Saga network
Njáls saga (Brennu-Njáls saga)
The Story of Burnt Njal, trans. Sir George Webbe Dasent (1861). 158 chapters, 193 characters resolved, 382 distinct social edges (514 typed edge records across seven relation types — see Methods for why those two counts differ).
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160 characters · 382 edges (514 typed edge records)
Network summary
0.030Density
0.235Avg. clustering
3.309Avg. path length
8Diameter
10Communities (Louvain)modularity 0.553
-0.152Degree assortativity
71.4%Structural balance35/49 triangles balanced
31Articulation pointsbridge characters
Metrics are computed on the semantic layer only (kinship, marriage, friendship, conversation, conflict, killing, support) — the much denser sentence co-occurrence layer (193 nodes, 1387 edges) is a baseline, not a claim about social structure. See Methods for what each number does and does not mean.
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Chapter 99: Of Gest Oddleif'S Son
Gest Oddleif's son dwelt at Hagi on Bardastrand, He was one of the wisest of men, so that he foresaw the fates and fortunes of men. He made a feast for Thangbrand and his men. They fared to Hagi with sixty men. Then it was said that there were two hundred heathen men to meet them, and that a Baresark was looked for to come thither, whose name was Otrygg, and all were afraid of him. Of him such great things as these were said, that he feared neither fire nor sword, and the heathen men were sore afraid at his coming. Then Thangbrand asked if men were willing to take the faith, but all the heathen men spoke against it. "Well," says Thangbrand, "I will give you the means whereby ye shall prove whether my faith is better. We will hallow two fires. The heathen men shall hallow one and I the other, but a third shall he unhallowed; and if the Baresark is afraid of the one that I hallow, but treads both the others, then ye shall take the faith." "That is well-spoken," says Gest, "and I will agree to this for myself and my household." And when Gest had so spoken, then many more agreed to it. Then it was said that the Baresark was coming up to the homestead, and then the fires were made and burned strong. Then men took their arms and sprang up on the benches, and so waited. The Baresark rushed in with his weapons. He comes into the room, and treads at once the fire which the heathen men had hallowed, and so comes to the fire that Thangbrand had hallowed, and dares not to tread it, but said that he was on fire all over. He hews with his sword at the bench, but strikes a cross-beam as he brandished the weapon aloft. Thangbrand smote the arm of the Baresark with his crucifix, and so mighty a token followed that the sword fell from the Baresark's hand. Then Thangbrand thrusts a sword into his breast, and Gudleif smote him on the arm and hewed it off. Then many went up and slew the Baresark. After that Thangbrand asked if they would take the faith now? Gest said he had only spoken what he meant to keep to. Then Thangbrand baptised Gest and all his house and many others. Then Thangbrand took counsel with Gest whether he should go any further west among the firths, but Gest set his face against that, and said they were a hard race of men there, and ill to deal with, "but if it be foredoomed that this faith shall make its way, then it will be taken as law at the Althing, and then all the chiefs out of the districts will be there". "I did all that I could at the Thing," says Thangbrand, "and it was very uphill work." "Still thou hast done most of the work," says Gest, "though it may be fated that others shall make Christianity law; but it is here as the saying runs, 'No tree falls at the first stroke'." After that Gest gave Thangbrand good gifts, and he fared back south. Thangbrand fared to the Southlander's Quarter, and so to the Eastfirths. He turned in as a guest at Bergthorsknoll, and Njal gave him good gifts. Thence he rode east to Alftafirth to meet Hall of the Side. He caused his ship to be mended, and heathen man called it "Iron-basket". On board that ship Thangbrand fared abroad, and Gudleif with him.
Table of contents
1. Of Fiddle Mord2. Hrut Woos Unna3. Hrut And Gunnhillda, Kings Mother4. Of Hrut'S Cruise5. Atli Arnvid Son'S Slaying6. Hrut Sails Out To Iceland7. Unna Separates From Hrut8. Mord Claims His Goods From Hrut9. Thorwald Gets Hallgerda To Wife10. Hallgerda'S Wedding11. Thorwald'S Slaying12. Thiostolf'S Flight13. Glum'S Wooing14. Glum'S Wedding15. Thiostolf Goes To Glum'S House16. Glum'S Sheep Hunt17. Glum'S Slaying18. Fiddle Mord'S Death19. Gunnar Comes Into The Story20. Of Njal And His Children21. Unna Goes To See Gunnar22. Njal'S Advice23. Huckster Hedinn24. Gunnar And Hrut Strive At The Thing25. Unna'S Second Wedding26. Of Asgrim And His Children27. Helgi Njal'S Son'S Wooing28. Hallvard Comes Out To Iceland29. Gunnar Goes Abroad30. Gunnar Goes A-Sea-Roving31. Gunnar Goes To King Harold Gorm'S Son And Earl Hacon32. Gunnar Comes Out To Iceland33. Gunnar'S Wooing34. Of Thrain Sigfus' Son35. The Visit To Bergthorsknoll36. Kol Slew Swart37. The Slaying Of Kol, Whom Atli Slew38. The Killing Of Atli The Thrall39. The Slaying Of Brynjolf The Unruly40. Gunnar And Njal Make Peace About Brynjolf'S Slaying41. Sigmund Comes Out To Iceland42. The Slaying Of Thord Freedsmanson43. Njal And Gunnar Make Peace For The Slaying Of Thord44. Sigmund Mocks Njal And His Sons45. The Slaying Of Sigmund And Skiolld46. Of Gizur The White And Geir The Priest47. Of Otkell In Kirkby48. How Hallgerda Makes Malcolm Steal From Kirkby49. Of Skamkell'S Evil Counsel50. Of Skamkell'S Lying51. Of Gunnar52. Of Runolf, The Son Of Wolf Aurpriest53. How Otkell Rode Over Gunnar54. The Fight At Rangriver55. Njal'S Advice To Gunnar56. Gunnar And Geir The Priest Strive At The Thing57. Of Starkad And His Sons58. How Gunnar'S Horse Fought59. Of Asgrim And Wolf Uggis' Son60. An Attack Against Gunnar Agreed On61. Gunnar'S Dream62. The Slaying Of Hjort And Fourteen Men63. Njal'S Counsel To Gunnar64. Of Valgard And Mord65. Of Fines And Atonements66. Of Thorgeir Otkell'S Son67. Of Thorgeir Starkad'S Son68. Of Njal And Those Namesakes69. Olaf The Peacock'S Gifts To Gunnar70. Mord'S Counsel71. The Slaying Of Thorgeir Otkell'S Son72. Of The Suits For Manslaughter At The Thing73. Of The Atonement74. Kolskegg Goes Abroad75. The Riding To Lithend76. Gunnar'S Slaying77. Gunnar Sings A Song Dead78. Gunnar Of Lithend Avenged79. Hogni Takes An Atonement For Gunnar'S Death80. Of Kolskegg: How He Was Baptised81. Of Thrain: How He Slew Kol82. Njal'S Sons Sail Abroad83. Of Kari Solmund'S Son84. Of Earl Sigurd85. The Battle With The Earls86. Hrapp'S Voyage From Iceland87. Thrain Took To Hrapp88. Earl Hacon Fights With Njal'S Sons89. Njal'S Sons And Kari Come Out To Iceland90. The Quarrel Of Njal'S Sons With Thrain Sigfus' Son91. Thrain Sigfus' Son'S Slaying92. Kettle Takes Hauskuld As His Foster-Son93. Njal Takes Hauskuld To Foster94. Of Flosi Thord'S Son95. Of Hall Of The Side96. Of The Change Of Faith97. Of Thangbrand'S Journeys98. Of Thangbrand And Gudleif99. Of Gest Oddleif'S Son100. Of Gizur The White And Hjallti101. Of Thorgeir Of Lightwater102. The Wedding Of Hauskuld, The Priest Of Whiteness103. The Slaying Of Hauskuld Njal'S Son104. The Slaying Of Lyting'S Brothers105. Of Amund The Blind106. Of Valgard The Guileful107. Of Mord And Njal'S Sons108. Of The Slander Of Mord Valgard'S Son109. Of Mord And Njal'S Sons110. The Slaying Of Hauskuld, The Priest Of Whiteness111. Of Hildigunna And Mord Valgard'S Son112. The Pedigree Of Gudmund The Powerful113. Of Snorri The Priest, And His Stock114. Of Flosi Thord'S Son115. Of Flosi And Hildigunna116. Of Flosi And Mord And The Sons Of Sigfus117. Njal And Skarphedinn Talk Together118. Asgrim And Njal'S Sons Pray Men For Help119. Of Skarphedinn And Thorkel Foulmouth120. Of The Pleading Of The Suit121. Of The Award Of Atonement Between Flosi And Njal122. Of The Judges123. An Attack Planned On Njal And His Sons124. Of Portents125. Flosi'S Journey From Home126. Of Portents At Bergthorsknoll127. The Onslaught On Bergthorsknoll128. Njal'S Burning129. Skarphedinn'S Death130. Of Kari Solmund'S Son131. Njal'S And Bergthora'S Bones Found132. Flosi'S Dream133. Of Flosi'S Journey And His Asking For Help134. Of Thorhall And Kari135. Of Flosi And The Burners136. Of Thorgeir Craggeir137. Of Eyjolf Bolverk'S Son138. Of Asgrim, And Gizur, And Kari139. Of Asgrim And Gudmund140. Of The Declarations Of The Suits141. Now Men Go To The Courts142. Of Eyjolf Bolverk'S Son143. The Counsel Of Thorhall Asgrim'S Son144. Battle At The Althing145. Of Kari And Thorgeir146. The Award Of Atonement With Thorgeir Craggeir147. Kari Comes To Bjorn'S House In The Mark148. Of Flosi And The Burners149. Of Kari And Bjorn150. More Of Kari And Bjorn151. Of Kari And Bjorn And Thorgeir152. Flosi Goes Abroad153. Kari Goes Abroad154. Gunnar Lambi'S Son'S Slaying155. Of Signs And Wonders156. Brian'S Battle157. The Slaying Of Kol Thorstein'S Son158. Of Flosi And Kari