The Njál's Saga on Skarphedinn

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 34. Of Thrain Sigfus' Son

• relationship: Skarphedinn was Njal and Bergthora's son

  "Bergthora, Skarphedinn's daughter"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 37. The Slaying Of Kol, Whom Atli Slew

• attribution: Skarphedinn remarked that thralls had become more manly than before

  "Thralls are men of more mettle than of yore; they used to fly at each other and fight, and no one thought much ha"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 40. Gunnar And Njal Make Peace About Brynjolf'S Slaying

• attribution: Skarphedinn observed that the slain man must have been doubly fated to die at their foster-father's hand

  "That man, though, must have been twice fey," he says, "who lost his life by our foster-father's hand, who has never seen man's bl"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 44. Sigmund Mocks Njal And His Sons

• attestation: Skarphedinn and his brothers resolved to kill Sigmund for the insults to their father

  "Skarphedinn"

• attestation: Njal's sons were deeply angered by the insulting verses and planned revenge

  "dungbeard boys"

• attestation: Njal's sons Skarphedinn, Grim, and Helgi took counsel on how to punish Sigmund

  "Njal's sons"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 45. The Slaying Of Sigmund And Skiolld

• attestation: Njal's sons traveled overnight to Fleetlithe to ambush Sigmund and Skiolld at dawn

  "Now they, Njal's sons, fare up to Fleetlithe, and were that night under the Lithe, and when the day began to break, they came near to Lithend."

• attestation: Skarphedinn offered Sigmund's severed head to a shepherd to take to Hallgerda

  "Skarphedinn put Sigmund's head"

• attestation: The killings avenged the mocking verses against Njal and the death of Thord Freedmanson

  "Njal's sons"

• attestation: The attack was planned for early morning when the victims would be vulnerable

  "when the day began to break"

• attestation: Njal's sons demonstrated ruthless efficiency in executing the revenge killing

  "Njal's sons, fare up to Fleetlithe"

• attestation: The shepherd delivered news of the killings but was too afraid to bring Sigmund's head

  "Skarphedinn put Sigmund's head into my hands," he says, "and bade me bring it thee; but I dared not do it, for I knew not how thou wouldst like that."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 58. How Gunnar'S Horse Fought

• attestation: Skarphedinn was present at the horse-fight and supported Gunnar

  "Skarphedinn"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 77. Gunnar Sings A Song Dead

• attestation: Skarphedinn and Hogni saw Gunnar's cairn open, with four shadowless lights burning and Gunnar looking joyfully at the moon

  "they thought they saw the cairn standing open, and lo! Gunnar had turned himself in the cairn and looked at the moon. They thought they saw four lights burning in the cairn, and none of them threw a shadow."

• attestation: Skarphedinn interpreted Gunnar's appearance as teaching them they must seek vengeance

  ""Such tokens as these mean much," says Skarphedinn, "when he shows himself to us, he who would sooner die than yield to his foes; and see how he has taught us what we ought to do.""

• attestation: Skarphedinn pledged to help Hogni avenge Gunnar, honouring Njal's promise to Gunnar

  ""Now," says Skarphedinn, "will I bear in mind how Gunnar behaved after the slaying of your kinsman Sigmund; now I will yield you such help as I may. My father gave his word to Gunnar to do that whenever thou or thy mother had need of it.""

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

• attestation: Skarphedinn urged immediate departure at night to prevent the enemies from being forewarned

  ""Now we shall set off at once," says Skarphedinn, "this very night; for if they learn that I am here, they will be more wary of themselves.""

• attestation: Two ravens flew alongside Skarphedinn and Hogni as they travelled to the Point

  "they fare to the Point, and two ravens flew along with them all the way."

• attestation: Skarphedinn killed Tjorfi and Hogni killed Hroald with the bill at the Point

  "Skarphedinn smites Tjorfi his deathblow. Hroald had a spear in his hand, and Hogni rushes at him; Hroald thrusts at him, but Hogni hewed asunder the spear-shaft with his bill, and drives the bill through him."

• attestation: Skarphedinn killed Starkad by the fence at Threecorner and Hogni killed Thorgeir with the bill

  "Skarphedinn cut him down by the fence. Then Hogni comes against Thorgeir and slays him with the bill."

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

• attestation: Skarphedinn sang an insulting verse calling Hallgerda a hag fit for the ingle or a tramping whore

  "Carline thrust into the ingle, Or a tramping whore, art thou"

• attestation: Skarphedinn told Helgi to beat Hrapp rather than argue with him

  ""Don't bandy words with Hrapp," said Skarphedinn, "but give him a red skin for a grey.""

• attestation: Skarphedinn prophetically replied that one of them would scatter gravel over the other's head

  ""'Twill be proved soon enough, I dare say," says Skarphedinn, "which of us is to scatter gravel over the other's head.""

• attestation: Skarphedinn told Njal they had called no witnesses and meant to settle the insults on the battlefield

  ""We called none," says Skarphedinn; "we do not mean to follow that suit up except on the battle-field.""

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

• attestation: Skarphedinn wore a blue cape with a targe and his axe on his shoulder; Helgi wore red with a hart-marked shield; Kari wore silk with a lion shield

  "Skarphedinn was foremost. He was in a blue cape, and had a targe, and his axe aloft on his shoulder. Next to him went Helgi; he was in a red kirtle, had a helm on his head, and a red shield, on which a hart was marked. Next to him went Kari; he had on a silken jerkin, a gilded helm and shield, and on it was drawn a lion."

• attestation: Skarphedinn told Njal they were going on a 'sheep hunt', echoing his words before killing Sigmund the White

  ""On a sheep hunt," he said.

"So it was once before," said Njal, "but then ye hunted men.""

• attestation: Skarphedinn recalled that his earlier 'sheep hunt' was when he slew Sigmund the White to avenge his foster-father Thord Freedmanson

  ""When I slew Sigmund the White," says Skarphedinn, "Gunnar of Lithend's kinsman."

"For what?" asks Kari.

"He had slain Thord Freedmanson, my foster-father.""

• attestation: Skarphedinn's shoe-string broke while running down to the Fleet, causing him to fall behind

  "it happened to Skarphedinn, as they ran down along the Fleet, that his shoe-string snapped asunder, and he stayed behind."

• attestation: Skarphedinn lifted his axe called 'the ogress of war' and ran toward the unfordable Fleet

  "Skarphedinn sprang up as soon as he was ready, and had lifted his axe, "the ogress of war," aloft, and runs right down to the Fleet."

• attestation: Skarphedinn leapt over the stream and slid across the ice sheet as fast as a bird flies

  "Skarphedinn takes a spring into the air, and leaps over the stream between the icebanks, and does not check his course, but rushes still onwards with a slide. The sheet of ice was very slippery, and so he went as fast as a bird flies."

• attestation: Skarphedinn struck Thrain on the head with his axe 'the ogress of war' and clove him down to the teeth so his jaw-teeth fell on the ice

  "Skarphedinn bore down on them, and hews at Thrain with his axe, "the ogress of war," and smote him on the head, and clove him down to the teeth, so that his jaw-teeth fell out on the ice."

• attestation: The killing was done so swiftly that no one could strike back at Skarphedinn as he glided away

  "This feat was done with such a quick sleight that no one could get a blow at him; he glided away from them at once at full speed."

• attestation: Skarphedinn measured his leap over the Fleet at twelve ells, about twenty-four feet

  "Kari and the others measured the length of the leap with their spear-shafts, and it was twelve ells (5)."

• attestation: Skarphedinn captured Grani Gunnar's son and Gunnar Lambi's son but spared them both

  ""Here have I caught two whelps! but what shall we do with them?

"It is in thy power," says Helgi, "to slay both or either of them, if you wish them dead."

"I cannot find it in my heart to do both -- help Hogni and slay his brother," says Skarphedinn."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > Endnotes:

• attestation: Skarphedinn's axe was named 'the ogress of war' and the verse refers to it as 'noisy ogre's namesake'

  "(4) "Noisy ogre's namesake," an allusion to the name of Skarp hedinn's axe, "the ogress of war.""

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 103. The Slaying Of Hauskuld Njal'S Son

• attestation: Skarphedinn acknowledged his mother's goading as just and sang a verse before they set out

  ""Our mother eggs us on now with a just goading," said Skarphedinn, and sang a song."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 104. The Slaying Of Lyting'S Brothers

• attestation: Skarphedinn leapt over the stream and cut off Hallgrim's leg, then hewed asunder Hallstein's backbone

  "Skarphedinn smites at Hallgrim's thigh, so that he cut the leg clean off, but he grasps Hallstein with his left hand."

• attestation: Skarphedinn killed Hallstein with a side blow from his axe 'the ogress of war' that severed his backbone

  "Skarphedinn made a side blow at him with his axe, "the ogress of war," and hews asunder his backbone."

• attestation: Skarphedinn criticized Njal for granting Lyting terms but accepted his father's judgment

  ""He must have come to ask a boon for Lyting then," said Skarphedinn.

"So it was," says Njal.

"Ill was it then," says Grim."

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

• attestation: Skarphedinn noted Mord had never sought their friendship before but accepted it

  "Skarphedinn took it all well, but said he had never sought for anything of the kind before."

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

• attestation: Skarphedinn gave Hauskuld a brown stallion and two mares at their yearly feast

  "Skarphedinn had a brown horse four winters old, both tall and sightly. He was a stallion, and had never yet been matched in fight. That horse Skarphedinn gave to Hauskuld, and along with him two mares."

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

• attestation: Skarphedinn agreed to act if Mord would ride with them and participate in the killing

  ""I will let thee have thy way in this," says Skarphedinn, "if thou wilt ride with us""

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 110. The Slaying Of Hauskuld, The Priest Of Whiteness

• attestation: Skarphedinn and his band had agreed that they would all give Hauskuld a wound

  "Skarphedinn and his band had agreed that they would all give him a wound."

• attestation: When Hauskuld saw Skarphedinn he tried to turn away but Skarphedinn struck him in the head, and Hauskuld fell on his knees praying

  "when Hauskuld saw him he wanted to turn away, and Skarphedinn hewed at him"

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 117. Njal And Skarphedinn Talk Together

• attestation: Skarphedinn said they would ride to Tongue to Asgrim Ellidagrim's son and then to the Thing

  ""we shall ride to Tongue to Asgrim Ellidagrim's son, and thence to the Thing""

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 119. Of Skarphedinn And Thorkel Foulmouth

• attestation: Skarphedinn told Thorkel to sheathe his sword or have the axe driven into his head to the chine

  ""Now, Thorkel Foulmouth, do one of these two things: sheathe thy sword and sit thee down, or I drive the axe into thy head and cleave thee down to the chine.""

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 122. Of The Judges

• attestation: Skarphedinn recognized one item in the pile was a pair of breeches and a silk cloak, and mocked it

  ""Who may have given that pair of breeches and cloak?""

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 128. Njal'S Burning

• attestation: Skarphedinn mocked the attackers for lighting a fire, asking if they were cooking

  ""What, lads! are ye making a fire, or are ye cooking?""

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

• attestation: Skarphedinn tried to run out along the cross-beam after Kari but it had burnt through and he fell back into the fire

  "Skarphedinn runs out on the cross-beam straight after Kari, but when he came to where the beam was most burnt, it broke under him"

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

• attestation: Skarphedinn's slaying was set off against the slaying of Hauskuld the Whiteness Priest with no additional payment

  "The slaying of Skarphedinn was to be set off against that of Hauskuld the Whiteness Priest."