a kinsman of Gizur the White. Hallbjorn sells and Irish slave Melkolf to Otkel but Melkolf's service gets worse. He was lazy. Gunnar goes to Otkel to ask for hay and food but Otkel refuses. Gunnar buys Melkolf instead. Njal offers to share his hay and food.
48. Hallgerd prompts Melkolf to steal food at Kirkby. He does. Gunnar finds out about it and slaps Hallgerd.
49. Skamkel, kinsman of Otkel, finds Melkolf's knife and belt and traces of him to the crime. They consult Mord about it. Mord sends women to sell small goods. Hallgerd pays them with cheese that fits in Otkel's mold thus incriminating herself. Gunnar goes to assess compensation but Otkel denies self-judgement. Otkel goes to see Gizur the White and Geir but Skamkel takes his place due to his poor eyesight.
50. Skamkel returns and suggests a summons Gunnar and Hallgerd. They do so.
51. Gunnar consults Hoskuld and Hrut who informs him to challenge Gizur. If no self-judgement is arranged, then Kolskegg must challenge Geir. Gizur discovers what Skamkel told Otkel re: Gunnar. They go insult Skamkel and then offer Gunnar self-judgement. Gizur and Geir swear and oath. The disgrace of the summons equals the cost of the house on fire therefore nothing was paid.
52. Intro to Runolf who receives a black ox from Otkel. Otkel has the best riding horses in the district.
53. Otkel's horses ride into Gunnar's field. Otkel spurs Gunnar's ear. Skamkel and Gunnar exchange harsh words.
54. A shepherd informs Gunnar of Skamkel's slander. Gunnar's halberd rings loudly. He vaults on his horse and rides after them. Kolskegg follows. They kill all 8 men in Skamkel's riding party.
55. Njal predicts that this will start Gunnar's career in killing. Njal's advice: "Never kill more than once in the same family; and never break any settlement which good men make between you and others - particularly if you disregarded the first of these warnings." Gizur is drawn to bring the case of Otkel's death to court.
56. The case is brought to the AllThing. Gunnar says Otkel was an outlaw due to the spur in his ear and the case was nullified because Audolf was being judged in the wrong jurisdiction. The case to outlaw Geir is pending. Finally a settlement was arranged.
57. Intro to Starkad.
58. Intro to Egil Kolsson: Kol, Ottar, and Haul. Starkad owns a red stallion. Hildigunn the Healer says Gunnar's black stallion could dare not match Starkard's. Gunnar is challenged to a horse fight. Njal feels Gunnar will win but it will cause many deaths.
59. Gunnar learns his father-in-law Hoskuld died. [Gunnar's sons Hogni and Grani] Gunnar kills his horse because he doesn't want it to live mutilated. Thorgeir refuses to accept compensation.
60. Gunnar helps Asgrim prosecute a case against Ulf and gains his friendship.
61. They visit Asgrim. Sigurd plans an ambush.
62. Gunnar stops to sleep. He dreams of the ambush. Pg. 147 They continue and run into the ambush.
63. The skirmish occurs. Gunnar wins.
64. Steinvor offers her daughter Gudrun to Thorgrim if he would keep alive the memory of his slain kinsman. Njal gives advice and counter cases to aid Gunnar.
65. Gunnar's enemies were outraged at this tactic. They go to gain support. Gunner follows Njal's instructions.
66. The plan and law is executed AllThing.
67. Thorgeir sees Mord, Gunnar's worse enemy. Mord informs him to wait until Kolskegg and Gunnar carry out their plan for land.
68. Thorgeir sees his kinsman Thorgeir and plans an attack on Gunnar.
69. Gunnar is alone. Njal has prophesizing dreams. A shepherd discovers 24 men in the woods. Njal scares them away.
70. Njal arbitrates and reaches a settlement. Mord Valgardsson criticizes them for reaching settlement. Thorgeirs felt Mord deceived them. Olaf gives Gunnar an Irish dog named Sam for protection.
71. Mord suggests that Thorgeir to seduce Ormhild, Gunnar's kinsman. Thorgeir plans ambush on Gunnar at Rang River.
72. Blood on halberd signifies the "death rain." They meet an ambush. Gunnar prevails.
73. Njal warns Gunnar not to kill twice in the same family. The case goes to court.
74. Njal arranges the settlement. Gunnar is outlawed for 3 years.
75. Thrain, Helgi and Grim go abroad. Njal suggests danger ahead. Gunnar decides not to leave. Pg. 166 Kolskegg decides to leave forever. Gizur declares Gunnar a full outlaw for not leaving and plots to kill him. Njal warns Gunnar and gives him his sons as protection.
76. Mad informs his "army" that Gunnar is alone. Sam bites Thorkel in the groin. They kill the dog.
77. They go to attack Gunnar in his home. Gunnar attacks them with arrows. Thord suggests burning them in their house but Gizur suggests taking the roof. Gunnar asks Hallgerd to give him some of her hair to repair his bow but she refuses to get back at him for slapping him. Gunnar dies.
78. Njal suggests his sons seek revenge. A shepherd and a housemaid saw Gunnar's zombie happy and singing. Skarp-Hedin and Hogni saw him happy and chanting also.
79. Skarp-Hedin suggests they go seek revenge. The halberd rings. They killed many. Mord begged for mercy.
80. Mord pays compensation. Hogni is out of the saga.
81. Kolskegg in Norway has a dream that is interpreted as becoming God's knight. He was baptized in Denmark.
82. Thrain visits Earl Hakon who stays in his court because he's a kinsman of Gunnar. Thrain offers to kill Kol- a Viking outlaw that is terrorizing Hakon's kingdom. Thrain prevails and receives a ship as a gift.
83. Bard and the Njalssons find themselves surrounded by natives of a foreign land. They choose to defend themselves.
84. They meet up with some other ships (intro to Kari) that are against the Vikings. They prevail.
85. Helgi meets the Earl who informs that his steward was killed and thus his lands in Scotland are threatened. Sigurd gathers forces.
86. They regain their Scottish territories and became retainers of Sigurd's court and then they set sail for Norway.
87. Intro to Hrapp. Kolbein takes him to Norway but discovers Hrapp cheated him. Hrapp visits Gudbrand and then tries to seduce Gudrun, his daughter. This continued until he was forced to leave because he killed Asvard, the overseer. He then flees. A farmer named Tofi takes him in. He continued to see Gudrun. Gudbrand tells Earl Hakon who declares him an outlaw.
88. While Earl Hakon was staying at Gudbrand, Hrapp broke into his temple and stripped the statues and burnt the temple. He flees to the shores and asks Helgi for passage but is refused. Thrain then lets him on board. He hides him and fools the Earl numerous times.
89. The Earl then pursues the Njalssons and tortures them until they realize it is wrong to accuse the innocent. Compensation is then paid.
90. Kari and the Njalssons prepare to sail to Iceland. Kari stayed with Njal and married his daughter Helga.
91. Thrain and Hrapp get on well together. Njal suggests to create a provoked killing to seek revenge. Hallgerd -> Hrapp incident. Insults are exchanged between them and the Njalssons. "Little Dung bears" and Njal as "Old Beardless".
92. Runolf convinces Thrain and his men that they are no match for the Njalssons. They helped a beggar woman across the Markar River. She tells Bergthora what Thrain and his companions were saying. They Njalssons go to seek revenge. "Look for sheep." They kill Thrain, Hrapp, and their men. Skarp-Hedin lets Gunnar Lambason and Grani Gunnarson go.
93. Ketil of Mork=Thrain's brother but he was married to Thorgerd, Njal's daughter. He rode to seek settlement with Njal. Njal offers to foster Hoskuld.
94. Intro to Hoskuld
95. Intro to Flosi and Starkard
96. Intro to Hall of Sida
97. Njal sets Hoskuld up with Hiligun. Her father, Flosi, will only marry her to a chieftain. Njal thus creates the fifth court. The wedding was arranged.
98. Intro to Lyting (brother in law of Thrain) Women provokes Lyting. He asks Hoskuld Thrainsson to kill Hoskuld Njalsson. It didn't' work. He then tried to provoke Grani Gunnarson to avenge Thrain. They finally kill Hoskuld. Hrodny does not believe he is dead and drags him to Njal. His sons then went out to avenge it.
99. They attack Lyting who escaped. Hoskuld asks Njal for settlement.
100-105 Conversion to Christianity.
106. Amundi the Blind goes to seek compensation from Lyting who refuses. God reference pg. 227 He sees, kills Lyting, and then is blind for the rest of his life.
107. Valgerd complains to Mord about the 5th court and the allegiance to Hoskuld Hvitaness-Priest. He suggests dividing Njal's family by slander.
108. Mord visists the Njalsson to build confidence with them and set the stage for slander.
109. At the Hoskuld/Njalsson feast gifts are exchanged and Mord tries to make the gifts appear unequal. Eventually Thord's slander was believed by the Njalssons.
110. Njal becomes suspicious when he is not included in Mord and the Njalssons' plans.
111. Skarp-Hedin gives Hoskuld his deathblow. Mord decides to prosecute the case. Njal predicts that this deed shall lead to all their deaths.
112. Hildigunn has a dream and then sends a search for Hoskuld. Ketil is married to Njal's daughter and thus can not prosecute the case. He suggests Mord will do more harm then good. Mord arbitrates the case and gives notice of the killings.
113. Intro to Gudmunf the Powerful, friend of Asgrim
114. Intro to Snorri-Priest, friend of Asgrim
115. Flosi gathers forces to go to the AllThing and consults Runolf re: Mord.
116. Hildigunn tries seducing Flosi who is only after blood revenge. She gives him the bloody cloak. Flosi is agitated at her promptings. He sees Ingjald to seek support but is met with uncertainty.
117. Flosi consults his kinsmen, Ketil, Grani, Gunnar etc. on what they want out of this case. Ketil wanted settlement. The others wanted blood revenge and outlawry.
118. Njalssons decide to go to the AllThing. Njal seeks support - Hjalti, Asgrim.
119. Njal continues to get support. Skarp-Hedin keeps insulting the people whom Njal was asking for support.
120. They ask Thorkel Braggart for help but he refused because his kinsman Gudmund had already refused.
121. Asgrim exposes Mord as having taken part in the killings.
122. Arrangement of arbitration and settlement.
123. Settlement was a compensation of 600 oz. of silver - the most for any dead man in Iceland. Flosi goes to accept it until he sees a cloak. He asks whose it is and no one admits it. He then rejects it. Skarp-Hedin insults him on top of it.
124. They plot blood revenge. Hrodony is appalled that her brother Ingjald is in on it after all Njal had done for him. A woman predicts that chickweed will be used in the burning but she is ignored.
125. Hildiglum sees a witch-ride.
126. Flosi prepares his household for his absence.
127. A beggar woman saw the avengers and informs Helgi. Bergthora foresees their deaths. Njal foresees their deaths also.
128. Flosi and his men arrive but can't attack while Njal and his family is outside. Njal insists that his sons and family go inside almost t knowing it would mean their deaths. Fighting breaks out and they are faced with abandoning their mission or to burn the Njalssons in their house.
129. They start the fire and kindle it with chickweed. Njal, Bergthora, and their grandson hide under a hide in their bed. Flosi offers the slaves and non-family members to leave. He extends the offer to Njal and Bergthora. They refuse. Kari manages to escape but the beam collapses before Skarp-Hedin can.
130. Flosi discovers Kari had escaped. Flosi tries to assess who is dead. He chose not to linger. Ingjald and Flosi challenge each other.
131. Kari gathers forces. Mord expects them to be visiting their women folk so Flosi tells them not to go back.
132. They search for bones. Njal, Bergthora and their grandson are almost perfectly intact. Description pg. 275-276. Skarp-Hedin had burnt legs and strange burn crosses on his body. Thorhall's reaction pg. 277 Kari continues to gather support.
133. Flosi has dream that proclaim those dead in the future.
134. Flosi gathers forces to go to the AllThing.
135. Kari visits Gizur the White for advice. Mord arbitrates the case.
136. Flosi pays an unwelcomed visit to Asgrim. Asgrim tries to attack him.
137. Flosi rides to the AllThing. A battle appears inevitable.
138. Flosi gets Eyjolf, one of the three best lawyers in Iceland, to arbitrate his case for a huge sum of money. Snorri informs Eyjolf that he shall pay heavily for taking this bribe.
139. Asgrim and Gizur go to gain more support. Skapi refuses but Snorri accepts.
140. Gudmund the Powerful gives his support.
141. Mord names witnesses and proclaims the case. Thorgeir Skorar-Geir names witnesses and refutes the case. More actions are caused. Eyjolf treis to get the pro-Njals to cause a fatal error in court.
142. Mord names witnesses and proclaims his case in the East Quarter Court. He gives an elaborating case but Eyjolf tries to disqualify Mord. It goes back and forth.
143. Eyjolf disqualifies them for pleading in the East Quarter Court instead of the North Quarter Court.
144. Thorhall feels the case wouldn't have taken this turn if he had not been so far away. The case is referred to the 5th court. Mord again proclaims his case. Eyjolf tries to get them with the number of judges. They fall for it.
145. Thorhall comes to the AllThing and kills someone. A battle breaks out. Finally treble compensation was paid for Njal, double for Bergthora, nothing for Skarp-Hedin, double for Grim and Helgi and single for all the others who died. All the burners had to leave the country. They had three years to leave.
146. Kari and Thorgeir ride after Sigfussons. They wake them up and attack. Kari refuses to kill Ketil of Mork. Reconciliation is suggested to occur ASAP.
147. Hall tries a settlement with Thorgeir. Kari threatens him to accept.
148. Kari stays with Bjorn secretly.
149. Flosi and his companions leave. Bjorn sets them in a different direction.
150. Kari and Bjorn get attacked. Enemies flee.
151. They have another skirmish.
152. Bjorn asks Kari to recount a brave story to his wife.
153. Flosi and his crew leaves and lands. They meet the Earl.
154. Flosi and his crew fight. King Brian's Saga.
155. Kari cuts off Gunnar Lambasson's neck in front of the Earl. Note of his affairs abroad.
156. Brodir and Ospak and their ship, where it rains blood.
157. Flosi needs to go to Rome and goes. More affairs abroad.
158. Flosi goes away to travel.
159. Conclusion. All is reconciled between Kari and Flosi.