The Njál's Saga on Kari Solmund's son

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 83. Of Kari Solmund'S Son

• attestation: Kari Solmund's son arrived with ships from the Southern Isles, rescuing Njal's sons from the Vikings

  ""My name is Kari, and I am Solmund's son."

"Whence comest thou?" says Helgi.

"From the Southern Isles.""

• attestation: Kari was described as wearing a silken kirtle, gilded helm, and carrying a gold-inlaid spear

  "stood a man by the mast, who was clad in a silken kirtle, and had a gilded helm, and his hair was both fair and thick; that man had a spear inlaid with gold in his hand."

• attestation: Kari killed Snowcolf with a mighty sword stroke that cleft his shoulder, arm and all

  "Kari smites at him, and the sword fell on his shoulder, and the stroke was so mighty that he cleft in twain shoulder, arm, and all, and Snowcolf got his death there and then."

• attestation: The remaining Vikings were given peace after Kari and Njal's sons cleared the ships

  "they went round the whole ship on both boards, and then men begged for mercy. So they gave them all peace, but took all their goods."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 84. Of Earl Sigurd

• attestation: Kari served in Earl Sigurd's body-guard and had been collecting tribute in the Southern Isles from Earl Gilli

  "Kari was one of Earl Sigurd's body-guard, and had just been gathering scatts in the Southern Isles from Earl Gilli."

• attestation: Kari brought Njal's sons to Hrossey and secured them places in the earl's body-guard

  "Now Kari asks them to go to Hrossey (1), and said the earl would take to them well."

• attestation: Kari confirmed that Helgi's father Njal possessed the second sight

  ""Nay," says Kari, "Helgi is not that kind of man, and like enough his words are sooth, for his father has the second sight.""

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 85. The Battle With The Earls

• attestation: Kari killed Earl Melsnati by catching his thrown spear and hurling it back through him

  "Kari turns to meet Earl Melsnati, and Melsnati hurled a spear at him, but Kari caught the spear and threw it back and through the earl."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 88. Earl Hacon Fights With Njal'S Sons.

• attestation: Njal's sons wanted to attack and kill the earl but Kari said it was not fated

  ""To fall on the earl," they say, "and slay him."

"This will not be fated," says Kari"

• attestation: Kari delivered the Orkney scatts to Earl Hacon and refused to hand over Njal's sons

  "Kari sailed in to Hlada to meet the earl, and brought him the Orkney scatts, so the earl said, "Hast thou taken Njal's sons into thy keeping?"

"So it is, sure enough," says Kari."

• attestation: They harried through Anglesea, the Southern Isles, Cantyre, Wales, and Alan

  "They harried south about Anglesea and all the Southern isles. Thence they held on to Cantyre, and landed there, and fought with the landsmen, and got thence much goods, and so fared to their ships. Thence they fared south to Wales, and harried there."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 89. Njal'S Sons And Kari Come Out To Iceland

• attestation: Kari and Njal's sons returned to Iceland, landing at Eyrar and riding to Bergthorsknoll

  "they got a fine fair breeze, and made the land at Eyrar. Then they got them horses and ride from the ship to Bergthorsknoll"

• relationship: Kari asked for Njal's daughter Helga in marriage, backed by Helgi and Grim

  "Kari asked for Njal's daughter, Helga, to wife, and Helgi and Grim backed his suit"

• attestation: Kari and Helga's wedding feast was held half a month before midsummer

  "the feast was held half a month before mid-summer"

• attestation: Kari bought land at Dyrholms east by Mydale and set up a farm with a steward

  "Kari bought him land at Dyrholms, east away by Mydale, and set up a farm there; they put in there a grieve and housekeeper to see after the farm"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 90. The Quarrel Of Njal'S Sons With Thrain Sigfus' Son

• attestation: Kari went to Gritwater at Njal's counsel to discuss the matter with Thrain, but they disagreed

  "Kari fares to meet Thrain, and then they talk over the matter, and they did not each look at it in the same way."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 91. Thrain Sigfus' Son'S Slaying

• attestation: Kari said Skarphedinn would not be slower than the rest despite his delay

  ""Let us get on ahead," says Kari; "methinks he will not be slower than we.""

• attestation: Kari praised Skarphedinn's feat saying 'This was done like a man'

  ""This was done like a man," says Kari."

• attestation: Kari killed Tjorvi by hewing into his breast with a sword after leaping over a thrown spear

  "Kari leapt up in the air, and the spear flew below his feet. Then Kari rushes at him, and hews at him on the breast with his sword, and the blow passed at once into his chest, and he got his death there and then."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 129. Skarphedinn'S Death

• attestation: Kari encountered Ingialld of Keldur on the river bank and told him of the burning

  "he saw a man riding down on the other bank of the river and he knew that there was Ingialld of Keldur"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 130. Of Kari Solmund'S Son

• attestation: Kari rode from the burning to Tongue to meet Asgrim Ellidagrim's son and seek help for vengeance

  "Kari Solmund's son fared away from that hollow in which he had rested"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 131. Njal'S And Bergthora'S Bones Found

• attestation: Kari asked Hjallti to search for Njal's bones because everyone would trust his testimony

  "Kari bade Hjallti to go and search for Njal's bones, "For all will believe in what thou sayest and takest upon thee""

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 140. Of The Declarations Of The Suits

• attestation: Kari Solmund's son declared suits against Kol Thorstein's son, Gunnar Lambi's son, and Grani Gunnar's son, and spoke wondrous well

  "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."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 144. Battle At The Althing

• attestation: Kari tells Asgrim it would be shameful if Thorhall alone avenges the burning, prompting Asgrim to call the attack

  "Here, now, is come Thorhall thy son, and has straightway slain a man, and this is a great shame, if he alone shall have the heart to avenge the burning."

• attestation: Kari kills Arni Kol's son by cutting through his shoulder blade, collar-bone, and down into his breast

  "Kari cut at once at him, and smote him on the shoulder, and cut asunder the shoulder blade and collar-bone, and the blow went right down into his breast, and Arni fell down dead at once to earth."

• attestation: Kari attacks Bjarni Broddhelgi's son but a man interposes his shield; Kari's sword cuts through the shield and rips the man's leg from thigh to ankle

  "Kari cleft the shield in twain, and the point of the sword caught his thigh, and ripped up the whole leg down to the ankle. That man fell there and then, and was ever after a cripple so long as he lived."

• attestation: Kari kills Eyjolf Bolverk's son with a spear through the waist

  "Kari, and snatched a spear from a man, and hurled it at Eyjolf, and it struck him in the waist, and went through him, and Eyjolf then fell dead to earth."

• attestation: Kari refuses any atonement, saying his son Thord remains unavenged

  "Though all others take an atonement in their quarrels, yet will I take no atonement in my quarrel"

• attestation: Kari mocks Skapti in verse for hiding under a booth during the battle while his beard blushed red for shame

  "Who was he, fainthearted foeman, Who, when tongues of steel sung high, Stole beneath the booth for shelter, While his beard blushed red for shame?"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 145. Of Kari And Thorgeir

• attestation: Kari and Thorgeir learn from local women at Selialandsmull that the sons of Sigfus passed through heading for Myrdale

  "They were last night," they said, "at Raufarfell, and meant to get to Myrdale to-night"

• attestation: Kari praises Thorgeir's reputation of killing seven men in sea-crags, which is how Thorgeir got his surname Craggeir

  "thou slewest those seven in the sea-crags"

• attestation: They take the sleeping sons of Sigfus's spears and throw them in the river, then wake them to fight fairly

  "They took the spears from them, and threw them into the river.

Then Thorgeir said, "Wilt thou that we wake them?""

• attestation: Kari insists they not slay sleeping men, calling it a shameful manslaughter

  "thou hast not already made up thy mind not to fall on sleeping men, and so to slay a shameful manslaughter."

• attestation: Kari simultaneously fights three opponents — he thrusts his spear through Sigmund Sigfus' son and cuts Mord Sigfus' son in two at the hip and backbone

  "He thrust with the right hand at Sigmund Sigfus' son, and smote him on his breast, and the spear came out between his shoulders, and down he fell and was dead at once, With his left hand he made a cut at Mord, and smote him on the hip, and cut it asunder, and his backbone too"

• attestation: Kari leaps over Lambi Sigurd's son's spear thrust by stretching his legs apart in mid-air, then snaps the spear shaft by jumping on it

  "Kari caught sight of him, and leapt up as the blow fell, and stretched his legs far apart, and so the blow spent itself on the ground, but Kari jumped down on the spear- shaft, and snapped it in sunder."

• attestation: Kari spares Kettle of the Mark because they married sisters

  "He rides last," says Kari, "whom I would not wish to slay, and that is Kettle of the Mark, for we have two sisters to wife"

• attestation: They slew five and put ten to flight out of fifteen; men long remembered this feat

  "they rode upon fifteen men and slew those five, but put those ten to flight who got away."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 146. The Award Of Atonement With Thorgeir Craggeir

• attestation: Kari urges Thorgeir to accept the atonement, saying his lot cannot be better than good

  "I pray this of thee, Thorgeir, that thou wilt be atoned, for thy lot cannot be better than good."

• attestation: Kari refuses atonement for himself, saying the burning is avenged but his son remains unavenged

  "I will not take any atonement," says Kari, "but yet I say that we have avenged the burning; but my son, I say, is still unavenged, and I mean to take that on myself alone"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 147. Kari Comes To Bjorn'S House In The Mark

• attestation: Kari leaves Thorgeir's protection to avoid implicating him in future killings

  "as soon as ever I slay a man they will be sure to say that thou wert in the plot with me, and I will not have that!"

• relationship: Kari entrusts his goods and the estates of his wife Helga Njal's daughter and three daughters to Thorgeir

  "thou wouldst let me hand over in trust to thee my goods, and the estates of me and my wife Helga Njal's daughter, and my three daughters"

• attestation: Kari spreads false news through Bjorn that he has gone north to Gudmund the Powerful

  "Kari made Bjorn tell his neighbours that he had met Kari on the beaten track, and that he rode thence up into Godaland, and so north to Goose-sand, and then north to Gudmund the Powerful"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 149. Of Kari And Bjorn

• attestation: Kari plans to ride east stealthily across Flosi's country to catch a ship at Alftafirth

  "We shall ride east across the fell and down into Skaptartongue, and fare stealthily over Flosi's country, for I have it in my mind to get myself carried abroad east in Alftafirth."

• attestation: Modolf Kettle's son attacks Kari with a spear that sticks in his shield; Kari twists the spear off and cuts Modolf's hand, arm, and side with his sword

  "Kari's sword fell on Modolf's hilt, and glanced off it on to Modolf's wrist, and took the arm off, and down it fell, and the sword too. Then Kari's sword passed on into Modolf's side, and between his ribs, and so Modolf f"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 150. More Of Kari And Bjorn

• attestation: Kari kills Glum Hildir's son by cutting off his thigh high up, after Bjorn hews the head off Glum's spear

  "Kari leant on one side and smote at Glum with his sword, and the blow fell on his thigh, and took off the limb high up in the thigh, and Glum died at once."

• attestation: Kari thrusts his sword through Vebrand son of Thorbrand, then hews off both of Asbrand's feet

  "Kari flew at Vebrand and thrust his sword through him, but afterwards he hewed off both of Asbrand's feet from under him."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 151. Of Kari And Bjorn And Thorgeir

• attestation: Kari and Bjorn hide under the banks with their horses among wild oats until the search party gives up

  "they ride down on the Sand, and lead their horses under the banks where the wild oats grew, and cut the oats for them, that they might not die of hunger."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 153. Kari Goes Abroad

• attestation: Kari and Kolbein the Black sail from Eyrar half a month after Flosi, making landfall at Fair Isle between Shetland and the Orkneys

  "Those messmates Kari and Kolbein the Black put out to sea from Eyrar half a month later than Flosi and his companions from Hornfirth.

They got a fine fair wind, and were but a short time out. The first land they made was the Fair Isle, it lies between Shetland and the Orkneys."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 154. Gunnar Lambi'S Son'S Slaying

• attestation: Kari, Kolbein, and David arrive unannounced at the earl's homestead in Hrossey on Yule-day

  "Kari and Kolbein and David the White came to Hrossey unawares to all men. They went straightway up on land"

• attestation: Kari overhears Gunnar's false account and immediately strikes — cutting off Gunnar's jaw with a blow

  "And so he went on"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 157. The Slaying Of Kol Thorstein'S Son

• attestation: Kari gets a longship from master Skeggi, fully trimmed and manned, and sails south through Scotland's firths

  "master Skeggi gave Kari a longship, fully trimmed and manned, and on board it went Kari, and David the White, and Kolbein the Black."

• attestation: Kari learns Flosi has gone to Wales and pursues him south

  "Flosi was gone to Wales, and his men with him.

But when Kari heard that, he told his messmates that he would hold on south to Wales, to fall in with Flosi and his band."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 158. Of Flosi And Kari

• attestation: Kari makes a pilgrimage from Normandy south to Rome where he receives absolution, then sails back to Caithness

  "Kari that the summer after he went down to his ship and sailed south across the sea, and began his pilgrimage in Normandy, and so went south and got absolution and fared back by the western way"

• attestation: Kari returns to master Skeggi's house at Thraswick in Caithness after completing his pilgrimage

  "he came to Thraswick in Caithness, to master Skeggi's house."