--- "llama_nom" wrote:

> Menn eru sízt at sönnu,
> slíkt talar þjóð í hljóði,
> (opt heyrt er þat) eptir,
> öll, á Rangárvöllum ;
> Mörð frák gígju gerðu
> gunnhríðir margkunnar ;
> engr var seima sløngvir
> slíkr at spekt ok ríki.
>
> Men are slow to (say the) truth afterwards. It's often heard. So
> speaks the whole of the people on the Rang River Plains in secret.

I

> have learnt that Mord Fiddle made very cunning battle-storms. There
> was no slinger of gold (threads) like him for wisdom and power.

Excellent! But I don't think "vera at sönnu" can mean what you
make it mean here. The words are usually taken in this order:
Menn eru at sönnu sízt eftir á Rangárvöllum, which I take to mean
literally: Men are truly least remaining on R., i.e. Truly there
are no longer any (real) men left on R. - or something of the sort.

BTW, did you notice the example of the elusive preterite infinitive?

> Heyrt hafak, hrings at bjartrar
> Hristi þráðs með ráðum
> jarðar undirgerðar
> álmr, væntik, þik rænti ;
> réðu hodda hlæði
> haldendr við þik skjaldar,
> áðr rauð seima sneiðir
> sverð, at hann eigi berðisk.
>
> I expect I have heard that the elm-of-ring (=man) robbed you of the
> valkyrie of bright bed of the thread of the earth (=woman).

Add: "með ráðum" - 'with schemes'. Note also that you could just as
well read the two kennings the other way around, instead of "álmr
hrings" and "Hristi undirgerðar þráðs jarðar" you could read "Hristi
hrings" and "álmr undirgerðar þráðs jarðar".

There is also a variant "bjartri" instead of "bjartrar", which
would stand with "Hristi".

> Holders
> of the shield advised the ruiner of hoards not to fight.

Add: "við þik" = (fight) you.

> Of old, the
> cutter of gold threads reddened sword.

"Of old" probably doesn't fit well - this "áðr" apparently means
simply "previously" = 'the slicer of gold-threads had previously
reddened (his) sword'.

> Question: Is 'hafa(k)' infinitive, dependent on 'vænti(k)', or have

I

> got confused here?

I'd say 1p subjunctive, thus: "Ek vænti (at) ek hafa heyrt ..."

> Hristr undirgerð þráðs jarðar "valkyrie/goddess of gold" = woman.

I'm

> guessing here that 'Hristi' is the dative of a ja-stem alternative

to

> the more usual (?) o-stem, Hrist.

The name is HRIST, not HRISTR, and it goes Hrist, Hrist, Hristi,
Hristar. Like Mist, Mist, Misti, Mistar. At least that has always
been my understanding (or rather the usage I grew up with).

> hloeðir hodda "ruiner/destroyer of hoards" = generous man =
> man/leader/chieftain = Mord? or Hrut? The parallel with the earlier
> verse suggests Mord, but since Hrut is the one who is literally a
> fighter, maybe it's him that's meant.

No, it is Mörðr - Hrútr is the "þik" of the sentence. Unless
I've misunderstood something.

> haldandi skjaldar "holder of shield" = warrior = man.

> It's conventional to describe
> all men as warriors.

There are basically only three types of kennings for "man",
i.e. kennings that mean "warrior", "seafarer", or "generous
man (gold-giver)". The vast majority of man-kennings belong
to one of these three groups. Those that don't usually carry
an added layer of meaning, often derogatory.

> which he gives so freely it's as if he's throwing gold away, thereby
> diminishing/destroying his treasure by his generosity.

The type "destroyer of gold" probably also refers to the
leader breaking apart golden rings, and giving parts of
them to his men.

Regards
Eysteinn