Alan's translation may catch some of these as well; as I
write this, I've not yet seen it.
At 10:13:32 AM on Thursday, July 16, 2009, Fred and Grace
Hatton wrote:
> "Það hlægir mig nú Eyjólfur," sagði Flosi, "í hug mér að
> þeim mun í brún bregða og ofarlega kleyja þá er þú berð
> fram vörnina."
> "It makes me laugh now, Eyjolf," said Flosi, "in my mind
> at them (who) will be amazed and pates will tingle (Z)
> then when you present the defense."
<þat hlgja mik, at ...> is 'it amuses/pleases me that ...'.
I suspect that <í hug mér> emphasizes that <hlgja> is being
used metaphorically: 'amuses me' (i.e., 'makes me laugh in
my mind') rather than 'makes me laugh' (literally).
<Kleyja> is apparently an older form of <klæja> 'to itch'.
Finnur Jónsson says that <ofarliga kleyja> is euphemistic
for a severe pain in the head.
'It amuses me now, Eyjólf,' said Flósi, 'that they will be
amazed and itch up top when you present the defense.'
> 143. kafli
> Eyjólfur Bölverksson gekk þá að dómi og nefndi sér votta
> "í það vætti," sagði hann,
> Eyjolf Bolverk's son went then to court and named
> witnesses for himself, "in witness thereof," said he,
> "að sú er lögvörn máls þessa að þér hafið sótt málið í
> Austfirðingadóm er sækja átti í Norðlendingadóm því að
> Flosi hefir sagst í þing með Áskatli goða.
> that this a lawful point of defense in this case that you
> have prosecuted (the) case in the East Quarter court when
> (it)was obliged to be prosecuted in North Quarter court
> because Flosi has said himself (to be) with chieftain
> Askel in (the) Thing.
I would say 'that it is a lawful point of defense in this
case, that you have ...'.
> Eru hér nú hvorirtveggju vottarnir þeir er við voru og það
> munu bera að Flosi seldi áður af hendi goðorð sitt
> Þorgeiri bróður sínum en síðan sagðist hann í þing með
> Áskatli goða.
> Now here are each of two, those witnesses, who were with
> (him) and will testify to it that Flosi handed over
> previously from (his) hands his chieftaincy to his
> brother, Thorgeir, and afterwards said of himself to be
> with Chieftain Askel in (the) Thing.
'Now here are both of the witnesses who were with (him) [or
simply 'who were present'] and will testify ...'.
[...]
> Í annað sinn nefndi Eyjólfur sér votta "nefni eg í það
> vætti," sagði hann, "að eg býð
> At another time
A second time
> Eyjolf named witnesses for himself, "I name in witness
> thereof," said he, "that I invite
> Merði, er sök hefir að sækja, eða sakaraðilja að hlýða til
> eiðspjalls míns og til framsögu
> Mord, who has a lawsuit to prosecute, or chief party in
> the case
The <sakaraðili> is the chief party on the prosecuting side,
the prosecutor, in contrast to the <varnaraðili>, who is the
chief party on the defending side (CV s.v. <sök>). Eyjólf
is apparently ordering Mörð or anyone else who is
prosecuting the case for him to listen to his (Eyjólf's)
oath etc.
> to listen to my oat and to presentation
> varnar þeirrar er eg mun fram bera og til allra gagna
> þeirra sem eg mun fram bera.
> of their defense
presentation of those defenses
> which I will present and to all their proofs of evidence
> that I will present.
> Býð eg lögboði að dómi svo að dómendur heyra á."
> I invite a lawful demand to court so that judges listen to
> (it)."
Here <bjóða> must be 'offer': 'I offer a lawful demand in
court in such a way (svá) that (the) judges listen (to it)'.
> Eyjólfur nefndi sér enn votta "nefni eg í það vætti,"
> sagði hann, "að eg vinn eið að bók,
> Eyjolf named yet (more) witnesses for himself
I'm inclined to think that it's 'named witnesses for himself
yet again'.
> "I name in witness thereof," said he, "that I perform an
> oath on (the) book,
> lögeið, og segi eg það guði að eg skal svo mál þetta verja
> sem eg veit réttast og sannast og helst að lögum
> a legal oath, and I said
Present tense: say
> it (before) God that I shall so defend this case as I know
> most correct and most truthful and most in accordance with
> the laws
It makes more sense if you don't try to preserve the
original word-order: '... defend this case as correctly and
as truthfully as much in accordance with the laws as I know
(how)', or 'in the most correct and truthful and lawful
(way) that I know'.
> og öll lögmæt skil af hendi inna þau er undir mig koma
> meðan eg er á þessu þingi."
> and all coming under the law shall fulfill all those terms
> which come under my (responsibility?) while I am at this
> Thing."
<Skil> is 'pleading(s)' in this context (Z4): 'and perform
(inna) all those lawful pleadings that come to me while I am
at this Thing'. For <koma undir e-n> 'come unto one' see
Z4; I take it that 'come to me' here does indeed have the
sense 'fall under my responsibility'.
> Eyjólfur mælti: "Þessa tvo menn nefni eg í vætti að eg
> færi fram lögvörn þessa að mál
> Eyjolf spoke, "I name these two men in witness that I
> present this legal defense that this case
These are the <hvárirtveggju váttarnir þeir> above.
[...]
> Eyjólfur nefndi sér enn votta "nefni eg í það vætti,"
> sagði hann, "að eg ver goðalýriti
> Eyjolf named yet (more) witnesses for himself,
See earlier comment on <enn> in this context.
> "I name in witness thereof," said he, "that I defend (by
> means of?) a protest
<Goðlýriti> is dative, here in an instrumental sense, so 'by
means of' is correct. The <lýritr>, however, is a veto, a
prohibition (and the <goðalýritr> literally a goði's veto),
so <verja lýriti>, literally 'to defend through a <lýritr>',
is more or less 'to forbid, to prohibit'. <Verja> takes a
dative for the thing or person defended against, so <ek ver
goðalýriti dómöndum at dma sök þeirra Marðar ...> is
something like 'I prohibit the judges from giving judgement
in the case of Mörð & Co.' -- more literally 'I defend by
means of a goði's veto against the judges to give judgement
in their case, Mörð (& Co.)'.
> dómöndum að dæma sök þeirra Marðar því að nú er lögvörn
> fram komin í dóminn.
> to (the) judges to judge a case of theirs, Mord (and the
> rest), because now is a legal defense come forward into
> the court.
> Ver eg lýriti, goðalýriti, lagalýriti, efalausu lýriti,
> fullu og föstu
> I defend by means of a veto, a protest, a certain veto,
> with full protest (fullr CV)
> svo sem eg á að verja að alþingismáli réttu og allsherjar
> lögum."
> so that I am obliged to defend with the procedures of an
> Allthing's case and public laws."
I think that <svá sem ek á at verja> is rather 'such as I
have a right to defend': he's not saying that he's obliged
to do this, but rather that he's entitled to this defense.
Brian