The Njál's Saga on Mord Valgard's son

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 75. The Riding To Lithend

• attestation: Mord Valgard's son informed the conspirators that Gunnar would be alone at home during haymaking

  "Next autumn Mord Valgard's son sent word that Gunnar would be all alone at home, but all his people would be down in the isles to make an end of their haymaking."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 76. Gunnar'S Slaying

• attestation: Mord proposed burning Gunnar's hall but Gizur refused, saying that would never happen

  ""Let us burn him house and all," said Mord.

"That shall never be," says Gizur, "though I knew that my life lay on it""

• attestation: Mord devised a plan to use ropes and levers to pull the roof off Gunnar's hall

  "Then Mord said, "Let us take the ropes and throw one end over the end of the carrying beams, but let us fasten the other end to these rocks and twist them tight with levers, and so pull the roof off the hall.""

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 78. Gunnar Of Lithend Avenged

• attestation: Mord begged for mercy and offered full atonement when confronted at Hof

  "Mord was outside in the field, and begged for mercy, and offered them full atonement."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 79. Hogni Takes An Atonement For Gunnar'S Death

• attestation: Mord paid all the fines awarded in the settlement, with the awards offsetting each other

  "such a fine as was awarded, all that Mord paid; for they did not close their award against him before the other matter was already settled, and then they set off one award against the other."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 98. Of Thangbrand And Gudleif

• attestation: Mord and Valgard opposed Christianity

  "Mord and Valgard went much against it"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 107. Of Mord And Njal'S Sons

• attestation: Mord rode to Bergthorsknoll and cultivated great friendship with Skarphedinn and Njal's sons

  "Mord rode to Bergthorsknoll and saw Skarphedinn there; he fell into very fair words with them"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 108. Of The Slander Of Mord Valgard'S Son.

• attestation: Mord falsely told Skarphedinn that Hauskuld said he had broken the atonement with Lyting

  ""I have been told," says Mord, "that Hauskuld has said that thou, Skarphedinn, hast broken the atonement made with Lyting""

• attestation: Mord poisoned Skarphedinn by suggesting Hauskuld had treacherously lodged them in an outhouse

  ""he bade you to a feast at his house, and stowed you away in an outhouse that was farthest from the homestead""

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 109. Of Mord And Njal'S Sons

• attestation: Mord goaded Njal's sons and Kari to kill Hauskuld, warning they must strike first or Hauskuld would kill them

  "Mord slanders Hauskuld after his wont, and has now many new tales to tell, and does naught but egg Skarphedinn and them on to slay Hauskuld, and said he would be beforehand with them if they did not fall on him at once."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 120. Of The Pleading Of The Suit

• attestation: Mord Valgard's son let the suit fall from his hands and gave it over to the sons of Sigfus

  "Mord Valgard's son; he had then let the suit fall from his hand, and given it over to the sons of Sigfus."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 134. Of Thorhall And Kari

• attestation: Mord formally summoned the suit for the burning of Njal, naming witnesses and calling neighbours

  "Mord said he would lay his whole heart on it to do this well and manfully. After that Mord summoned"

• attestation: Mord named witnesses and summoned nine neighbours dwelling nearest to the scene of the burning

  "Mord named his witnesses "To bear witness, that I summon these nine neighbours who dwell nearest""

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

• attestation: Mord Valgard's son stood next to his father-in-law Gizur and was the readiest-tongued of all men

  "Mord Valgard's son stood next to Gizur his father-in-law, he was of all men the readiest-tongued."

• attestation: Mord gives formal legal notice of suit against Flosi for the assault and death-wound on Helgi Njal's son

  "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"

• attestation: The suit was declared at the Hill of Laws to be pleaded that summer for full outlawry against Flosi, handed over by Thorgeir Thorir's son

  "I gave notice of a suit which Thorgeir Thorir's son has handed over to me."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 141. Now Men Go To The Courts

• attestation: Mord draws by lot the right to declare his suit first before the Eastfirthers' Court

  "lots were cast as to the declarations, and he, Mord, drew the lot to declare his suit first."

• attestation: Mord takes an oath on the book before God to plead the suit truthfully, justly, and lawfully

  "I take an oath on the book, a lawful oath, and I say it before God, that I will so plead this suit in the most truthful, and most just and most lawful way, so far as I know"

• attestation: Mord formally declares the suit of outlawry before the Eastfirthers' Court, recounting his notice of assault against Flosi for the death of Helgi

  "I now declare this suit of outlawry in this shape before the court of the Eastfirthers over the head of John, as I uttered it when I gave notice of it."

• attestation: Mord declares the suit twice — once for the assault and once for the wounds — using the formulary name John as a legal placeholder

  "I now declare this suit of outlawry in this shape before the court of the Eastfirthers over the head of John, as I uttered it when I gave notice of it."

• attestation: Mord nullifies Eyjolf's challenge by proving that men who own dairystock worth three hundreds have the same right to sit on the inquest as landowners

  "every man has a right to sit on an inquest of neighbours, who owns three hundreds in land or more, though he may have no dairystock; and he too has the same right who lives by dairystock worth the same sum, though he leases no land."

• attestation: Mord swears the greater part of the inquest was rightly summoned, restoring the prosecution

  "Mord went to the court, and took witness, and swore an oath that the greater part of the inquest was rightly summoned, and said then that he had set the prosecution on its feet again"

• attestation: Mord calls on Flosi to begin his defence after all steps and proofs have been brought forward

  "I call on Flosi, or that man who has to undertake the lawful defence which he has handed over to him, to begin his defence"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 143. The Counsel Of Thorhall Asgrim'S Son

• attestation: Mord summons Flosi at the Hill of Laws for giving money to Eyjolf for his help at the Thing

  "I summon Flosi Thord's son, for that he gave money for his help here at the Thing to Eyjolf Bolverk's son."

• attestation: Mord takes the Fifth Court oath before God, swearing he has not brought money into court and will plead truthfully

  "I pray God so to help me in this light and in the next, as I shall plead this suit as I know to be most truthful, and just, and lawful. I believe with all my heart that Flosi is truly guilty in this suit"

• attestation: Mord summoned nine neighbours who lived nearest the Thingfield for the Fifth Court inquest

  "Mord had summoned nine neighbours who lived next to the Thingfield on the inquest in the suit"

• attestation: Mord calls on Flosi to begin his defence after all steps have been taken in the Fifth Court

  "I bid Flosi Thord's son, or that other man who has taken his lawful defence in hand, now to begin their defence"

• attestation: The foreman sums up all the steps of the Fifth Court case against Flosi, using the exact words from each stage of the proceedings

  "He summed up first how Mord had bade them listen to his oath, and to his declaration of the suit, and to all the steps and proofs in it"

• attestation: Mord sets aside six men from the court and offers Flosi and Eyjolf the chance to set aside six more, but they decline

  "he offered Eyjolf and Flosi, before witnesses, to call out by name and set aside other six men, but Flosi and Eyjolf would not call them out."