Here’s my translation. Comments regarding exactly how Hrafnkel´s men were strung up and how close to the farmstead the court of confiscation took place would be welcome.

 

Kveðja

Alan

 

draga þar í reipin ok kasta þeim svá upp yfir ásinn:  I take þeim as referring to the ropes, but gramatically, I think it could equally apply to the men. If it is referring to the ropes, then it would seem that the men would hang upside down suspended from the ropes which have been drawn over the beam. The reference to blood running to their eyes would seem to support this.

 

í örskotshelgi : I could interpret this as being ‘far enough away so as to be out of reach were an arrow to be fired from the farmstead’, or ‘a location somewhere within the range of an arrow fired from the farmstead, and therefore, under normal circumstances, protected from intruders.’ Gordon´s gloss ‘within arrowshot’ suggests the latter, but you would be less likely, I would guess, to find a rocky mound not under plough or pasture so close to home.

 

 

Kveðja

Alan

 

Þá taka þeir Hrafnkel ok hans menn ok bundu hendr þeira

Then they take Hrafnkel and his men and bound their hands


á bak aptr. Eptir þat brutu þeir upp útibúrit ok tóku reip ofan

behind (their) backs. After that they break open the out-building and took ropes down


ór krókum, taka síðan knífa sína ok stinga raufar á hásinum

out of hooks, take then their knives and pierce holes into their tendons


þeira ok draga þar í reipin ok kasta þeim svá upp yfir ásinn ok

and draw therein the ropes and cast them (the ropes or the men?) thus over the clothes-drying beam and


575 binda þá svá átta saman.

bind then so eight (men) together.


Þá mælti Þorgeirr: 'Svá er komit nú kosti yðrum, Hrafnkell,

Then Thorgeir spoke: ’So (it) is (has) now arrived to (the point where you make) your choice, Hrafnkell,


sem makligt er, ok mundi þér þykkja þetta ólíkligt, at þú

as is fitting, and this would (have) seem(ed) to you unlikely, that you


mundir slíka skömm fá af nökkurum manni, sem nú er orðit.

Would receive such shame from any man, as now is happening.


Eða hvárt viltu, Þorkell, nú gera: at sitja hér hjá Hrafnkeli ok

What want you, Thorkel, now to do: to stay here by Hrafnkel and


580 gæta þeira, eða viltu fara með Sámi ór garði á brott í örskotshelgi

 

watch over them, or want you to go with Sám out of the farmyard away into ‘arrow-shot security’


við bœinn ok heyja féránsdóm á grjóthól nökkurum, þar sem

from the farmstead and conduct (the) court of confiscation on some rocky mound, where


hvárki er akr né eng?'

(there) is neither arable land nor pasture land?’


Þetta skyldi í þann tíma gera, er sól væri í fullu suðri.

This should happen at that time, when (the) sun were in full southwards (due south).


Þorkell sagði: 'Ek vil hér sitja hjá Hrafnkeli. Sýnisk mér

Thorkel said: ’I want to stay here by Hrafnkel. This seems to me


585 þetta starfaminna.'

less arduous.’


Þeir Þorgeirr ok Sámr fóru þá ok háðu féránsdóm, ganga

They, Thorgeir and Sám, went then and conducted (the) court of confiscation; (they) walk


heim eptir þat ok tóku Hrafnkel ofan ok hans menn ok settu

back after that and took Hrafnkel down and his men and placed


þá niðr í túninu, ok var sigit blóð fyrir augu þeim.

those down in the home meadow, and blood was (had) sunk before their eyes.


Þá mælti Þorgeirr til Sáms, at hann skyldi gera við Hrafnkel

Then Thorgeir spoke to Sám, that he should do with Hrafnkel


590 slíkt, sem hann vildi, -- 'því at mér sýnisk nú óvandleikit við

such as he wanted, -- ‘because (it) seems to me now easy to deal with


hann.'

him.’

 

Grammar Notes:

 

Þá                                                                                                                Then

taka                                taka: (v)                           3p pres ind                       take

þeir                                 sá: (pron)                         nom pl                             they

Hrafnkel                           Hrafnkell: (n)                     acc sg                             Hrafnkel

ok                                                                                                                and

hans                                hann: (pron)                      gen sg                             his

menn                               maðr: (n)                          acc pl                              men

ok                                                                                                                and

bundu                              binda: (v)                          3p past ind                       bound

hendr                               hönd: (n)                          acc pl                              hands

þeira                                sá: (pron)                         gen pl                              their

á                                                                                                                  to

bak                                                                                                               back

aptr.                                                                                                             behind.

Eptir                                                                                                             After

þat                                  þat: (pron)                        acc sg                             that

brutu                               brjóta: (v)                          3p past ind                       broke

þeir                                 sá: (pron)                         nom pl                             they

upp                                                                                                               up (into)

útibúrit                             útibúr: (n)                         acc sg                             the out building

ok                                                                                                                and

tóku                                taka: (v)                           3p past ind                       took

reip                                 reip: (n)                            acc pl                              ropes

ofan                                                                                                              down

ór                                                                                                                 out of

krókum,                           krókr: (n)                          dat pl                               hooks,

taka                                taka: (v)                           3p pres ind                       take

síðan                                                                                                            then

knífa                                knífr: (n)                           acc pl                              knifes

sína                                 sinn: (pron)                       gen pl                              their

ok                                                                                                                and

stinga                              stinga: (v)                         3p pres ind                       pierce

raufar                               rauf: (n)                            acc pl                              holes

á                                                                                                                  in

hásinum                          hásin: (n)                         dat pl                               tendons

þeira                                sá: (pron)                         gen pl                              their

ok                                                                                                                and

draga                               draga: (v)                          3p pres ind                       draw

þar                                                                                                               there

í                                                                                                                   in

reipin                               reip: (n)                            acc pl                              the ropes

ok                                                                                                                and

kasta                               kasta: (v)                          3p pres ind                       cast

þeim                                sá: (pron)                         dat pl                               them

svá                                                                                                               so

upp                                                                                                               up

yfir                                                                                                                over

ásinn                               áss: (n)                            acc sg                             the clothes-drying beam

ok                                                                                                                and

575                                                                                                              

binda                               binda: (v)                          3p pres ind                       tie

þá                                                                                                                then

svá                                                                                                               thus

átta                                 átta: (num indecl)              acc pl                              eight

saman.                                                                                                         together.

Þá                                                                                                                Then

mælti                              mæla: (v)                         3s past ind                       spoke

Þorgeirr:                          Þorgeirr: (n)                      nom sg                            Thorgeir:

'Svá                                                                                                              'Thus

er                                    vera: (v)