Re: Gull-Thoris Saga 17 B -- Rob's Translation

> Þórir var nú var um sig og lét upp halda virkinu.

> Thorir was now on his guard and ceased his work. (Modern
> Icelandic: Vera um sig = to be on one's guard)

> Thorir was now wary about himself and had the stronghold
> maintained.

> Þórir was now aware about himself (ie on his guard) and
> caused to hold up (maintain, defend?) the-stronghold.

Þóri was now on his guard and had the stronghold kept in
good condition.

> Þá lét Þuríður drikkinn gera rekkju gagnvert dyrum og kvað
> sér þá mundu fátt á óvart koma.

> Then Thuridr drikkinn had (him) do sleep opposite to days
> and said for himself little would take (him) by surprise.

> Then Thurid drikkin had made a bed across from the door
> and said then few would come to (them) without (them)
> being aware.

> Then Þuríðr drikinn caused to construct a bed over-against
> (the) doorway and declared then (that) little (ie not
> much) would then come to her unawares (ie would take her
> by surprise)

Then Þuríð drikkinn had a bed made over against the doorway
and said that little would then come upon her unawares.

> Ekki sættust þeir Styrkár og Þórir á víg Helga.

> Styrkar and Thorir didn't settle concerning Helgi's
> slaying.

> They, Styrkar and Thorir, did not come to a settlement on
> Helgi’s slaying.

> They Styrkár and Þórir did not come-to-terms on (the)
> slaying of Helgi.

Styrkár and Þóri did not come to terms over Helgi’s slaying.

> En það var nokkuru síðar að Styrkár gekk á skip með
> húskarla sína tíu.

> And it was somewhat later that Styrkar went aboard a ship
> with his ten man-servants.

> And it was somewhat later that Styrkar went on a ship with
> his ten man servants.

> But (And) that was somewhat later that Styrkár went to
> (his) ship with his ten house-carles (menservents).

And it was somewhat later that Styrkár went aboard ship with
his ten house-carls.

> Þar var Kerling í för með þeim dóttir hans.

> Kerling was there on the journey with his daugther. (not
> sure how the "þeim" fits here)

> Kerling, his daughter, was on the journey with them.

> There was Kerling, his daughter, in company (on the
> journey) with them (Styrkár + 10).

Kerling, his daughter, was there on the journey with them.

> Þau fóru leynilega suður yfir Þorskafjörð og komu á
> Hofstaði til Halls.

> They went south secretly across Thorskafiord (Cod-fiord)
> and they arrived to Hall at Hofstead.

> They went south secretly over Thorskafjord and came to
> Hofstad to Hallr.

> They journeyed secretly south over Þorskafjörð (Cod-fjord)
> and came to Hafstaðir to Hallr.

They travelled secretly south across Þorskafjörð and came to
Hofstaðir to Hall.

> Styrkár skorar á hann til liðs.

> Styrkar calls upon him for assistance.

> Styrkar calls on him for aid.

> Styrkár calls upon him for support (skora á e-n til e-s,
> Z4)

Styrkár calls on him for assistance.

> Hallur brást við skjótt og fór þegar við fimmtánda mann.

> Hallr started off at once and went immediately with 14
> men. (different tense, but otherwise same as Z. bregða 7:
> brá hann við skjótt ok fór, he started off at once and
> went)

> Hallr started off quickly and went immediately as the
> fifteenth man.

> Hallr started-off expeditiously and journeyed at-once with
> (the) fifteenth men (persons)

Hall set out right away and travelled at once with 14 men.

> Þeir voru nú allir saman sex og tveir tigir.

> They were now altogether 26.

> They were now all together twenty six.

> They were now all together twenty six (six and two tens)
> (11 + 15 + plus Kerling makes 27, surely).

They were now 26 altogether.

> Kerling hafði ráð fyrir liði þeirra og hún hafði
> huliðshjálm yfir skipinu meðan þau reru yfir fjörðinn til
> Þórisstaða.

> Kerling had command (?) over their troops, and she had a
> hiding-helmet over the ship while they rowed across the
> fiord to Thoris-stead.

> Kerling had authority over their company and she had a
> helmet of invisibility over the ship while they rowed
> across the fjord to Thorir’s steads.

> Kerling had authority (was responsible?) for their
> assistance (ie for helping them) and she had (ie
> maintained) a hiding-helmet (invisible-shield) over
> the-ship while they rowed over the fjord to Þórisstaðir
> (Þórir’s-steads).

Kerling had authority over their host, and she had a ‘hiding
helm’ over the ship while they rowed across the fjord to
Þórisstaðir.

I’m really not sure how to read the first clause. It seems
odd for Kerling to be in charge, but she does seem to be the
prime mover in everything that follows. I’d like to make it
mean that she was responsible for their protection, since
that actually seems to be the case, between hiding them and
seeing to it that their opponents’ weapons didn’t bite, but
I can’t find any support for that reading of <lið>.

> Þau gengu frá skipi ofanverða nátt og gekk Kerling fyrst í
> virkið því að þegar spratt upp lásinn fyrir henni er hún
> kom að.

> They went from the ship towards the end of the night and
> Kerling went first to the fortification because at once
> the lock sprang up before her when she arrived there. (Z.
> spretta 2: spratt upp lássinn, up sprang the lock)

> They went from the ship as night was setting in and
> Kerling went first into the stronghold because the lock
> leaped up before her when she came to (the door).

> They went from (the) ship late in the night and Kerling
> went (on foot) first into the-stronghold because (she)
> at-once made the-lock (accusative) to spring open
> (spretta, Z1) when she came to (it)

They went from the ship in the later part of the night, and
Kerling went first into the stronghold, because the lock
sprang up in front of her when she got there.

<Spratt> is from the intransitive strong verb <spretta>, not
the transitive weak verb <spretta>; in the modern Icelandic
spelling used here, <lásinn> is both nom. and acc., and here
it must be the acc. Old Norse presumably had <lássinn> for
the nom. and <lásinn> for the acc.

> Og er hún kom í virkið hljóp að henni gyltur mikil og svo
> hart í fang henni að hún fór öfug út af virkinu.

> And when she arrived at the fortification a great young
> sow jumped at her and so hard in her grasp that she went
> strong(y) out of the fortification.

> And when she came into the stronghold a huge young sow
> leaped at her so hard in her chest that she went backwards
> out of the stronghold.

> And when she came into the-stronghold a great young-sow
> ran at her and so hard into a hold with her (ie grappled
> her so hard) that she (Kerling) went backside-first out of
> the stronghold.

And when she came into the stronghold, a large young sow ran
at her and so hard into her chest that she went backwards
out of the stronghold.

I considered the ‘grappled’ sense, but I think that Z3 makes
better sense here.

> Og í því hljóp upp Þuríður drikkinn og bað Þóri vopnast,
> segir að ófriður var kominn að bænum.

> And at that Thuridr drikkin jumped up and asked Thorir to
> arm himself, says that hostilities had come to the farm.

> And at that Thurid drikkinn leaped up and bade Thorir arm
> himself, saying that enemies were come to the farm.

> And in that (instant) Þuríðr drikinn ran up and bade Þórir
> to take-his-arms, says that hostilities was (had) come to
> the farmstead.

And at that moment Þuríð drikkinn ran up and told Þóri to
arm himself; [she] says that hostilities had come to the
farm.

> Þeir Þórir hlupu upp og klæddust, tóku vopn sín og voru
> tólf saman.

> Thorir (and the others) jumped up and got dressed, took
> their weapons, and they were 12 in total.

> They, Thorir and his men, leaped up and dressed, armed
> themselves and (they) were twelve all together.

> They Þórir (and co) jumped up and clothed-themselves, took
> their weapons and were twelve together.

Þóri and his companions leaped up and dressed themselves
[and] grabbed their weapons and were twelve altogether.

> Tekst þar bardagi í virkinu.

> A fight began there in the fortification.

> A battle happened in the stronghold.

> A battle took-place there in the-stronghold

A battle began there in the stronghold.

> Þeir Þórir urðu sárir mjög því að vopn þeirra bitu ekki.

> Thorir (and company) became badly wounded because their
> weapons didn't bite (i.e., didn't have any effect).

> They, Thorir and his men, became seriously wounded because
> their weapons would not bite.

> They Þórir (and co) became (ie were) much wounded because
> their weapons did-not-bite.

Þóri’s side were much wounded, because their weapons did not
bite.

> Þá sá Þuríður drikkinn að Kerling fór um völlinn að
> húsbaki og hafði klæðin á baki sér uppi en niðri höfuðið
> og sá svo skýin á milli fóta sér.

> Then Thuridr drikkin saw that Kerling went across the
> field to the back of the house and had clothes behind him
> up and below his head and so saw the clouds between his
> feet. (huh???)

> They Thurid drikkin saw that Kerling went about the field
> to the back of the house and had clothing on her back
> raised up (?) and her head down and thus saw clouds
> between her feet??

> Then Þuríðr drikkinn saw that Kerling went across
> the-field to (the) back-of-the-houses and (that she) had
> (wore) the-clothes up on her back (ie so that she was
> naked from the waste down?) but below the-head and (she,
> Þuríðr) saw thus the-clouds between her legs (because they
> were not covered?).

Then Þuríð drikkinn saw that Kerling was travelling across
the field at the back of the houses and had her clothing up
on her back and her head below and so saw the clouds between
her legs.

I’m not entirely sure, but I think that Kerling is doubled
over forwards, so that she can look back between her legs
and see the sky and clouds behind her. Presumably this has
some magical significance.

> Þuríður hljóp þá út af virkinu og rann á hana og þreif í
> hárið og reif af aftur hnakkafilluna.

> Thuridr then jumped out of the fortification and ran at
> him and shook his hair and ripped off at the back the
> flesh and skin on his nape.

> Thurid ran then out from the stronghold and ran to her and
> seized her by the hair and tore off the skin on the back
> of her neck.

> Þuríðr ran then out from the-stronghold and ran at her and
> snatched the-hair and tore back
> the-flesh-and-skin-of-the-nape off (her neck).

Then Þuríð ran out of the stronghold and ran at her and
grabbed her by the hair and tore off backwards the skin at
the nape of her neck.

> Kerling tók í eyra Þuríði báðum höndum og sleit af henni
> eyrað og alla kinnfilluna ofan.

> Kerling took Thuridr's ear in both hands and tore off her
> ear from her and all her cheekflesh from above.

> Kerling took Thurid’s ears in both hands and tore off her
> ears and all the cheek flesh down.

> Kerling took (the) ear of Þuríðr in both hands and tore of
> the-ear of her and all the-cheek-flesh from-above.

Kerling grabbed Þuríð’s ear with both hands and tore off her
ear and all of the cheek-flesh below.

> Og í því tók að bíta vopn Þóris og urðu þá mjög
> skeinusamir.

> And at that, Thorir's weapon began to bite, and they
> became very much exposed to being wounded. (CV skeinusamr)

> And at that Thorir’s weaons started to cut and became very
> much able to wound.

> And in that (instant) (the) weapon of Þórir started to
> bite and (the weapons) became then very likely-to-wound.

And at that moment Þóri’s weapons began to bite and became
then much more likely to wound.

> Féllu þá sumir menn Halls en sumir flýðu ofan úr virkinu.

> Then some of Halls men fell, and some fled down out of the
> fortress.

> Then some of Hall’s men fell and some fled down out of the
> stronghold.

> Some men of Hallr´s then fell (in battle) but (and) some
> fled down out-of the-castle.

Then some of Hall’s men fell, and some fled down from the
stronghold.

> Börðust þeir þá á leiðinni ofan til sjóvarins.

> They then attacked them on the road down to the sea.

> They fought then on the way down to the sea.

> They fought-each-other then on the road down to the-sea.

They fought one another then on the way down to the sea.

> En svo lauk að þeir komust á skip um síðir en eftir lágu
> fimm menn en tveir féllu af Þóri.

> And it ended so that they arrived at the ship at last, and
> five men lay buried, and two fell from Thorir's (group).

> And thus it ended that they arrived at the ship later, and
> five men lay behind, but two of Thorir’s fell.

> But (and) (it) so concluded that they made their way to
> (the) ship at-last but (and) five men (persons) lay behind
> but (and) two fell (in battle) of Þórir’s (men).

And it ended thus, that they reached the ship at last, but
five men lay behind [dead, presumably], and two of Þóri’s
fell.

> Þær Þuríður og Kerling voru báðar óvígar.

> Thuridr and Kerling were both unable to fight (i.e.,
> out-of-action, hors de combat)

> They Thurid and Kerling were both unconscious.

> They Þuríðr and Kerling were both unable-to-fight
> (disabled, rendered-powerless)

Þuríð and Kerling were both unable to fight.

Brian