> Halldór svarar: "Þess spyr þú eigi af því móðir að eigi
> vitir þú áður.

> Halldor answers: "You don't ask of that therefore, mother,
> that you don't know that previously.

> Halldor answers, “You ask about this, mother, not that you
> didn’t know already.

> Halldór answers: „You do not ask that, mother, because you
> would-not know already (ie out of ignorance).

I think that the subjunctive merely indicates a
counterfactual: 'You do not ask that, mother, because you
don't already know'.

> Og víst ætla eg yður til þess betur fellda að þér væruð
> dætur föður yðvars og væruð giftar.

> And you know I intend you to that better make fallen that
> you had been [past subjunctive] your father's daughters
> and had been married.

> And surely I expect you (to be) regarding this better
> suited that you were your father’s daughter and were
> married.

> And certainly I think that better suited (lit: made-fall,
> see CV) for you that you were daughters of your father and
> were married-off.

Now tell us what you *really* think, mother. <g>

> Nú munum vér aftur snúa og var þetta erindið mest að minna
> yður á þetta ef þér mynduð eigi áður."

> Now we will turn back and this errand was most to remind
> you to this if you didn't already remember."

> Now we will turn back and this errand was mostly to remind
> you of this if you did not recall (it) before.”

> No we will turn back and this, the-mission, was most
> (mainly) to remind you about this if you had not formed
> (impressed it upon you mind?) (it) already.”

Just 'if you did not remember it before', with subjunctive
for the hypothetical

> Þá svarar Halldór: "Ekki munum vér þér það kenna móðir
> þótt oss líði úr hug þetta."

> Then Halldor answers: "We will not remember you that
> mother recognize although parts from us out of this
> memory."

> Then Halldor answers, “We will not attribute it to you,
> mother, though this pass out of our minds.”

> Then Halldór answers: “We will not impute that to you,
> mother, even-though this should-pass out of our minds.”

In other words, if we forget, we won't blame you for our
forgetting.

Brian