Gridr then spoke very angrily: "Listen, you wretched wretch, why do you think I would endure that you seduce my daughter?

Gríðr spoke then very angrily: “Hear-you, wicked brat (lit: son of Herjan, Lord of Hosts), why would you think [that] I would endure, that you would-seduce my daughter?

Then Gríð said very angrily: ‘Listen, you wicked wretch, why do you think that I would suffer you to seduce [‘that you seduced’] my daughter?


Nei," segir hún, "þú skalt fá dauðann í stað." 

No," she says, "you shall receive death instead."

No,” says she, “you shell receive the-death in stead (or possibly, ‘at once’, ‘on the spot,’ see <staðr>, Z2).”

No,’ she says, ‘you shall get your [‘the’] death on the spot.’


Illugi mælti þá: "Mitt hjarta hefir aldri hrætt orðit, ok því kom ek í helli þinn, at örlögin hafa svá fyrir ætlat. 

Illugi then spoke" "My heart has never been afraid, and that I didn't come to your cave to have have fate so foreordained.

Illugi spoke then: “My heart has never become (been) afraid, and I came into your cave for that [reason], that (<því … at>) the-fates have pre-ordained [it].

Then Illugi said: ‘My heart has never been afraid, and I came into your cave because [því ... at] the fates have so foreordained.


Þó deyr engi optar en um sinn, ok því hræðumst ek ekki þínar ógnir." 

Although no one dies more often than one time, and that I am not frightened of your threats."

Still no-one dies more-often than once, and for that [reason] I fear not your threats.”

Yet no one dies oftener than once, and therefore I do not fear your threats.’


Við þessi hans orð kastar Gríðr honum aptr. 

With these his words, Gridr thows him back.

With these words of his Gríðr casts him back.

At these words of his Gríð throws him back.


Hann snerist þá at brúði sinni ok var þá allglaðr. 

He then turns to his bride and she was then very glad.

He turned-himself then towards his ‘bride’ and [he] was then extremely-happy (masc nom sg).

He turned then to his bride and was then very joyful.


Ok er hann var sem blíðastr við hana, vefr Gríðr hár hans um hönd sér ok kippir honum á stokkinn fram ok reiðir saxit allt at höfði honum: "Djarfr ertu, ok nú í stað skaltu dauðann fá."

And when he was as the most gentle with her, Gridr weaves his hair around her hand and pulls him down to the board along the front of the bed and brandishes the short sword all at his head: "You are daring, and now instead you shall get death."

And when he was as agreeable-as-possible (see <sem>, Z3) towards her (the daughter), Gríðr wraps his hair around her hand and draws him forward onto the-board-at-the-front-of-the-bed and brandishes the-short-single-edge-sword completely at his head: “You are impudent, and now in-stead (or possibly, ‘at once’, see <staðr>, Z2) you-shall receive the-death.”

And when he was as affectionate as possible to her, Gríð twists his hair around her hand and jerks him forward onto the headboard of the bed and brandishes her seax right up to his head: ‘You are bold, and now you shall get your death on the spot.’


En Illugi sagðist eigi hræðast dauða sinn. 

But Illugi said for himself not to be afraid of his death.

But Illugi said-of-himself not to-fear his death.

And Illugi said that he did not fear his death.


Hún mælti þá hlæjandi: "Engan hefi ek slíkan hitt, at eigi hafi hræðzt dauða sinn, nema þik. 

She then said laughing: "I have never met anyone such that did not have fear of his death except you.

She spoke then laughing: “I have met no-one such (similar), that has not feared his death, except you.

She said then, laughing: ‘No such [man] have I met who has not feared his own death, save you.


Far þú nú til svefns ok sof vel!" 

Go now to sleep and sleep well!"

Go you now to sleep and sleep well!’

Go to sleep now, and sleep well!’


Ferr Illugi nú ok snýst at konu sinni ok er nú allra blíðastr við hana. 

Illuge went now and turned himself to his woman and now all is most agreeable with her.

Illugi goes now and turns-himself towards his wife and [he] is now all the more agreeable (lit: most-agreeable of all, see <allr>, Z6, <blíðastr> is masc nom sg) towards her.

Illugi goes now and turns to his woman and is now all the more affectionate to her.


Gríðr hleypr þá enn at sænginni ok kippir honum fram á stokkinn. 

Gridr then leaps again at the bed and pulls him down to the baord along the front of the bed.

Gríðr leaps then yet (again) at the-bed and draws him forward onto the-board-at-the-front-of-the-bed

Gríð then leaps yet [again] at the bed and jerks him forward onto the bed’s headboard.


Hún reiðir nú saxit, ok mjök er hún ófrýnlig at sjá, en allt fór sem fyrr, at Illugi kvaðst eigi hræðast. 

She now brandishes the short sword, and she is very unpleased to see that all went as previously, that Illugi said for himself not to be afraid.

She brandishes now the-short-single-edges-sword, and she is very unpleasant-looking to see (behold), but everything went as before, that Illugi declared-of-himself not to-be-afraid.

She brandishes her seax now, and she is very unpleasant to see, but everything went as before, with Illugi saying [‘that Illugi said’] that he was not afraid.


Gríðr mælti þá: "Eigi ertu sem aðrir menn, þínar æðar skelfast hvergi, ok þú hræðist ekki. 

Gridr then said: "You are not like other men, your veins don't fear at all, and you are not afraid.

Gríðr spoke then: “You are not like other persons (men), your veins tremble-with-fear not-at-all, and you fear not.

Then Gríð said: ‘You are not like other men; your veins don’t tremble at all, and you are not afraid.


Nú skaltu þiggja líf af mér, ok þar með gef ek þér dóttur mína, er Hildr heitir, ok fæ ek þó aldri launat þinn velgerning, því at þú hefir komit mér ór miklum álögum, því at með slíkum hætti hefi ek margan myrt ok drepit, ok hafa allir hræðzt mitt it ógurliga sax. 

Now you shall receive life from me, and therewith I give you my daughter, who is named Hildr, and yet I would never get the reward of your goodness, because you have come to me out of great tribulation, because in such a way I have killed and slain many, and all have been afraid of my terrible short sword.

Now you shall receive life from me (ie I will spare you), and there-with I give you my daughter, who is-called Hildr, and yet I am never able to reward (<fæ launat>, <fá> + pp, Z7) your goodness (well-doing), because you have brought me (<kóma> + dat, Z3) out-of great tribulations (or spells <álag>, Z2 or Z4), because with such a way (ie in like manner) I have murdered and killed many, and all have feared the terrible short-single-edged sword of mine.

Now you shall receive life from me, and with it I give you my daughter, who is called Hild, and yet I can never repay your goodness, for you have freed me from a great curse, for in such a way I have murdered and killed many, and all have feared my terrible seax.


Sextán vaska menn hefi ek drepit með þessu saxi, ok væri slíkt þó eigi kvenna verk.

I have killed 16 valiant men with this short sword, and yet it would not be women's work.

Sixteen valiant persons (men) have I killed with this short-single-edged sword, and such should-be nevertheless not women’s work.

Sixteen valiant men have I killed with this seax, even though such is not [‘would not be’] women’s work.


Nú mun ek segja þér ævisögu mína, en þú hlýða:

Now I will tell you my life(-story), if you listen:

Now I will say to you my life-story, but (and) you [will] (from  preceeding <mun>) listen (infinitive)

Now I will tell you my life story, and you [will] listen:


5. Saga Gríðar

Gridr's Saga

5. [The] story of Gríðr

Gríð’s Tale


"Konungr sá réð fyrir Álfheimum, er Áli hét. 

"The king who ruled over Alfheimum was named Ali.

“That king ruled over Álfheimar (Elf-Abodes), who was-called Áli

‘That king ruled over Álfheimar who was called Áli.


Hann átti sér drottningu, er Álfrún hét. 

He himself married a queen who was named Alfrun.

He had for himself a queen, who was-called Álfrún.

He was married to a queen who was called Álfrún.


Þau áttu dóttur eina, sú hét Signý. 

They had a daughter, the one named Signy.

They had a daughter only, that-one (ie she) was-called Signý.

They had one daughter, who was called Signý.


Hún var at öllu vel at sér.

She was to all well busy herself.  (Google translate renders this as "She was well fed," but I didn't find anything in Old Icelandic that would lead to that translation.)

She was in all respects well with-regard to herself (highly accomplished)

She was in all respects excellent.