Free Njal's Saga by Anonymous Page B

get out of bed and summon men to travel with you. When you’re ready, go to your bed with the men who are to travel with you, and at your husband’s bedside name witnesses and declare yourself legally divorced from him, as is allowable according to the rules of the Althing and the law of the land. You must repeat the naming of witnesses at the men’s door. 2 Then you must ride away, over Laxardal heath as far as Holtavarda heath, for you won’t be pursued as far as Hrutafjord, and keep riding until you come to me. I’ll take over the lawsuit then, and you will never come into his hands again.’
    She rode home from the Thing; Hrut had already come home and he welcomed her warmly. She responded well to his words and was pleasant towards him. Their relations were good during the summer and winter. When spring came she took ill and lay in bed. Hrut went off to the West Fjords, but first asked that she be well taken care of. When it came time for the Thing she made ready to leave and did everything exactly as she had been told and then rode off. The menfrom the district looked for her, but did not find her. Mord welcomed his daughter and asked her how closely she had followed his plan.
    â€˜I didn’t deviate from it at all,’ she said.
    He then went to the Law Rock and declared them legally divorced. 3 People thought this was a big event. Unn then went home with her father, and never again went west to Hrutsstadir.

8
    Hrut came home, and his brows shot up when he learned that his wife was gone. But he kept his temper and stayed at home all summer and winter and spoke to no one about it. The following summer he rode to the Althing with his brother Hoskuld and many others. When he came to the Thing he asked whether Mord Gigja was present. He was told that he was, and everyone expected that the two of them would discuss their case, but this did not happen.
    One day when men went to the Law Rock, Mord named witnesses and gave notice of a claim against Hrut for his daughter’s property, and he set the figure at ninety hundreds. He declared that this amount was to be paid and handed over, and he declared a fine of three marks. 1 He gave notice of this in the Quarter Court to which the suit legally belonged, and also gave legal notice in the hearing of all at the Law Rock.
    When he had spoken this, Hrut answered, ‘You are prosecuting your daughter’s case more out of greed and aggressiveness than good will or decency, and since you do not yet have my money in your hands, my response is this: I hereby declare – and let all these listening here at the Law Rock be my witnesses – that I challenge you to a duel. The stakes shall be the amount of the marriage agreement, to which I will add an equal sum, and let the one who wins take it all. If you choose not to fight me, you lose all property claims.’
    Mord was silent and sought advice from his friends about the duel. Jorund the Godi answered him: ‘You have no need to talk over this matter with us, because you know that if you fight Hrut you will lose both your life and the money. He is well endowed, great by his own deeds and a very brave man.’
    Mord then announced that he would not fight with Hrut. Greathooting and hissing went up at the Law Rock, and Mord was much disgraced.
    After this men rode home from the Thing.
    The brothers Hoskuld and Hrut rode west to Reykjadal and stayed overnight at Lund. Thjostolf the son of Bjorn Gold-bearer lived there. Rain had fallen heavily during the day and the men were wet, and long fires had been lit. Thjostolf sat between Hoskuld and Hrut, and two boys were playing on the floor, poor boys under Thjostolf’s care. A girl was playing with them. The boys were very chatty, since they didn’t know any better. One of them said, ‘I’ll be Mord and summon you to give up your wife for not screwing her.’
    The other answered, ‘I’ll be Hrut, and I say that you