There was a man named Thrain, he was the son of Sigfus, the son
of Sighvat the Red. He kept house at Gritwater on Fleetlithe.
He was Gunnar's kinsman, and a man of great mark. He had to wife
Thorhillda Skaldwife; she had a sharp tongue of her own, and was
given to jeering. Thrain loved her little. He and his wife were
bidden to the wedding, and she and Bergthora, Skarphedinn's
daughter, Njal's wife, waited on the guests with meat and drink.
Kettle was the name of the second son of Sigfus; he kept house in
the Mark, east of Markfleet. He had to wife Thorgerda, Njal's
daughter. Thorkell was the name of the third son of Sigfus; the
fourth's name was Mord; the fifth's Lambi; the sixth's Sigmund;
the seventh's Sigurd. These were all Gunnar's kinsmen, and great
champions. Gunnar bade them all to the wedding.
Gunnar had also bidden Valgard the Guileful, and Wolf Aurpriest,
and their sons Runolf and Mord.
Hauskuld and Hrut came to the wedding with a very great company,
and the sons of Hauskuld, Thorleik, and Olof, were there; the
bride, too, came along with them, and her daughter Thorgerda came
also, and she was one of the fairest of women; she was then
fourteen winters old. Many other women were with her, and
besides there were Thorkatla Asgrim Ellidagrim's son's daughter,
and Njal's two daughters, Thorgerda and Helga.
Gunnar had already many guests to meet them, and he thus arranged
his men. He sat on the middle of the bench, and on the inside,
away from him, Thrain Sigfus' son, then Wolf Aurpriest, then
Valgard the Guileful, then Mord and Runolf, then the other sons
of Sigfus, Lambi sat outermost of them.
Next to Gunnar on the outside, away from him, sat Njal, then
Skarphedinn, then Helgi, then Grim, then Hauskuld Njal's son,
then Hafr the Wise, then Ingialld from the Springs, then the sons
of Thorir from Holt away east. Thorir would sit outermost of the
men of mark, for every one was pleased with the seat he got.
Hauskuld, the bride's father, sat on the middle of the bench over
against Gunnar, but his sons sat on the inside away from him;
Hrut sat on the outside away from Hauskuld, but it is not said
how the others were placed. The bride sat in the middle of the
cross bench on the dais; but on one hand of her sat her daughter
Thorgerda, and on the other Thorkatla Asgrim Ellidagrim's son's
daughter.
Thorhillda went about waiting on the guests, and Bergthora bore
the meat on the board.
Now Thrain Sigfus' son kept staring at Thorgerda Glum's daughter;
his wife Thorhillda saw this, and she got wroth, and made a
couplet upon him.
"Thrain," she says,
"Gaping mouths are no wise good,
Goggle eyne are in thy head."
He rose at once up from the board, and said he would put
Thorhillda away. "I will not bear her jibes and jeers any
longer;" and he was so quarrelsome about this, that he would not
be at the feast unless she were driven away. And so it was, that
she went away; and now each man sat in his place, and they drank
and were glad.
Then Thrain began to speak, "I will not whisper about that which
is in my mind. This I will ask thee, Hauskuld Dalakoll's son,
wilt thou give me to wife Thorgerda, thy kinswoman?"
"I do not know that," says Hauskuld; "methinks thou art ill
parted from the one thou hadst before. But what kind of man is
he, Gunnar?"
Gunnar answers, "I will not say aught about the man, because he
is near of kin; but say thou about him, Njal," says Gunnar, "for
all men will believe it."
Njal spoke, and said, "That is to be said of this man, that the
man is well to do for wealth, and a proper man in all things. A
man, too, of the greatest mark; so that ye may well make this
match with him."
Then Hauskuld spoke, "What thinkest thou we ought to do, kinsman
Hrut?"
"Thou mayst make the match, because it is an even one for her,"
says Hrut.
Then they talk about the terms of the bargain, and are soon of
one mind on all points.
Then Gunnar stands up, and Thrain too, and they go to the cross
bench. Gunnar asked that mother and daughter whether they would
say yes to this bargain. They said they would find no fault with
it, and Hallgerda betrothed her daughter. Then the places of the
women were shifted again, and now Thorhalla sate between the
brides. And now the feast sped on well, and when it was over,
Hauskuld and his company ride west, but the men of Rangriver rode
to their own abode. Gunnar gave many men gifts, and that made
him much liked.
Hallgerda took the housekeeping under her, and stood up for her
rights in word and deed. Thorgerda took to housekeeping at
Gritwater, and was a good housewife.