Re: Eyrbyggja Saga 9 Part 1 - Rob's Translation

> Þórólfur Mostrarskegg andaðist á Hofsstöðum.
> Throlofr Mostrarskegg died at Hoffsstad.
> Thorolf Greatbeard died in Temple Steads.

Þórólf Mostrarskegg died at Hofsstaðir.

The byname probably means 'man of Most, Most-man'.

> Þá tók Þorsteinn þorskabítur föðurleifð sína.
> Then Thorsteinn "codfish-bites" took his patrimony.
> Then Thorstein cod-biter assumed his patrimony.

Then Þorstein þorskabítr took his patrimony.

> Hann gekk að eiga Þóru, dóttur Ólafs feilans, systur
> Þórðar gellis er þá bjó í Hvammi.

> He married Thoru, a daughter of Olaf feilans ("the
> timid"?), sister of Thord gellis ("yeller"?), who lived in
> Hvammi. (Z. ganga 2 - g. at eiga konu, to marry a woman)

> He agreed to marry Thora, daughter of Olaf the timid,
> sister of Thord hollerer who then lived at Hvamm.

He married Þóra, daughter of Óláf feilan, sister of Þórð
gellir ['yeller'], who then lived at Hvamm.

<Feilan> is not 'timid': it's a borrowing of Old Irish
<fáelán>, a diminutive of <fáel> 'wolf'. <Fáelán> was a
fairly common early Irish masculine name.

> Þórólfur var heygður í Haugsnesi út frá Hofsstöðum.

> Thorolf was buried in Haugsness out beyond Hofsstad.

> Thorolf was buried in a how at Haug’s Ness out from Temple
> Steads.

Þórólf was buried in a how at Haugsness out from Hofsstaðir.

> Í þenna tíma var svo mikill ofsi Kjalleklinga að þeir
> þóttust fyrir öðrum mönnum þar í sveit.

> I this time Kjalleklings' overbearing was so great that
> they thought themselves before other men in the region.

> At that time, (there) was so much arrogance (on the part)
> of the Kjalleklingers that they thought themselves above
> other people there in (the) district.

At that time [the] arrogance of [the] Kjalleklings was so
great that they thought themselves above other folks there
in the district.

> Voru þeir og svo margir ættmenn Bjarnar að engi
> frændbálkur var þá jafnmikill í Breiðafirði.

> They were also so many kinsmen of Brjarn that no body of
> kinsmen was then equally great in Breidafirth.

> There were also many kinsmen of Bjorn’s that no body of
> kinsmen was then so great in Wide Firth.

They were also so many kinsmen of Björn that no (other) body
of kinsmen was then equally great in Breiðafjörð.

'There were also so many ...' would be more idiomatic.

> Þá bjó Barna-Kjallakur, frændi þeirra, á Meðalfellsströnd
> þar sem nú heitir á Kjallaksstöðum.

> At that time Barna-Kjallkur, their kinsman, lived in
> Medalfellstrand, there which now is called Kjallaksstad.

> Children Kjallak, their kinsman, lived then at Middle
> Mountain Strand there where now is called at Kjallak’s
> Steads.

Barna-Kjallak, their kinsman, lived then at
Meðalfellsströnd, at the place that is now called á
Kjallaksstöðum [‘at Kjallaksstaðir’, ‘at Kjallak’s
stead(s)’].

He probably got his byname from the fact that he had many
sons.

> Hann átti marga sonu og vel mennta.
> He had many sons, also (who were) well accomplished.
> He had many sons and (they were) well grown into men.

He had many sons, and well-bred/educated/accomplished.

Technically <vel mennta>, like <marga>, modifies <sonu>; in
modern English Grace's insertion of 'they were' is probably
the most straightforward rendering.

> Þeir veittu allir frændum sínum fyrir sunnan fjörðinn á
> þingum og mannfundum.

> They assisted all their relatives in the south of the
> fiord at the Thing and meetings.

> They all gave their kin (support) south of the fjord at
> Things and meetings.

They all stood by their kinsmen south of the fjord at þings
and meetings.

> Það var eitt vor á Þórsnessþingi að þeir mágar, Þorgrímur
> Kjallaksson og Ásgeir á Eyri, gerðu orð á að þeir mundu
> eigi leggja drag undir ofmetnað Þórsnesinga og það að þeir
> mundu ganga þar örna sinna sem annars staðar á mannfundum
> á grasi þótt þeir væru svo stolts að þeir gerðu lönd sín
> helgari en aðrar jarðir í Breiðafirði.

> It was one spring at (the) Thorness Thing that they, (the)
> in-laws, Thorgimr Kjallaksson and Asgeir in Eyri, sent
> word that they would not encourage the Thorsnessings'
> spirit and that, that they would go to ease themselves
> there as other places at meetings on (the) grass although
> they would be so proud that they prepared land themselves
> more sacred than (any) other ground in Breidafirth. (Z.
> drag 1 - leggja d. undir ofmetnað e-s, to encourage one's
> spirit) (Z. erendi 3 - ganga erenda (eyrna, ørna) sinna,
> to go to ease oneself)

> It was one spring at Thor’s Ness Thing, that those
> in-laws, Thorgrim Kjallak’s son and Asgeir of Eyr, gave
> word that they would not encourage pride (and) arrogance)
> of the Thor’s Ness folks and that they would do their
> business as at other places at meetings, on grass although
> they were so proud that they kept their land more hallowed
> than other yards in Wide Firth.

It was one spring at the Þórsness þing that the
brothers-in-law Þorgrím Kjallaksson and Ásgeir of Eyr gave
notice that they would not encourage the arrogance of the
Þorsnesings, and that they would shit on the grass there as
at meetings in other places, even though they [= the
Þornsnesings] were so proud that they made their land holier
than other estates in Breiðafjörð.

> Lýstu þeir þá yfir því að þeir mundu eigi troða skó til að
> ganga þar í útsker til álfreka.

> They then made known that they would not wear out shoes to
> go there to the distant skerry to relieve themselves. (Z.
> lýsa 4 - l. yfir e-u, to make known) (Z. troða 1 - t. skó,
> to wear out shoes) (Z. álfrek - ganga at álfreka = ganga
> ørna sinna = to go to ease oneself)

> They announced it then because they would not wear out
> shoes to go there to distant skerries to use as a privy.

Then they made it known that they would not wear out shoes
going out to a distant skerry to take a shit.

> En er Þorsteinn þorskabítur varð þessa var vildi hann eigi
> þola að þeir saurguðu þann völl er Þórólfur faðir hans
> hafði tignað umfram aðra staði í sinni landeign.

> When this happened, Thorstein Thorskabitr, he had not
> wanted (to) bear that they defiled that field which his
> father Thorolfr had honored above other places in his
> estate.

> But when Thorstein cod-biter became aware of this he did
> not want to dare that they befoul (the) field which
> Thorolf, his father, had held holy above other places on
> his estate.

But when Þorstein þorskabítr learned of this, he would not
tolerate that they defiled the field that Þórólf, his
father, had honored/worshipped above other places in his
estate.

> Heimti hann þá að sér vini sína og ætlaði að verja þeim
> vígi völlinn ef þeir hygðust að saurga hann.

> He made his way to see his friends and intended to defend
> the field by fighting if they thought to defile it. (?
> similar to CV heimta 1 - metaph., heimti hann sik fram með
> fégjöfum við konunginn, he made his way with the king by
> money) (Z. víg 1 - verja e-t vígi, to defend by fighting)

> He then drew to himself his friends and intended to defend
> that field in battle if they thought to pollute it.

He then called to him his friends and intended to defend the
field agains them [= Þorgrím & Ásgeir] if they thought to
defile it.

The dative argument of <verja>, here <þeim>, is the person
defended against.

> Að þessu ráði hurfu með honum Þorgeir kengur, sonur
> Geirröðar á Eyri, og Álftfirðingar, Þorfinnur og
> Þorbrandur sonur hans, Þórólfur bægifótur og margir aðrir
> þingmenn Þorsteins og vinir.

> At this plan, Thorgeir "the hook," son of Geirrodar in
> Eyri, turned with him, and the Alftfirthings, Thorfinnr
> and his son Thorbranr, Thorolfr "lame-foot" and many other
> of Thorstein's people present at the assembly and friends.

> Towards this plan turned with him Thorgeir crook, son of
> Geirrod of Eyr, and the Swan Firthers, Thorfinn and
> Thorbrand his sons, Thorolf lame foot and many other
> Thingmen and friends of Thorsteins.

Following him in this plan were Þorgeir kengr [‘bend,
crook’], son of Geirrøð of Eyr, and the Álptfirðings,
Þorfinn and Þorbrand his son, Þórólf bægifótr, and many
other þingmen and friends of Þorstein.

> En um kveldið er Kjalleklingar voru mettir tóku þeir vopn
> sín og gengu út í nesið.

> And during the evening when the Kjalleklings were full,
> they took their weapons and went out on the cape.

> And during the evening when the Kjalleklingers had eaten
> their fill, they took their weapons and went out to the
> Ness.

And in the evening, when the Kjalleklings had eaten their
fill, they took their weapons and went out onto the ness.

> En er þeir Þorsteinn sáu að þeir sneru af þeim veg er til
> skersins lá þá hljópu þeir til vopna og runnu eftir þeim
> með ópi og eggjan.

> When they, Thorstein (et al), saw that they turned from
> their way which lay to the skerry, then they sprang to
> (their) weapons and ran after them with shouting and
> goading.

> And when they Thorstein ( and company) saw that they
> turned from that way which went to the skerry, then they
> ran to weapons and ran after them with shouts and goading.

And when Þorstein and his companions saw that they turned
off the way that led to the skerry, they leaped to their
weapons and ran after them with shouting and taunting.

> Og er Kjalleklingar sáu það hljópu þeir saman og vörðu
> sig.

> And when the Kjallekings saw that they leapt together and
> defended themselves.

> And when (the) Kjallaklingers saw it, they ran together
> and defended themselves.

And when the Kjalleklings saw that, they ran together and
defended themselves.

> En Þórsnesingar gerðu svo harða atgöngu að Kjalleklingar
> hrukku af vellinum og í fjöruna.

> And the Thornessings made so hard an attack that the
> Kjalleklings fell back from the field and to the beach.

> But (the) Thor’s Ness folk made such a fierce attack that
> the Kjallekliners were repelled from the field and to the
> beach.

But the Þórsnesings made so hard an attack that the
Kjalleklings fell back from the field and to the beach.

> Snerust þeir þá við og varð þar hinn harðasti bardagi með
> þeim.

> Then they turned back and defended (themselves) there the
> hardest fight with them.

> They turned then at that and there happened the fiercest
> fighting with them.

Then they turned (to meet the attack), and there was there
the hardest fighting with them.

> Kjalleklingar voru færri og höfðu einvalalið.
> The Kjallkings were fewer and had an elite group.
> (The) Kjallaklingers were fewer and had picked troops.

<Færri> could be either 'fewer' or 'more competent, more
capable' (from <færr>). If it's the former, <ok> should
presumably be read as 'but': 'The Kjalleklings were fewer
but had picked troops'. If it's the latter, we have 'The
Kjalleklings were more competent and had picked troops'. On
the whole I think that 'fewer' is a better fit with what
we've been told so far.

Brian