OF THE DECLARATIONS OF THE SUITS.
It was one day that men went to the Hill of Laws, and the chiefs were so
placed that Asgrim Ellidagrim's son, and Gizur the white, and Gudmund
the powerful, and Snorri the priest, were on the upper hand by the Hill
of Laws; but the Eastfirthers stood down below.
Mord Valgard's son stood next to Gizur his father-in-law; he was of all
men the readiest-tongued.
Gizur told him that he ought to give notice of the suit for
manslaughter, and bade him speak up, so that all might hear him well.
Then Mord took witness and said--"I take witness to this that I give
notice of an assault laid down by law against Flosi Thord's son, for
that he rushed at Helgi Njal's son and dealt him a brain, or a body, or
a marrow wound, which proved a death-wound, and from which Helgi got his
death. I say that in this suit he ought to be made a guilty man, an
outlaw, not to be fed, not to be forwarded, not to be helped or
harboured in any need. I say that all his goods are forfeited, half to
me, and half to the men of the Quarter, who have a right by law to take
his forfeited goods. I give notice of this suit for manslaughter in the
Quarter Court into which this suit ought by law to come. I give notice
of this lawful notice; I give notice in the hearing of all men on the
Hill of Laws; I give notice of this suit to be pleaded this summer, and
of full outlawry against Flosi Thord's son; I give notice of a suit
which Thorgeir Thorir's son has handed over to me."
Then a great shout was uttered at the Hill of Laws, that Mord spoke well
and boldly.
Then Mord begun to speak a second time.
"I take you to witness to this," says he, "that I give notice of a suit
against Flosi Thord's son, I give notice for that he wounded Helgi
Njal's son with a brain, or a body, or a marrow wound, which proved a
death-wound, and from which Helgi got his death on that spot where Flosi
Thord's son had first rushed on Helgi Njal's son with an assault laid
down by law. I say that thou, Flosi, ought to be made in this suit a
guilty man, an outlaw, not to be fed, not to be forwarded, not to be
helped or harboured in any need. I say that all thy goods are forfeited,
half to me and half to the men of the Quarter, who have a right by law
to take the goods which have been forfeited by thee. I give notice of
this suit in the Quarter Court into which it ought by law to come; I
give notice of this lawful notice; I give notice of it in the hearing of
all men on the Hill of Laws; I give notice of this suit to be pleaded
this summer, and of full outlawry against Flosi Thord's son, I give
notice of the suit which Thorgeir Thorir's son hath handed over to me."
After that Mord sat him down.
Flosi listened carefully, but said never a word the while.
Then Thorgeir Craggeir stood up and took witness, and said--"I take
witness to this, that I give notice of a suit against Glum Hilldir's
son, in that he took firing and lit it, and bore it to the house at
Bergthorsknoll, when they were burned inside it, to wit, Njal Thorgeir's
son, and Bergthora Skarphedinn's daughter, and all those other men who
were burned inside it there and then. I say that in this suit he ought
to be made a guilty man, an outlaw, not to be fed, not to be forwarded,
not to be helped or harboured in any need. I say that all his goods are
forfeited, half to me, and half to the men of the Quarter, who have a
right by law to take his forfeited goods; I give notice of this suit in
the Quarter Court into which it ought by law to come. I give notice in
the hearing of all men on the Hill of Laws. I give notice of this suit
to be pleaded this summer, and of full outlawry against Glum Hilldir's
son."
Kari Solmund's son declared his suits against Kol Thorstein's son, and
Gunnar Lambi's son, and Grani Gunnar's son, and it was the common talk
of men that he spoke wondrous well.
Thorleif crow declared his suit against all the sons of Sigfus, but
Thorgrim the big, his brother, against Modolf Kettle's son, and Lambi
Sigurd's son, and Hroar Hamond's son, brother of Leidolf the strong.
Asgrim Ellidagrim's son declared his suit against Leidolf and Thorstein
Geirleif's son. Arni Kol's son, and Grim the red.
And they all spoke well.
After that other men gave notice of their suits, and it was far on in
the day that it went on so.
Then men fared home to their booths.
Eyjolf Bolverk's son went to his booth with Flosi; they passed east
around the booth, and Flosi said to Eyjolf--
"See'st thou any defence in these suits?"
"None," says Eyjolf.
"What counsel is now to be taken?" says Flosi.
"I will give thee a piece of advice," said Eyjolf. "Now thou shalt hand
over thy priesthood to thy brother Thorgeir, but declare that thou hast
joined the Thing of Askel the priest the son of Thorkettle, north away
in Reykiardale; but if they do not know this, then may be that this will
harm them, for they will be sure to plead their suit in the
Eastfirther's court, but they ought to plead it in the Northlanders'
court, and they will overlook that, and it is a Fifth Court matter
against them if they plead their suit in another court than that in
which they ought, and then we will take that suit up, but not until we
have no other choice left."
"May be," said Flosi, "that we shall get the worth of the ring."
"I don't know that," says Eyjolf; "but I will stand by thee at law, so
that men shall say that there never was a better defence. Now, we must
send for Askel, but Thorgeir shall come to thee at once, and a man with
him."
A little while after Thorgeir came, and then he took on him Flosi's
leadership and priesthood.
By that time Askel was come thither too, and then Flosi declared that he
had joined his Thing, and this was with no man's knowledge save theirs.
Now all is quiet till the day when the courts were to go out to try
suits.