> Bera hét ekkja er bjó í Berufirði.
> Bera was the name of a widow who lived in Beru-firth.
> Bera was called the widow (CV) who lived in Bera’s firth.
> (There) was a widow called Bera, who lived in Berufjörðr
> (Bera’s (she-bear’s)-fjord).
A widow who dwelt in Berufjörð was called Bera.
Note that this means that (the author of the saga thought
that) the fjord was named for her, not (as we might
otherwise have supposed) for a she-bear.
> Hún átti þrjá sonu.
> She had three sons.
> She had three sons.
> She had three sons.
She had three sons.
> Björn var elstur.
> Bjorn was the older.
> Bjorn was the oldest.
> Björn was (the) eldest.
Björn was the eldest.
> Þórarinn krókur nam allan Króksfjörð meðal Hafrafells og
> Króksfjarðarmúla.
> Thorarin "Hook" claimed all Hook's-fiord between
> Buck's-hill and Hook's-firth-mule (?).
That’s from <múli> 'a projecting mountain; a promontory, a
headland'.
> Thorarinn hook took all of Hook’s fjord between Buckfells
> and Hook’s firth mull.
> Þórarinn ‘hook’ (‘crook’) took (possession of) all
> Króksfjörðr (Crook’s-fjord) between Hafrafell
> (He-goat’s-Fell) and Kroksfjarðarmuli
> (Crook´s-Fjord’s-Mull)
Þórarin krókr claimed all of Króksfjörð between Hafrafell
and Króksfjarðarmúli.
The byname <krókr> probably signified that he had a crooked
back or a pronounced stoop, but it might also have meant
that he was tricky, inclined to be devious or underhanded.
> Með honum komu út suðureyskir menn.
> Men from the Hebrides came out to Iceland with him. (More
> literally: "With him came out to Iceland men from the
> Hebrides.")
> With him came out Hebridean men.
> With him came out Hebridean (lit: South-Isled) people
> (men):
Hebridean folks came out [to Iceland] with him:
> Gilli er bjó á Gillastöðum, göfugur maður.
> Gill who lived at Gill's-place, a noble man.
> Gilli who lived at Gilli’s steads, a noble man.
> Gilli who lived at Gillastaðir (Gilli’s-steads), a noble
> person (man).
Gilli, who lived at Gillastaðir, a noble man.
> Ketilbjörn hét son hans, hinn vænlegasti maður.
> Ketilbjorn was the name of his son, the most promising
> man.
> Ketilbjorn was the name of his son, a most promising man.
> His son was-called Ketilbjörn, the most-promising person
> (man).
His son was called Ketilbjörn, the most promising man.
> Að Hafrafelli bjó Hólmgöngu-Kýlan en Naður bjó í Naðurdal.
> At Buck's-hill lived Holmgangu-Kylan, and Nadr lived in
> Nadr's-dale.
> At Bucksfell lived Duel-Kylan and Nadur lived in
> Nadurdale.
> At Hafrafell (He-goat´s-Fell) lived Hólmgöngu
> (‘Holm-going’, duelling)-Kýlan but (and) Naðr lived in
> Naðrdalr (Naðr-Dale).
At Hafrafell dwelt Hólmgöngu-Kýlan, and Naðr dwelt in
Naðrdal.
The <-r> appears to be part of the root rather than the
nominative singular inflectional ending, since it’s retained
in <Naðrdalr>. (It is a little odd that the placename
isn’t <Naðrsdalr>, but perhaps the /s/ dropped from the
slightly awkward combination /ðrsd/.) Thus, the name
appears to be inflected like <naðr> 'snake' and may even
have the same ultimate etymology.
> Ásmundur hét hans son.
> His son was named Asmundr.
> Asmund was the name of his son.
> His son was-called Ásmundr.
His son was called Ásmund.
> Hallvarður hrísi bjó á Hrísahvoli.
> Hallvardr "Brushwood" lived at Brushwood-Hvoll. (Hvoll
> seems to be a name of a place?)
> Hallvard brushwood lived at Brushyvale?
> Hallvarðr ‘Brushwood’ lived at Hrísahváll
> (‘Brushwood’-Knoll, see hváll)
Hallvarð hrísi [‘brushwood’] dwelt at Hrísahváll.
<Hvoll> is the modern form of <hváll> 'hill, hillock,
knoll'.
> Már hét son hans.
> Mar was his son's name.
> Mar was the name of his son.
> His son was-called Már.
His son was called Már.
> Oddur skrauti hét maður er út kom vestur í Vaðli.
> Oddr "Ornament" was the name of a man who came out west in
> Vadli.
> Odd finery was the name of a man who came out west to
> Shallows.
> (There) was a person (man) called Oddr ‘Finery’
> (presumably a bit of a ‘Dandy’), who came out to (the)
> west in Vaðill (Shallow-Water).
A man who came out west to Vaðill [‘shallows’] was called
Odd skrauti.
<Skrauti> can only be a weak masculine noun or a weak
adjective in the nom. sing. masc., so it’s not the noun
<skraut>, though it’s plainly closely related. CV takes it
to be a weak masc. noun, noting that it appears as a
byname, as the name of a ship, and as the name of a brindled
ox, with <skrauta> appearing as the name of a brindled cow.
It probably means that he was a showy fellow, given to fancy
dress, but in view of its use as a name for a brindled cow,
it might mean that he had a streak of hair whose color did
not match that of the rest of his hair.
> Hann var son Hlöðvers konungs af Gautlandi og Veru hinnar
> þungu Guðbrandsdóttur af Járnberalandi.
> He was King Hlodver's son of Gautland and Veru the
> oppressive, Gudbrand's daughter from Jarnberaland
> (Iron-bare-land).
> He was the son of King Hlodver of Gautland and Vera the
> difficult, Gudbrand’s daughter from Ironbearingland.
> He was (the) son of King Hlöðverr of Gotaland and Vera the
> ‘Weighty’ Guðbrandr’s-daughter from Járnberaland (Land of
> the Iron-carriers = Dalarna, Sweden)
He the son of King Hlöðver of Gautland and Vera the stern of
Járnberaland.
‘Stern’ is a guess amongst the various possibilities. The
mss. apparently have <Vieru>, so the name may be <Véra>
rather than <Vera>. Gautland is now Götaland, in southern
Sweden; Járnberaland (iron-bearer-land) is now Dalarna, in
central Sweden.
> Oddur kaupir lendur í Þorskafjarðarskógum að Þuríði
> drikkinni og bjó að Uppsölum.
> Oddr buys land in Cod-firth-forest and Thurid "Drikkin"
> and lived at Uppsala.
> Odd buys land in Codfirth forest from Thurid ? and lived
> at Uppsala.
> Oddr bought estates (lenda) in Þorskafjarðarskógr
> (Cod-Fjord’s-Forest) of Þuríðr drikkinn (‘butt cheek’ J)
> and lived at Uppsalir (Up-Halls)
Odd buys lands in Þorskafjarðarskógar from Þuríð drikkinn
and dwelt at Uppsala.
Þorskafjarðarskógar (plural) is ‘codfish-fjord-woods’.
> Hann fékk Valgerðar dóttur Eyjólfs í Múla.
> He got in marriage Valgerdr, a daughter of Oyjolf in Mula.
> He married Valgerd, a daughter of Eyjolf in Mull.
> He got (in marriage) Valgerðr daughter of Eyjólfr in Muli
> (Mull).
He got in marriage Valgerð, daughter of Eyjólf of Múli.
> Þeirra son var Þórir, manna mestur og fríðastur sýnum.
> Their son was Thorir, man's greatust and most fair of
> face. (Z. sýn 3: fríðr sýnum, fair of face)
> Their son was Thorir, a man best and handsomest to see.
> Their son was Þórir, the greatest of persons (men) and
> most-handsome in-appearance.
Their son was Þóri, greatest of people and fairest of face.
> Grímur hét son hans hinn eldri en Þórir hinn yngri.
> Grimr was his older son and Thorir the younger.
> Grim was the name of his olest son and Thorir the younger.
> His son was-called Grímr, the elder (son) but (and) Þórir
> the younger (son).
His elder son was called Grím and his younger Þóri.
> Gísl nef nam Gilsfjörð og bjó að Kleifum.
> Gisl "Beak" claimed Gil's-fiord and lived at Cliffs.
> Gisl nose took Gisl’s firth and lived at Cleft.
> Gísl ‘Nose’ took (possession of) Gilsfjörðr
> (Gully’s-Fjord) and lived at Kleifar (Cliffs).
Gísl nef [‘nose, beak’] took Gilsfjörð and dwelt at Kleifar
[‘cliffs’].
<Gilsfjörðr> is intended to be understood as ‘Gísl’s fjord’;
the form <Gísl> alternates with <Gils>, which also appears
as genitive for both forms.
> Hann átti ... synir voru þeir Héðinn í Garpsdal og
> Herfinnur í Múla.
> He had ... the sones were Hedin in Bold-valley and
> Herfinnr in Mula.
> He had … sons (and) they were Hedinn in Bold’s dale and
> Herfinn in Mull.
> He had (in marriage) (her whose name cannot be
> spoken)…Those were (his) sons: Héðinn in Garpsdalr
> (Brave-man´s-Dale) and Herfinnr in Muli (Mull).
He had in marriage ...; [their] sons were Héðin in Garpsdal
and Herfinn at Múli.
The gap must originally have contained the name of his wife
and the word <þeirra> (or possibly <hans>).
> Dætur hans voru þær Hallgríma og Þorbjörg knarrarbringa og
> Ingibjörg.
> His daughters were Hallgrim and Thorbjorg "Ship's-chest"
> (??) and Ingibjorg.
> His daughters were they: Hallgrim and Thorbjorg brisket
> like a merchanship (oh my!) and Ingibjorg.
> Those were his daughters: Hallgríma and Þorbjörg (‘Breast
> of-a-Merchant-Ship’ (the ‘buxom’(?)) and Ingibjörg.
His daughters were Hallgríma and Þorbjörg knarrarbringa
[‘knarr-bosom, merchant-ship-bosom’] and Ingibjörg.
Presumably Þorbjörg was either a bit top-heavy or downright
flat-chested. This is one of my two favorite recorded ON
bynames; the other is <kastanrazi>, which might roughly be
translated ‘shake-arse, wiggle-arse’.
> Ólafur belgur bjó í Ólafsdal er Ormur mjóvi rak úr
> Ólafsvík en Sleitu-Björn úr Belgsdal.
> Olafr "Bellows" lived in Olaf's-dale when Ormr (Dragon)
> "Slim" drove out Olafsvik and Sleitu-Bjorn out of
> Bellow's-dale.
> Olaf bellows lived in Olaf’s dale and Orm ? drove out of
> Olaf’s bay and Shuffling-Bjorn out of Bellows dale.
> Ólafr ‘Bellows’ lived in Ólafsdalr (Ólafr’s-Dale) whom
> Ormr (the) ‘Slender’ (?) drove out-of Ólafsvíkr
> (Ólafr’s-Inlet) but (and, as he did(?)) Sleitu (Shuffling
> ‘Shamming’)-Bjorn out of Belgsdalr (‘Bellow’s’-Dale).
Ólaf belgr [‘skin-bag’], whom Orm mjóvi [‘slender’] drove
from Ólafsvík and Sleitu-Björn from Belgsdal, dwelt in
Ólafsdal.
I suspect that the real sense of Ólaf’s byname is ‘paunch,
belly’; in any case <Belgsdal> was presumably understood to
have been named for him. There is a Sléttu-Björn (e.g., in
Landnámabók) who may be the same person; this seems not to
be settled. <Sléttu-> would be a topographical byname for
someone from a plain, a level place; <Sleitu-> would be a
byname for a deceitful or scheming person.
> Hans synir voru þeir Þorgeir og Jósteinn, Þorvaldur.
> His sons were Thorgeir, Josteinn, and Thorvaldr.
> His sons were they: Thorgeir, Josteinn and Thorvald.
> Those were his sons: Þorgeirr and Jósteinn, Þorvaldr.
His sons were Þorgeir and Jóstein, [and] Þorvald.
> Steinólfur hét maður og var kallaður lági.
> A man was named Steinolfr and was called "Shorty." (OK, Z.
> doesn't say "Shorty," but "low." However, "Shorty" is more
> colloquial.)
> Steinolf was the name of a man and (he) was called shorty.
> (There) was a man called Steinólfr and (he) was called
> ‘Low’ (Humble or Short?).
A man was called Steinólf and was called lági [‘low’].
In all likelihood the byname means ‘short’, indicating
either that he was short or, ironically, that he was
anything *but* short; however, other meanings are possible,
e.g., ‘humble’.
> Hann var son Hrólfs hersis af Ögðum.
> He was a son of local chief Hrolf from Ogdum.
> He was a son of Lord Hrolf of Ogdum.
> He was a son of Hrólfr, local chieftain of Agðir (Agder,
> in Norway)
He was the son of Hrólf hersir [‘local chieftain’] of Agðir.
<Ögðum> is the dative of <Agðir>, now Agder in Norway.
> Hann nam land milli Grjótvallarmúla og Klofasteina og bjó
> á Steinólfshjalla í Fagradal.
> He claimed land between Stone-beggar-projecting-mountain
> and Cleft-stone and lived at Stone-??-ledge in
> Fair-valley.
> He took land between Stone-turf-mull and Cleftstone and
> lived at Steinolf’s ledge in Fairdale.
> He took (possession of) land between Grjótvallarmuli
> (Stone-Field’s-Mull) and Klofasteinar (Rift’s-Stones) and
> lived at Steinólfshjalli (Steinólfr’s-(Stone-Wolf)
> Mountain-Ledge) in Fagradalr (Fair-Dale).
He took land between Grjótvallarmúli and Klofasteinn and
dwelt at Steinólfshjalli in Fagradal [‘fair-dale’].
Grjótvallarmúli is ‘stone-field-projecting-mountain’,
<vallar> being the gen. sing. of <völlr>; Klofasteinn is
‘cleft-stone’ (with ‘cleft’ as a noun); and Steinólfshjallr
is ‘Steinólf’s ledge’.
> Hann átti Eirnýju Þiðrandadóttur.
> He married Eirnyju daughter of Thidran.
> He married Eirnyja daughter of Thidrand.
> He had (in marriage) Eirný Þiðrandi’s-daughter.
He had Eirný Þiðrandadóttir in marriage.
As Alan says, her father’s name is Þiðrandi: you can tell by
the genitive ending <-a> of <Þiðranda(dóttir)>.
> Steinn og Helgi voru synir þeirra en Arndís dóttir og
> Þuríður er Sleitu-Björn átti.
> Steinn and Helgi were their sons, and Arndis a daughter
> and Thuridur, who Sleitu-Bjorn married.
> Stein and Helgi were their sons and Arndis (their)
> daughter and Thurid who married Shuffling Bjorn.
> Their sons were Steinn and Helgi but (and) Arndís (their)
> daughter and Þuríðr (another daughter) whom Sleitu
> (Shuffling ‘Shamming’)-Bjorn had (in marriage).
Stein and Helgi were their sons and Arndís [their] daughter,
and Þuríð, whom Sleitu-Björn had in marriage.
> Knútur og Þjóðrekur voru synir þeirra.
> Knutr and Thjodrekr were their sons.
> Knut and Thjodrek were their sons.
> Knút and Þjóðrekr were their sons.
Knút and Þjóðrek were their sons.
> Steinólfur var rausnarmaður mikill í búi og hafði
> fjölmennt.
> Steinolfr was a great, magnificent man in estate and it
> had many people.
> Steinolf was a very magnificent man in household and had
> numerous followers?
> Steinólfr was a great man-of-splendour in household and
> (it, the household, bú =neuter) had numerous-people
Steinólf had a very magnificent estate [‘was a very
magnificent man in estate’] and had many people.
> En er honum þótti þrönglent fyrir sunnan fjörðinn nam hann
> Steinólfsdal í Króksfirði og gerði bú í Bæ.
> And it is thought of him narrowly south of the fiord he
> claimed Steinolf's-dale in Hook's-firth and built a house
> in Bae.
> But when to him it seemed narrow south of the fjord, he
> took Steinolf’s dale in Crookfirth and built a house in
> Bae.
> But (And) when (it, ie land) seemed to him narrow south of
> the-fjord, he took (possession of) Steinólfsdalr and
> Króksfjörðr and established (his) farm in Boer (Farmstead)
And when he thought it crowded [‘narrow, close’] south of
the fjord, he took Steinólfsdal in Króksfjörð and set up a
home for himself at Bœr [‘farmstead’].
> Hann skipaði dalinn vinum sínum.
> He arranged the valley for his friends. (?)
> He occupied the dale with his friends.
> He assigned the-dale to his friends (skipa e-m e-t, Z3).
He assigned the valley to his friends.
> Grímur frændi hans bjó á Völlum.
> His relative Grimr lived at Vollum.
> Grim, his kinsman, lived at Field.
> Grímr his kinsman lived at Vellir (Fields, Meadows)
Grím, his kinsman, dwelt at Vellir [‘fields’].
> Hergísl hét son hans.
> His son was named Hergisl.
> Hergisl was the name of his son.
> His son was-called Hergísl.
His son was called Hergísl.
> Heimlaug völva bjó á Völvustöðum í Kambsheiði.
> Haimlaug, a prophetess, lived at Prophetess-place in
> Comb's-bright-sky.
> Heimlaug the witch lived at Witche’s steads in Combheath.
> Heimlaug (the) Sybil lived at Völvustaðir (Sybil’s-Steads)
> in Kambsheiðr (Comb’s (Ridge’s)-Heath)
Heimlaug [the] völva [‘wisewoman’] dwelt at Völvustaðir on
Kambsheiðr.
<Heiðr> is 'heath, moor'; the basic sense of <kambr> is
'comb', but here it’s presumably 'ridge (of hills)'.
> En Steinólfur bægði henni og var hún fyrir því óvin hans.
> And/but Steinolfr removed her and she was his enemy for
> that.
> But Steinolf oppressed her and she was due to that his
> enemy.
> But (And) Steinólfr drove her out (cf honum bægði veðr,
> under bægja, Z1) and for that (action) she was his enemy.
And Steinólf harassed her, and for that reason she was his
enemy.
Baetke supports <bægja> 'to harass', and I don’t (as yet,
anyway) see any real support for the stronger sense.
> Þórarinn krókur taldi sér dalinn er Steinólfur hafði
> skipað og kallaði hann það sitt landnám því að svo var og
> gerðist af því fjandskapur með þeim Steinólfi svo að þeir
> drápust þar fyrir.
> Thorarinn "Hook" claimed for himself the valley that
> Steinolfr had prepared and he called that his settlement
> because it was so and it became from that enmity with the
> Steinolfs so that they killed one another there. (Z. telja
> 3 -- t. sér e-t, to claim for oneself, reckon as one’s
> property) (similar to Z. drepa I 6 -- drepast menn fyrir,
> to kill one another’s men)
> Thorarinn hook counted the dale his which Steinolf had
> occupied and he called it his land-taking because (it) was
> so and became from that in enmity with them, Steinolf (and
> co.), so that they fought there over it.
> Þórarinn ‘Hook’ claimed for himself the-dale which
> Steinólfr had assigned (ie to his friends, see skipa e-m
> et, above) and he called that his land-taking (settlement)
> because (it) was thus (ie that´s just the way it was, à la
> Putin and Crimea?)and from that (action) hostility arose
> between them, Steinólfr (and Þórarinn) so that they killed
> one another there.
Þórarin krókr claimed for himself the valley that Steinólf
had assigned, and he called it his settlement, because [it]
was so, and from that enmity arose between them, [him and]
Steinólf, so that they killed each other’s men.
Brian