I looked a bit more into the question of the reflexive verb mode,
and should like to come to a fuller understanding. In the browsing
process I found the following rule, which seems important :
The obscure reflexive verb mode
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Many verbs, that in their active mode signify *to bring into a
position or state*, acquire, in their reflexive mode, the meaning
of going into, changing to, or being in that position or state.
An example is *gerast*, which is the reflexive form of *gera*.
In its active form gera has the meaning of to do or to make.
but in its reflexive form it means to become, or to happen.
I now wish to find some Icelandic sentences that illustrate this:
1. Hún gerði ok optar illt en gott. (She also more frequently did bad
things, than she did good things)
2. Höfundr gerði veizlu. (Höfundr arranged a banquet)
3. Gerði þá frost mikit með kulda ok hríð. (The weather became
extremely frosty with a cold spell and snow storms)
4. Hann gerði hús lítit ok fagrt. (He built a small and beautiful house)
5. Sjørinn tekr nú at ókyrrast, ok gerði svá storan storm, at inn
rann á bæði borð. (The sea now starts to become restless, and
made such a big storm, that the water ran in at both sides of the ship)
6. Jarl gerði veizlu mikla.(The jarl gave a big banquet)
7. Veður gerði storm mikinn. (The weather made a big storm)
In example 1 the meaning of gerði is "she did".
In example 2 the general meaning is not too far away from "he made".
Example 3 presupposes a non-explicit subject, that can be either "it"
or "the weather" (the weather "made" a cold spell come about)
I assume then that "frost mikit" is the sg. Accusative Case.
In example 4 gerði can be read as "he built" or "made".
In example 5 the sea may be seen as subject. The sea "makes"
or "causes" a heavy storm.
Example 6 shows that the object (the banquet) is in the Accusative Case.
In Example 7 the weather (veður) is the explicit subject.
The weather here "makes" a huge storm, where the latter is
the object and carries the Accusative case.
Then I look for some examples of the reflexive form:
1. Ok var Refr þar um vetrinn í góðu yfirlæti ok gerðist frægr maðr.
(And Refr stayed there during the winter in high favour, and became a
famous man)
2. Gamall var hann mjök, er þessi frásögn gerðist. (He was very old
when this event/story took place/happened)
3. Hún gerðist öll blá sem hel. (She became black as Hell all over)
4. Hann gerðist ríkur að fé. (He became rich in property/goods)
5. En Hálfdan gerðist konungr yfir Danmörku. (And Halfdan became
King of Denmark)
6. Þá gerðist landskjálfti mikill og kom dúfa af himni. (Then a huge
earthquake took place/happened/occurred and a dove came down from the sky)
In example 1, 3, 4 and 5, the meaning of gerðist is "he/she became".
In examples 2 and 6 the general meaning is "happened.
Note that in "hann gerðist frægr maðr", the new state of the subject
carries the Nominative Case, the same case a the subject; an important
point, I think. The same observation applies to the other examples as
well. In examples 2 and 6, the thing that happens/occurs, is also
in the Nominative Case, and may thus be regarded as the subject
of the sentence (2 the event/story, 6 the earthquake). These are
grammatical rules that are useful to keep in mind when analyzing
sentences with gerast.