Re: Hrafnkell 480-503/Comments for Patricia

Glad to have you back Alan with the hope that you enjoyed your Holiday as did I.

That Hrafnkell - he is going to get his - sooner or later there will be a few people pressing

for a couple of counts of Murder One, but there always is the idea that whereas you cannot keep a good guy down, it is even more difficult to keep a bad one in his place.

Patricia

 

480 Nú sitja þeir, þar til er dómar fara (present) út. Þá kveðr Sámr upp
menn sína ok gengr til lögbergs.

Now stayed they there until the Court started out. Then summons/calls Sam up men his and goes to The Law Rock (?)

Now they stayed there until the Court convened Then Sam called his men to him and went to Court

 

 Var þar þá dómr settr. (setja not sitja, literally set) Sámr gekk djarfliga at dóminum. (def art attached)

Was there the court sitting Sam went boldly to court

Where the Court was sitting Sam sent boldly in

 

 Hann hefr (hefja not hafa) þegar upp váttnefnu
ok sótti mál sitt at réttum landslögum (in accordance with true laes of the land) á hendr Hrafnkeli goða, miskviðalaust með sköruligum flutningi.

He has immediately (called) witnesses by name and sought his case for justice of the Laws of the Land against Hrafnkell the Goði without mistakes and with Manly pleading

He immediately called his witnesses and sought his case for justice according to Law against Hrafnkell the goði, with no mistakes and with manly (noble/faultless) pleading

 

Þessu næst (After this) koma
485 þeir Þjóstarssynir með mikla sveit manna.

This next comes those Sons of Thjostar with a great troop of men

Next there was Thjostar's Sons with a great band of men

 

 Allir menn vestan (from the west) af landi veittu þeim lið, ok sýndisk þat, at Þjóstarssynir váru
menn vinsælir.

All Men west of the Land gave them support, and it showed (was seen) that Thjorstar's Sons

were men popular

All the Western Men gave them support, this showed that the Thjorstarssons were popular

 

Sámr sótti málit í dóm, þangat til er Hrafnkeli var boðit til varnar, (gen sg)  nema sá (that) maðr væri þar við staddr, er
lögvörn vildi frammi hafa fyrir hann at réttu lögmáli. (for him in accordance with legal procedure)

Sam sought his case (lawsuit?) in court until the time that Hrafnkell was bidden to defend, unless another man was there present who was willing to defend in law, to present a lawful case

Sam presented his case in the Court until the time came for Hrafnkell to defend himself unless there was someone present willing to present his case for him

(here was where I stuck I think!!)

 

Rómr 490 varð mikill at máli Sáms. Kvazk engi (no-one delared themselves, I think) vilja lögvörn fram bera fyrir Hrafnkel.

Applause great for case Sams. It was said no one was willing (to) lawfully defend Hrafnkell

There was great applause for Sam. It was said that  no one was willing to defend Hrafnkell

 

Menn hlupu til búðar Hrafnkels ok sögðu honum, hvat um var at vera. (was happening, vera at plus infinitive – continuous present)
Men ran (?) to booth Hrafnkels and said to him what was to be

Some men hurried to Hrafmkells Booth and told him what had happened

 

Hann veiksk við skjótt (adverb, not noun) ok kvaddi upp menn sína ok gekk (past tense) til
495 dóma, hugði, at þar myndi lítil vörn fyrir landi (that little defence would (be found) there in front of (the) land)

He responded with speed and called up men his \and goes to Court thinking there to remember

little defence before in the land (I think I lost the plot again there )

He responded speedily and called up his men and attended Court thinking there would be little

defence as before

 

 

 Hafði hann þat í hug sér (in his mind) at leiða smámönnum at sœkja mál á hendr honum. (against him)
Ætlaði (intended) hann at hleypa upp dóminum fyrir Sámi ok hrekja hann af málinu.

He had that (intent) his to (?discourage) lesser men  to seek case at hands his

Comsidered he to break up the Court, in front of Sam and drive him off the Case

he intended to discourage the small-fry from bringing cases against him

He considered/wanted to break up the Court infront of Sam and drive him off the case

 

 En þess (gen sg) var nú eigi (adverb, not) kostr. Þar var fyrir sá mannfjölði, at Hrafnkell komsk (made his way) hvergi nær.

But this was now no chance. there was before such a large crowd of men that Hrafnkell

could not come anywhere near

But there was no chance of this, he was faced with such a large crowd of men, Hrafnkell could not

get near at all

 

Var honum þrøngt 500 frá í brottu með miklu ofríki, svá at hann náði (past tense of ná, to be able, permitted to) eigi at heyra mál
þeira, er hann sóttu. (those who prosecuted him)

was (to) him pushed from the way by great /overbearing force. So that he peace (?) none to hear

suit their that he was prosecuted

He was pushed from the way with force (/of the crowd?) So he had no ease to hear the

suit with which he was prosecuted

 

 Var honum því óhægt at fœra lögvörn fram fyrir sik. En Sámr sótti málit til fullra laga, til þess er
Hrafnkell var alsekr (according to Gordon this is a noun) á þessu þingi.

Was to him difficult to bring defence at Law forward for himself

But Sam prosecuted his case for the Fullness of the Law till finally

Hrafnkel was to the greatest degree an Outlaw at this Thing

I was difficult for him to bring a legal case for himself.

But Sam prosecuted hus case to the fullest extent of the Law

til finally Hrafnkell was declared completely (?) outlawed at this Thing.

 

 

Alan I regret I may have done but badly, I really think I have just got the gist of it, any way I say

guilty and move for Murder one

Kveðja

Patricia