Word: njal
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...Njal's Saga, known to every schoolchild, the hero is burned to death, and it falls to his son-in-law Kari to avenge the family. Coldly, he knocks off 15 of his enemies, but then suddenly the killing stops. He feels he has overdone it. He asks the pardon of his chief antagonist, and stability is restored. As it is in Hrafnkel's Saga, where, after the obligatory killings and counterkillings, the hero refuses to execute his archrival and chooses to re-establish the balance in the country...
...Njal was fair of aspect and beardless, and so great a lawyer that his equal could not be found. Njal and Gunnar used in alternate years to entertain each other for friendship's sake. On such an occasion Hallgertha taunts Njal as being beardless, but Gunnar and Njal refuse to quarrel. Again Hallgertha makes a shameless jest on Njal, but the sturdy men remain true in their friendship...
...fatality that had dragged Gunnar to his death seems now to pursue the family of Njal. The conspicuous character in this second part is Skarphethin, stalwart, always grimly smiling with his battle axe upraised. He kills his foster brother, and when at the Olthing a bully upbraids him, he smiled and striking forward said "Do now one of two things Thorkell foul-mouth, sheath your sword and set down or I'll drive the axe into your head, and cleave you down into the shoulders." Thorkell sat down. Njal and his sons are attacked and the house set on fire...
...Njala is generally esteemed the most perfect of Icelandic Saga. As a work of art, however, Professor Smith thinks it is inferior to the Eigla. The Njal is not like the Eigla, a single picture. In it we meet with a multitude of personages all thoroughly individualized, and the phases of Icelandic life are described with sympathy and richness of detail...
...Njal of the Saga is a man in intellectual stature above his age and fellows. His was too great a nature, too clear and vigorous an intellect for the Asa teachings entirely to satisfy. The ruins of Njal's hall remain, and for the Icelander only the Thiny-fields, the site of the great moots of the commonwealth, surpass Hlitharendi (end of slope) Gunnar's home, and Bergthorshool (Bergthor's hill) Njal's home in richness of associations...