With respect to the recovery from wounds, I guess that it depends a little on how many seasons can be considered ‘in fyrstu misseri” If it means the first one or two, then maybe there is a problem; if the first 3 or 4 or even more, then perhaps they would have had time to recover.

Maybe it doesn´t mention sheep because, although Hrafnkell had herds of them before his outlawry, perhaps Sám chose to keep them for himself as part of giving Hrafnkel very little at the court of confiscation. As for ‘kálf og kið’, it strikes me as a common feature of the stories and sagas that I have looked at so far (admittedly not many), that alliteration is a regular feature, which makes me think that to some extent they may have been based on poetic originals.

Kveðja

Alan

-----Original Message-----
From: norse_course@yahoogroups.com [mailto:norse_course@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Patricia
Sent: Monday, 6 March 2006 8:01 AM
To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [norse_course] calf and kid

----- Original Message -----

From: Fred and Grace Hatton

To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 8:28 PM

Subject: [norse_course] calf and kid

 

A very uneducated guess is that it is a general collective expression
especially since it doesn't mention sheep  - - which I would think were more
important than goats.  Calf and kid has an appealing sound.  Besides which
there would not have been any calves or kids until the spring since any such
that were taken from the old place would by the following spring be
yearlings.

Anyway there are problems with this whole shebang.  I question how these men
could put out this superhuman effort while recovering from terrible wounds
to their Achilles tendons.
Grace


Fred and Grace Hatton
Hawley Pa