The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Illustrations
• Prefatory Note.
• Sir George Dasent's Preface. ( Abridged .)
• Sir George Dasent's Introduction. ( Abridged .)
• Icelandic Chronology.
• The Story of Burnt Njal.
• Chapter I.: Of Fiddle Mord.
• Chapter II.: Atli Arnvid Son's Slaying.
• Chapter III.: Hrut Sails Out to Iceland.
• Chapter IV.: Unna Separates From Hrut.
• Chapter V.: Mord Claims His Goods From Hrut.
• Chapter VI.: Thorwald Gets Hallgerda to Wife.
• Chapter VII.: Hallgerda's Wedding.
• Chapter VIII.: Thorwald's Slaying.
• Chapter IX.: Glum's Wooing.
• Chapter X.: Glum's Slaying.
• Chapter XI.: Gunnar Comes Into the Story.
• Chapter XII.: Of Njal and His Children.
• Chapter XIII.: Helgi Njal's Son's Wooing.
• Chapter XIV.: Gunnar Goes Abroad.
• Chapter XV.: Gunnar Goes A-sea-roving.
• Chapter XVI.: The Visit to Bergthorsknoll.
• Chapter XVII.: Kol Slew Swart.
• Chapter XVIII.: The Slaying of Kol, Whom Atli Slew.
• Chapter XIX.: The Killing of Atli the Thrall.
• Chapter XX.: The Slaying of Brynjolf the Unruly.
• Chapter XXI.: Sigmund Comes Out to Iceland.
• Chapter XXII.: The Slaying of Thord Freedmanson.
• Chapter XXIII.: Njal and Gunnar Make Peace For the Slaying of Thord.
• Chapter XXIV.: The Slaying of Sigmund and Skiolld.
• Chapter XXV.: How Otkell Rode Over Gunnar.
• Chapter XXVI.: The Fight At Rangriver.
• Chapter XXVII.: Njal's Advice to Gunnar.
• Chapter XXVIII.: Gunnar and Geir the Priest Strive At the Thing.
• Chapter XXIX.: Of Starkad and His Sons.
• Chapter XXX.: How Gunnar's Horse Fought.
• Chapter XXXI.: Of Asgrim and Wolf Uggis' Son.
• Chapter XXXII.: An Attack Against Gunnar Agreed On.
• Chapter XXXIII.: Gunnar's Dream.
• Chapter XXXIV.: The Slaying of Hjort and Fourteen Men.
• Chapter XXXV.: Njal's Counsel to Gunnar.
• Chapter XXXVI.: Of Valgard and Mord.
• Chapter XXXVII.: Of Fines and Atonements.
• Chapter XXXVIII.: Of Thorgeir Starkad's Son.
• Chapter XXXIX.: Of Njal and Those Namesakes.
• Chapter Xl.: Mord's Counsel.
• Chapter Xli.: the Slaying of Thorgeir Otkell's Son.
• Chapter Xlii.: of the Suits For Manslaughter At the Thing.
• Chapter Xliii.: of the Atonement.
• Chapter Xliv.: the Riding to Lithend.
• Chapter Xlv.: Gunnar's Slaying.
• Chapter Xlvi.: Gunnar Sings a Song Dead.
• Chapter Xlvii.: Gunnar of Lithend Avenged.
• Chapter Xlviii.: Hogni Takes an Atonement For Gunnar's Death.
• Chapter Xlix.: Njal's Sons Sail Abroad.
• Chapter L.: of Kari Solmund's Son.
• Chapter Li.: Hrapp's Voyage From Iceland.
• Chapter Lii.: the Quarrel of Njal's Sons With Thrain Sigfus' Son.
• Chapter Liii.: Thrain Sigfus' Son's Slaying.
• The Death of Earl Hacon. ( From the Painting By C. E. Anderson. )
• Chapter Liv.: of the Change of Faith.
• Chapter Lv.: of Thangbrand's Journeys.
• Chapter Lvi.: of Thangbrand and Gudleif.
• Chapter Lvii.: of Gest Oddleif's Son.
• Chapter Lviii.: of Gizur the White and Hjallti.
• Chapter Lvix.: the Wedding of Hauskuld, the Priest of Whiteness.
• Chapter Lx.: the Slaying Op Hauskuld Njal's Son.
• Chapter Lxi.: the Slaying Op Lyting's Brothers.
• Chapter Lxii.: of Amund the Blind.
• Chapter Lxiii.: of the Slander Op Mord Valgard's Son.
• Chapter Lxiv.: of Mord and Njai's Sons.
• Chapter Lxv.: the Slaying of Hauskuld, the Priest of Whiteness.
• Chapter Lxvi.: of Hildigunna and Mord Valgakd's Son.
• Chapter Lxvii.: of Flosi Thord's Son.
• Chapter Lxviii.: of Flosi and Hildigunna.
• Chapter Lxix.: of Flosi and Mord and the Sons of Sigfus.
• Chapter Lxx.: of the Pleading of the Suit.
• Chapter Lxxi.: of the Award of Atonement Between Flosi and Njal.
• Chapter Lxxii.: of the Judges.
• Chapter Lxxiii.: an Attack Planned On Njal and His Sons.
• Chapter Lxxiv.: of Portents.
• Chapter Lxxv.: the Onslaught On Bergthorsknoll.
• Chapter Lxxvi.: Njal's Burning.
• Chapter Lxxvii.: Skarphedinn's Death.
• Chapter Lxxviii.: Njal's and Bergthora's Bones Found.
• Chapter Lxxix.: Flosi's Dream.
• Chapter Lxxx.: of Thorhall and Kari.
• Chapter Lxxxi.: of Flosi and the Burners.
• Chapter Lxxxii.: of Eyjolf Bolverk's Son.
• Chapter Lxxxiii.: of Asgrim, and Gizur, and Kari.
• Blood-badet—blood Revel. ( From the Painting By Lorene Froelioh. )
• Chapter Lxxxiv.: of Asgrim and Gudmund.
• Chapter Lxxxv.: of the Declarations of the Suits.
• Chapter Lxxxvi.: Now Men Go to the Courts.
• Chapter Lxxxvii.: of Eyjolf Bolverk's Son.
• Chapter Lxxxviii.: the Counsel of Thorhall Asgrim's Son.
• Chapter Lxxxix.: Battle At the Althing.
• Chapter XC.: Kari Comes to Bjorn's House In the Mark.
• Chapter XCI.: Of Flosi and the Burners.
• Chapter XCII.: Of Kari and Bjorn.
• Chapter XCIII.: More of Kari and Bjorn.
• Chapter XCIV.: Of Kari and Bjorn and Thorgeir.
• Chapter XCV.: Flosi Goes Abroad.
• Chapter XCVI.: Kari Goes Abroad.
• Chapter XCVII.: Gunnar Lambi's Son's Slaying.
• Chapter XCVIII.: Of Signs and Wonders.
• Chapter XCIX.: Brian's Battle.
• Chapter C.: The Slaying of Kol Thorstein's Son.
• The Funeral of Kol Thorstein's Son. ( From a Painting By Henry Semiradsky. )
• Chapter CI.: Of Flosi and Kari.

THE FUNERAL OF KOL THORSTEIN'S SON.
(From a painting by Henry Semiradsky.)

Itwas long a custom among the Northmen to celebrate the funerals of their chiefs with the most elaborate and often magnificent ceremonies. Since the principal revenue that supported the state was derived from the sea. it was natural that recognition should be given to the sources upon which kings and subjects alike subsisted The custom accordingly obtained of submitting the bodies of kings, and of Viking chiefs especially, to ships drawn upon the shore and, when arms and armor were deposited beside the body, a favorite charger slaughtered, and fatted bullocks prepared for a feast, the whole was set on fire, and while the cremation was proceeding the people gave demonstrations of the most intense grief. Disposition of the remains of the late Christian IX, of Denmark, in Roskild Church, in February, 1906, was preceded by slaughter of his favorite horse, in deference to the ancient custom referred to.

Wales, and there they lay in hiding in a creek out of the way.

That morning Kol Thorstein's son went into the town to buy silver. He of all the Burners had used the bitterest words. Kol had talked much with a mighty dame, and he had so knocked the nail on the head, that it was all but fixed that he was to have her, and settle down there.

That same morning Kari went also into the town. He came where Kol was telling the silver. Kari knew him at once, and ran at him with his drawn sword and smote him on the neck; but he still went on telling the silver, and his head counted “ten” just as it spun of the body.

Then Kari said—“Go and tell this to Flosi, that Kari Solmund's son hath slain Kol Thorstein's son. I give notice of this slaying as done by my hand.”

Then Kari went to his ship, and told his shipmates of the manslaughter. Then they sailed north to Beruwick, and laid up their ship, and fared up into Whitherne in Scotland, and were with Earl Malcolm that year. But when Flosi heard of Kol's slaying, he laid out his body, and bestowed much money on his burial.

Flosi never uttered any wrathful words against Kari.

Thence Flosi fared south across the sea and began his pilgrimage, and went on south, and did not stop till he came to Rome. There he got so great honour that he took absolution from the Pope himself, and for that he gave a great sum of money.

Then he fared back again by the east road, and stayed long in towns, and went in before mighty men, and had from them great honour. He was in Norway the winter after, and was with Earl Eric till he was ready to sail, and the Earl gave him much meal, and many other men behaved handsomely to him.

Now he sailed out to Iceland, and ran into Hornfirth, and thence fared home to Swinefell. He had then fulfilled all the terms of his atonement, both in fines and foreign travel.