Very apropos passage for Halloween!


En það sama kveld er þeir Þorkell höfðu drukknað um daginn varð sá atburður að Helgafelli að Guðrún gekk til kirkju þá er menn voru farnir í rekkjur og er hún gekk í kirkjugarðshliðið þá sá hún draug standa fyrir sér.

And that same evening when they, Thorkell (and the others on the boat), had drowned during the day it so happened that at Helgafell that Gudrun went to church when people had gone to bed when she went in the churchyard gate then she saw a ghost standing before her.

 

Hann laut yfir hana og mælti: "Mikil tíðindi Guðrún," sagði hann.

He stooped over her and said: “Much news, Gudrun,” he said.

 

Guðrún svarar: "Þegi þú yfir þeim þá, armi.”

Gudrun answers: “Be quiet about it, then, scoundrel.”

 

Gekk Guðrún til kirkju svo sem hún hafði áður ætlað og er hún kom til kirkjunnar þá þóttist hún sjá að þeir Þorkell voru heim komnir og stóðu úti fyrir kirkju.

Gudrun went to church as she had previously intended, and when she came to the church, it then seemed to her (that) she saw they they, Thorkell (and the others), had come home and stood outside before (the) church.

 

Hún sá að sjár rann úr klæðum þeirra.

She saw that sea(water) ran out of their clothes.

 

Guðrún mælti ekki við þá og gekk inn í kirkju og dvaldist þar slíka hríð sem henni sýndist.

Gudrun didn’t speak to them and went into the church and stayed there such time as she thought fit.

 

Gengur hún síðan inn til stofu því að hún ætlaði að þeir Þorkell mundu þangað gengnir.

She then goes in to the sitting room because she intended that they, Thorkell (and specter friends), would go there.

 

Og er hún kom í stofuna þá var þar ekki manna.

And when she came into the sitting room, then no one was there.

 

Þá brá Guðrúnu mjög í brún um atburð þenna allan jafnsaman.

Gudrun was then much amazed concerning this incident all together.     (Z. bregða 9 -- e-m bregðr í brún = one is amazed, startled)

 

Föstudag hinn langa sendi Guðrún menn sína að forvitnast um ferðir þeirra Þorkels, suma inn á Strönd en suma um eyjar.

On Good Friday, Gudrun sent her men to enquire about their, Thorkell (and the others’), journey, some in to Beach and some around (the) islands.     (Z. forvitna -- forvitnast e-t, um e-t, til e-s = to enquire about)

 

Var þá rekinn víða kominn um eyjarnar og svo til hvorrartveggju strandar.

Then the wood flotsam and jetsam had landed (i.e., washed ashore) around the islands and so to each of the two beaches.

 

Þvottdaginn fyrir páska spurðust tíðindin og þóttu vera mikil því að Þorkell hafði verið mikill höfðingi.

On the Saturday before the news was learned and thought to be much because Thorkell had been a great leader.

 

Þorkell hafði átta vetur hins fimmta tigar þá er hann drukknaði en það var fjórum vetrum fyrr en hinn heilagi Ólafur konungur féll.

Thorkell had been 58 years old when he drowned and that was four years before King Olaf the Holy died.

 

Guðrúnu þótti mikið fráfall Þorkels en bar þó skörulega af sér.

Gudrun thought much of Thorkell’s death and yet carried herself bravely.

 

Fátt eina náðist af kirkjuviðinum.

Only some of the church timbers escaped being used.   (Z. says náðast = to get rest. I may be stretching things too far by saying a timber that wasn’t used got rest. )

 

Gellir var þá fjórtán vetra gamall.

Gellir was then 14 years old.

 

Hann tók þá til búsumsýslu með móður sinni og tók við mannaforráði.

He then began management of his mother’s farm and received authority.

 

Var það brátt auðsætt á honum að hann var vel til fallinn til fyrirmanns.

It was soon clear in him that he was well disposed to predecessors.  (?)

 

Guðrún gerðist trúkona mikil.

Gudrun became a great devoted woman.

 

Hún nam fyrst kvenna saltara á Íslandi.

She amounted to the first woman psalter in Iceland. 

 

Hún var löngum um nætur að kirkju á bænum sínum.

She stayed long at night at the church at her village.

 

Herdís Bolladóttir fór jafnan með henni um næturnar.

Herdis, Bolli’s daughter, equally went with her during the nights.

 

Guðrún unni mikið Herdísi.

Gudrun greatly loved Herdis.