> Þormóður Trefilsson kvað vísu þessa um víg Vigfúss:

> Thormodr Trefilson told this poem concerning Vigfuss's
> slaying:

> Thormod Trefil’s son recited this verse about Vigfus’ slaying

Þormóð Trefilsson spoke this verse concerning the slaying of
Vigfús:

> Felldi fólksvaldi
> A captain fell
> A captain felled

> fyrst hins gullbyrsta
> first the gold-bristles
> first Vigfus of the gold-mounted?

> velti valgaltar,
> rolled spells to raise the dead,
> charms? rolled?

> Vigfús þann hétu.
> The one that was called Vigfus.
> promised then.

> Slíta þar síðan
> then snaps there
> Then tear there

> sára benskárar
> wounds bone's edges
> wounds, better?? wounds

> bráð af böð-Nirði,
> prey of Nirdi's summons,
> raw flesh of Nirdi’s offering

> Bjarnar arfnytja.
> Bjorn's heir.
> heir of Bjorn’s.


> Felldi fólksvaldi
> fyrst hins gullbyrsta
> velti valgaltar,
> Vigfús þann hétu.
> Slíta þar síðan
> sára benskárar
> bráð af böð-Nirði,
> Bjarnar arfnytja.

Felled [the] captain
first the gold-bristled
corpse-boar’s toppler;
Vigfús [they] called that one.
Since then tear there
wound-seagulls wound-
flesh from battle-Njörð,
Björn’s inheritor.

<Veltir> is apparently an agent noun from <velta> 'to roll,
to set rolling'; it declines like <læknir>, and <velti> is
the accusative singular. Here it’s the direct object of
<felldi>. It’s modified by <hins gullbyrsta valgaltar> 'of
the gold-bristled corpse-boar'. This is one of the most
opaque kennings I’ve yet encountered, and it appears that
I’m not alone in finding it a bit obscure. The Lexicon
Poeticum suggests that <valgǫltr> 'corpse-boar' is a kenning
for 'helm', and there are two other kennings that would
appear to identify the helm as either 'boar of the slain' or
'boar of the valkyrie Hildr'. Presumably 'gold-bristled'
would mean that the helm was ornamented with some sort of
gold comb. To set a helm rolling would seem to entail
toppling it from an opponent’s head or, more likely,
toppling it *with* the head. At any rate, 'helm’s toppler'
must be yet another kenning for 'warrior'. Finally, <hétu>
is third person plural, so <Vigfús> can’t be its subject:
rather, it must be impersonal, '[they] called'. This is
even clearer when modern spelling isn’t used, since then
<Vigfús> is clearly accusative, the nominative being
<Vigfúss>. The <fólksvaldi> 'captain', literally something
like 'commander of men', is Snorri goði, who is apparently
being credited with the actual killing.

In the second four lines the only noun in the nominative
case is <benskárar> 'wound-seagulls', which (barring an
implied subject) must be the subject; as one might actually
guess, this is a kenning for 'ravens'. <Bráð sára> 'raw
flesh of wounds' is literal, though the editor of my other
edition does think that it’s actually a split compound,
<sárabráð>. Njörð is of course the god, and 'battle-Njörð',
hence 'battle-god', is yet another kenning for 'warrior,
hero'. Vigfúss was Björn’s son, hence his heir. (I used
'inheritor' simply because the longer word sounded better in
the otherwise very short line.)

The captain [= Snorri goði] first felled the warrior; they
called that one [= the warrior] Vigfús. Since then ravens
tear raw flesh from the warrior, Björn’s heir.

> Eftir þetta fór Þorgerður út undir Hraun og bað Styr mæla
> eftir Vigfús frænda sinn.

> After this Thorgerdr went out below Hraun and asked Styr
> to take up the case of prosecution for his relative
> Vigfus.

> After that Thorgerd went out under Hraun and asked Styr to
> take up the prosecution for Vigfus, his kinsman.

After this Þorgerð went out [i.e., west] below Hraun and
asked Styr to prosecute the case for the slaying of Vigfús,
his [= Styr’s] kinsman.

> Hann svarar: "Því hét eg Snorra goða í vor þá er hann sat
> hjá málum vorum Þorgestlinga að eg skyldi eigi með
> fjandskap ganga í mót honum um þau mál er margir væru
> jafnnær sem eg.

> He answers: "I promised that to chieftain Snorri in the
> spring when he was present at our cases of Thorgestling
> that I would not go against him in enmity concerning the
> case when many would be equal as I. (?)

> He answers, “I promised it to Chieftain Snorri in the
> spring then when he was present at our case, the Thorgest
> folk, that I would not go against him in enmity regarding
> that case when many were equally close as I.

He answers: ‘Last spring when he sat out [i.e., took neither
side in] the proceedings [between] us and the Þorgestlings,
I promised Snorri goði that I would not oppose him with
enmity in those cases in which many were as closely involved
as I.

In other words, if others were equally well-placed by
kinship to take up a case in opposition to Snorri, Styr
would not.

> Nú máttu sækja Vermund bróður minn að þessu máli eða aðra
> frændur vora."

> Now my brother Vermund can look to this case or another of
> our relatives."

> Now you may seek my brother, Vermund, for this case or
> others of our kinsmen.”

Now you must approach my brother Vermund concerning this
matter or other kinsmen of ours.’

> Eftir það fór hún út til Bjarnarhafnar og beiddi Vermund
> liðveislu og kallar honum vandast um "því að Vigfús trúði
> þér best af öllum sínum frændum."

> After that she went out to Bjarnarhafnar and asked
> Vermund's support and calls him the most difficult
> concerning "because Vigfus believed you best of all his
> relatives."

> After that she went out to Bjarnarhafn and asked Vermund
> for help and says it becomes difficult for him “because
> Vigfus trusted you best of all his kinsmen.”

After that she went out [i.e., westwards] to Bjarnarhöfn and
asked Vermund for help and calls him most obligated in [this
matter] ‘because Vigfús trusted you best of all his kinsmen.’

<Vandast> is the superlative of <vandr> in sense Z2.

> Vermundur svarar: "Skyldur er eg hér nokkuð gott til að
> leggja en eigi nenni eg að ganga í þetta vandræði fyrir
> aðra frændur vora.

> Vermundr answers: "It is obliged I here somewhat good to
> contribute but I cannot bear to go in this difficulty
> before our other relatives.

> Vermund answers, “I shall her contribute something good,
> but I am not inclined to enter into this difficulty before
> others of our kinsmen.

Vermund answers: ‘I am obligated here to contribute
something good, but I am not inclined to get involved in
this difficulty before other kinsmen of ours.

> En vera skal eg aðveitandi bæði með framkvæmd og ráðum,
> slíkt er eg fæ að gert.

> But I shall be helping both with prowess and advice, such
> as I would be able to do.

> But I shall be a helper (veitandi) both with prowess and
> advice, such as I am able to do.

But I shall be a helper with both prowess and counsel, such
as I am able to do.

<Atveitandi> does indeed appear to be an extended form of
<veitandi> 'helper', presumably from the construction <veita
at>.

Rob: <Fæ> is indicative, not subjunctive.

> Vil eg fyrst að þú farir út á Eyri og finnir Steinþór
> frænda Vigfúss.

> I want first that you go out to Eyri and meet Vigfus's
> relative Steinthor.

> I want first that you go out to Eyr and meet Steinthor,
> Vigfus’ kinsman.

First I want you to go out to Eyr and meet with Steinþór,
Vigfús’s kinsman.

This Eyr is a farm now known as Öndverðareyri,
Hallbjarnareyri, or simply Eyri; it has been deserted since
1986, according to
<https://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96ndver%C3%B0areyri>.

> Honum er nú léttvígt og er mál að hann reyni sig í nokkurs
> konar málaferlum."

> He finds it easy to fight, and it's the case that he
> proved himself in respect to this sort of litigation." (Z.
> léttvígr - e-m er léttvígt, one finds it easy to fight)

> For him it is now easy to fight and it is time he proved
> himself in some lawsuits of women.”

He now finds it easy to fight, and it is time that he proved
himself in lawsuits of some kind.

<Konar> is the genitive singular of an old <konr> 'kind',
related to <kyn> 'kin; kind, sort', that has not otherwise
survived.

Brian