CHAPTER 2
 
Hrafnkell lagði þat í vanða sinn at ríða yfir á heiðar á sumarit.
Hrafnkel made it in custom his to ride over on heaths during the summer.
Hrafnkel made a habit of riding over the heaths during the summer.
 
Þá var JQkulsdalr albyggðr upp at brúm.
Then was Jokulsdale all built up to bridges.
At that time Jokulsdale was completely settled as far as the bridges.
 
Hrafnkell reið upp eptir Fljótsdalsheiði ok sá,
Hrafnkel rode up across Fljotsdale heath and saw
Hrafnkel rode up across Fljotsdale heath and saw
 
hvar eyðidalr gekk af JQkulsdal.
where desolate valley went off Jokulsdale.
where an unpopulated valley branched off Jokulsdale.
 
Sá dalr sýndisk Hrafnkatli byggiligri en aðrir dalir,
That valley showed to Hrafnkel more habitable than the other valleys,
That valley seemed more habitable to Hrafnkell than the other valleys,
 
þeir sem hann hafði áðr sét.
they which he had previously seen.
which he had previously seen.
 
En er Hrafnkell kom heim, beiddi hann fQður sinn fjárskiptis,
But when Hrafnkel came home asked he father his share of property
But when Hrafnkel came home he asked his father for his share of the property
 
ok sagðisk hann bústað vilja reisa sér.
and said he dwelling-place want to raise himself.
and said he wanted to build a home for himself.
 
Þetta veitir faðir hans honum,
This grants father his to him
His father granted him this
 
ok hann gerir sér bœ í dal þeim ok kallar á Aðalbóli.
and he makes himself farmstead in valley that and calls at The Manor.
and he made a farmstead for himself in that valley and called it The Manor.
 
Hrafnkell fekk Oddbjargar SkjQldólfsdóttur ór Laxárdal.
Hrafnkel got Oddbjorg Skjoldolfsdottir from Laxardale.
Hrafnkel married Oddbjorg Skjoldolfdottir from Laxardale.
 
Þau áttu tvá sonu.
They had two sons.
They had two sons.
 
Hét inn ellri Þórir, en inn yngri ÁsbjQrn.
Was called the elder Thorir and the younger Asbjorn.
The elder was called Thorir and the younger Asbjorn.
 
En þá er Hrafnkell hafði land numit á Aðalbóli,
But when Hrafnkell had land taken at The Manor,
When Hrafnkel had acquired the land at The Manor,
 
þá efldi hann blót mikil.
then ??? he sacrifices large.
then he offered large sacrifices.
 
Hrafnkell lét gera hof mikit.
Hrafnkel had made heathen temple large.
Hrafnkel had a large heathen temple erected.
 
Hrafnkell elskaði eigi annat goð meir en Frey,
Hrafnkel loved no other heathen god more than Frey.
Hrafnkel loved no other god more than Frey.
 
ok honum gaf hann alla ina beztu gripi sína hálfa við sik.
and to him gave he all the best precious animals his half with himself.
and he gave Frey his own half-share of all the best valuable animals.
 
Hrafnkell byggði allan dalinn ok gaf mQnnum land,
Hrafnkel settled all the valley and gave men land,
Hrafnkel settled the whole valley and allotted men land,
 
en vildi þó vera yfirmaðr þeira ok tók goðorð yfir þeim.
but wanted however to be overlord their and took chieftaincy over them.
but he wanted, however, to be their overlord and took the rank and authority of a chieftain over them.
 
Við þetta var lengt nafn hans ok kallaðr Freysgoði,
At this was for a long time name his and called Frey's chieftain,
As a result of this, he was also known as Frey's chieftain for a long time
 
ok var ójafnaðarmaðr mikill, en menntr vel.
and was an unjust man great but accomplished well.
and he was an extremely unjust man, but a well-accomplished one.
 
Hann þrøngði undir sik JQkulsdalsmQnnum til þingmanna hans,
He pressed under himself Jokulsdale men to liegemen his,
He pressurised the Jokulsdale men into becoming his liegemen;
 
var linr ok blíðr við sína menn,
was kindly and pleasant with his men
he was kindly and pleasant towards his own men,
 
en stríðr ok stirðlyndr við JQkulsdalsmenn,
but severe and harsh towards Jokulsdale men
but he was harsh and severe towards the other Jokulsdale men
 
ok fengu af honum engan jafnað.
and they got from him no justice.
and they got no justice from him.
 
Hrafnkell stóð mjQk í einvígjum ok bœtti engan mann fé, því at engi fekk af honum neinar bœtr, hvat sem hann gerði.
Hrafnkel stood much in duels and compensated no person cattle because no-one got from him no compensations what that he did.
Hrafnkel was frequently involved in duels and no-one received any recompense from him because he did not compensate anybody in money or kind no matter what he did.
 
Fljótsdalsheiðr er yfirferðarill, grýtt mjQk ok blaut,
Fljotsdale heath is difficult to cross, stony very and wet
Fljotsdale heath was very stony, wet and difficult to cross,
 
en þó riðu þeir feðgar jafnan hvárir til annarra,
but even so rode they father and son frequently to another
but even so Hrafnkel and his father frequently rode across to visit one another
 
því at gott var í frændsemi þeira.
because well was in kinship their.
because theirs was such a good relationship.
 
Hallfreði þótti sú leið torsótt ok leitaði sér leiðar fyrir ofan fell þau,
To Hallfred seemed that path difficult and searched himself paths over mountains those
Hallfred thought that path was difficult and searched for paths going over those mountains
 
er standa í Fljótsdalsheiði.
which stand in Fljotsdale heath.
which are found in Fljotsdale heath.
 
Fekk hann þar þurrari leið ok lengri, ok heitir þar Hallfreðargata.
Got he there drier path and longer and is called there Hallfred's path.
He found a drier but longer path there and it was called Hallfred's path.
 
Þessa leið fara þeir einir, er kunnugastir eru um Fljótsdalsheiði.
This path travel they separately who best-known are about Fljotsdale heath.
Only those people who knew Fljotsdale heath really well would travel this path alone.
 
Any feedback welcome!
Kveðja,
Sarah.