Re: Hrafenkell 2

Hi Grace!

Well done with your translation by the way, I thought it came out really
well. There was one bit where I came up with a different solution - I'm not
saying I'm right - I just wondered what other people think...

It was the line -
ok honum gaf hann alla ina beztu gripi sína hálfa við sik.

> And to him he gave all the best valuables of his he had with him.

Now I made that to be
"and he gave Frey his own half-share of all the best valuable animals"

Also can anyone tell us why "alla" is masculine, plural, accusative, strong
when coming with the definite article "ina" I would have expected an
adjective to take the weak form "öllu"? Any insights?

On the line...
Við þetta var lengt nafn hans ok kallaðr Freysgoði,

> Because of that he lengthened his name and was called Frey’s chieftain,

I had "lengt" as an adverb, making the sentence
"As a result of this, for a long time he was also known as Frey´s
chieftain".

Also on the line...
ok fengu af honum engan jafnað.

> And did not make of him (self their) equal.

fengu is 3rd person plural past indicative, referring to the plural noun in
the previous clause (the men from Jokulsdale).
jafnað is a masculine singular noun in the accusative.
So I had this down as...
and they got no justice from him.

You mentioned one or two bits where you came unstuck, the next bit certainly
is tricky...
Hrafnkell stóð mjQk í einvígjum ok boetti engan mann fé,
því at engi fekk af honum neinar boetr, hvat sem hann gerði.

I made it out to be
Hrafnkel was frequently involved in duels and no-one received any recompense
from him because he did not compensate anybody in money or kind no matter
what he did. (I've moved the clauses round slightly to make the English
flow better and I've translated fé with the rather long-winded "money or
kind".)

The next bit was tricky too...
Hallfreði þótti sú leið torsótt ok leitaði sér leiðar fyrir ofan fell þau,
[To Hallfred seemed that path difficult and searched himself paths over
mountains those]
Hallfred thought that path was difficult and searched for paths going over
those mountains

er standa í Fljótsdalsheiði.
[which stand in Fljotsdale heath.]
which are found in Fljotsdale heath.

Fekk hann þar þurrari leið ok lengri, ok heitir þar Hallfreðargata.
[Got he there drier path and longer and is called there Hallfred's path.]
He found a drier but longer path there and it was called Hallfred's path.

Þessa leið fara þeir einir, er kunnugastir eru um Fljótsdalsheiði.
[This path travel they separately who best-known are about Fljotsdale
heath.]
Only those people who knew Fljotsdale heath really well would travel this
path alone.

The bits in brackets are literal. If you would like I can send you the
grammatical analysis I did on each word which landed me up with this.

Hope this helps!
Cheers,

Sarah.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred & Grace Hatton" <hatton@...>
To: <norse_course@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 9:27 PM
Subject: [norse_course] Hrafenkell 2


> I finally got the cut and paste thing to work. I could use some help
> with the last part about the path over the rough part of the valley.
>
> Hrafnkell lagði þat í vanða sinn at ríða yfir á heiðar á sumarit.
> Hrafnkell made a habit of it to ride over the heath in the summer.
>
> Þá var JQkulsdalr albyggðr upp at brúm.
> JQkulsdal was completely setteled up to the bridge then.
>
> Hrafnkell reið upp eptir Fljótsdalsheiði ok sá,
> Hrafnkell rode up behind Fljóts Valley Heath and saw
>
> hvar eyðidalr gekk af JQkulsdal.
> Where an unpopulated valley went out of JQkulsdal.
>
> Sá dalr sýndisk Hrafnkatli byggiligri en aðrir dalir,
> The valley appeared to H. more habitable (for them?) than another dale
>
> þeir sem hann hafði áðr sét.
> than he had seen before.
>
> En er Hrafnkell kom heim, beiddi hann fQður sinn fjárskiptis,
> When he had come home, he requested of his father a share of the property
>
> ok sagðisk hann bústað vilja reisa sér.
> and said he would raise his dwelling place (there).
>
> Þetta veitir faðir hans honum,
> His father granted this to him.
>
> ok hann gerir sér boe í dal þeim ok kallar á Aðalbóli.
> And he built himself a house in the valley and they called it “The Manor.”
\
>
> Hrafnkell fekk Oddbjargar SkjQldólfsdóttur ór Laxárdal.
> H. married Oddbjargar SkjQldólfs daughter from Laxár dale.
>
> Þau áttu tvá sonu.
> They had two sons.
>
> Hét inn ellri Þórir, en inn yngri ÁsbjQrn.
> The older one was called Thorir and the younger, Asbjorn.
>
> En þá er Hrafnkell hafði land numit á Aðalbóli,
> Then (when again?) H. took possession of the Manor,
>
> þá efldi hann blót mikil.
> He made a great sacrifice.
>
> Hrafnkell lét gera hof mikit.
> H. had a great temple built.
>
> Hrafnkell elskaði eigi annat goð meir en Frey,
> H. loved no other god more than Frey,
>
> ok honum gaf hann alla ina beztu gripi sína hálfa við sik.
> And to him he gave all the best valuables of his he had with him.
>
> Hrafnkell byggði allan dalinn ok gaf mQnnum land,
> H. settled all the valleys and gave men land,
>
> en vildi þó vera yfirmaðr þeira ok tók goðorð yfir þeim
> but wanted to be their chieftain and became chieftain over them.
>
> Við þetta var lengt nafn hans ok kallaðr Freysgoði,
> Because of that he lengthened his name and was called Frey’s chieftain,
>
> ok var ójafnaðarmaðr mikill, en menntr vel.
> and was a very unjust man, but well possessed of talents.
>
> Hann þrøngði undir sik JQkulsdalsmQnnum til þingmanna hans,
> He (op)pressed under him the men from JQkulsdal to (be) his liegemen,
>
> var linr ok blíðr við sína menn,
> was kindly and gracious with his men,
>
> en stríðr ok stirðlyndr við JQkulsdalsmenn,
> but severe and harsh with the men from JQkulsdal,
>
> ok fengu af honum engan jafnað.
> And did not make of him (self their) equal.
>
> Hrafnkell stóð mjQk í einvígjum ok boetti engan mann fé,
> H. stood (?) strong in single combat and made no compensation to any man,
>
> því at engi fekk af honum neinar boetr, hvat sem hann gerði.
> Because (I had problems here) no one received of him any compensation as
> what he made (?).
>
> Fljótsdalsheiðr er yfirferðarill, grýtt mjQk ok blaut,
> Fljóts valley heath is hard to cross, very stony and wet,
>
> en þó riðu þeir feðgar jafnan hvárir til annarra,
> but there they rode father and son always each to the other (together?)
>
> því at gott var í frændsemi þeira.
> because noble was kinship to them.
>
> Hallfreði þótti sú leið torsótt ok leitaði sér leiðar fyrir ofan fell þau,
> H. seemed to go with difficulty and appeared to be tired he fell over,
> (I clearly really messed this part up and would very much appreciate
> some help)
>
> er standa í Fljótsdalsheiði.
> He stood in Fljóts valley heath.
>
> Fekk hann þar þurrari leið ok lengri, ok heitir þar Hallfreðargata.
> He made there a?? dry path and long and it was called Hallfred’s ???
>
> Þessa leið fara þeir einir, er kunnugastir eru um Fljótsdalsheiði.
> This they had done themselves, but was known (?) around Fljóts valley
heath.
>
> Grace
> --
>
> Fred & Grace Hatton
> Hawley, Pa.
>
>
>
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