One of the early battle scenes in the great medieval Icelandic saga Brennu-Njáls saga pits the brothers Gunnarr and Kolskeggr Hámundarson against a rival group led by a man named Starkaðr, who feels that Gunnarr has insulted him and his family. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Gunnarr and Kolskeggr, who were known for their prowess, overcome the larger force. During the battle, just as Kolskeggr has dispatched one opponent, another fighter named Kolr Egilsson (who is Starkarðr’s nephew) takes a rather cheap shot at Kolskeggr and manages to sink a spear into his thigh. In the act, Kolr drops his shield out of position, which allows Kolskeggr, undaunted by the spear wound, to twist his body so as to bring down his sword deftly upon Kolr's leg, neatly taking it off at the knee. The blow will certainly be fatal, but Kolskeggr – clearly aware that his blade has hit its mark – asks Kolr, “Hvárt nam þik eða eigi?” (“Did that hit you or not?”). Kolr, also quite aware of the situation, replies that he got what he deserved for not having properly shielded himself. Then, perhaps dazed from the blow, Kolr stands for a moment on his remaining leg, gaping at the bloody stump of his thigh, at which point Kolskeggr remarks, “Eigi þarftú á at líta, jafnt er sem þér sýnisk: af er fótrinn” (“You don't have to look at it; it is just as you think: the leg is gone”). In response, Kolr obligingly dies.

This scene in Njáls saga depicts one of the classic moments in the Íslendingasögur and is characteristic of the sagas in its remarkable balance between dialogue, character development, and vivid description of the context of events both leading up to and including the battle. The modern reader – and presumably the medieval audience as well – intuitively understands the meaning Kolskeggr intends by his question. It is clear to us that Kolskeggr does not ask the question, “Did that hit you or not?” because he is seeking information: Kolskeggr stands at most only a few feet from his victim (about the length of his sword); he sees the damage his blade has done; he felt the sword cut through his opponent's leg; he probably has Kolr's blood on his clothes. It is clear, even in translation, that the word choice and grammar of Kolskeggr's utterance do not match the intent with which he speaks. We may rightly say he is taunting, mocking, bantering, or perhaps boasting about his victory over Kolr, but despite the interrogative grammatical mood of his utterance, the one thing Kolskeggr is certainly not doing is asking a question to which he does not know the answer.