----- Original Message -----

 

Here’s the next instalment of Hrafnkel’s Saga.

Kveðja

Alan

Hrafnkell spurði (in this context, learned / heard, ie as a result of asking questions )austr í Fljótsdal, at Þjóstarssynir höfðu 670
týnt Freyfaxa ok brennt hofit

Hrafnkell asked (about) east in Fljotsdal that those Tjorstarssons had (tynt ?past part (yes)) destroyed Freyfax and burned (the) Temple (suff.def art = that very Temple)

Þá svarar Hrafnkell: 'Ek hygg þat hégóma at trúa á (believe in, trust in) goð (sg and pl have identical forms but in context probably plural gods)', -- ok
sagðisk hann þaðan af aldri (never) skyldu á goð (again probably plural, gods) trúa (believe, trust), ok þat efndi hann
síðan, at (in that) hann blótaði aldri.

Then speaks/replies Hrafnkell "I think/believe that (it is) folly to God (to be) true and declared he thereafter would not / (or should not (closer)) true to god (they used troth - I thought) and that fulfilled he there after he bloted/sacrificed never again     (note #1) ( he kept his word)

Hrafnkell sat á Hrafnkelsstöðum ok rakaði fé saman.

Hrafnkell sat/was sitting (sitja-past) at Hrafmkell's Place (his dwelling) and gathered wealth together (Honestly he was raking it in) 

Hann 675
fekk brátt (soon) miklar virðingar í heraðinu. Vildi (wanted) svá hverr sitja ok
standa sem hann vildi.

He took/got great respect in the district  (dat & suff def art) everyone/whomsoever chose to sit or stand as he (Hrafnkell) wanted

Í þenna tíma kómu sem (I´m hoping someone can explain this) mest skip af Noregi til Íslands.

At that time (therr) came most ship(s) from Norway to Iceland

Námu menn þá (then) sem (I´m hoping someone can explain this) mest land í heraðinu um Hramkels daga. (acc plural)

Settled men/people there in most land of the district (dat&suff def art) in Hrafnkell's day

Engi náði með frjálsu at sitja, nema Hrafnkel (note: accusative, ie not subject) bæði orlofs.

No one could freely there sit/stay unless Hrafnkell gave permission  (literally, unless (they) asked Hrafnkel (for) permission)

Þá 680
urðu (must, were obliged to) ok allir honum at heita sínu liðsinni. Hann hét ok (also) sínu
trausti.

There it became/happened so all to him promised their support, he promised to them (not in text) his protection (in return)

Lagði hann land undir sik allt (everything, completely) fyrir austan
Lagarfljót.

Placed he land under him (took control of it) east of Lagarfljot

Þessi þinghá varð brátt (soon) miklu (much) meiri ok fjölmennari
en sú, (fem demonstrative article, nom sg)  er hann hafði áðr haft. (had had)

This Assembly district (Gordon) was bigger amd more populated (lit.full-of-people) than ( sú ?) that which he had before

Hon (feminine! þinghá) gekk upp um Skriðudal ok
upp allt með (along rather than as far as) Lagarfljóti.

It (land - neut) went up to  Skriðudal and all as far as Lagarfljot  (note#2)

Var nú skipan á komin á lund hans.

there was a change come (taking place) in his manner

 

 685 Maðrinn var miklu (much) vinsælli en áðr.

The Man (Hrafnkell - specifically - def art) was more popular/respected than before

Hafði hann ina sömu
skapsmuni um gagnsemð ok risnu, en miklu (much) var maðrinn nú
vinsælli (compar, more popular) ok gæfari ok hœgri (compar, more reasonable)en fýrr at öllu.(in everything)

H he the same disposition of helpfullness and hospitality but more was the man now popular and mild/reasonable and gentle in his ways

Opt fundusk (met, simple past tense) þeir Sámr ok Hrafnkell á mannamótum, ok
690 minntusk þeir aldri á sín viðskipti.

Often (they) would meet Sam and Hrafnkell at meetings and discussed (use of reflex) they never of their dealings

Leið svá fram sex vetr.
Sámr var vinsæll af sínum þingmönnum, því at hann var
hœgr ok kyrr ok góðr órlausna ok minntisk á þat, er þeir
brœðr höfðu ráðit honum. Sámr var skartsmaðr mikill.

Passed thus/so for six Winters / years Sam was popular with his Thingmen because he was gentle and quiet and good help in diffiuclty (note #3) and recalled what the brothers had advised him

Sam was a lover of fine things  (finery)  (note #4)

Note 1 It says God singular, the Norse men did believe in a Pantheon, but perhaps since the Scribe was probably a Christian he wrote God so that H. was to be considered blasphemous (´goð’ is also neuter plural so I expect that it is actually gods plural which is intended here)

Note 2 I have seen a map and it does look quite an extensive area  and he must have been raking in the gold and silver with trading

Note 3 This seems to be establishing Sam as a problem solver - one of the Good guys

Note 4 A lover of finery - something of a Dandy - I have been reading up on the history of these times the Vikings/Norsemen were not the fur-clad scruffy lot they seem in moves (Hollywood has a lot to answer for)

Using this more Methody form of study is getting more appealing and I have thoroughly enjoyed the thought that Hrafnkell will shortly make a come-back

Kveðja

Patricia