> 5. kafli - Hróaldr vó Gauta ok féll fyrir Hrana

> Hroaldr Killed Gauti and Died because of Hrani

> Chapter 5 – Hróaldr slayed Gauti and fell (ie was killed
> in battle) before (ie because of, at the hands of) Hrani

Hróald slew Gauti and fell before Hrani

> Hróaldr galti hét maðr.

> Hroaldr "Hog" was the name of a man.

> (There) was a person (man) called Hróaldr ‘hog’.

There was a man called Hróald galti ['boar'].

> Hann bjó á Torfastöðum í Vopnafirði.

> He lived at Torfastad (Turf-place) in Vopnafirth
> (Weapon-firth).

> He lived at Torfastaðir (Turf-Steads) in Vápnafjörðr
> (Fjord-of-Weapons)

He dwelt at Torfastaðir in Vápnafjörð.

> Hann var bróðir Sigfúsar, er Hrani drap, hroðamaðr mesti
> ok illr viðrskiptis.

> He was a brother of Sigfus, whom Hrani killed, the most
> disturbing man and ill to get along with.

> He was (the) brother of Sigfúss, who killed Hrani, the
> greatest person-of-disturbances (ie troublemaker) and ill
> in dealings (ie hard to deal with).

He was a brother of Sigfús, whom Hrani killed, a most brutal
man and hard to deal with.

Cf. CV, <hroðamenni>.

> Átti hann ok sökótt víða.

> He also had quarrels far and wide.

> He had (ie kept) also quarrels far-and-wide.

He also had quarrels in many places.

> Frétti hann nú fall bróður síns ok varð mjök illa við,
> heitir nú at hefna.

> He now heard about (the) death of his brother and
> responded poorly, now promises to take vengeance.

> He got-intelligence now of his brother´s fall (death in
> battle) and became (was) very vexed with (it, ie as a
> result, cf jarl varð illa við þetta, under verða Z6),
> promises now to take-vengeance.

He heard now of his brother’s death [in combat] and was very
angry [and] promises now to take vengeance.

> Býr hann sik nú at heiman við sjaunda mann ok fór um fjall
> vestr allt at Mývatni.

> He how gets ready at home with six men and went west
> across the mountain all the way to Myvatni.

> He readies-himself now (to go) from-home with (the)
> seventh man (ie with half a dozen others) and journeyed
> across the fells west all (the way) to Mývatn
> (Midge-Lake).

He now prepares [to leave] home with six men and travelled
west over the mountain(s) all the way to Mývatn.

One would have to know the geography to know whether <fjall>
is singular or plural here.

> Var þat næsta sumar eftir fall Sigfúsar.

> It was the next summer after Sigfus's slaying.

> That was in the next (ie following) summer after the fall
> (death in battle) of Sigfúss.

That was the next summer after Sigfús’s death [in combat].

> Koma þeir síð dags at Gautlandi.

> They arrived late in the day at Gautland.

> The come (present tense) late in (the) day to Gautland.

They arrived in Götaland late in the day.

> Gauti var í túni ok húskarlar þrír.

> Gauti was in (his) yard and also three house-servants
> (were there).

> Gauti was in (the) home-field and three house-servants.

Gauti was in the home-field, along with [‘and’] three
servants.

> Gauti heilsar Hróaldi ok bauð gisting um nóttina.

> Gauti greets Hroaldr and invited (him to accept)
> accomodations during the night.

> Gauti greets (hails) Hróaldr and offered (bjóða, Z1)
> accommodation during the-night.

Gauti greets Hróald and offered accommodation for the night.

> Kvaðst Hróaldr þat þiggja mundu.

> Hroaldr stated for himself he would accept it.

> Hróaldr declared-of-himself (that he) would accept that.

Hróald said that he would accept it.

> "Hefi ek," segir hann, "erendi við þik, eða er Sigfúss,
> bróðir minn, hér?"

> "I have," he says, "business with you, is Sigfus, my
> brother, here?"

> “I have,” says he, “business with you, but is Sigfúss, my
> brother, here?”

‘I have,’ he says, ‘business with you; so is Sigfús, my
brother, here?’

> Gauti mælti: "Eigi er hann hér."

> Gauti said: "He is not here."

> Gauti spoke: “He is not here.”

Gauti said: ‘He is not here.’

> Ok segir hann nú Hróaldi galta allan málavöxt ok býðr
> honum fébætr fyrir Sigfús vegna Hrana hrings.

> And he now tells Hroaldr "Hog" all the state of the case
> and asks him for compensation for Hrana "Ring's" slaying
> of Sigfus.

> And he says (ie relates) now to Hróald ‘hog’ all (the)
> state-of-the-case and offers (bjóða, Z1) him compensation
> for Sigfúss on-behalf-of Hrani ‘Ring’.

And he now tells Hróald galti the whole state of the matter
and offers him compensation for Sigfús on behalf of Hrani
hringr.

> En Galti kvaðst ekkert þiggja vilja utan líf Hrana, - "ok
> vildi ek, at þú vísaðir mér leið til Hrana ok styrktir mik
> at hefna bróður míns."

> But Galti said for himself (that he) wanted to accept
> nothing except for Hrani's life, "and I wanted, that you
> show me the way to Hrani and assist me in avenging my
> brother."

> But (the) ‘Hog’ declared-of-himself to want to accept
> nothing (neut of enginn, MnI) but (the) life of Hrani –
> “and I would-want, that you showed me (the) way to Hrani
> and assisted (styrkja, Z2) me to avenge my brother.”

But Galti said that he wanted to receive nothing but Hrani’s
life, – ‘and I wanted that you showed me the way to Hrani
and assisted me to avenge my brother.’

Note that bynames were often used as personal names; some
even went on to become standard elements of the ordinary
name stock, e.g., <Gamall>.

First person <vildi> is modern; I was expecting <vilda>.

> Gauti svarar: "Aldri styrki ek til at vinna á Hrana, ok
> býð ek enn bætr fyrir hann, ella geng ek í lið með honum."

> Gauti answers: "I will never assist to get the better of
> Hrani, and I would still ask to compensate for him, or I
> go in assistance to him."

> Gauti answers: “I (will) never assist to bodily-harm Hrani
> (vinna á e-m, Z12), and I offer (bjó’a, Z1) still
> compensation for him, otherwise I walk (go) in support
> with him.”

Gauti replies: ‘I will never help to do Hrani bodily harm,
and I still offer compensation for him; otherwise [i.e., if
it’s not accepted] I join up with him.’

The Icelandic Online Dictionary has <ganga í lið með e-m>
'join up with sby', and given the number of apparently
modern usages that we’ve already seen, I’m pretty
comfortable using that gloss here.

> Galti svarar: "Hrakliga ferr þér at máli eftir Sigfús.

> Galti answers: "You proceed wretchedly in comparison with
> Sigfus's case.

> (The) ‘Hog’ answers: “Wretchedly (it) goes with you (ie
> you behave wretchedly, see fara, Z10) as regards to (the)
> case after (concerning?) Sigfúss.

Galti replies: ‘You are dealing wretchedly with the matter
of Sigfús’s killing.

Baetke notes that <eptir> with the accusative often means
‘after the death of’ and has <mæla eptir e-n> 'bring suit
for manslaughter in behalf of the victim'.

> Var hann þó með þér vel ok lengi ok vann dyggiliga, en nú
> viltu engu slíkt umbuna, þat er eigi neinu sé vert, ok er
> makligt, at þú njótir þess at nokkuru."

> Yet he was with you well and long and worked faithfully,
> and/but now you will want no such recompensation, that is
> not any would be worthy, and is deserving, that you
> benefit from that from anyone."

> He (ie Sigfúss) was nevertheless well-disposed, see vera
> vel, Z7) with you and for a long-time and worked
> faithfully, but (and) now you-want (to make) such
> payment-for-service (ömbun) with nothing, that which is
> not worth anything (ie you do not want to make any
> meaningful compensation at all), and (it) is meet (fit and
> proper) that you have the benefit of (ie get what you
> deserve from ) that from something (in some way?)”

After all, he was on good terms with you, and for a long
time, and worked faithfully, and now you want to reward such
with nothing, that which is not worth anything, and it is
proper that you get the benefit of this to some extent.

<Þó> here seems to have roughly the force of German <doch>.
I’m taking <at nokkuru> to be equivalent to modern <að
nokkru leyti> 'to some extent'. <Njótir> definitele seems
to be ironic.

> Reiðir hann nú upp öxi ok hjó til Gauta, en Gauti brá sér
> undan, ok missti hann höggsins.

> He now raises on an axe and struck at Gauti, but Gauti
> pulled himself out of the way (i.e., "dodged the blow"),
> and the blow missed him.

> He raises now up (his) axe and hewed at Gauti, but (and)
> Gauti quickly-moved himself away, and he missed (ie
> avoided, escaped) the-blow.

He now lifts up his axe and hewed at Gauti, but Gauti
dodged, and he [= Hróald galti] missed the blow.

> Spjót stóð í túninu, ok grípr Gauti þat ok skýtr at Galta,
> en hann brá skildi fyrir ok sakaði eigi.

> A spear stood in the yard, and Gauti seizes it and thrusts
> it at Galti, but he raised (his) shield in front (of him)
> and it didn't harm (him).

> A spear (it just so happened) stood in the-home-field, and
> Gauti grips that and shoots (skjóta) at (the) ‘Hog’, but
> he quickly-drew (his) shield in front (ie in the way) and
> (it, ie the spear) did-no-harm.

A spear was standing in the home-field, and Gauti seizes it
and thrusts at Galti, but he thrust his shield forward, and
[it] did not harm [him].

> Nú hlaupa hvorirtveggju til vopna, ok sótti Hróaldr mjök
> fast at Gauta, ok lyktaði svo, at Gauti féll ok einn
> húskarl hans.

> Each now jumps to (his) weapons, and Hroaldr attacked
> Gauti very hard, and it (or "he"?) finished thus, that
> Gauti and one (of) his house-servants fell (dead).

> Now each-of-the-two (sides) leap to (their) weapons, and
> Hróaldr very hard attacked Gauti, and (it) ended thus,
> that Gauti fell (died in battle) and one house-servant of
> his.

Now each of the two leaps to his weapons, and Hróald
attacked Gauti very hard, and it ended thus, that Gauti was
slain, and one of his servants.

Brian