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PCRN

Pre-Christian Religions of the North: Sources

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Gunnarr of Hlíðarendi dies and is buried in a grave mound. One night, the mound opens and Gunnarr is heard cheerfully composing verses, surrounded by burning lights. The account describes how the dead hero lives in his grave mound, offering a variant view of the pre-Christian afterlife.

text

[excerpt from] Nj ch. 78b

78b.

Sá atburður varð að Hlíðarenda að smalamaður og griðkona ráku fé hjá haugi Gunnars. Þeim þótti Gunnar vera kátur og kveða í hauginum. Fóru þau heim og sögðu Rannveigu móður Gunnars atburðinn en hún bað þau fara til Bergþórshvols og segja Njáli. Þau gerðu svo en hann lét segja sér þrem sinnum. Eftir það talaði hann lengi hljótt við Skarphéðinn.

Síðan tók Skarphéðinn öxi sína og fer með þeim til Hlíðarenda. Þau Högni og Rannveig tóku við honum allvel og urðu honum fegin mjög. Rannveig bað að hann væri þar lengi. Hann hét því. Þeir Högni gengu út og inn jafnan. Högni var maður vasklegur og vel að sér ger og tortryggur og þorðu þau fyrir því eigi að segja honum fyrirburðinn.

Þeir Skarphéðinn og Högni voru úti eitt kveld og voru fyrir sunnan haug Gunnars. Tunglskin var bjart en stundum dró fyrir. Þeim sýndist haugurinn opinn og hafði Gunnar snúist í hauginum og sá í móti tunglinu. Þeir þóttust sjá fjögur ljós í hauginum brenna og bar hvergi skugga á. Þeir sáu að Gunnar var kátlegur og með gleðibragði miklu. Hann kvað vísu og svo hátt að þó mátti heyra gjörla þó það þeir væru firr.

One day at Hliðarendi it happened that a shepherd and a servant woman were driving cattle past Gunnarr's mound. Gunnarr seemed to them to be in high spirits and reciting verses in the mound. They went home and told Gunnarr's mother Rannveig about this, and she asked them to tell Njáll. They went off to Bergþórshvol and told him, and he had them repeat it three times. Then he talked privately with Skarpheðinn for a long time.

Skarpheðinn took his axe and went back with the servants to Hliðarendi. Högni and Rannveig gave him a good welcome and were happy to see him. Rannveig asked him to stay for a long time, and he promised to do so. He and Högni were always going in and out together. Högni was a courageous and capable man, but mistrustful, and for this reason they did not dare to tell him about the apparition.

One evening Skarpheðinn and Högni were outside, to the south of Gunnarr's mound. The moon was shining brightly, though occasionally dimmed by clouds. It appeared to them that the mound was open, and that Gunnarr had turned around to look at the moon. They thought that they saw four lights burning in the mound, and that there were no shadows. They saw that Gunnarr was happy and had a very cheerful look. He recited a verse so loudly that they could hear it clearly, even at a distance.

[status: in progress]

commentary

context

This short episode occurs within the narrative Njáls saga, which is the longest of all Íslendingasögur ('Sagas of Icelanders'). It is thought to be written in the late 13th-century.

commentary

(Contributed by Anna Millward.)

tags

Main text: Njáls saga

Attributes: axe burial mound broken open Mound Chant Afterlife Burial living in mounds Mound dweller Fire

Named things:

Text sections: Anon Nj 78bV

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