I copied in Grace's translations of the sentences on which
I wanted to comment.

At 5:38:41 AM on Tuesday, March 2, 2010, AThompson wrote:

> Hann var fyrr fullkominn að hyggju en vetratölu.

> He was further full-grown (ie more mature) in mind
> (intelligence) than in years (lit: count of winters) (ie
> he was intellectually precocious).

> He was rather full-grown in mind than in years.

Here I'd translate <fyrr> as 'sooner': 'He was full-grown
in mind sooner than in years'.

> Höskuldur var vænn maður og gervilegur (görviligr).

> Höskuldr was a handsome (promising?) person (man) and
> accomplished.

> Hoskuld was a promising man and accomplished.

'Promising', I think.

> Hann var kallaður síðan á Höskuldsstöðum.

> It was called after-that Höskuldr's-stead(s).

> It was called afterwards at Hoskuld's Steads.

It was afterwards called 'at Höskuld's stead(s)'.

> Brátt varð Höskuldur vinsæll í búi sínu því að margar
> stoðar runnu (renna) undir, bæði frændur og vinir er
> Kollur faðir hans hafði sér aflað.

> Höskuld soon became popular in his farm because many
> support(er)s, both kinsmen and friends(*insert here) ran
> under (him) (ie assisted, supported him, see renna undir),
> (*subordinate clause) which Kollr, his father, had himself
> gained.

> Soon Hoskuld became popular on his farm because many
> pillars stood beneath, both kinsmen and friends, who his
> father, Koll, had earned.

My original version:

Soon Höskuld was popular in his household, because many
'props' supported [him], both kinsmen and friends, that Koll
his father had earned.

> En Þorgerður Þorsteinsdóttir móðir Höskulds var þá enn ung
> kona og hin vænsta (superl of vænn).

> But Þorgerðr Þorsteinn's-daughter, Höskuldr's mother was
> then still a young woman and the most-fair-to-behold. (I
> think vænn, Z4, beautiful, fits better here).

> But Thorgerd Thorsteinsdottir, Hoskuld's mother was still
> a young woman and the most promising.

I agree with Alan: <vænn> here is probably 'fair'.

> Höskuldur kvaðst það mikið þykja (þykkja) ef þau skulu
> skilja en kvaðst þó eigi mundu þetta gera (göra) að móti
> henni heldur en annað.

> Höskuldr declared-of-himself to take that much to heart
> (see þykkja, Z2) if they shall (should) part but
> declared-of-himself (that he) nevertheless would judge
> (hold?) this against her no more than (any) other (thing).

> Hoskuld said he would think much (about her?) if they
> shall part but said he still would not oppose this for her
> rather than (anything) else.

I interpret it about the same way that Alan did:

Höskuld said that he would take it much to heart if they
should part but said that he nevertheless would no more hold
this against her than anything else.

> Þorgerður átti í Noregi mikið ætterni og marga göfga
> (gen.) frændur (acc).

> Þorgerðr had in Norway prominent kindred and kinsmen of
> much honour.

> Thorgerd had many kinsmen in Norway and much honour from
> (her) kinsmen.

<Frændur> ~ <frændr> is the nom./acc. plur. of the masc.
noun <frændi>, and <marga> and <göfga> are masc. acc. plur.
adjectives modifying it, so it's 'Þorgerð had in Norway a
large kindred and many noble kin'.

> Og er að þessum málum var setið (setja) átti (eiga)
> Þorgerður svör að veita er hún var ekkja.

> And when (it) was put (proposed?) in these matters,
> Þorgerðr had-the-right (eiga, Z4) to give (the) answer
> when (since) she was a widow.

> And when this discussion came up? Thorgerd was obliged? to
> an answer that she was a widow.

<Setið> ~ <setit> is the neuter participle of <sitja>, not
<setja>. Zoëga s.v. <sitja> (8): <sitja at málum> 'to sit over
a case, debate it'.

'And when this matter was debated, Þorgerð had the right to
give answer, since she was a widow.' In other words, her
status as widow gave the final say.

> 8. kafli - Upphaf Hrúts Herjólfssonar
> Chapter 8. (The) Advancement of Hrútr Herjólfr's-son

I think that it's the 'Start of H.H', i.e., his introduction
to the saga.

> Sá sveinn var vatni ausinn og nafn gefið og var kallaður
> Hrútur.

> That boy was sprinkled with water and given a name and was
> called Hrútr.

> That boy was baptized and given a name and was called
> Hrut.

Note that this refers to a pre-Christian ritual, not to
Christian baptism.

> Hinn mesti var hann atgervimaður (atgörvimaðr) fyrir allra
> hluta sakir (sök).

> He was the most man-of-(physical)-accomplishments for
> reasons of all kinds (in all respects?).

> He was the most accomplished for the sake of all
> opportunities?

Literally it does seem to be 'for the sake of all things',
but the sense pretty much requires it to be equivalent to
<um alla hluti> 'in all respects'.

Brian