> "Vera má að svo sé," segir Guðrún, "en heldur mundi eg
> ætla að þar mundir þú drepa skeggi í Breiðafjörð niður.”
> “It can so be,” says Gudrun, “but I would rather advise
> that there you would kill off a beard (i.e., man) in
> Broad-fiord.” (Z. drepa 5 – drepa niðr,to kill off).
In that sense <drepa> takes an accusative object, and the
accusative sing. of the weak masc. <skeggi> is <skegga>, not
<skeggi>. In other senses <drepa> can take a dative object,
but that’s also <skegga>. The strong neuter <skegg> 'a
beard', on the other hand, has dat. sing. <skeggi>, and
sense II(3) 'to dip, immerse' in Zoëga fits the context
perfectly and takes the dative.
> “That may be so,” says Gudrun, “but I would rather expect
> that there you would drop your beard down in Breidafjord.”
> „(It) may be that (it) is so,“ says Guðrún, „but rather
> would I expect that there you would dip down (immerse)
> (your) beard in Breiðafjörðr (ie, according to Zoega, be
> drowned in Breiðafjörðr, see drepa, Z.ii.3)”
My other edition also interprets it as an indirect way of
saying that he’d drown in Breiðfjörð.
> Var það stofnað allmikið musteri og vandað allt til.
> A very large temple was established there and all
> elaborately built.
> It was a very great temple established and all great pains
> bestowed on it.
> That was established a very-great temple (minster?) and
> everything prepared-carefully towards (it).
<Minster> is good; <mustari> ~ <musteri> refers to a large
and important church. It’s ultimately from Vulgar Latin
*monisterium, from post-classical <monasterium>, but
probably by way of a another Gmc. language or Old French.
> Var sá viður bæði mikill og góður því að Þorkell gekk nær.
> The lumber was both much and good because Thorkell
> approached. (??)
> That was both strong and good because Thorkell went close.
> That timber was both large (in size) and good (in quality)
> because Þorkell walked near (presumably this means that he
> was on hand to closely oversee the operation)
That’s how I interpret it, and the note in my German edition
agrees. (So do MM&HP, now that I take a look.)
> Hann undraðist þetta mjög því að morgni var minnur fram
> komið en smiðar voru vanir upp að standa.
> He wondered much about this because at morning it appeared
> less than building (those who) were accustomed to being
> up. (??)
> He wondered at this much because in the morning few were
> come when? the smiths were accustomed to get up.
> He wondered at this greatly because (it) was (had) come
> forward less in (the) morning (ie the morning had advanced
> less) than smiths (construction workers) were accustomed
> to stand up (rise from bed or simply to start work?)
A <smiðr> can be any sort of craftsman, especially in metal
or wood, answering fairly well to English <wright>; I’d be
inclined to use ‘wright’ if I wanted a slightly archaic
flavor and ‘carpenter’ or ‘craftsman’ otherwise.
Brian