Summary
146 - Kari and his companions run into a group of women on their way east. The women say they have talked to the Sigfussons, who are very afraid of Kari. Thorgeir asks if Kari wants to go after the Sigfussons, but he gives a vague response, saying that he wouldn't be against it. Kari admits that men who are "slain only with words live a long life" (278). A man carrying peat down the road says that Kari and Thorgeir do not have enough men to pursue the Sigfussons. They find some men sleeping where the Sigfussons are said to be and steal their spears, throwing them into the river while they are still asleep. They shout to wake them up and wait until they are armed before attacking. Thorgeir kills a man with his axe by crushing his skull. Lambi attacks Kari with his spear, but Kari jumps up and lands on top of the spear, busting it. Kari then sticks his sword through Sigurd's chest with his right hand and with his left hand he slices Mord Sigfusson's backbone through the hip, killing both of them at the same time. Thorgeir faces off against Leidolf, a mighty warrior. He sinks his sword through Leidolf's collarbone at the same time that Kari cuts off Leidolf's leg mid-thigh. Ketil of Mork says they should retreat on their horses because Kari and Thorgeir are too overpowering—so, they retreat. Kari leaves with Thorgeir as well, deciding not to pursue Ketil because their wives are sisters. Flosi reprimands Ketil for riding so carelessly. When Flosi goes to Hall for advice, Hall says that he must make a settlement with Thorgeir that would weaken Kari. The only settlement that Hall thinks Thorgeir will accept is immunity for the killings he's just committed and 1/3 compensation for Njal and his sons. The Sigfussons agree to Hall's wise but hard settlement.
147 - Hall of Sida and his son Kol ride with four other men to Thorgeir's residence. They learn Thorgeir is in Holt, and they ride to him there. When Hall arrives, Kari and Thorgeir help him off his horse and kiss him. Thorgeir hadn't wanted to make a settlement before, but Kari and Hall beg him to accept this settlement now, since he has "accomplished much in the way of killings since then" (282). Kari will not settle, because his son still needs to be avenged. Thorgeir offers a truce for the time being and they both give Hall gifts of gold and silver. Flosi admits that he wishes he had Kari's character. Thorgeir makes the settlement with Flosi, with a stipulation that nobody is allowed to attack Kari if he is in Thorgeir's residence.
148 - Kari does not wish to stay with Thorgeir despite this stipulation because he is afraid that, if he kills someone, Thorgeir will be endangered by association. Kari rides north and puts his property in Thorgeir's trust. He stays with Bjorn the White, who is loosely related to both Njal and Gunnar of Hlidarendi. Kari asks for Bjorn to come with him on his travels because of his keen sight and swiftness. Bjorn's wife overhears and scorns Bjorn's boastfulness, saying that he is not half as brave or reliable as he claims to be. Bjorn says that he doesn't fight often because few men pick fights with him – "no one dares!" (285.) People think that Kari has gone to see Gudmund the Powerful farther north, so he decides to take advantage of the misdirection by staying at Bjorn's.
149 - Flosi tells the other burners that there is not much time and they have to start thinking of going abroad and paying their compensations. Flosi knows they can buy a ship from Eyjolf Nose, a Norwegian in Iceland, because this man wants to marry a woman but needs help to do so. He settles Eyjolf Nose's marriage and gains twenty hundreds in homespun, as well the offer of any goods he might need in the future, as thanks. Flosi warns the Sigfussons to travel only in large packs because, although there are rumors about Kari being in the north, Flosi does not necessarily believe them. He reminds Ketil of his dream that condemns many of these men to their deaths. Ketil says he knows their fates to be sealed, but will do his best to protect them anyway. The Sigfussons kiss Flosi before leaving. They come across Bjorn and ask him about Kari, to which Bjorn responds with the rumor that he has gone to Gudmund. Kari is grateful for Bjorn's fib, but Bjorn's wife is skeptical of such mistruths.
150 - Kari plans to travel through the district of Flosi's Thingmen with Bjorn. Bjorn's wife adds that if Bjorn should fail to help Kari in this, it will be grounds for divorce. As they ride, they become nervous that the Sigfussons will ride down the mountains toward them. Kari finds Bjorn's frantic indecision about how they should prepare "very amusing" (289). The Sigfussons arrive at Bjorn's door, and Bjorn's wife lies that Bjorn is collecting payments down south. Kari and Bjorn find the Sigfussons resting just where they thought they would be on their journey north. Kari tells Bjorn to stay behind him, acting only as a support during the battle. Kari breaks Modolf's spear with his shield, and then, after a brief melee, he takes off Modolf's hand and sticks his sword between his ribs on the ground, killing him. Grani throws a spear Kari's way, but he sends it into the ground with his shield, picks it up, and throws it back. The spear goes through Grani's shield, through his thigh just below the crotch, and into the ground, pinning him so that he cannot move. Bjorn makes himself useful by cutting off a man's hand and then slicing him in two at the waist. He then steps back to his place behind Kari. Kari kills two more men, cutting them in half at the shoulders. Bjorn wounds many more men, but never puts himself at risk of death. All survive the battle, besides Kari and Bjorn, are wounded. Kari and Bjorn go to a nearby house to report the deaths and the people who receive the news also ridicule Bjorn for not killing more men.
151 - Kari tests Bjorn's intelligence by asking him how they can cleverly mislead the Sigfussons. Bjorn doesn't disappoint, giving the same answer that Kari had already anticipated: to start heading north until a hill comes between them and their pursuers, and then turn back south. When they reach a lava patch, Kari settles down for a short sleep. Bjorn wakes him up as their enemies approach, and Kari tells him he can either do as he did last time or ride away immediately. He choses the former once again. Three men pass on horses and are too distracted by the lava to see Kari and Bjorn, but then six more men come and attack them. Glum thrusts at Kari with his spear, but hits a rock instead. Bjorn cuts off the top of the spear and Kari takes off Glum's leg, killing him. Kari and Bjorn are wounded for the first time when they kill two brothers. Kari dodges Ketil of Mork's spear and sends it into the ground with a kick. He then pounces on the spear, breaking it in half. Just as Bjorn is about to deliver Ketil's death blow, Kari tells him to hold off, saying that he will always spare Ketil's life. Ketil and his living companions have armies sent north to pursue Kari and Bjorn, just as they had planned. Flosi says there is no match for Kari in Iceland.
152 - Kari narrowly escapes the search party, bringing his horses to a bank covered with lyme-grass so they won't starve. They head back to Bjorn's place, and Bjorn's wife asks how Bjorn did. Kari seems proud of the effort Bjorn gave along the whole trip. In secret, they head out to Thorgeir and tell him what occurred. Kari says he still needs to kill Gunnar Lambason and Kol Thorsteinsson, which will bring their vengeance kill count to fifteen. Thorgeir and Bjorn switch farms, and Thorgeir is tasked with preventing people from seeking vengeance on Bjorn. As a result, Bjorn is "thought to be much more of a man than before" (294). Kari stays with Asgrim for a few nights and then moves on to Gizur the White, who gives Kari a fine sword as a gift. Kari heads down to Eyrar, taking passage with Kolbein the Black, a long-time friend from Orkney.
153 - Flosi and his Thingmen ride out to the ship and set sail with all their goods. On their sea voyage, the weather is very bad and their ship goes down, sparing none of their goods, but all of their lives. They find out that they are on the Mainland in Orkney. Flosi says this is not a good place to be because Helgi Njalsson was a follower of Earl Sigurd Hlodvisson. They hide for a long time, and then Flosi decides they must turn themselves in since the earl already owns their lives in Orkney. The earl recognizes them and seizes them immediately. Thorstein, son of Hall and brother-in-law to Flosi, sees this and offers all his earthly possessions to Sigurd for Flosi's life. The earl agrees to this settlement after long deliberation. Flosi enters the earl's service in Helgi's place and eventually earns great respect.
154 - Kari and Kolbein set out to sea half a month after Flosi. They make it to Fair Isle and hear that the Mainland is busy with activity. Many royal people from nearby states are visiting the earl, and Kormlod, an evil and spiteful woman, reveals her plot to kill her ex-husband, King Brian. Right now, they are all in Earl Sigurd's hall hearing Gunnar Lambason's account of the burning of Njal. Kormlod has brought her son, King Sigtrygg of Ireland, to try to get the earl's help in killing King Brian.
155 - Kari and Kolbein arrive on the mainland quietly; they head to the earl's residence and overhear Gunnar Lambason relaying the story. It is Christmas Day. Sigtrygg inquires about how Skarphedin held up in the burning; Gunnar says that he wept. Kari can't stand Gunnar's lies and slanted accounts of the burning. He rushes in with his sword drawn and speaks a verse condemning Gunnar's boasting and announcing the many killings the he has undertaken since then in revenge. He rushes at Gunnar and slices his head off, covering the tables and all the earl's clothing with blood. The earl stands up and tells his men to seize Kari and to kill him. Nobody rises. Kari explains that he did this deed to avenge one of the earl's followers. Flosi agrees that Kari had good reason to do this. Kari walks away with nobody pursuing him, and sails south to Freswick to stay with a man named Skeggi. Meanwhile, Sigtrygg and Sigurd admire Kari's bravery, and Flosi retells the story of the burning with balanced and fair details. Then, they discuss the matter of killing King Brian. Sigurd does not want to, but agrees under the condition that he marry Kormlod and become the king of Ireland. Although everybody protests, they are unsuccessful and he has his way. The earl will go to Dublin on Palm Sunday to battle. Kormlod says that they will need more men, and that they can be found in the thirty Viking ships off the shore of Isle of Man owned by Brodir and Ospak. She tells her son Sigtrygg to offer whatever necessary to get them to fight with them. The only thing they will agree to is that Brodir will get the kingship of Ireland and Kormlod's hand in marriage. This is kept quiet from Sigurd. Ospak, a wise heathen, does not want to attack such a good king, and the brothers get into a feud, splitting up their forces. Brodir, an ordained deacon of Christianity, casts aside his religion to perform sacrifices to heathen spirits and conduct sorcery for his armor to be impenetrable by steel.
156 - One night, a storm of boiling blood breaks out over Brodir's ships and scalds the men, killing one on each ship. The next night, weapons shower down on the ships, killing one on each ship again. The next night, ravens fly at the men with beaks and claws of iron, killing one man on each ship. After each of these nights, the men have to catch up on sleep during the day. Finally Brodir takes a boat to see Ospak, who agrees to tell him what these omens mean later that evening. The blood represents the blood of his men that will be shed; the noise that accompanied each catastrophe represents the breaking-up of the world, and Brodir's imminent death; the weapons represent battle; the ravens represent trusted friends who will turn into enemies that will drag Brodir "down to the torments of hell" (300). Brodir is so angry that he cannot speak. He immediately begins preparations to have Ospak killed in the morning. Ospak notices this and decides join forces with King Brian after accepting Christianity. Ospak's men cut the ropes from Brodir's ships and sails to Kincora, Ireland. He tells King Brian of Kormlod's plans, receives a baptism, and helps him to build an army for Palm Sunday.
157 - Flosi offers his service to Earl Sigurd, but is refused on the basis that Flosi must make a pilgrimage to Rome. Brodir's army is already in Dublin when the earl arrives. Brodir had done some sorcery to determine how the battle would go and found this out: if they fight on Good Friday, Brian will be killed but still have the victory, and if they fight before Good Friday, all those against Brian would be killed. When the armies prepare to attack Brian, he puts up a shield wall, not wanting to fight on Good Friday. However, the battle begins anyway. Brodir fearlessly kills many enemies until he comes upon Ulf Hraeda, who thrusts at him thrice and scares him into hiding in the woods. A man named Kerthjalfad on Brian's side begins killing all those in his way and giving special attention to Earl Sigurd's banner-bearers. Nobody wants to carry the banner anymore; even when they take it off the pole and stuff it in Amundi the White's clothing, he is sought out and killed. The earl is pierced by a spear as well. Ospak is badly wounded as well. Both of Brian's sons die in battle. Kerthjalfad spares Thorstein's life while he is tying his shoe because Thorstein says he cannot reach home tonight and will not run away as a result. Hrafn the Red sees hell and many devils trying to drag him under when he reaches a river. He reasons with the devils, saying that he has pilgrimaged to Rome twice, and is turned loose. Brodir sees that the shield wall is weak and goes after King Brian. A boy, Tadk, shields the king, but Brodir's slash is too strong: it cuts off both the King's head and the boy's arm. Brian's head falls onto the stump of the boy's arm and the arm is immediately healed. Word spreads of the king's death, and Brodir is taken prisoner by engulfing him in branches. Ulf Hraeda cuts open Brodir's stomach and takes out the intestines, making Brodir walk around an oak tree until all of his guts are wrapped around the tree. Only then does Brodir fall over, dead. The rest of Brodir's men are executed as well. King Brian's head has grown back, and they lay out his body.
Rewinding to the morning of Good Friday, a man named Dorrud sees twelve people riding together to a women's room. He looks inside to see that the women had set up looms made of men's body parts: heads for weights, intestines for the weft and warp, and their weapons for other parts. The women speak a long verse relating their looms to the battle and to the valkyries. They also predict the fall of King Brian and an evil time coming after it for the Irish. The women then pull down the cloth they have made and tear it apart, keeping a small portion each. Six women ride south, and six ride north. A similar event occurs in the Faroe Islands. In Iceland, blood appears on the priest's cope on Good Friday, and another priest sees a deep sea filled with demons next to his alter. In Orkney, a man named Harek sees Sigurd and rides off to meet him, never to be seen again. In the Hebrides, Earl Gilli listens to a verse spoken by an Irish man named Herfinn about his dream in which Sigurd and Brian die. Flosi hears about the battle from Hrafn and learns that only Thorstein was spared. The rest of the burners who went are dead. Flosi and the few remaining burners make their pilgrimage to Rome.
158 - Kari asks Skeggi to find him a ship; once this is done, they set sail to the Hebrides, where Kari hears of what happened in Ireland. He learns that Flosi is in Wales on his way to Rome, and he heads there immediately. In Wales, one of the burners, Kol Thorsteinsson, goes into town to buy silver, and Kari sees him there. He cuts off Kol's head just as he is counting his silver to the number ten—a number that is uttered by his amputated head. Flosi spends a lot of money on Kol's funeral but does not speak ill of Kari. Flosi makes his way to Rome and receives absolution from the Pope himself. He makes his way back to Iceland with the help of Earl Eirik of Norway. Flosi has finally fulfilled his part of the settlement for the burning of Njal.
159 - Kari, too, sets out on a pilgrimage and receives absolution from the Pope himself. Whereas Flosi returned by the eastern route, Kari takes the western route. He reaches Skeggi and stays with him for the winter. Kari's wife dies in Iceland that winter as well. Kari prepares to set sail and he has a tough passage. Upon arriving, the ship shatters but all the men's lives are spared. With snow falling thickly, Kari's men ask what they should do. Kari goes with them to Svinafell, Flosi's residence, to put Flosi's "magnanimity to the test" (310). Flosi greets Kari with a kiss and places him in the high seat by his side. Kari stays with him that winter. Furthermore, Flosi offers Kari the hand of his brother's daughter, Hildigunn, the ex-wife of Hoskuld the Godi of Hvitanes. Flosi dies much later as an old man when he is gathering wood from Norway and his return ship is lost at sea. Kari names one of his and Hildigunn's children 'Flosi'.
Analysis
Once again, modern literature fans will find that this section delivers quite differently than what might be expected in a novel. Rather than following the karmic downfall of Mord Valgardson, the saga focuses all its attention on Kari's plot for vengeance. If there is one moral takeaway from the saga, it might very well be that vengeance is to be expected and basically fully justified. Flosi doesn't blink an eyelash after Kari proceeds to kill every man who died for Flosi's cause in the burning. The reader might wonder if Flosi's acceptance of that fate demonstrates his 'manliness' or just his acceptance of the unfairness of life. In any case, the dual pilgrimages undertaken by these two nemeses result in a peaceful, nearly fairy-tale ending for the saga in which Kari and Flosi kiss and live together.
But before all that, there's a lot of fighting. Kari has perhaps the most distinct fighting style of any character in the saga. He dodges with leaps and crushes his enemies' weapons when he lands. He gets better as the plot goes on as well. His companionship with Bjorn is also one of the very few instances of playfulness in the saga as well, leading the reader to finally believe that these characters might actually represent historical humans, not just character ideals. In fact, his wife is perhaps the most playful of all, citing any disappointment as a grounds for divorce and for withholding sex: "you might as well know that you'll never come into my bed again" (288). Other men who are boastful in the saga tend to have well-earned grounds for it, save Eyjolf the lawyer, who gets his due when he boasts too much. Another reminder of the jocular side of these men is their practice of pushing off business until the next day. Whenever Flosi arrives at a new residence, he is well received and spends the first evening simply eating and interacting, delaying serious matters until they have greeted one another fully. This remains a custom in many cultures to this day. Perhaps this increased his chances of gaining support for such a difficult matter. It is remarkable that hardly anybody outright denied support, which may mean that it is a cultural taboo to say 'no' to somebody who is asking for your help in medieval Iceland.
To tell now of a strange literary custom, the phrase 'to tell now of...' comes up time and again in this saga. Just like the way in which the last section that switched back and forth between the Njalssons and the Sigfussons, this section switches focus back and forth between Flosi and Kari and their pursuits of one another. It's like the famous wipe effect from the Star Wars films in which a the new scene cuts in at a diagonal across the current scene, the movie equivalent of 'meanwhile back at the ranch'. Most times, this type of phrase is omitted from modern literature because it is simply implied. It has become a relic of old times, a style from the oral tradition. When it comes time for the battle of Brian, the authors seem to try to hide this transitional emphasis by suddenly switching to the morning of Good Friday after the battle has been fought, rewinding to a new character in the saga. Aside from this, the battle on Good Friday, like the episode about the spread of Christianity, brings in a lot of already well-formed accounts of seemingly tangential events.
Regrowing limbs and heads, thunderstorms of blood, visions of demons, looms made of men's body parts, and killing through torture are among the many morally charged images of the Battle of Clontarf, the official name for the battle of King Brian. While most of the saga does not deal directly with metaphor, there is a sudden increase in poetic metaphors of almost biblical proportions. One can reasonably assume that this episode was taken from Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh, an Irish text written 170 years prior to Njal's Saga, and that it was altered to suit the needs of this narrative. For example, in the original text, Máel Mórda is the main oppositional force to King Brian, whereas in this saga, Sygtrigg takes up that position.
But when the episode is finished, some readers may wonder how we ever came to care so much about a battle in which hardly any main characters are even remotely involved. Kari is far off and so is Flosi. It is clear that the subject of this saga is larger than any one person's story: rather, it is the narrative of a particular part of the world. When Flosi and Kari each make their pilgrimages, Rome is given less than a sentence and no description. When the earl declines Flosi's help, it almost comes off like an invitation for the reader to make the same pilgrimage to Rome to discover what was so important about the trip. After Christianity is established in medieval Iceland, there is no going back. For every Brodir, his guts will spread around a forest, but for every King Brian, his body will heal itself with the might of the Christian God. While the more Icelandic-centric plot does not come down this hard with the religious hammer, this episode certainly makes clear both the wrongness and ineffectiveness of heathenism in contrast to Christianity.
