s though Mord would be true
to him, and so the end of their counsel was that Mord should give
notice of the slaying, and get ready the suit in every way before
the Thing.

Then Mord fared down to Ossaby, and thither came nine neighbours
who dwelt nearest the spot.

Mord had ten men with him. He shows the neighbours Hauskuld's
wounds, and takes witness to the hurts, and names a man as the
dealer of every wound save one; that he made as though he knew
not who had dealt it, but that wound he had dealt himself. But
the slaying he gave notice of at Skarphedinn's hand, and the
wounds at his brothers' and Kari's.

After that he called on nine neighbours who dwelt nearest the
spot to ride away from home to the Althing on the inquest.

After that he rode home. He scarce ever met Njal's sons, and
when he did meet them, he was cross, and that was part of their
plan.

The slaying of Hauskuld was heard over all the land, and was
ill-spoken of. Njal's sons went to see Asgrim Ellidagrim's son,
and asked him for aid.

"Ye very well know that ye may look that I shall help you in all
great suits, but still my heart is heavy about this suit, for
there are many who have the blood feud, and this slaying is ill-
spoken of over all the land."

Now Njal's sons fare home.

112. THE PEDIGREE OF GUDMUND THE POWERFUL

There was a man named Gudmund the Powerful, who dwelt at
Modruvale in Eyjafirth. He was the son of Eyjolf the son of
Einar (1). Gudmund was a mighty chief, wealthy in goods; he had
in his house a hundred hired servants. He overbore in rank and
weight all the chiefs in the north country, so that some left
their homesteads, but some he put to death, and some gave up
their priesthoods for his sake, and from him are come the
greatest part of all the picked and famous families in the land,
such as "the Pointdwellers" and the "Sturlungs" and the
"Hvamdwellers," and the "Fleetmen," and Kettle the Bishop, and
many of the greatest men.

Gudmund was a friend of Asgrim Ellidagrim's son, and so he hoped
to get his help.

ENDNOTES:

(1) Einar was the son of Audun the Bald, the son of Thorolf
Butter, the son of Thorstein the Unstable, the son of Grim
with the Tuft. The mother of Gudmund was Hallberg, the
daughter of Thorodd Helm, but the mother of Hallbera was
Reginleifa, daughter of Saemund the South-islander; after
him is named Saemundslithe in Skagafirth. The mother of
Eyjolf, G