CHAPTER 2
 
Hrafnkell lagði þat í vanða sinn at ríða yfir á heiðar á sumarit.
Hrafnkell - made - it - (in) - habit - his - to - ride - over - onto - heath - during - the summer
Hrafnkel made it his custom to go riding up on the moorland in the summertime.
 
Þá var JQkulsdalr albyggðr upp at brúm.
then - was - JQkulsdalr - completely settled - up - to - Brú (lit. bridges)
By then Jokulsdal (the Jokulsa River Valley) had been completely settled as far as Bru and "the bridge."
[Note:  Since there is a modern "place" called Bru, that's what I'm using here.  Isn't brúm plural?  We've seen that farmsteads (staðir) use a plural form.  Is that the case here?  Here's a map: http://www.east.is/zones/maps/map.asp?Zone=2  There also seems to have been a natural stone arch in that area.  See: http://www.nat.is/travelguideeng/plofin_river_jokulsa_a_bru.htm  So I referred to both in my translation.  Any other thoughts on this?] 
 
Hrafnkell reið upp eptir Fljótsdalsheiði ok sá,
Hrafnkell - rode - up - along - Fljótsdalsheiðr - and - saw
Hrafnkel went riding up along the Fljotsdal Moorland and saw
[Note: Some interesting info at: http://www.nat.is/travelguideeng/plofin_eastern_moorlands.htm ]
 
hvar eyðidalr gekk af JQkulsdal.
where - unpopulated valley - extended/projected - off - JQkulsdalr
where an uninhabited valley branched off Jokulsdal.
 
Sá dalr sýndisk Hrafnkatli byggiligri en aðrir dalir,
this - valley - appears/seems to be - to Hrafnkell - more habitable - than - other - valleys
It seemed to Hrafnkel that this valley was more habitable than any other valley
 
þeir sem hann hafði áðr sét.
those - which - he - had - before - seen
he had ever seen.
 
En er Hrafnkell kom heim, beiddi hann fQður sinn fjárskiptis,
and - when - Hrafnkell - comes - home - asks - he - father - his - share of property
And when Hrafnkel came home, he asked his father for a share of the property, 
 
ok sagðisk hann bústað vilja reisa sér.
and - saying - he - a dwelling place - wishes - to raise - for himself
and said he wanted to establish his own farmstead.
 
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 - builds - himself - a farm - in - valley - this - and - calls - Aðalból
and he built himself a farm in that valley and called it Adalbol (The Manor).
 
Hrafnkell fekk Oddbjargar SkjQldólfsdóttur ór Laxárdal.
Hrafnkell - married - OddbjQrg SkjQldólfsdóttir - from - Laxárdalr
Hrafnkel married Oddbjorg Skjoldolfsdaughter from Laxardal (the Salmon River Valley).
 
Þau áttu tvá sonu.
they - had - two - sons
They had two sons.
 
Hét inn ellri Þórir, en inn yngri ÁsbjQrn.
was called - the - elder - Þórir - and - the - younger - AsbjQrn
The elder was called Thorir, and the younger Asbjorn.
 
 
En þá er Hrafnkell hafði land numit á Aðalbóli,
but/and - when - Hrafnkell - had - land - taken possession of - on/at - Aðalból
When Hrafnkel had claimed the land at Adalbol, 
 
þá efldi hann blót mikil.
then - performed - he - sacrifices - great/large (n. pl.)
then he performed great sacrifices.
 
Hrafnkell lét gera hof mikit.
Hrafnkell - had - built - temple - large
Hrafnkel had a big temple built.
 
Hrafnkell elskaði eigi annat goð meir en Frey,
Hrafnkell - loved - no - other - 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 - animals - his - half - with - himself
and he offered half of all his best livestock to him.
 
Hrafnkell byggði allan dalinn ok gaf mQnnum land,
Hrafnkell - settled - all - the valley - and gave - to men - land
Hrafnkel settled the entire valley and gave people land,
 
en vildi þó vera yfirmaðr þeira ok tók goðorð yfir þeim.
but - wished - nevertheless - to be - leader - their - and - undertook - rank of chief (and priest) - over - them
but nevertheless he wanted to be their leader and assumed the rank of chieftain over them.
 
Við þetta var lengt nafn hans ok kallaðr Freysgoði,
because of - this - was - lengthened - name - his - and - called - Freysgoði
For this reason his name was lengthened and he was called Freysgodi (Frey's priest).
 
ok var ójafnaðarmaðr mikill, en menntr vel.
and - was - an unjust/unequal man - great - but - accomplished - well
He was a very domineering man, but quite talented.
 
Hann þrøngði undir sik JQkulsdalsmQnnum til þingmanna hans,
he - pressed/pushed - under - himself - Jokulsdal people - as - thingmen - his
He compelled the Jokulsdal people to become his thingmen (a legal subject or follower, required to accompany the goði to the "thing", a legal meeting or assembly).
[Note:  Normally, thingmen choose or elect their goði, or chieftain]
 
var linr ok blíðr við sína menn,
was - kindly - and - gracious - with - his - men
He was kind and gracious with his own people,
 
en stríðr ok stirðlyndr við JQkulsdalsmenn,
but - severe - and - harsh - with - Jokulsdal people
but harsh and severe with the Jokulsdal people,
 
ok fengu af honum engan jafnað.
who - received - from - him - no - justice
who never got any fair treatment from him.
 
Hrafnkell stóð mjQk í einvígjum ok bœtti engan mann fé,
Hrafnkell - was engaged - much - in - single combats/duels - and - compensated - no - man - money/cattle
Hrafnkel took part in many single combats and paid no one any recompense,
 
því at engi fekk af honum neinar bœtr, hvat sem hann gerði.
because - no one - received - from - him - any - compensations - whatever - he - caused/did
because nobody ever got any compensation from him, no matter what he did.
 
 
Fljótsdalsheiðr er yfirferðarill, grýtt mjQk ok blaut,
Fljótsdalsheiðr - is - difficult to travel over - stony/rocky - much - and - wet
The Fljotsdal Moorland is difficult to cross, being very rocky and boggy,
 
en þó riðu þeir feðgar jafnan hvárir til annarra,
but - nevertheless - rode - they - father and son - always/constantly - both - to - the other
but nevertheless both father and son were always riding to visit the other,
 
því at gott var í frændsemi þeira.
because - good - was - in - kinship - their
because they had a good relationship.
 
Hallfreði þótti sú leið torsótt ok leitaði sér leiðar fyrir ofan fell þau,
Hallfreðr - thought - that - journey/path - difficult - and - searched - for himself - paths - over - mountains - those
Hallfred thought that journey was difficult and searched an alternate path for himself over those mountains,
 
er standa í Fljótsdalsheiði.
which - stand - in - Fljótsdalsheiðr
which stand in the Fljotsdal Moorland.
 
Fekk hann þar þurrari leið ok lengri, ok heitir þar Hallfreðargata.
took - he - there - drier - path - but - longer - which - is called - there - Hallfreðargata
He found a drier but longer route, which is now called Hallfred's Road.
 
Þessa leið fara þeir einir, er kunnugastir eru um Fljótsdalsheiði.
this - path - travel - they - alone - who - acquainted - are - around - Fljótsdalsheiðr
Only those who know their way around the Fljotsdal Moorland take this route.