Njáls saga

Hallgrímr, en annarr Kolskeggr. Þá veit ek mesta

Hallgrim and the other Kolskegg. I know them to be the greatest

orrustumenn, ok þat með, at þeir hafa vápn svá góð.

fighting men, and this besides, that they have such good weapons.

Hallgrímr hefir atgeir. þann, er hann hefir látit seiða

Hallgrim has a halberd which he has had enchanted

til, at honum skal ekki vápn at bana verða nema hann. Þat

to this end, that no weapon shall be his death but it. This

fylgir ok, at þegar veit, ef víg er vegit með atgeirnum

goes with it too: it is known at once when a killing is to be done with the halberd,

. því at þá syngr í honum áðr hátt. Svá hefir hann náttúru

for then it sings loudly beforehand. So great a property

mikla á sér. Kolskeggr hefir sax. Þat er it

it has. Kolskegg has a short sword. That is the

bezta vápn. Þeir hafa lið þriðjungi meira en þér.

best of weapons. They have a force a third larger than yours.

Fé hafa þeir ok mikit ok hafa folgit á landi, ok veit

They also have much wealth and have hidden it on land, and I know

langfeðgar verit kristnaðir. Eftir þat fóru þeir ór Skógahverfi

forefathers in the male line, been christened. After that they went from Skogahverfi

ok til Hǫfðabrekku. Þá spurðisk allt fyrir um

to Hofdabrekka. By then everything was known ahead about

ferð þeirra. Maðr hét Galdra-Heðinn, er bjó í Kerlingardal. Þar

their journey. There was a man called Galdra-Hedin who lived in Kerlingardal. There

keyptu heiðnir menn at honum, at hann skyldi deyða

the heathen men struck a bargain with him that he should kill

Þangbrand ok fǫruneyti hans. Ok fór hann upp á Arnarstakksheiði

Thangbrand and his company. And he went up onto Arnarstakksheid

ok eflði þar blót mikit. Þá er Þangbrandr. reið austan

and held a great sacrifice there. When Thangbrand rode from the east,

, þá brast í sundr jǫrðin undir hesti Þangbrands, en

the earth burst apart under Thangbrand's horse, but

hann hljóp af hestinum ok komsk upp á bakkann, en jǫrðin

he leapt off the horse and got up onto the bank, and the earth

svalg hestinn með ǫllum reiðingi, ok sá þeir hann aldri

swallowed the horse with all its gear, and they never saw it

síðan. Þá lofaði Þangbrandr. guð.

again. Then Thangbrand praised God.

Dráp Galdra-Heðins

The Killing of Galdra-Hedin

Guðleifr leitar Galdra-Heðins ok finnr hann á heiðinni

Gudleif searches for Galdra-Hedin and finds him on the heath

né egg, ok váru heiðnir menn hrǽddir mjǫk. Þá spurði Þangbrandr,

nor edge, and the heathen men were very afraid. Then Thangbrand asked

ef menn vildi taka við trú, en allir heiðnir menn mǽltu

whether people would accept the faith, but all the heathen men spoke

mjǫk í móti. Kosti mun ek gera yðr, segir Þangbrandr, at þér skuluð

strongly against it. I will give you a choice, says Thangbrand, so that you can

reyna, hvár betri er trúan. Vér skulum gera elda

test which faith is better. We shall make fires,

3. Ok skuluð þér heiðnir menn vígja einn, en ek annan,

three of them. And you heathen men shall consecrate one, and I another,

en inn þriði skal óvígðr vera. En ef berserkrinn hrǽðisk

and the third shall be unconsecrated. And if the berserk fears

þann, er ek vígða, en vaði yðvarn eld, þá skuluð þér

the one I consecrated but wades through yours, then you shall

taka við trú. Þetta er vel mǽlt, segir. Gestr, ok mun ek þessu

accept the faith. That is well spoken, says Gest, and to this I will

játa fyrir mik. ok heimamenn mína. Ok er Gestr hafði

agree for myself and my household. And when Gest had

þetta mǽlt, þá játuðu miklu fleiri, ok varð at rómr

said this, many more agreed, and there was at that

mikill. Þá er sagt, at berserkrinn fǿri at bǿnum,

a great cheer. Then it is told that the berserk was coming to the farm,

ok váru þá gǫrvir eldarnir. ok brunnu. Tóku menn þá vápn

and the fires were then made and burning. People then took their weapons

sín ok hljópu upp í bekkina ok biðu svá. Berserkrinn

and jumped up onto the benches and waited so. The berserk

hleypr at með vápnum ok inn í dyrrin, Hann kemr í stofuna

runs up with weapons and in at the door. He comes into the hall,

innar ok veðr þegar eldinn, þann er hinir heiðnu

further in, and at once wades through the fire that the heathens

vígðu, ok kemr hann at eldi þeim, er Þangbrandr. hafði vígt,

had consecrated, and he comes to the fire that Thangbrand had consecrated,

ok þorði eigi at vaða þann eldinn ok kvazk brenna allr. Hann

and dared not wade that fire, and said he was burning all over. He

høggr sverðinu upp á bekkinn, kom í þvertréit, er hann

strikes with his sword up at the bench, [and it] caught in the crossbeam as he

reiddi hátt. Þangbrandr. laust með róðukrossi á hǫndina

swung high. Thangbrand struck the arm with a crucifix,

, ok varð jarteign svá mikil, at sverðit fell ór hendi

and so great a miracle happened that the sword fell from the hand

berserknum. Þá leggr Þangbrandr. með sverði fyrir brjóst honum,

of the berserk. Then Thangbrand thrusts a sword into his chest,

en Guðleifr. hjó á hǫndina, svá at af tók. Gengu at þá

and Gudleif struck at the arm so that it came off. Then there went at [him]

munda gefa til mína eigu, at þetta hefði eigi fram

would give my property that this had not come

komit. Er ok illu korni sát orðit, enda mun illt

about. Bad seed has been sown, and evil will

af gróa. Þaðan reið hann yfir Arnarstakksheiði ok á Sólheima

grow from it. From there he rode over Arnarstakksheid and to Solheimar

um kveldit. Þar bjó Lǫðmundr Ulfs son, en

in the evening. Lodmund Ulfsson lived there, and

hann var vinr mikill Flosa, ok var hann þar um nótt. En um morgininn

he was a great friend of Flosi's, and he stayed there the night. And in the morning