> Arlie wrote:
> >On another list, someone asked (in jest, I think)
> >
> > How does one say "mea culpa" in Old Norse?

Hm.. difficult to answer, unless you can find an exact quote
in a genuine ON text. The only thing I can say is how to say
it in Norwegian: "det er min skyld". (it is my fault)
Going from there to Icelandic, I seem to find, more or less
consistently, consulting both Zoëga as well as Gösta Holm,
the expressian "það er mjer að kenna". So apparently the
Icelanders use the verb "kenna" in order to describe who
bears responsibility for something, and can hence be blamed
if something goes wrong. But to go from there to Old Norse,
and say that whatever is the current usage in modern Icelandic,
is *also* current in Old Norse, is a big jump. But it *could*
very well be the same. See this URL:

http://www.midhnottsol.org/public/concise/238.html

Here you will find the expression "kenna e-m um e-ð" = to charge
one with a thing (þorgeirr vildi ekki, at brœðrum hans mætti um
kenna). So maybe that is the answer.

Below, to elaborate a bit on the passage from Njáls saga that
was quoted by Zoëga (above) to illustarte the meaning of "um kenna":


« Síðan riðu þeir austur hið efra og komu ekki í Holt því að
Þorgeir vildi ekki að bræðrum hans mætti um kenna hvað sem í
gerðist. Þeir riðu þá austur til Mýdals. Þar mættu þeir manni
nokkurum og hafði torfhrip á hrossi. (=Netutgafan)

After that they rode east by the upper way, and did not pass
by Holt, for Thorgeir would not that any blame should be laid
at his brother's door for what might be done. Then they rode
east to Myrdale, and there they met a man who had turf-panniers
on his horse. (=sunsite.berkeley.edu) »

For an example from the EDDA, take a look at these pages
( illustrated ! ) :

http://www.lysator.liu.se/runeberg/eddan/se-31.html

54. Atle tog till orda, Ró,skr tók at rœþa,
fast ond han och vred var: þótt hann reiþr være:
»Illa är kring sig skåda, ilt 's umb at litask,
skuld I därtill ären; yþr es þat kenna.
trettio vi voro vó,rom þír tiger,
tappra kämpar, þegnar vígleger
blott elva av oss återstå, epter lifa ellifo -
åtskilligt är då bortbränt. ór es þar brunnet.
(brate) (jónsson)

You can see that Brate has translated "kenna" by
the Swedish word "skuld" (=guilt, blame, German "schuld")
I hope someone with good knowledge of Icelandic will
step in and explain more. ( Haukur ? ) In particular,
I am always a bit uncertain about "the little words",
in the above example es/'s and um/umb. I do not always
know exactly how to translate them. Though I often feel
I understand their usage, I find it difficult to "pin them
down" once and for all.

Keth