--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "AThompson" <athompso@...> wrote:

> [...]

> "Enga," sagði Skarphéðinn, "vér ætlum ekki að sækja þetta nema á
> vopnaþingi."
> 'None,' said Skarhéðin, `we intended not to pursue this other-than in a
> wapenshaw (muster)'

'vápna-þing' "meeting/moot/assembly/congress of weapons" is a kenning
for battle, and follows a very common pattern [
http://www.hi.is/~eybjorn/ugm/kennings/meeting.html ].

> Nú verður umræða mikil um deild þeirra og þóttust allir vita að eigi
> mundi
> Now a great discourse occurs about their dispute and all
> bethought-themselves to know that (it) would not
>
> svo gert sjatna.
> (be) made to abate.

'sjatna' (='setna') literally "settle, subside", figuratively, as
here, "abate". This example is included in the CV entry [
http://lexicon.ff.cuni.cz/png/oi_cleasbyvigfusson/b0533.png ].
Subjects in the examples include 'ofsi' "arrogance, uppetiness",
'ójafnaðr' "high-handedness", 'óþokki' "dislike" and 'ófriðr' "conflict".

'svá gert' is a kind of absolute or parenthetical/adverbial phrase
here, meaning: "with such things having been done", "as things stood",
"with the situation as it was" (compare 'við svá búit). CV and Müller
[ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Z1QEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA137 ] both
spell it as one word 'sogurt', see the CV entry for which: [
http://lexicon.ff.cuni.cz/png/oi_cleasbyvigfusson/b0578.png ]. Konráð
Gíslason and Eiríkur Jónsson spell it as separate words though: 'ok
þóttuz allir vita, at eigi myndi svá gört sjatna.'