Re: Hrana Saga Hrings 1 _ 2a -- Rob's Translation

> 1. kafli - Frá Gnúpa-Bárði ok sonum hans

> Concerning Gnupi-Bardr (Peak-Bardr) and His Son

> Chapter 1 – About Gnúpa-Bárðr (Bárðr of the Peaks) and his
> sons (plural).

Of Gnúpa-Bárð and his sons

> Bárðr hét maðr, sonr Heyangrs-Bjarnar hersis úr Sogni.

> A man named Bardr (was) local-chief Heyangr-Bear's son
> from Sogni.

> (There) was a person (man) called Bárðr, son of
> Heyangrs-Björn, a local-chief out-of Sogn (District in
> Norway).

There was a man called Bárð, son of Heyangrs-Björn, a local
chief from Sogn.

The Sognefjord is the largest fjord in Norway; the
Høyangsfjord is an arm of it branching off to the north.
The modern Norwegian name is from Old Norw. <Høyangr>,
corresponding to Old Icelandic <Heyangr>.

> Hann fór út til Íslands í landnámatíð ok nam Bárðardal
> allan frá Kálfborgará til Svartár beggja vegna.

> He travelled out to Iceland in the taking possession of
> the land as a settler and all from Kalfborgara
> (Calf-fortified-town-river) to Svartar (Black) on both
> sides.

> He journeyed out to Iceland in the-Period-of-Settlement
> (lit: Time of Land-Taking) and took (possession of) (nema)
> all Bárðardalr (Bárðr’s-Dale) from Kálfborgará
> (Calf-hillock´s-River) to Svartá (Black-River) on both
> sides.

He travelled out to Iceland in the Settlement period and
took possession of all Bárðardal from Kálfborgará to Svartá
on both sides.

> Hann bjó at Lundarbrekku.

> He lived at Lundarbrekku (Temper-slope (?)).

> He lived at Lundarbrekka (Grove’s (lundr)-Slope).

He dwelt at Lundarbrekka.

> Hans synir vóru þeir Þorsteinn ok Sigmundr, Nefsteinn ok
> Egill.

> His sons were Thorstein and Sigmundr, Nefsteinn and Egil.

> Those were his sons: Þorsteinn and Sigmundr, Nefsteinn and
> Egill.

His sons were Þorstein and Sigmund, Nefstein and Egil.

> Bárði þótti eigi viðra vel í dalnum ok eirði því ekki þar
> til lengdar.

> It didn't seem to Bardr that it was good weather in the
> valley, and it didn't agree with him there for a long
> time.

> (It) seemed to Bárðr (to be) not well of weather (viðri)
> (ie not a good climate) in the-dale and (it) did not spare
> (ease?) there for a long time.

It seemed to Bárð not to be good weather in the valley and
so he was dissatisfied for a long time.

So far as I can tell, nominal <-viðri> appears only as a
suffix; this seems to be the verb <viðra>. For <eira> I’m
following Baetke; it may be that the weather didn’t agree
with him, but I get the impression that his dissatisfaction
is more salient. In any case <Bárði> is the dative object
of the verb; if it had any other object (e.g., the weather),
that would be in the accusative, so it can’t be <því>, which
I’m therefore taking to be 'so, therefore'.

> Eitt vor sendi hann syni sína suðr yfir heiðar at
> forvitnast, hversu þar félli út veðráttufar.

> One spring he sent his sons south across (the) heath to
> enquire how (the) weather ran out there.

> One spring he sent his sons south over (the) heaths
> (plural) to enquire about how  (the) state-of-the-weather
> (wind) happened (lit: fell out) there.

One spring he sent his sons south across the heaths to
investigate how the weather conditions occurred there.

> Var þat um gói.

> It was during mid February to mid March.

> That was during Gói (Feb-March)

That was during Gói.

> Kómu þeir aftr at hálfs mánaðar fresti ok létu vel af
> landi.

> They came back at a half month's delay and reported well
> about (the) land.

> They came back after a half month´s delay and expressed
> approval (?) (cf láta vel yfir e-u) of (the) land.

They came back at the end of half a month and spoke well of
the land.

The Icelandic Online Dictionary has <láta vel af e-u> 'speak
well of something', and context doesn’t really allow any
other interpretation here. I’ve no idea when <af> became an
acceptable alternative to <yfir> in this construction.

> Fundu þeir þá góubitla ok annan gróðr.

> They then found (góubitla) and other crops. (Not sure
> about this. "gróðr" = crops, but that's the nominative
> form, and I would expect the object form here. "Góubitla"
> is a word that apparently appears only in this saga. If
> gróðr = crops, then góubitla must be a specific crop.
> However, I am not sure what crops people would be finding
> in Iceland near the end of February!)

> They found then rough-horsetail (From the context I think
> this must be Gói-beytlar, CV, a plant: equisetum vernum
> hyemale
> http://www.iceland-nh.net/plants/data/Equisetum-hyemale/equisetum_hyemale.html
> ) and other growth (ie vegetation).

At that time they found rough horsetail(?) and other
vegetation.

I think that Alan’s right about <góubitla>; <góu-> is what
I’d expect as a modern spelling, since the month name is now
a weak feminine <Góa>. Moreover, the Old Norse version at
the Icelandic Saga Database makes it <góibitla>, matching
the indeclinability of <Gói>. Apparently the point of all
this is that even at the worst time of the year they found
plants actually growing to the south.

Rob: The plural of <gróðr> is <gróð_r_ar>, so that final <r>
is actually part of the root, and <gróðr> is therefore acc.
sing. as well as nom. sing.

> Annat vor tók Bárðr sik upp með allan sinn varnað ok fór
> suðr Vonarskarð, þar nú heitir Bárðargata.

> The next spring, Bardr move himself with all his household
> people and went south (to) Vonarskard
> (Hope-mountain-pass), there (where) it is now called
> Bardargata (Bardr's road).

> (The) next spring Bárðr took himself up and all his goods
> (household) and journeyed south (to) Vonarskarð
> (Mountain-Pass of Hopes?).

The next spring Bárð set out with his entire household and
travelled [the] Vonarskarð south, there where it is now
called Bárðargata [i.e., along what is now called Bárð’s
Way].

I’d make it simply Hope Pass, though it appears to be more
of wide valley. It’s in central Iceland, just a bit
northwest of Bárðarbunga, the volcano that caused such a
stir a while back. It seems to be just about due south of
Lundarbrekka, and quite a trek.

> Hann nam síðan Fljótshverfi ok bjó at Gnúpi, ok var hann
> því Gnúpa-Bárðr kallaðr.

> He then claimed Fljotshverfi (river/lake-cluster of farms)
> and lived at Gnupi (Peak), and he was called that:
> Peak-Bardr.

> He took (possession of) Fljótshverfi (Lake´s cluster-of
> farms) after-that and lived at Gnúpr (Peak) and he was
> for-that (reason) (því) called Gnúpa-Bárðr (Bárðr of the
> Peaks).

He then claimed Fljótshverfi and dwelt at Gnúpr, and for
that reason he was called Gnúpa-Bárð.

> En Egill, sonr Bárðar, bjó eftir at Lundarbrekku.

> And/but Egill, Bardr's son, lived afterwards at
> Lundarbrekku.

> But (And) Egill, son of Bárðr, lived after at Lundarbrekka
> (Grove´s-Slope)

But Egil, Bárð’s son, continued to live at Lundarbrekka.

> Hann átti Salgerði, dóttur Þóris snepils at Lundi.

> He married Salgerdi, Thoris "Snip's" daughter at Lund.

> He had (in marriage) Salgerðr, daughter of Þórir ‘flap’ of
> Lundr (The Grove).

He married Salgerð, daughter of Þóri snepil ['snip, flap',
probably 'earlobe'] of Lund.

> Þeirra sonr var Hrani hringr, sem því var kallaðr hringr,
> at hann hafði rauðan hring á vinstri kinn.

> Their son was Hrani "Ring," who was then called Ring,
> because he had a red ring on (his) left cheek.

> Their son was Hrani ‘Ring, who was-called ‘Ring’ because
> he had a read ring on (his) left cheek (of his face!).

Their son was Hrani hringr ['ring'], who was called ‘Ring’
because he had a red ring on his left cheek.

Rob: The word order is awkward from an English point of
view: <því> goes with <at>, as if it were <sem var kallaðr
hringr, því at hann ...>.

> Hrani var snemma gerviligr ok inn mesti maðr.

> Hrani was very soon accomplished and the greatest man.

> Hrani was soon accomplished and the greatest person (man).

He was soon accomplished and the greatest man.

> 2. kafli - Útkoma Helga króks ok landnám

> Helgi "Hook's" Coming out to Iceland and Settlement

> Chapter 2 – (The) coming out (to Iceland) of Helgi ‘Hook’
> and Settlement (lit: Land-Taking)

Helgi krók’s arrival in Iceland and settlement

> Maðr er nefndr Helgi krókr, sonr Goðlaugs Ásgeirssonar úr
> Sogni.

> A man is named Helgi "Hook," son of Godlaug Asgeirson from
> Sogn.

> (There) is a person (man) named Helgi ‘Hook’, son of
> Goðlaugr Ásgeirr’s-son out-of Sogn (District in Norway).

There is a man named Helgi krók ['hook'], son of Goðlaug
Ásgeirsson from Sogn.

The district name <Sogn> is taken from the name of the
fjord; apparently <sogn-> is a derivative of <súga> 'to
suck'.

> Hann fór frá Suðreyjum til Íslands ok hélt skipi sínu í
> Skjálfandafljótsós.

> He travelled from the Hebrides to Iceland and steered his
> ship to Skjálfandafljótsós (Tremble-eye-river-mouth ?)

> He journeyed from the Hebrides, (Suðreyjar, lit: South
> Islands) to Iceland and steered (lit: held) his ship into
> Skjálfandafljótsóss (Quivering-River’s-Mouth).

He travelled from the Hebrides to Iceland and steered his
ship into Skjálfandafljótsóss.

German Wikipedia explains the name of the river as having to
do with the bay Skjálfandi into which it empties and with
the high frequency of earthquakes in this region; it travels
through Bárðardal.

> Hann var skyldr Agli á Lundarbrekku ok Þorsteini í
> Reykjahlíð.

> He was related to Agl at Lundarbrekku and Thorstein in
> Smoke-mountainside.

> He was related to Egill in Lundarbrekka (Grove’s-Slope)
> and Þorsteinn in Reykjahlíð (Mountainside of Steam/Smoke).

He was related to Egil of Lundarbrekka and Þorstein of
Reykjahlíð.

> Helgi reið frá skipi sínu at Lundarbrekku.

> Helgi rode from his ship at Lundarbrekk.

> Helgi rode from his ship to Lundarbrekka (Grove’s-Slope).

Helgi rode from his ship to Lundarbrekka.

> Þeir feðgar tóku vel við honum, ok var hann þar um hríð.

> They, father and son, received him well, and he stayed
> there a while.

> They, father-and-son, received him well, and he was
> (stayed) there for a while.

They, father and son, received him well, and he stayed there
for a while.

> Eitt sinn kom hann at máli við Egil, at hann vildi
> staðfestast þar í dalnum, en þá var allr Bárðardalr
> byggðr.

> One time he arrived to speak to Egil, that he wanted to
> live (Z. "take up his abode") there in the valley, but/and
> then Bardr's Valley was completely settled.

> One time he came to speech with Egill, that he wanted to
> take-up-his-abode there in the-dale, but then (ie at that
> time) was all Bárðardalr (Bárðr’s-Dale) settled.

One time he came to talk to Egil, [to say] that he wanted to
establish himself there in the valley, but all Bárðardal was
then settled.

> Egill mælti: "Hugat hefi ek at bólfestu hér fram til dala,
> ok er víða mjök byggiligt, ok skaltu eiga land allt milli
> Skjálfandafljóts ok Mjóadalsár fram til Sanda."

> Egil said: "I have looked after an estate held by lease
> here up to (the) valley, and it is largely very
> inhabitable, and you shall own all (the) land between
> Skjalfandafljot and Mjoadalsar (Slender-chief-river?) up
> to Sanda."

> Egill spoke: “I have looked into a leasehold from here to
> (the) dale, and (it) is far-and-wide very habitable. and
> you-shall have all land between Skjálfandafljót
> (Quivering-River) ok Mjóadalsá (Slender-Dale’s River)
> forward to Sandar (The Sands, Sand-banks)

Egil said: ‘I have considered a leasehold from here to the
valley, and it is largely very habitable, and you shall have
all the land between Skjálfandafljót and Mjóadalsá to
Sandar.

> Eftir þetta riðu þeir Egill ok Helgi krókr at heiman ok
> skoðuðu landit ok kölluðu Króksdal fram með fljóti.

> After this they, Egill and Helgi "Hook," rode home and
> viewed the land and called (it) Hook-valley along (the)
> lake.

> After this they, Egill and Helgi ‘Hook’ ride from-home and
> viewed the-land and claimed (cf kalla, Z4) Króksdalr
> (‘Hook’s-Dale) forward along (the) river.

After this Egil and Helgi krókr rode home and viewed the
land and claimed Króksdal along the river.

CV has an example of this sense of <kalla> without either
the reflexive pronoun <sér> or a preposition.

> Helgi reisti bæ á Króksdal ok kallaði Helgastaði.

> Helgi built a fram at Hook-valley and called (it)
> Helgi-place.

> Helgi raised a farmstead in Króksdalr and called (it)
> Helgastaðir (Helgi’s-Steads).

Helgi set up a farmstead at Króksdal and called it
Helgastaðir.

> Hann átti konu þá, er Hallveig hét.

> He then married a woman who was named Hallveig.

> He had (in marriage) that woman, who was-called Hallveig.

He married that woman who was called Hallveig.

Brian