Hi Scott,

The version at Netútgáfan [ www.snerpa.is/net/forn/hervar.htm ] is the
one that scholars call R. It comes from the early 15th century vellum
Gl.kgl.sml. 2845, 4to, in the Royal Library in Copenhagen. At least
according to what I've read, it's the version thought to be closest to
the original in most ways because of its simpler and more traditional
style, even though the H version is recorded earlier, in Hauksbók
(early 14th century).

> Wisðit (can't recall the appropriate spelling)

Wídsíð, Wídsíþ, or modernised "Widsith". Old English 'wíd' "wide",
síþ "journey; experience", cf. ON sinni, n. "journey, fellowship", ON
sinna "to travel".

Is it okay if I wade in with some comments on your translation?

> Þessi konungr hafði eignast sverð þat af dvergum,
> This king had owned a sword of the dwarves

hafði eignazk (eignast) "had acquired/obtained [from dwarves]".
('eiga' on its own does mean "have, own", but the middle voice ending
give it a sense of taking possession of.)

sverð þat...er Tyrfingr hét "that sword...which was called Tyrfingr",
"the sword called Tyrfingr"

> er Tyrfingr hét ok allra var bitrast,
> that was called Tyrfing and was of all swords the most biting

i.e. "the sharpest"

> ok hvert sinn, er því var brugðit, þá lýsti af svá sem af sólargeisla.
> and on occasion in which it was drawn, then it shone such as the

sun's rays.

hvert sinn "every time/occasion"
sólargeisla. Dative singular of 'sólargeisli' "sunbeam". The plural
is 'sólargeislum'.

því var brugðit. Not a correction; I just thought I'd point out the
interesting (and from an English point of view bizarre) grammar.
Verbs which, in the active, take a dative or a genitive direct object,
have their subject in these cases when they're made passive, thus
'því' "it" = the sword. Only accusative direct objects become
nominative subjects in the passive.

Llama Nom