The text seemed to go pretty well, except for the last sentence where there
were too many words I couldn't find to make any sense of it. I tried the
first few lines of verse with my usual lack of anything remotely resembling
understanding.

Grace


Bergbúa þáttr.


Fjörðr sá gengr af Kollafirði, er heitir Djúpafjörðr. Þórðr hét maðr,

(The) fjord which goes from Kollafirth, is called Deep Fjord. Thord is the
name of a man


er bjó í þeim firði fyrir vestan Hallsteinsnes, er kennt er við þann

who lived in that firth west of Hallstein's point, (and) is associated with
that


Hallstein, er þrælana átti, þá er kallaðir váru Hallsteinsþrælar.

Hallstein who had thralls, (since?) then (it) was called Hallstein's
thralls.


Þórðr var þá á góðum aldri ok hafði vel fé. Þat bar til einn vetr, er

Thord was then of a good age and had much wealth. It went (that way) until
one winter, when


hann vildi fara til tíða fyrir einhvern hátíðardag. Hann kvaddi til

he wanted to go to divine service for a certain high holy day. He summoned
a house servant to


ferðar með sér húskarl sinn. Til tíða var langt at fara, svá at þat

(go) on (the) journey with him. To go to divine service was (took) a long
time, so that it


var mikill hluti dagleiðar, ok fóru þeir snemma. Þeir fóru, þar til er

was a great part of a day's journey (biggest part of the day) and they went
early. They went until when


á leið daginn. Þá gerði á drífu mikla.

the day was ending. Then a great snow drift occurred.


Þórðr sagði, at þeir fóru rangt, ok kvaðst eigi vilja ganga í

Thord said that they were going the wrong way and declared of himself not to
want to go in


myrkri, en kvað þá skammt af veginum enn farit hafa. "Þykkir mér

in (the) dark, but said then a little way off the path still to have gone.
"Seems to me


hættligt í náttmyrkri, at vér gangim fyrir hamra ofan."

dangerous in darkness of night that we go down from the crags."


Þeir leituðu sér þá skjóls ok gengu undir hamar einn brattan, þann

They searched then for shelter for themselves and went below the slope of
(the) crag, then


er engi var snjór undir. Þeir hittu þar loksins hellimunna, þann er

is (was) not snow beneath. They hit upon cover in the mouth of a cave, that


Þórðr vissi eigi ván til. Þar reist Þórðr krossmark með broddum

Thord didn't expect to (find). Thord erected a sign of the cross with
broad??


stæltum, er hann hafði í hendi, í hellisdyrunum. Síðan gengu þeir þar

?? which he had at hand, in the opening of the cave. Afterwards they went
inside


inn ok settust niðr á steina tvá hjá hellisdyrum, því at þeir vildu

eigi innar lengra.

there and sat down on two stones near the opening of the cave, because they
didn't want to (go) further inside.


En á fyrsta þriðjungi nætr þá höfðu þeir heyrt, at nökkut fór innar

During the first of the third part of the night they had then heard that
something walked further inside


eftir hellinum ok útar at þeim. Húskarl Þórðar hræddist ok hljóp út,

back in the cave and out to them. Thord's servant became afraid and ran
outside,


en Þórðr bað hann sitja kyrran, - "ok skaltú biðjast fyrir, því at þat

but Thord bade him sit quietly, "and you shall say your prayers, because it


er hætt við villu, ok kann þat verða, ef menn hlaupa út um nætr, at þá

is dangerous with error?? and it can be if people run outside during the
night that then


sýnist annan veg en er."

seems another way than (actually) is." (you could run out and go the wrong
way?)


Þá signdu þeir sik ok báðu guð miskunnar sér, því at þeim þótti

Then they blessed themselves and asked God for mercy for themselves, because
to them it seemed


læti mikilfenglig innar í hellinum, ok varð þeim litit inn í myrkrit.

(a creature) was stoutlooking inside in the cave and little happened to them
in the dark.


Þeir sá þá þat, er þeim þótti því líkast sem tungl tvau full eða

They saw it then, which to them seemed most like two full moons or


törgur stórar ok var á millum arn..sn ein mikil. Ekki annat heldr

great shields and was a great between eagle??? They anticipated (nothing)
other rather


ætluðu þeir en þat væru augu tvau ok mundi sá ekki mjóleitr, er þau

than it were two eyes and that one would not (be) narrow-faced, which


skriðljós bar. Því næst heyrðu þeir kveðandi harðla ógurliga með

had those reptilian lights(eyes). Next they heard it speaking very awful
with


mikilli raust. Var þar hafit upp kvæði ok kveðinn tólf vísna flokkr,

great volume. (I couldn't make anything out of the last sentence)
ok kvað sá ávallt tysvar niðrlagit:

Hrynr af heiða fenri.

Falls from fens of heaths.


Höll taka björg at falla.

at falls take shelter in a cave


Fátt mun at fornu setri

little will that ancient seat


fríðs aldjötuns hríðar.

beautiful? ancient giants of snow storms??
Fred and Grace Hatton
Hawley Pa