588 REVENGE. 



though he was not legitimate.' Bergthora (Njal's wife) said : 

 ' It is strange that you slay men for slight reasons, while you 

 ponder over and digest this matter until nothing comes of it ; 

 Hoskuld Hvitanesgodi will soon be here and ask you to come 

 to terms, and you will grant him them ; if you intend to do 

 anything, do it now.' Skarphedin said : ' Now our mother 

 incites us with lawful provocation ' ' (Njala, c. 98). 



Then follows in the Saga a long account of how the two 

 brothers of Lyting were killed, and how he himself was wounded 

 and escaped. Lyting went to a man called Hoskuld, who was 

 a godi, and asked him to reconcile him with Njal and his 

 sons. Hoskuld consented, and went with him to Njal's 

 home. 



If a man intentionally wounded an innocent man, or 

 offended him in such a way that full rett was due to him, the 

 offended could slay him if he had not offered surety. 



It was not uncommon to resort to arbitration when cases of 

 revenge occurred for which weregild would have to be paid. 



Gunnar of Hlidarendi, the famous champion, with his brother 

 Kolskegg had slain eight men. After the prosecution of the 

 case had begun at the Althing, some proposed that good men 

 should arbitrate. 



" It was determined, according to the advice of the wisest 

 men, that all the suits which followed should be submitted to 

 arbitration; six men to arbitrate, and it was done at once at 

 the Althing. It was decided that the death of Skamkel should 

 not be paid for, the wound of the spur making up for the 

 wergild ; for the other a befitting payment was made. The 

 kinsmen of Gunnar gave property, so that all the weregilds 

 were at once paid at the Althing " (Njala, c. 56). 



Manslaughter was murder if it was not acknowledged by 

 the slayer ; if there was no witness to the deed, he had to 

 acknowledge it at the farm nearest to the place of slaughter, 

 and tell his name and home. If kinsmen of the slain were 

 present, he might pass the place ; but in no case could he go 

 further than the third farm without declaring it. 



" Further, if men meet at the crossing of roads, and the one 

 slays the other, and the man is alive when people come to him, 

 then he is the slayer whom the man declares to be, unless the 

 great evidence help him. If another man declares himself to 



