Chapter Summaries of Njal’s Saga: 1. Hoskuld has a feast for his friends, and his brother Hrut is in attendance. Hoskuld asks Hrut his thoughts about his beautiful daughter, Hallgerd. Hrut admits that Hallgerd is extremely beautiful, but wonders how “the eyes of a thief” entered into the family. Hoskuld and Hrut have the same mother (Thorgerda) but have different fathers. Hoskuld asks Hrut what he thinks of his daughter and Hrut says what is a thief doing in the family, Hoskuld gets upset and the brothers end up not really talking after that incident. 2. Hoskuld encourages Hrut to marry Unn, the daughter of Mord Gigja. Mord and Hrut agree to the terms of marriage, and Hrut and Unn are set to marry in two weeks time. Soon after Hrut finds out that he must leave at once to retrieve an inheritance that might be stolen by his enemies. The marriage is postponed and Unn is promised to Hrut for three years. Flashback(?) to when Hoskuld and Hrut were talking about Hrut getting married. They are at Althing where hoskuld brings up Unna and asks to meet her. Hrut is unsure that they would get along but Hoskuld said he will talk to her father and praises Hrut so that he could marry Unna. Mord says that he is unsure because Unna will have a big inheritance, so if they have kids they need to split it evenly amongst the two. Unna and Hrut are set to be married “half a month after Midsummer.” But Hrut’s property is at risk of beign stolen unless he goes to the land to claim it with Auzur. Hrut meets up with Mord and lets him know that the deal needs to be changed so that Unna waits for Hrut for three winters. Hrut sails to Hern first and then goes eastward. 3. Hrut arrives on the shores of Norway. Gunnhild helps Hrut win over the king and promises to help him. Hrut pledges his allegiance to King Harald Grey-cloak; “lays” with Queen Gunnhild. 4. Gunnhild and the king give ships to Hrut in order to pursue Soti who had fled to Denmark with Hrut’s inheritance. 5. Hrut encounters Atli, and they engage in battle. Hrut kills and defeats Atli and leaves to take his newly acquired bounty back to the king. Meanwhile, Soti returns to the shores of Norway, and Queen Gunnhild sends her son, Gudrod, to kill him. Gudrod hangs Soti and returns Hrut’s inheritance to his mother. Gunnhild gives the inheritance back to Hrut, and in thanks for her efforts, Hrut gives Gunnhild half his inheritance.
