Re: Njall 26 and 27 from Patricia

--- "Patricia" wrote:

> Þar varð illa með þeim Ásgrími
>
> There was ill with them (can we say Bad blood between) of Asgrim

"Þeim Ásgrími" means "Gaukur and Ásgrímur". --- "There was bad
blood between him and Ásgrímr, and consequently Ásgrímur became
Gaukr's slayer."

> "því að eg veit að bæði er þú vilt vel enda kannt þú vel
>
> "because I know you are good (?at choice-Vildr) and
> well-intentioned

"Vilt" is 2p singular of "vilja". Literally: "because I
know that both (things) are (true): (that) you intend
well (for me) and/since you understand (everything) well ..."

The expression is rather terse, but this is the only way
I can make sense of it. Another text of Njála, the one used
in ÍF, is rather more comprehensible:

"því at ek veit, at þú munt bæði kunna vel ok vilja vel ..."

> Litlu síðar fara þeir og báðu konunnar,
> A little afterwards they went and asked for the woman

Asked for her hand, actually (but I'm sure you know
that!).

> Ásgrímur var heima og tók við þeim vel
>
> Asgrim was at home and took to them well

"Welcomed them", "greeted them warmly".

> Ásgrímur svaraði því máli vel
>
> Asgrim replied well to the speech

"Mál" here is just "matter", "subject", "issue"
- rather than actual "speech". "Mál" is a VERY
versatile word! Modern Icelandic "það skiptir
ekki máli" = "it doesn't matter". "Ekkert mál"
= "no problem". Look at all the meanings:

MÁL] 1. language ; 2. speech, manner of speaking ;
3. talk, discussion, discourse ; 4. text ; 5. speech,
address ; 6. matter, issue ; 7. case, lawsuit ;
8. measurement, dimension ; 9. time ; 10. meal ...

(This was very simplified, by the way.)

> og kvað eigi vera þá menn að hann væri fúsari við
> að kaupa en þá.
>
> and said that none of men to be to him more willing to make a
> contract than they

Literally: "and said (that) not existed those men that he
was more willing to deal with than them".

> Síðan töluðu þeir um málið
>
> Afterwards they talked of terms

"Thereafter they discussed the matter ..."

> En eftir veisluna bauð Njáll Þórhalli
>
> And after the feast Njal asked for Thorhall

Bauð = offered

> 2. I thought they all wore beards why - one wonders was his
> mentioned

Perhaps it was particularly copious?

> 3. They seem to make a habit of naming children after a

grandparent - we used to

This is still so in Iceland. My name is Eysteinn Björnsson,
my father's name is Björn Eysteinsson, and his father's name
was Eysteinn Björnsson. Sometimes names are linked in this
manner for many generations.

Best regards,
Eysteinn