I had really made a hash of those bits. Thanks,
Grace

I saw the question marks and noticed one other bit:

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

> Björn mælti: "Það ætlaði eg ef eg héti nokkurum manni trausti
> mínu eða umsjá að þeim skyldi mun (munr = importance, Z2 or
> considerably, Z3) í fara."

> Björn spoke: `I expected that, if I promised to some man my
> support or care, that to them (it) should `go in' somewhat
> (ie sink in, influence their thinking considerably (?))

It appears to me that <munr> here is 'mind, heart': 'go into (his)
mind/heart'.

> Húsfreyja hans mælti: "Fyrr væri illa en þú værir drottinsviki.
> (dróttinsviki)"

> His wife spoke: `Sooner (things) were difficult than (that) you
> were a traitor.' (ie I would rather.than.?)

I think that this is actually more abuse from his wife, <vera illa>
being 'behave badly'. I make it something on the order of '(One
[= you] can) behave badly before you are a traitor', meaning that
even if he's not a traitor to his promises, he's still a bad lot.

> Margt töluðu þeir um þetta og hafði Björn í sínu orði hvort að
> hann vildi flýja sem harðast eða hitt að hann vildi bíða og taka
> í móti og þótti Kára að þessu allmikið gaman.

> Theu talked much about this and Björn had in his words whether
> that he wanted to flee as fast-as-possible or otherwise that he
> wanted to wait and to offer resistance (see taka í móti, Z12)
> and (it) seemed to Kári regarding this a very-great game (ie
> Kári was greatly amused by this, see mér þukkir gaman at e-u,
> under gaman, Z).

See Zoëga s.v. <orð> for <segja í sínu orði hvárt> 'to say one
thing in one breath and another in the next': 'and Björn said in
one breath that he wanted to flee as fast as possible and in the
next that his wanted to ...'.

Brian


Fred and Grace Hatton
Hawley Pa