Sæl Laurel!
 
For someone who hasn't studied verbs, you've done remarkably well again!
 
Assume the answers to your questions are all 'yes' if I don't comment on them, ok?
 
Here goes...
svarat = n.s. Acc. of svar + def. art., the answer
not quite, svarat is the past participle, so it means "he was answered".
 
I need some further context here.  Is HQttr being deferential or disrespectful?  "heldr óframliga" and Gordon's translation might suggest deferential, BUT.....BQðvarr's reaction suggests it is more "in your face" so that's how I'm going to take it.  BQðvarr does seem to be "strutting his stuff" a bit.  Also I think there is deliberate contrast here between BQðvarr's "fortunate" circumstances, and HQttr's miserable state which doesn't translate very well. 
 
I see what you mean about Hottr being a bit deferential but but at the same time having some guts about him.  At the end, of course, he does become a hero himself, so that would ring true - he's got those qualities, they just need to be unearthed!  I agree with you that there is a contrast between them which doesn't translate well.  I don't think there are any definitive answers.
 
I know what a shieldwall is, and the imagery is rather hilarious.  But an alternative translation might be simply "barricade."
I think that's a brilliant solution! 
 

þinnar skjaldborgar = f. s. Gen., of your shieldwall.  Why genitive?  This makes an awkward literal translation.  Could we say "with" instead of "of?"

See my post 23rd April.
 
háva = is this a typo for "hára", high???
 
 No, it's the fem acc sing of hár, agreeing with "hana".
 
 ykkar = dual form.  I don't understand this.  He's talking to BQðvarr, and there's only one of him!
Yes, this does seem strange!  Altough he´s talking to Bodvar, he´s referring to Bodvar and all the other retainers as a whole.  So possibly he is categorising Bodvar as one entity and all the other retainers as the second entity - therefore he uses the dual.  Or an alternative explanation we were given was that this is a modern Icelandic usage, where the originally dual 1st and 2nd person forms are used to denote all numbers higher than one.
 
Hope that is helpful Laurel.
Kveðja,
 
Sarah.                              
----- Original Message -----
From: Laurel Bradshaw
To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2003 7:29 PM
Subject: Re: [norse_course] Bodvar Bjarki lines 8-20

Hi.  Some tough bits here!  I still haven't studied verbs at all, although it's fairly easy to identify the dictionary form at least.  I will just list the vocabulary I have questions about, or want verified.

Laurel

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8. Bơðvarr gengr þangat til ok spyrr hverr þar væri í beinahrúgunni.

gengr = from ganga.  Gordon has "ganga til" as "go (up) to, go forward."  Is gengr present tense?

spyrr = from spyrja, to ask.  Present tense again?

vaeri = pa. subj. of vera, to be

beinahrúgunni = f.s.Dat. + def. art. (with í)

BQðvarr-goes-thither-to-and-asks-who-there-might be-in-the pile of bones

Bodvar went over there up to (it) (or just Bodvar went over there) and asked who was there in the pile of bones.

-------------------------------

9. Þá var honum svarat ok heldr óframliga: “Hơttr heiti ek, bokki sæll.” 

var = from vera, past tense?

honum = m. s. Dat., to him

svarat = n.s. Acc. of svar + def. art., the answer

heiti = from heita, be called, be named

bokki saell = Gordon has "good sir".  saell = fortunate or happy.  bokki = buck or fellow.  We have the word buck in English, which means something like "a virile young man."  Then there is the slang term "bucko", which is a little more "in your face."  I need some further context here.  Is HQttr being deferential or disrespectful?  "heldr óframliga" and Gordon's translation might suggest deferential, BUT.....BQðvarr's reaction suggests it is more "in your face" so that's how I'm going to take it.  BQðvarr does seem to be "strutting his stuff" a bit.  Also I think there is deliberate contrast here between BQðvarr's "fortunate" circumstances, and HQttr's miserable state which doesn't translate very well. 

Then - was - to him - the answer - and - rather - timidly - HQttr - am called - I - bucko - lucky

Then he got his answer, rather timidly :  "I am called Hood, dear bucko."

-------------------------------

10. "Hví ertu hér,” segir Bơðvarr, “eða hvat gørir þú?” 

segir = from segja, present tense

eða = and, or, but

gørir = from gøra, to make, build, do

Why - are you - here - says - BQðvarr - and - what - are doing - you

"Why are you here," said Bodvar, "and what are you doing?"

---------------------------------- 

11. Hơttr segir, “Ek gøri mér skjaldborg, bokki sæll.” 

mér = 1 s. Dat., to me, or perhaps for me/myself in this case

skjaldborg = shieldwall.  I don't have any problem using this term.  I know what a shieldwall is, and the imagery is rather hilarious.  But an alternative translation might be simply "barricade."

HQttr - says - I - am making/building - (for) me - a shieldwall - bucko - lucky

Hood said, "I am building myself a barricade, dear bucko."

------------------------------------

12. Bơðvarr sagði, “Vesall ertu þinnar skjaldborgar!” 

 sagði = pa. t. of segja

vesall = wretched, miserable (an exclamation of impatience according to Gordon)

þinnar skjaldborgar = f. s. Gen., of your shieldwall.  Why genitive?  This makes an awkward literal translation.  Could we say "with" instead of "of?"

BQðvarr - said - miserable - are you - (with) your shieldwall

Bodvar said, "You and your miserable shieldwall!"

--------------------------------

13. Bơðvarr þrífr til hans ok hnykkir honum upp ór beinahrúgunni. 

þrífr til = to lay hold (of)

hans = m.s. Gen., of him

hnykkir = from hnykkja, to pull violently

BQðvarr - lays hold - of him - and - pulls violently - him - up - out of - the pile of bones

Bodvar grabbed him and yanked him up out of the pile of bones.

------------------------------- 

14. Hơttr kvað þá hátt við ok mælti, “Nú viltu mér bana!

kvað = from kveða, to say, declare

hátt = n. from hár (as adv.), loudly

við = in reply

maelti = from maela, to speak, declare

viltu = from vilja + tu, to will, wish

HQttr - shouted - then - loudly - and - saying - now - you wish - me - to kill

Hood then shouted loudly, declaring, "Now you wish to kill me! 

15. Gør eigi þetta, svá sem ek hefi nú vel um buizk áðr,

svá sem = now that

hefi = from hafa

um búisk = from búa, to prepare.  With "um" = to arrange, set up.  sk = reflexive ending?

Do - not - this - now - that - I - have - now - well - set up - before

Don't do this, when I have just now set up (things) so well,

----------------------------------- 

16. en þú hefir nú rótat í sundr skjaldborg minni,

rótat = from róta, to throw into disorder, upset

í sundr = asunder

but - you - have - now - thrown - asunder - shieldwall - mine

but you have now broken apart my barricade,

-----------------------------

17. ok hafða ek nú svá gơrt hana háva útan at mér,

hafða = from hafa, past tense

gQrt = from gøra

háva = is this a typo for "hára", high???

útan = from without

at = towards/against

útan at = maybe "around"??

and - had - I - now - so/thus - built - it - high - around - me

and I had built it high around me just so,

----------------------------

18a. at hon hefir hlíft mér við ơllum hơggum ykkar,

at = conj. "so that"

hlíft = from hlífa, to shelter, protect

ykkar = dual form.  I don't understand this.  He's talking to BQðvarr, and there's only one of him!

so that - it - has - protected - me - against - all - blows - of you two

so that it has protected me from all your blows,

------------------------------

18b. svá at engi hơgg hafa komit á mik lengi,

svá at = so that

komit = from koma.  With á = impers., comes upon

so - that - no - blow - has - come - upon - me - a long time

(and) so that no blow has landed on me for a long time,

--------------------------------

19. en ekki var hon enn svá búin sem ek ætlaða hon skyldi verða.”

aetlaða = from aetla, to think, consider, expect, intend

skyldi = from skulu, shall, must, ought

verða = to happen, take place

but - nothing - was - it - moreover - as - prepared - as - I - intended - it - should - become

but even so it wasn't as prepared as I intended it would become.



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