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PART XI.
THE ICELANDIC LANGUAGE.
3L Q 2ST 3D O 3ST :
FRANZ THIMM,
FOREIGN BOOKSELLER AND PUBLISHER.
3 BROOK STREET, GROSVENOR SQUARE W.
1868.
A SHORT
PRACTICAL AND EASY METHOD
OF LEARNING THE
OLD NORSK TONGUE
OR
ICELANDIC LANGUAGE
AFTER THE DANISH
OF
E. RASE
WITH AN ICELANDIC READER
AN ACCOUNT OF THE NORSK POETRY AND THE SAGAS
AND A MODERN ICELANDIC VOCABULARY FOR TRAVELLERS
BY
H. LUND.
SECOND CORRECTED EDITION.
IjOOXriD O3XT:
FRANZ THIMM,
FOREIGN BOOKSELLER AND PUBLISHER
24 LATE 3. BROOK STREET, GROSVF.KOR SQUARE W.
1869.
PREFACE.
The Old Norsk or Icelandic and the Anglo-Saxon may
be termed the parents of the English Language, and their
Knowledge is not only highly useful but absolutely necessary
to every educated Englishman who looks upon his language with
the eye of a historian and philosopher. Nothing is more interest-
ing than to look back to these two sources from whence the
english tongue is derived, and a thorough knowledge of Eng-
lish is only possible by being acquainted with its 'origin.
These languages together with Anglo-Norman, early Ger-
man, ancient, medieval and modern English, ought to be
regularly studied.
By adapting Rask's abridgement we have indicated a simple
method of learning Icelandic, which we hope will be found
generally useful.
The Editor.
INDEX.
PART I.
Page
I. The Pronunciation 1
II. Modification of Vowels t>
Inflection of Words &
I. The Noun. 1st. Declension 8
Una. . 9
IHrd. . , . . 14
Declension of Nouns with the Article 18
II. Adjectives 20
The Comparison of Adjectives 26
HI. Pronouns 28
Numerals 3
IV. The Verb 34
Auxiliary Verbs 49
V. Particles 51
The formation of Words 52
Syntax 54
Prepositions 55
Prosody 56
PART II.
The Old Norsk Poetry and the Sagas 58-73
PART HI.
Icelandic Reader 74101
PART IV.
Modern Icelandic for Travellers . . 102-121
PART I.
The Pronunciation.
The Alphabet.
The Icelandic Alphabet is composed of the following letters
p
renunciation
Pronunciation
A a
ah
R r
err
B b
bay
S s
s
D d
day
T t
tay
E e
a
U u
00
F f
eff
V v
vay
^ g
ghay
X x
iks
H h
hah
Yy
ue
I i
e
Z z
zet
Ij
yod
P b
th
K k
kah
D 8
dh
L 1
el
M 83
ae
M m
em
(E 03
oe (Danish 0, Ger-
N n
en
man
)
o
o-
oe (German 0)
P p
pay
1.
The Old Norsk order of the vowels
was the following
Vowels Diphthongs
a a
<B
au
ey
6
ei
i
i
o 6
O3
u u
y *
y
Icelandic Grammar. 1
2. 6' always open, as in the danish words: Doren, Idnne.
3. e, the same as in the danish: bedre, Hest. Before the
open e () an j is often added in the pronunciation, which
generally receives the accent (') as: let (Ijet) lod, agreeing
with the Danish sjette from seks, jeg from tyw. It is uncer-
tain how far back into past ages this pronunciation may he
traced.
4. i, as in the danish vis, til, it comes near to the danish
e in leve, and is both long aiid short. When it goes over into
i, it sounds like the danish in Pil, vis, fire.
5. o, always open, as the danish a, it is both long and
short, as in: Bogen, os, komme; whilst 6 sounds like the danish
in Os, Stol, stor, perhaps a little broader.
6. M as in the danish words Bud, Hul, kun, long and
short, in its transition to u it sounds like the danish Hus,
Hul, brun. That this pronunciation of the M and u is the ge-
nuine old norsk, is proved not only by all the northern lan-
guages, but also by the Ferroe dialect, in which the correct
sound has been maintainted to this day, f. i.
oldnorsk-fcrroe danish
kunna kunne
Iritga kua kue.
7. y as in the danish Byg, hyppe; it approaches a little to
the danish e and is both long and short; changed into ^ it
sounds like the danish Ely, Syre, flyde. That y was really dis-
tinguished from z, is proved partly by the languages of the
northern continent (Fastlands sprogene) partly by the Icelandic
pronunciation of the day, which pronounces y in kyrr short,
but the letter jf long: but more particularly by the circumstance,
that the poets (skaldene) form a half-rhyme with t, as Fms. 6, 35.
HersU'llis parf ek ht/lli,
ha"lf eru void und Kalfi
8. a like the danish av in Havre, greek, latin and italian
au in aura with a clear a (not like the german au).
9. a> almost like aj, so that the sound of a approaches
the danish (e, and the sound of j somewhat resembles e (no3-
sten ceje .
10. au, as the danish tiw or ow, which is still the pro-
nunciation of the northern au, it is very much like the german
au: Auga, Auge, the eye.
11. ey, as written, somewhat like tij, on northern monu-
ments (Mindesmaerker) it was often written ey, resembling the
german eu. That it was distinguished from ei is partly seen
from the Ferroe in which ey is changed into oj, ei into aj,
but more particularly from the old verses, in which ey with ei
form a half-rhyme as: Fms. 7, 13.
hvern feirra kva9 haerra
(hjaldr-bliks) en sik miklu
(beffi ofmikit eyftir
a"ngr) makligra at hnga.
12. ei like a broad e, in conjunction with t (or j) the
e loses its open sound and adopts the close one, in which
the sound of j is but little heard, on this account this diph-
thong has sometimes been written e (not the german ei).
i and 6 (see 4 et 5).
13. GB (0) like a broad danish as pronounced by the
people i 7a ; the j sound becomes faint and ends al-
most with e (as in 0je).
In many good and ancient Icelandic manuscripts this sound
is blended (ibreblandet) with ce, and in the modern Icelandic
language as (oe) has regularly changed into os (ae); in Ferroe
it has changed into 0, as: srekja (s0kja) ferroe: sekja, sejc.
u and ^ (see 6 et 7).
14. The simple vowels, a, o', o, u are hard e, i, y, soft
after g, k; the diphthongs formed with v are hard, as: d, au,
6, u; those formed withy, are soft; as: ce, ey, ei, i, r?, y.
f. i. kann, kottr, koma, kunna; alsorkdl, kaup, kol,
kuga; but: kenni, kirkja, kyrki; and: k%rt, keypt,
keipr, kif, kceli, ky>.
15. The order of the Consonants is the following:
1) soundless (silent) Consonants:
Labial letter lingual letter palatal letter
hard p, f, t, p, k, h,
soft b, v, d, 5, g, j;
2) liquids:
m, n, 1, r, s, z.
3) mixed:
x (z)
Of their pronunciation is to be remarked:
16. f has a double sound, namely 1) like f in the be-
1*
ginning and when il is doubled, as in: fara, fra, vaff. 2)
like a hard v in all other cases, as: haf, nal'n, hOfn,
stefni, as seen in the Ferroe: Navn, Hovn, stevni, stevndi,
stevnt.
17. P (th) sounds like the english th in think, thought.
It is only found at the beginning of a word, and is therefore
never doubled. 9 (dh) sounds almost like the d in the danish
words: med, Bad, Rdd, most like the english th in: bathe,
father', it is heard more strongly rolling than other Consonants
;is in: aQrir, o 5 last, feftrum, riQnir, faftrnar. It does
not appear at the beginning of words and never doubles, but
it changes indo dd, as: gle5 = gladdi, ry<5 = ruddi.
The Ancients often wrote J) for 8, if the sense expressed its
meaning, but they never wrote d for 9 before the 14 lh Century.
18. k has 1) the hard sound as in the danish kan, 2)
the soft sound >kj) as in kcert (14) but never aspirated as in
the Swedish kdnner; nor has sk the aspirated sound as in the
Swedish skdr or in the german word Scheere, but it is pronoun-
ced like the danish skaere.
19. g has 1) the hard sound as in gar; 2) the soft (gj)
as in the danish Gcer (14); 3) an aspirated sound after vow-
els or at the end of words or syllables, as the danish g in
Sag, R#g etc. We recognise this from the fact that the Ancients
always wrote in such cases gh, as: lOgh, vegh. But it never
sounded like /, not even when followed by z, this is visible in
the old verses, in which otherwise the half-rhyme would have
either been corrupted or vanished altogether, as: Fms. 6, 23. 88.
eig-i gaztu liftskost Idg-an . . .
s$g ek or stfltum ceg-i . . .
20. h is sounded at the beginning of words, also before
j\ v, I, r, M, as: hjarta, hvat, hleB, bring, hnoQa.
21. nw, has a very peculiar hard sound after diphthongs,
like dn, as: sleinn (sleidn) fra"nn, konn, hunn; but not
if nn is joined to diphthongs as a compound, as: a-nni,
ku-nni, in such a case and after single vowels nn is pro-
nounced as usual.
22. // has a similar hard pronunciation after all vowels
and diphthongs, and sounds like dl, as: kail, ill, ill, fill,
full, full; but it loses a great deal of its hardness when
followed by t, d, s, as: allt, felldi, fulls.
23. rn sounds very hard and short, almost, like <ln or
more correctly like rdn, as; barn, burn, horn, it, is ihnv-
fore often J'onnd in defective modern manuscript:-; or hooks
xteirn, seirn for steinn, seinn. rl sounds likewise hard and
t ; hort, almost like dl or more correctly like rdl; on this account
one often linds jarl and jail, karl and kail, kerlingand
k ell ing.
24. s is always hard, like the Danish or like the gernian
ft (sz), never soft like the german f.
25. z always sounds like s and is only used as an ety-
mological sign for s, when a t, rf, or 9 has dropped as: veiz-
la for veitsla, islenzkr for islendskr, gerzkr for </eroWiT.
In old manuscripts they made use of z sometimes as an abbre-
viation of ss, sometimes of st, about in the same manner
in which the greek 'C stood for ad, in modern and good edi-
tions the use has been restricted, to specify distinctly the two
pronunciations and derivations.
26. a? always sounds hard, like ks or gs with a hard g
and s, as: lax, sex, Ox, uxi, (never like gs as in the frencli
word exact,.
27. The old Norsk pronunciation was altogether broad,
rich in sound (klangfuld) logical and precise. A vowel before
a simple consonant is rather long, whether the consonant be
hard or soft, as: ek (1. ask) or eg (1. Beg), set (I. sret) , las
(1. las; to express the short sound, the consonant is doubled,
as: egg, sett, hlass.
Even vowels are shortened in the pronunciation if a con-
sonant is added, as:
h of- uft has a long -- hof9i a short and sharp one.
her, slar - - - e berja, Dat. bar3i, has a short one.
vil - - - i -- vilja, vildi
28. To the syllable belong all consonants which follow a
vowel, as: ask-a, sett-u, hii I'8-in-u, vild-i, marg-ir,
best- a r. According to this rule the words are abbreviated at
the end of a line.
29. Exceptions are / and w, which belong to the vowel
following these letters, as: legg-jum, bOgg-va, the letter r,
also never attaches itself to the preceding vowel, except, when
it becomes altogether blended with the vowel as: steinn,
gncnn, hsell, full, it is generally read with the next vowel,
as: ve5-rit, ve3-f, al-f, set-r; such an r will always in
future be thus accented f.
30. The principal accent is constantly on the first syllable
of the word as: ver-ald-ar-inn-ar; the secondary accent,
lies on the penultimate in words of three or four syllables as:
(Jpp -lend-in g-ar, vin-itta, svaraSi, not on the last syl-
lable, except in composed words, ending in a monosyllabic:
koniingson.
II.
Modification of Vowels.
The Modification of vowels plays an important part in the
declension and derivation of the Old Norsk Language. It is
of a double kind.
31. a) a into d in the principle syllable of a word if it
ends in u, as: aska, tisku. Sometimes even if u is dropped
as: blaft, Plural blo9, leaves. Jafn, jofn. Reversed:
32. 0' into a % if the termination be a, as: <3gn, agnar,
sometimes before ir or with shortened terminations in compounds
or derivations, as: agnir, jarSvegr, jar8neskf.
33. b) Before endings in , /, or r, even if these letters
are left out:
a into e: land, lendi nafn, nefni;
e: grOf, gef so'k, sekr;
ja i: bjart, birti djarl't, dirfist;
J8 i: hjOr5, hir5ir hjOrn, birni;
e i: regn, rignir hverfi, hvirfill;
a ce: r5, ra3<5r nd. nai;
au ey: raun, reyni draup, dreypi;
o y: son, synir of, yfir;
u ij: gu9, gy8ja full, fylli;
u y\- hiis, hysi -- pnitt, pr^Qi;
jo J: bj69a, by8r hlj65, hly9i;
ju J: fljuga, n^gf djiipt, dj^pra;
6 o? (ce): kl6, kloer b6t, boati.
o sometimes, although rarely into e, as:
hnot, hnetr -- tro9a, tre8r;
koma, kemr of, efra, efst.
34. In the oldest norsk language there were long and
single vowels before ng, nk, these changed according to the
above rule, as: langt, longu, lengi, in latter times these
vowels were modified into diphthongs and changed thus:
langt, laungu, leingi.
35. Sometimes there is no modification even if i follows,
nor if even the vowel on other occasions is changed in its
root, as : land, Dativ e 1 a n d i ;
nafn, - nafni, and j>a"nki, thought
kappi, fighter, although: ek peinki, / think, ek keppisf,
/ fight are used. The reason of this appears to be that in
such cases the vowel of the termination was not i but e, as
we frequently find it in manuscripts thus: lande, nafne, fianke,
kappe.
36. In the same way o is often found in terminations
instead of u, particularly, so it appears, if the chief syllable
received no modification of this kind, as: ero, v^ro, pin-
gom etc. But according to rule, there is a difference in
such endings between e and t, o and .
37. There are many kinds of modification in the conju-
gation of the verbs, which will be mentioned in the proper place.
38. Amongst the consonants change:
ndt into tt as: batt, bandt; salt, sandt.
ngk kk sprakk, sprang; ekkja, Enke.
39. nr into tin as: steinn, steinr; seinn, seinr; seinna,
sein-ra.
Ir into ll t as: holl, for hdlr, saslli for scpl-ri.
40. v is dropped at the beginning of words before o, ,
y and r, as: verfl, var5, ur8u, yr5i, or 8 it; as also: hverf,
hvarf, hurfu, hyrfi, h or fit; ringt, vrangt, reiSi, Vrede,
But we iind that the Ancients frequently did not drop the t>,
as: vurQu, vyr5i, vor5it.
Inflection of Words.
1. The Noun.
41. Nouns are divided into two orders, the open and the
dosed; the one is more simple in its inflection, the other more
complex.
The first has but one declension, the second has two.
Each has three genders. The Neuter is the most simple.
Open Order.
42. First Declension.
the eye the sunbeam the tongue
Neuter. Masculine. Feminine.
Sing. Nom. auga, geisli, tiinga
Ace. Dat. Gen. auga, geisla, tiingu (o)
Plural Nom. augu (o), geislar, tungur (or),
Ace. augu (o), geisla, tungur (or),
Dat. augum (om), geislum (om), tungum (om),,
Gen. augna geisla tiingna
43. Nouns, whose chief letter is a, change a into & be-
fore the terminations in u (31):
hjarta, Plural, D. hjOrtum, (the heart)
kappi - koppum, (the champion)
saga, A. D. G. sogu - sogur, sOgum, (the saga)
on the other hand a changes into u in the following syllables,,
as: harpari, hdrpurum; leikari, leikurum.
44. Some masculine substantives ending in ingi, take a
j in all other cases, as:
ho('5ingi, hofftingja, hofSingjar the captain;
illvirki, illvirkja the illdoer;
vili, vilja will.
45. Masculines ending in andi form their plural irregularly,
f. i. buaudi, which word is at the same time contracted, ast
Sing. Nom. buandi (the yeoman) b6ndi, (e)
Ace. Dat. Gen. biianda bonda,
Plur. Nom. Ace. buendr, boendi 1 , baendr,
Dat. buOndum, -endum, b6ndum, b^ndum,,
Gen. buanda, -enda bonda, baenda.
9
46. The words herra and sfra (germ. Ilerr, english Siro,
father) which were used hefore Christian names of Priests
and Provosts (Sira Ami, The Revd. Mr. Arnei, are the only
masculines ending in a, they only differ from geisli in the
Nominative.
47. Some Feminities take in the plural not -na but only
-a, as in the Nom. Sing, as: Una, kanna, skepna, lilja,
gySja, vara.
48. The subst. kona (Queen), woman, changes in the
Gen. plural into kvenna (wife); the word kvinna remains
sometimes in this case unchanged by ancient writers, the
moderns always use kvenna.
Closed Order.
49. This Order embraces not only the words ending in
consonants, but also those ending in i and u. Ten masculine
substantives ending in i of the first Declension, ought to end in e.
This order is divided in two declensions, to the first be-
long the words ending in consonants and in , to the second
belong those ending in a pure sounding u.
50. Second Declension.
N. M. F.
Sing. Nom. land (land) braridr (brand) for (journey)
Ace. land brand for
Dat. landi (e) brandi (e) for
Gen. lands brands farar
Plnr. Nom. lOnd brandar farir (ar)
Ace. lOnd braiida farir (ar)
Dat. lOndum brondum forum
Gen. landa branda fara.
51. When there is neither a nor d', no modification oc-
<;urs, as: skip (ship), skip urn kontingr (king), ko nun-
gum eign (property), eign, eignar, eignir, eignum.
only one word has two forms, namely:
Sing, dagf (the day) Dat. degi,
Plnr. dagar - dOguni.
52. The letter r dissolves when n or I precede, into nn and
II, as in steinn (the stone) instead of stein r, hsell (heel)
instead ofhp,lr, and in longer words as: drottinn (master).
10
lykill (key). Sometimes the i of the Dative drops in the
words ending in II as:
hsel, h61 for haeli, h61i.
In the last radical letters r and s the use fluctuates be-
tween r and rr, s and ss. forr, herr, hauss, iss, oss, is
often found because of little consequence.
Both kinds of words, if they are monosyllabic in the Norn,
lose the i in the Dative, as: her, is, for heri, fsi.
The r is altogether dropped after n and I when it comes
into collision with other consonants as in: vagn, hrafn,
fugl, karl (Nom. and Ace.) also after s and ss, as in ha" Is,
kross (in the Nom. Ace. and Gen.).
53. Words in two syllables are contracted when the pro-
nunciation allows it, as:
Neut. suinar (summer), sumri Plnr. sumur sumrum, sumra.
hdfu5 (head), hOfSi, hOfSum, hotSa.
Masc. hamri, hamrar, hamra, hOmrum
drottni, drottnar lykli, lyklar etc.
Some words receive an uncommon vowel in the contracted
forms, as:
me gin, might, power; D. magni, G. megins. PL megiu or
mOgn (as: goSmOgn), D. mognum, G. magna.
g. m. ketill (kettle), D. katli, Plur. katlar, A. katla, D. ktttlum,
g. f. alin (the ell-measure) G. lnar, - a" Inir, a" Inum, A Ina
54. To the contracted belong the Mascul. jo fur r, fjOt-
urr, they keep 6 throughout jofri, fjotri Plur. jOfrar,
fjOtr ar.
The others of this class of all three genders have only
an r by the ancient writers (not ur or urr), they must not
therefore be looked upon as contracted, as:
Neu. silfr (silver), silfri,
Mas. akr (acre), akri, Plur. akrar,
Fern. fjoSr (feather) fjaftrar, Plur. fjaSrir (ar) fjo5rum, fjaSra.
55. The polysyllabic neuters ending in -a5, -an or the fern.
ending in an are not contracted, as:
Sing. Nom. Ace. mannlikan (human being) skipan (order),
Dat. mannlikani skipan
Gen. mannlikans skipanar (-onar)
Plur. Nom. Ace. mannlikun (on) skipanir,
Dat. mannlikunum (onum) skipunum (onom)
Gtn. mannlikana skipana.
11
56. Some words of this declension allow a j or v to creep
in before terminations which begin with a vowel, not however
j before i, rarely v before u. This seems to be a remnant of
terminations in i or u which were originally in these words.
57. The inserted letter v protects a preceding 6' (or au)
from changing into a or a (see $ 32) if it terminates in a it
lias the same effect as u. In the Plural of the Fern, the in
serted v takes Ihe old termination in ar
Sing. Nom. fiw (fra?)
Ace. froB
Dat. frojvi
Gen. frees
Plural Nom. frre
Ace. free
Dat. fro'vum (om)
Gen. fruna;
saungr or
saung or
satingvi oru (Or)
saungs orvar
saungvar orvar
saungva Orvar
saungum (om) Orum (om)
saungva ; r\a.
58. The inserted letter j requires the. Masculine to drop
the entire termination (ji) in the Sing. Dat. and to take in
the plural ir Ace. i. but the feminine always takes the or, so
that it terminates in jar, as;
Sing. Nom. nes (neck of land) dreingf ben (wound}
Ace. nes dreing hen
Dat. nesi dreing ben
Gen. ness dreings benjar
Plural Nom. nes dreingir benjar
Ace. nes dreingi benjar
Dat. nesjum dreingjum ben. j urn
Gen. nesja; dreinja; benja.
59. But there are a number of masculines with simple von els
or consonants before r, which also drop the * in the Sing. Dal.
who take in the Nom. and Ace. Plur. ir, and i without insert-
ing j equally a number of fern, ending in -ing, -ung or
in r (or i) which lake ar in the plural without the insertion
of either v or j as :
Sing. Nom. dal'r (dale)
Ace. dal
Dat. dal
Gen. dais
Plur. Nom. dalir
Ace. dali
Dat. dolum
Gen. dala ;
(] rot Ining (queen)
drottuing
drottningu
droltningar
drottningar
droltningar
drottningum
drottninga ;
[hunt)
veiS'r (veiSi) (chase,
vei5i
vei8i
veiSar
veiQar
fetffw
veiSum
veiSa.
12
But dali is sometimes found in the Dat. (f. i. Harbar5sl. 18)
even in the Plur. Herdalar (Hk. 2, 8) likewise in the Swedish;
toru8r has in the Plural bruSir.
60. Some words resemble the third declension as they ter-
minate in the Sing. Gen. in ar, otherwise they are declined like
brandr, dreingr or dalf. To the former belong: hattf,
kraptf (kraftr) grautr, sk6gr, vindr in the language of
the old bards vegr. To the latter belong: belgr, mergf,
leggf, hryggr, verkr, reykf, laekr, drykkr and boer,
therefore: hoe jar, boejum, boeja with inserted j, which is
strictly observed by all good ancient authors; of the latter kind
are mostly found: staftr, sau9r, bragf, vegf (sometimes
in the Ace. vegu), rettr, vinf (or vin) hugr, hlutf,
munf (difference) and all those ending in -naSr (-nwor) and
-skapr, which occur however rarely in the plural.
61. The neuter terminating in -i, and the masc. terminat-
ing in -ir, drop the i before the terminations: -urn, -ar, -a,
except those having g or Ar before them, these change i into/.
The feminine ending in a pure i remains unchanged in
Sing, but takes ir in the Plural:
Sing. Nom. kvjeSi merki lajknir gefi
Ace. Dat. kvsefti merki Isekni ?efl
Gen. kvrcSis merkis laBknis sefi
flnr. Nom. kva?9i merki Uekn-ar aefir
Ace. kvee5i merki la?kn-a <efir
Dat. kva39-um merkjum laekn-um a3f-um
Gen. kvai9-a; merkja; la?kn-a; ref-a.
Eyrir (Danish: en Ore) an ear, forms the plural in
aurar
aura
aurum
but eyri a low beach, has in the
Gen. Plural eyrar.
aura
helgi, holiness, holiday, Sunday, forms Gen. Plur. helgar.
62. Others again from all three genders have many irre-
gularities. Thus the neuter leeti, sound, forms Dat. Plur. la-
tum, Gen. 1 At a. Some neuters become feminine in the Plural, as:
Singular: Plural:
1 i m , brushwood 1 i m a r , branches,
tSl, fraud talar, frauds,
eing (Dan. en Eng) meadow eingjar, meadows,
mund, time mundir, times,
busund (Dan. Tusende) thousand piisundir, thousands.
13
The word froefti, knowledge, is in the Singular feminine
and remains unchanged, like n-fi; but in the Plural it is
neuter and is declined like kv;e8i.
63. Some neuters are Ibund in the Norn, and Ace. with
and without the termination in -t, as: eing and eingi;
fullting (Dan. Hjrolp) help; and fulltfngi; sinn, and
sinni, the longer form belongs to the modern Icelandic
language, but often appears in modern copies of old manu-
scripts.
64. The Masculine gu8, which drops the r in the Nom..
and forms the Plur. in gu9ir, is distinguished from the Neuter
go 5 (heathen image) Plur. go 8. Many words ending in i
and r form the Plur. in -ar, as:
kffirleikf, kaerleik, or kterleiki, kaerleika;
Plural kxrleikar.
sannleikf, sannleiki; Plural sannleikar.
The forms -leiki are common in the modern language. The
new form often gives a new signification as:
oddr, a point, oddi a neck of land;
munnr (Dan. Mund) mouth munni, mouth of river ;
karl, an old man Karli, male name ,,Charles".
Some differ altogether:
bragr (= sta8r 60) a poem Bragi, male name;
hugr, will hugi, sense, thought and male name Hugo;
hlutr, an ounce, thing hluti, a part.
It happens sometimes that words are similar to these termina-
tions, without being related together, as:
bolr (= dalr) block boli, bull;
h a g ) , condition h a g i , garden,
It is rare that the neuter of this declension changes into the
masc. of the former, by taking the termination of f; as:
1 1 n i iik and 6maki (Gylfaginning 12) fainting fit;
mal, speech formdli, tale;
verk, work verki, writing, poem,
with the exception of those which lose at the same time their
entire signification, as:
land, land landi, countryman;
bii (Dan. Bo), furniture bui, neighbour;
hofu5 (Dan. Hoved) head hOfSi, Cape;
norSr (Dan. INorden) north Nor Sri, name of a dwarf.
14
65. The other irregular Masculines are:
Sing. Norn, skor (shoe) dorr (spear ) ma3'r (man) fing'r (finger}
Ace. sk6 dor mann fing'r
Dat. sko dOr manni fingri
Gen. sk6s dors manns fing'rs
Plur. Nom. skiiar derir menn fing'r
Ace. skua deri menn fing'r
Dat. skom dorum mOnnum fingrum
Gen. skua; darra; manna; fingra.
The moderns contract skor in the Plural Nom. sk6r,
Ace. sk6, Gen. skda.
66. Irregular feminines are:
sal, the soul, Dat. s^ilu Plural salir, Gen. sain a,
also in the Gen. Sing, salu, particularly found in compounds,
as: saluhjalp.
grein forms the Plural in greinir and sometimes greinar,.
ey, island, Dat. eyju or ey, Plur. eyjar now eya is>
generally used in Iceland after the 1 st Declension. Monosyllables
ending in a, which come in contact with an a or u following,
generally supplant them by , as: bra, eyebrow, Gen. brir r
Plur. brar, Dat. bram, Gen. bra. Some derivatives with
these endings remain unaltered in the Sing, by the ancients-
as: dsja, care.
Third Declension.
67. This declension embraces all those words ending in
u or v, which are however frequently dropped or in some other
manner obscured. There are but few neuters, all of which end
in e (for eu), the Masc. end in the Sing, in -or, Plur. -M\
Fern, of the Sing, in -ar, or -r, form the Plural in -r:
N. M. F. [(wood)
Sing. Nom. Ire (tree) viillur (field) fjor8ur(6a?/) r6t (root) mOrk
Ace. tre vdll fjOrft rtit mOrk
Dat. tre velli fir5i r6t mOrk
Gen. tres vallar fjar^ar r6tar merk'r
Plur. Nom. tre vellir fir5ir roet'r merk'r
Ace. tre vollu fjOrQu roet'r merk'r
Dat. trjam vOllum fjor5um r6tum mOrkum
Gen. trja; valla; fjarSa; r6ta; marka.
15
68. Like tre are declined kne; two words hie and spe
do not occur in the Plural. It was only in the fifteenth Cen-
tury that the Icelanders began to pronounce the e in these
words like je (instead of a?) wherefore we meet in good editions
of old works the reading tre, tres etc. Plur. Dat. and Gen.
contracted for trjavum, trjava.
The word f e, cattle, goods, money, is irregular in the Gen.
Sing.; we find fjar instead of fjavar; but ve, sanctuary,
temple (from which OSinsve, Odense) is declined, like land
or skip after the 2 nd Declension.
69. The Masculines we find sometimes only written with
r (instead of Mr) , it not being observed that the termination
in u was the reason for writing 6', as in the Dat. Plural.
Therefore hvalf with a, because the ris only distinguished
by an ' from the root.
But kjolur with 6, because the ending contains u. The
Accus. Plural of all these words has a double form , partly
ending in t, agreeing with the Nom. Plural as: velli, firQi,
partly ending in -w, agreeing with the Dative Plural, and
this form is the old genuine one. Several kinds of modi-
fications are to be noticed, although some words do not modify
by reason of their nature.
Siny. Nom. sonur (son) drattur (drawing) viSur (wood, forest)
Ace. son dratt vi5
Dat. syni dratti vi5i
Gen. sonar drattar viSar
Plur. Nom. synir drsettir viQir
Ace. (syni) (drfetti) (vidi)
sonu drattu vi9u
Dat. sonum drattum vi8um
Gen. sona; dratta; vi5a.
Irregular are these two:
Sing. Nom. fotur (foot) vet'r (for vetr-ur) (winter)
Ace. f6t vet'r (for vetr-u)
Dat. foeti vetri
Gen. ftitar vetrar
Plur. Nom. Ace. fretf vet'r (for vetr-'r)
Dat. f6tum vetrum
Gert. fota; vetra.
16
70. The feminines of this declension have also several
kinds of modification of vowels; some cannot be modified,
some have a doubled form of declension after this or the for-
mer specimen, as:
Present Declension : Former Declension : [stock)
Sing. Nom. Ace. hnot(miJ) staung mOrk(w?ood) staung (stake,
Dat. hnot staung mOrku staling
Gen. hnotar steingr markar stangar
Plur. Nom. Ace. hnetr steingr markir stangir
Dat. hnotum staungum morkum staungum
Gen. hnota ; stanga ; marka ; stanga.
The modification in staung, steingr is in reality the
same, as in mOrk, merkf (67) as it is merely a mechanical
consequence of ng, the 6' changes into au and e into ei, we
also often find stOng, stangar, stengf (34).
The words which are declined in two ways like mork
and staung are chiefly the following:
strond (strand), rOnd (edge) spaung, taung, haunk.
A difference of signification is only accidental, as:
ond, Plur. endr the duck Ond, Plur. andir, a spirit,.
ghost (dan.: en And.)
Strond, rOnd, Ond receive in the Geti. Sing, always stran-
dar, randar, andar; so that Ond, spirit, differs only in
one case in the singular, and two cases in the Plural from
Ond, duck, Dat. Sing. Ondn, Nom. and Ace. Plur. andir.
71. Some accented monosyllables deviate by contraction,
if the. final syllable begins with a vowel, so that d absorbs
a, u but 6, u, absorbs only the u; as:
t3, ten, G. tar (for tar) Plur. tser, D. tarn (for taum)
klo, claw, G. kl6ar Plur. klrer, kl6m, k!6a
a, sheep (hunfur), Gen. Plur. <e r.
ku, cow, G. kyr Plur. kyr.
These forms ser and kyr we find in the modern language given
to the Sing. Nom. ; so that both these words are in the Sing.
Nom. and Plur. Nom. and Ace. the same.
Others blend the r of the Plural with the final letter,
as brun, Plur. brynn (Egilss. S. 306 and in the Edda Hel-
gakv. Haddsk. 19) now we say bryn, or bryr; mfis forms
the Plur. in myss or mys; dyrr or dyr, door, is only found
17
in the Plural and forms the Dat. and Gen. durum, dura
or dyrum, dyra.
The following are still more irregular :
3 ing. Nom. Ace. hOnd (hand) na"tt or nott (night)
Dat. hendi na*tt n6ttu
Gen. bandar nAttar naBtr (no-tr)
Plur. Nom. Ace. hendr na?tr (noelr)
Dat. hOndum nttum n6ttum
Gen. handa; n;ittu; notta.
72. Some of the names of relations ending in -j'r, would
require a separate declension, if there were not so few,
namely:
father brother daughter sister
Sing. Nom. fa9ir brofrr d6ttir systir
Ace. Dat. Gen. fi)5ur broQur dottur systur
Plur. Nom. Ace. fefir broeQr doetr systr
Dat. fe5rum broeSrum doetrum systrutn
Gen. fe8ra; brreSra; doetra; syslra.
Like brodir is declined m65ir, mother.
We find in the Ancients the Dat. Sing, of fa9ir, fe8i,
of bro5ir,
73. We also find in the Ancient language some peculiar
names of relatives with different terminations, which embrace
two and more persons in one name, and which occur there-
fore only in the plural ; if the two persons are of different
genders, they are in the neuter:
hjon, man and woman;
systkin, brother and sister;
hju, youth and girl, or man and woman;
f eft gin, father and daughter;
m oe 3 g i n , mother and son ;
fe5gar, father and son;
moe8gur, mother and daughter.
To these belongs also born, the only one which ako occurs
in the Singular, barn (=land); only fe3gar is masc. and
moeQgur, fern. (= tiingur) Gen. moeftgna.
Icelandic Grammar.
18
Declension of Nouns with the Article.
74. In the declension of the noun with the article hit r
hinn, hin, both retain their endings unaltered, so that both
combined have a double declension. The article is thus
declined :
Sing. Nom. hit hinu hin
Ace. hit hinn hina
Dat. hinu hinum hinni
Gen. hins bins hinnar
Plur. Nom. hin hinir hinar
Ace. hin hina hinar
Dat. hinnum
Gen. hinna
The h is continually dropped when the article is com-
pounded with a substantive ending in a short vowel, a, i, u y
the -i is also dropped after every polysyllabic word ending
in -r.
75. The substantives when used with the article drop
the m of the Dative Plural, they end therefore in u, whilst the
article drops -hi.
First Order.
Sing. Nom. hjarta-t (heart) andi-nn (spirit) gata-n (road}
Ace. hjarta-t anda-nn gotu-na
Dat. hjarta-nu anda-num gtftu-nni
Gen. hjarta-ns anda-ns gOtu-nnar
Plur. Nom. hjOrtu-n andar-nir gOtur-nar
Ace. hjOrtu-n anda-na gOttir-nar
Dat. hjortu-num ondu-num gOtu-num
Gen. hjartna-nna; anda-nna; gatna-nna
76. It must be borne in mind with respect to the 2 nd and
3 rd Order where the i in the Dat. of masc. subst. is wangtin
they do not take the i of the Article either, as:
dreingr-inn, dreingnum; dalrinn, dalnum. r -t)
But those which can take an t keep it, as: isinum, better
than isnum; stolinum (Snorra-Edda 114) better than
st61num.
Ace. skip-it
koniing-inn
eign-ina
Dat. skipi-nu
konungi-num
eign-inni
Gen. skips-ins
koniings-ins
eignar-innar
Nom. skip-in
komingar-nir
eignir-nar
Ace. skip-in
koniinga-na
eignir-nar
Dat. skipu-num
konungu-num
eignu-num
Gen. skipa-nna;
konunga-nna;
eigna-nna.
19
77. Second Order.
N. M. F.
Sing. Nom. skip-it (ship) konungr-inn (king) eign-in (property)
Plur.
78. The r before a vowel is pronounced with it and loses
its half sound, as: silf-rit, malm-rinn, fjoQ-rin.
79. All the contracted and irregular forms remain as they
are, as:
degi-num, katli-num, salu-nni, filnar-innar;
i retains its half-sound before n, as: boendf-nir, fingr-na.
Only m a 5 r (65) adds in the Nom. Plur. -ir. and in the Ace.
-*', therefore: mennir-nir (rarely mennin nir), menni-na.
80. The monosyllabic feminine often expels the hi of the
article in the Ace. Sing, as:
for-na, instead of ftfr-ina, grOfna inst. of grOf-ina
(Snorra-Edda, 138); reicf-na for rei5-ina; hudna
for huQina (Snorra-Edda 144).
81. In case the substantive be a monosyllable, ending in.
a long vowel or double sound (Tvelyd) the i of the article is
retained if the word remains monosyllabic, but it is left out
if the word becomes trisyllabic as:
skra-in, skra-na, skrtf-nni;
ey-in, ey-na, ey-nni (thus also eyju-nni 66).
82. Third Order.
N.
Sing.
Plur.
N.
M.
F.
Nom. kne-i't (knee)
Ace. kne-it
Dat. kne-nu
kjolr-iim (keel)
kjol-inn
kili- mini
b6k-in (book)
b6k-ina
link-Mini
Gen. knes-ins
Nom. kne-in
kjalar-ins
kilir-nir
b6kar-innar
botikf-nar
Aec. kne-in
Dat. knja-num
Gen. knja-nna;
kjolu-na
kjolu-num
kjala-nna ;
bo'kf-nar
b6ku-num
b6ka-una.
2*
20
83. The more modern form tre8 for tre'it is yet found
in good manuscripts.
84. On the whole the irregularities before the article re-
main as in the second Order, as: mysnar, dyrnar, or in
the Neuter dyrrin; but brynnar, with two, not three n
(Snorra-Edda 50) is used.
11. Adjectives.
85. The Adjective agrees much with the noun, but by no
means in so perfect a manner as in greek or latin.
Joined to the article, which precedes the adjective, it
makes an imperfect declension, which is termed the ,,definite
form", resembling the first order of the noun, only that its
plural is much simpler, as it always ends in u, leaving to the
article its further definition. Without an article the adjective
has quite a different and perfect declension, which is termed
the indefinite form" resembling the closed form of the noun in
its second declension. For there is no Adj. in which the Plur.
n. g. ends in -e, or the m. g. Ace. Plur. in -w, or the f. g.
Plur. in r. This is the more primitive form and has therefore
the precedent.
Both forms distinguish three genders, and they resemble
therefore the six classes of the declension of the noun.
86. Spakt may serve as a complete Paradigm:
Indefinite Form.
N. M. ^
Sing. Nom. spak-t (wise) spak-f
Ace. spak-t spak-an
Dat. spOk-u spOk-um
F.
spdk
spak-a
spak-ri
spak-rar
spak-ar
spak-ar
Gen.
Plur. Nom. spb'k
Ace. spdk
spaks
spak-ir
spak-a
Dat.
Gen.
spdkum
spakra.
21
Definite Form.
Sing. Norn, spaka spaki spaka
Gen. Dat. Ace. spaka spaka spOku
Plur. Nom. Ace. spOku
Dat. spttku or spttkum
Gen. spokii.
87. Although the adjective has but one declension there
are several exceptions to be observed which occur through the
joining of the final syllable with the root.
II 1 the last radical letter be 8 preceded by a vowel or a
diphthong, it absorbs in the n. g. with t to tt as:
glatt, glaSr, gli)5 glossy, bright;
breitt, brei8f, brei8 broad;
in one case, the accent is lost, namely in
gott, g68r, go8 (good).
If a consonant precedes, the 8 is altogether dropped:
hart, har8r, hor8 (hard) sagt, sag8r, sOg8 (said)
haft, hafSr, h5f8 (clever)
The same in dissyllabic words, if a vowel precedes:
kallat, kalla8r, kullu8;
lagit, Iagi8r, Iagi8 (for kalla8t, Iagi8t).
Also d after a consonant as:
vant, vandf, vo'nd (difficult) selt, seldf, seld;
geymt, geymdf, geymd.
gladt, gladdf , gliidd (glad) breidt, breiddi,
breidd (broad) moedt, mu'ddf, moedd (tired).
If the word ends in tt, no further t is added in the n. g. but
the form becomes similar to the feminine, as:
sett, settf, sett moett, moettf, moett
In weaker consonants the gender may part as: latt, lattf,
1 o 1 1 , nor can it be distinguished in' the n. g. from a similar
word with single t, as:
latt, latf, lot (lazy) hvatt, hvattr, hvOtt and
hvatt, hvatf, hvOt (hasty).
88. The adjectives, the root of which end in an accented
vowel, deviate in so far that they double the -t in the n. g.,
the -r in the f. g. in the terminations -ri and -rar, the -ra
in the Gen. Plur., and often the -s in n. and m. g. Gen. Sing, as
22
brtt, brr, br, bra'ss, bra"rrar, pra"rra;
auQsaett, au3saer, au9see (clear).
mj6tt, mj6r, mj6 (delicate, narrow) trutt, trur,
tru (true)
nytt, nyr, ny, nyss etc. (new)
Those with -a, are sometimes contracted if followed hy a or ,
which are swallowed up by a, as:
bla" for blau bla"n for bHan bHm for blum.
Likewise in the definite form, as:
hinn gra"i, Ace. hinn gra", Dat. hinum gra", Gen. bins
gra\ The contracted forms belong to the modern Icelandic
and are scarcely written in old Manuscripts. The ancient lan-
guage therefore sometimes inserts f (or v) to escape the con-
traction, as:
ha"tt, h^r, ha" (high) -- m. g. Ace. ha" fan, Dat. ha"fum,
ha"fom (or hm); def. form hSfa, hafi, hafa, hdfu.
mj6fa, mj6fan, mj6fum; def. form mj6fa, mj6fi etc.
The word nytt inserts j before all vowels, with the exception
of i, as: nyju, nyjan.
89. Some adjectives insert / or v after the last con-
sonant, without altering the declension, these resemble the
nouns in 57 and 58, as:
dokkt (dokt), dflkkr, ddkk (dark);
Plur. dokk, dokkvir (dOcqvir), dokkvar;
Def. form: dokkva, dokkvi, dokkva.
The only adjective which inserts j correctly is :
mitt, mi5r, mi8 therefore:
mi5jan, mi5ja, mi8ju, mi5jum, miQri.
In some words the last radical letter of which is g or k,
a j is sometimes inserted before a or u, as :
fraBgt, freegr, fraBg; Ace. freegan or frsegjan; Dat.
fraegum or fra3gjum.
sekr, sekan or sekjan.
90. Monosyllables ending in r after a long vowel or diph-
thong are regular, as:
ber-t, ber-r, ber; fo3r-t, foer-r, foer.
The masculine termination -r is dropped in modern Icelandic,
as the pronunciation has changed and the m. g. and f. g.
have become I he same in the Nom.
23
Those words whose vowels are short, and have therefore
a double r, drop one r in the n. g., before -/ and before the
termination to satisfy the orthography as three r's ought not to
appear ; but such words retain the double r in the f. g. Norn. ;
as otherwise the vowels would be long and the root deformed.
As: hurt, burr, purr (dry); kyrt, kyrr, kyrr (still).
Those ending in s, agree with this rule, as: laust, lauss,
la us (free); particularly as a diphthong precedes; but h vast,
livass, hvGss (not hvOs) because the vowel is short.
In a word with a double s the vowel is accented in the
n. g. as: vist, viss, viss.
91. If a consonant precedes the last radical letter r, it
changes before -t and s into J (halfsound), never into ur ; but
into r before a vowel and the terminations -r, rar, ra, one
of the r is dropped, as a double r behind a consonant cannot
be pronounced. The following example will prove the force
of these observations:
Sing. Nom. fagft fagf fogf (for fOg-ru)
Ace. fagrt fagran fagra
Dat. fOgru fogrum fagri (for fagrri)
Gen.
Plur. Nom. fogr
Ace. fogf
fagfs fagrar (for fagrrar)
fagrir fagrar
fagra fagrar
Dat.
Gen.
.fOgrum
fagra (for fagrra)
Definite Form.
Nom. fagra fagri fagra
Ace. fagra; fagra; fOgru.
92. Words whose characteristic letter (Kjendebogstav) is
I after a double vowel, or, if dissyllabic, stands after any
vowel, change it in the termination of r into U (39) as:
heilt, heill, heil and in f. g. Dat. heilli, Gen. heil-
lar, Plur. Gen. heilla;
gamalt, gamall, gOmul, Dat. gamalli, Gen. gamallar
Plur. Gen. gam alia; thus also:
bagalt or l>ogult, pcigull, piigul etc.
Before terminations, beginning with a vowel, contractions occur
as: gamlan, gamla, gtfmlu, gOmlum. Def. Form, gam la,
24
gamli etc., but: heimilt or heimult does not contract.
Foil, folr, fol, does not contract its Ir into II, being a
monosyllable with a simple vowel.
93. In two words the I is dropped in the neuter before
the characteristic letters f, 3, except in a different declension in
the m. g. Ace.; it is declined
Iiti3, litill, litil, Ace. m. g. litinn (for litiln) f. g.
litla, Dat. litlu, litlum, litilli etc.
It will be observed that the vowel loses its accent, as soon as
a concussion of consonants occurs. Writing Iiti8 for litit
is for euphony's sake, and occurs in the best manuscripts;
viz: the changing of this into 9, as soon as the word re-
ceives t in the beginning, therefore rita9, but bakat etc.
The second word is mikit, mikill, mikil, Ace. mikit,
mikinn, mikla, Dat. miklu etc.
94. Those whose characteristic letter is n after a diph-
thong, or dissyllables, followed by a vowel, contract the n with
r into nn (39) as:
vaent, vsenn, vgen, Ace. vsent, vaenan, vaena; Dat.
vaenu, va3num, vsenni and in f. g. Gen. v 33 n n a r, Plur*
Gen. vaenna.
Dissyllables deviate besides in m. g. Ace. by contraction,
if the termination begins with a vowel, as:
Singular Nom. heiSit hei5inn hei9in
Ace. heiQit heiftinn heiSna
Dat. hei5nu hei5num heiSinni
Gen. heiciins
Plural Nom. hei9in hei5nir
Ace. heiSin hei8na
heiQinnar
heiOnar
hei9nar
Dat. heiSnum
Gen. hei5inna
Def. Form Nom. heiSna; hei8ni;
hei5na eti
95. In this manner are declined all regular participles of
the closed Order of Verbs (which remain monosyllabic in the
Dat.) as: ra8it, ra"5inn, ra9in; gefit, gefinn, gefin;
tekit, tekinn, tekin etc.; also several of the 3 rd order of
the first chief lass (with modification of vowel) b a r i t , bar-
inn, bar in. But these terminations stand in reality for -#,
-j3r, t'8 a change of pronunciation in accordance with the
25
oldest danish language; they shorten the radical letter so
that t is dropped and 8 is hardened into d or t, in words the
characteristic letter of which is a hard consonant as:
bart, bar8f, bOrS; tamt, tamdr, tOmd; vakt r
vaktr, vOkt.
In this manner we find in some of these words a double
or triple form, of which the contracted one is the oldest;
those in ft, fnn, in, are modern Icelandic. The words of
double form receive the general mixed declension after the
euphony, as:
Sing. Nom. vakit (wakened) vakinn vakin
.1<T. vakit vakinn vakta
Dat. vOktu voktum vakinni
Gen. vakins vakionar
Plural Nom. vakin vaktir vaktar
Ace. vakin vakta vaktar
Dat. voktum
Gen. vakinna
Def. Form. Nom. vakta vakti vakta etc.
As a proof of the real use of contractions by the ancients,
we cite:
kraft (Fms. 4,122 and 176), baktr (Fms. 2,305); but,
paki8r, (Grfmnism. 9), dult (Isfcindingas. 2,243);
huldr (Snorra-Edda 136), skill (Fms. 6,220).
The modern forms are:
krafit, pakinn, dulit, hulinn, skilit.
96. There is another kind of words which contracts as:
au8igt, rig-t, Plur. au8ug, auQgir, au<5gar;
malugr, malgir; Oflugr, oflgiretc., but it is rare and
not irregular. Heilagt, -lagr, -log contracts in the short-
ened forms ei into e, Plur. heilOg, helgir, helgar, def.
Form helga, helgi,helga. The root ill is accented in the
n. g. ill i. illr, ill, and sann contracts nn with t into // :
salt, sannf, sOnn; allt, allr, Oil wants the def. form,
because it is definite in itself.
97. Compound Adjectives in a are not declinable as:
einskipa (Fms. 7,123), sundrskila (Fms. 11,131). But
there are some, in which the gender is shown in the Nom.
in the m. g. in -i, f. g. in -a as: sammoeSri (Fms. 6,50),
26
sammoeftra, forvitri, forvitra (Fms. 6,56) also: orviti
(Fms. 7,158), mdl65i (Fsreyjingas S. 218), fulltiSi (Egilss.
185).
The Comparison of Adjectives.
98. The Comparative is formed in Icelandic by:
-ara (neut.), art (masc.), ari (fern.), (kalda-ra, colder; har-
3a-ra, harder)] which takes the place of the a in the definite
form. The fern. Sing, and all genders of the Plur. retain i
everywhere (rarely Dat. in -um) as: spaka, Comparative;
.spakara
Neut. Masc. Fern.
Sing. Nom. spakara spakari spakari
Gen. Dat. Ace. spakara spakara spakari
Plur. Nom. Gen. Dat. Ace. spakari
99. The Superlative is formed by adding to the root
-ast, astr, ust, and is thus declined:
Neut. Masc. Fern.
Indef. form. Nom. spakast spakastr spokust
Ace. spakast spakastan spakasta etc.
Def. form. Nom. spakasta spakasti spakasta
Ace. spakasta spakasta spOkustu etc.
Those which shorten in the Posit., also do so in the other
degrees, if the same cause exists, namely, that the termination
begins with a vowel, as:
au3gara, auSgari, auQgast, au5gastr, auSgustetc.
100. There is however in many cases a shorter manner of
formation for these degrees, namely by dropping the final -a
and adding for the Comparative -ra, -ri, -ri, and for the Super-
lative -st, -str, -st. The modification of vowels which requires
-r takes place (see 33. 34).
hit fagra fegra -ri fegrst fegfstf fegrst
13ga Isegra -ri Ia3gst Ia3gstf Ia3gst, lowest
Idnga leingra -ri leingst leingstf leingst, longest
or langa lengra -ri lengst lengstr lengst
hit braungva breingra -ri breingst -st? -st, closest
or jmingva Jtrengra -ri brengst -stf -st, narrowest
hit st6ra stffirra -ri stoerst -stf -st, greatest
27
!iit unga yngra -ri yngst -sir -st, youngest
punna pynnra -ri j)ynnst -sir -st, thinnest
djupa dypra -ri dypst -sir -st, deepest
dyra dyrra -ri dyrst -sir -st, dearest
va;na; vaenna -ri; vaenst -sir -st, prettiest.
The word mj6tt, mj6r, mjo, small, hit mj6fa does not
modify the vowel, although it takes the shorter termination
mjorra, mjost.
101. Some form their degrees in both manners, thus we
meet with:
djupara, djiipari, djupast, -astf, -ust
the shorter form almost always belongs to the old language.
Several take the shorter form in the Comparative and the
longer one in the Superlative, as:
seinl, seinna, seinast,
saelt, sa'lla, sinllast;
nytt, nyrra, nyjast.
102. The following are quite irregular:
Positive. Comp. Snperl.
g68a, gott, hit g65a betra bezt-a best
lilt ilia \
vant -vanda / verra vet-a wortf
mikit mikla meira mest-a greatest
Iiti5 litla minna minnst-a least
mart (margr, mOrg) fleira flest*) most
I ellra ellst-a ,, .
gamalt; -- gamla; eldest;
103. Some compar. and superl. are formed from adverbs,
prepos. and subst. and have therefore no positive, as:
(nor8r) nyr8ra norQast, nyrfist, northmost
(auslr) eystra austast eastmost
(su8r) sy8ra syQst (synnst) southmost
(vestr) vestra veslast westmost
(fram) fremra fremst foremost
(aptr) eptra aptast, epzt aftermost
(lit) ytra yzt outmost
(inn) innra innst inmost
*) This is not used definitely except in the plural: hin mdrgu,
liinir fleiri, hinar flestu mostly used by the moderns.
28
(of) efra efst highest
(ni8r) neBra neSst nethermost
(for) fyrra fyrst first
(si6) siSara si<5ast latest
(heldr) heldra helzt ratherest
(a"9r) ae9ra aeSst erst
(fjarri) (firr) first farthest
(na-) (naer, naerr) naest nearest
Fremra and siQara, have a regular positive, with different
significations :
framt, framr, from, excellent, valiant (poetically);
sitt, si 8?, si 9, shallow, flat.
104. Adjectives which have no positive, receive no com-
parisons, as a lit (96) and those ending in -i, or -a (97) as-
well as the Pres. part. pass, in -andi. But these words can
yet be increased or decreased by means of the adverbs:
meir, mest, or heldr, helzt, or: minor (mi3f).
minnst (minzt), si9f, sizt.
111. Pronouns.
105. The first two personal pronouns have a dual, which
is commonly used as the plural, whilst the old pi. only occurs-
in the high style.
Sing. 1. Person 2. Person 3. Person
Norn, ek (eg) pii
Ace. mik (mig) bik (big) sik (sig)
Dat. mer per ser
Gen. min |>in sin
Dual Plural "Dual ~ Plural Plural
Nom. vit (vi5) ver bit ber
Ace. okkf oss ykkr yoT sik (sig)
Dat. okkr oss ykkr y<5f ser
Gen. okkar vAr; ykkar ySvar sin
The third person has neither Neuter nor Plural which are re-
placed by the defin. pron. pat, sa", sii, which is thus declined :
Nom. hann hon (hun)
Ace. hann liana
Dat. hSnum (om) henni
Gen. bans hennar
29
106. From the Genitive of the personal pronoun, are
formed seven possessive pronouns:
of the
1 st person Sing.
2 nd
3rd
1 st - Dual
2 nd
1 st - Plural
2 nd
minn
1 n mi
sinn
okkarr
ykkarr
vArr
y8varr
min (mine)
bin (thine)
sin (his)
okkur (your)
ykkur
var
y5ur
milt
bitt
silt
okkart
ykkart
vart
y5vart
The three first are declined like the article (74), only they
receive a double t in the Neutr. and an accent, when an n
follows the /, as: mins, mins, minnar. The four last
pronouns are declined like indefinite adjectives, but they only
take n (instead of an) in the Ace. Masc. as: okkarn (not
okkaraii), varn (not varan) etc., but the dissyllabic ones
contract as usual, Dat. okkru, okkrum, okkari.
107. The demonstrative Pronoun is irregular:
ba-fr, si, sii, that; betta, bessi, bessi this;
hinn, hin, that, the other; declined thus:
Sing. Norn.
ill Si SU
Ace.
iii bann ba
Dat.
iff
jeim beirri
Gen.
)6SS
>ess jieirrar
Plur. Nom.
>au
)eir J)oer
Ace.
>au
)i bser ;
>etta
jessi
>essi
M'llil
)enna
>essa
)6SSU
>essa
>essum
>essi (-arri)
>essar (-arrar)
>essi
>essir
>essar
>essi
>essa
icssar.
Dat. beim bessum
Gen. Jjeirra ])essarra.
and the article hit, hinn, hin (74) which very frequently
drops the h and forms in it, inn, in, or even et, enn, en.
These are all used as dem. pronouns, but the t is doubled in
the n. g. as hitt, hinn, hin, nor is the h dropped or the
e added, as its pronunciation sounds purer and more emphatic.
108. Relative and interrogative pronouns, are with the
exception of er and sem, the same, as:
hvArt (hvort), hvarr, hvar, which of the two
hvert, hverr, hver, which of many
h v i 1 i k t , what like, of whdt kind
both declined as the indef. Adjectiv; only that they take in the
30
Ace. m. g. -n instead of -an; and hvert inserts/, when the
ending begins with the vowels a or M, as:
Ace. hvert, hvern, hverja;
Dat. hverju, hverjum, hverri.
The Skalds use in Ace. m. g. hverjan, every one.
Declension of hvort (hvdrt):
Neut. Masc. Fern, Neut. Masc. Fern,
Sing. Nom. hvort hvorr hvor hvert hverr hver
Ace. hvort hvorn hvora hvert hverjan hverja
Dat. hvoru hvorum hvorri hverju hverjum hverri
Gen. hvors hvors hvorrar hvers hvers hverrar
Plur. Nom. hvor hvorir hvorar hver hverir hverjar
Ace. hvor hvora hvorar hver hverja hverjar
Dat. hvorum hvorum hvorum hverjum hverjum hverjum
Gen. hvorra hvorra hvorra hverra hverra hverra.
109. There is also in the old norsk language a separate
form for the interrogative pronoun what; it is thus declined r
Neuter g. Common g.
Sing. Nom. hvat hverr (hvarr)
Ace. hvat hvern (hvarn)
Dat. hvi hveim
Gen. hvess hvess;
in common speech hvat is only used a as pron. and hvi, a&
an adjective.
110. The indefinite pronoun is partly primitive, partly de-
rived from other interr. pron. Primitive is:
eitt, einn, eiu, one, each one, alone; sometimes it is
declined like vnt (94) except that nt in n. g. takes tt, and
that the Ace. m. g. has a double form as:
einn and einan.
111. Annat (aliud, alter um, secundum) the one, the se-
cond, another,
has a very irregular declension, thus:
N. M. F.
Sing. Nom. annat annarr Onnur
Ace. annat annan a8ra
Dat. i)9ru o5rum annarri
Gen. annars annars annarrar
31
Plur. Norn. Onnur a8rir a8rar
Ace. onnur aQra a8rar
Dot. OoVum
Gen. annarra
It has the same form when the article is added, hit annat,
the other, second ; but when the question is of two, no article
is used.
112. Ba;5i, both, is only used in the Plural:
Nom. ba?5i ba8ir ba"9ar
Ace. b#9i ba'o'a ba*8ar
Dot. ba^um biSum bAdum
Gen. beggja beggja beggja.
113. The most important of the derivatives are:
hvArttveggja, hvArrtveggi, hvArtveggja, each one
of two; both parts are declined: hvArt (like 108) and tveggja
like an adj. in defin. form, therefore in Plural:
hvArtveggju, hvArirtveggju, hvArartveggju etc.
AnnathvArt, annarrhvArr, Onnur hvAr, one of
two, one part of many parts, has also a double declension,
particularly in the Sing. ; in the newer language the last part
is mixed with hvert, and is therefore generally met with an-
inserted /, as:
oQruhverju for o9ruhvAru etc.
We also find : [other
hvart (or hvat) annat, hva"rr annan, hvAr a5ra, each
and hvert annat, hverr annan, hver a8ra
or in Plur. hvert Onnur, hverr a9ra, hver a9rar
in this case it is not compounded.
HvArigt, hvarigr hvArig (or hvArugt etc.), (none
of the two, no part of the other) is declined like an adjective
indefinite form.
Sitthvat, or sitthvArt, sinnhva"rr, sinhvAr (each,
his OHM, each one's) is used divided, but sitt stands flrst. More
frequently is used:
sitthvert, sinnhverr etc. as: peir lita sinn i vher-
ja alt, each looks to his own side.
114. Without reference to two, is used:
eitthvat (Germ, etwas) some, or:
eitthvert, einnhverr, einhver.
32
115. Nokkut (danish noget) any, is contracted from
nak and hvert, hvat or hvart, in which ve or va is con-
tracted into M; this has many forms, of which we give the
oldest and most correct one.
Sing. Norn, nakkvart nakkvarr
Ace. nakkvart nakkvarn
Dat. ntikkuru nOkkurum
nOkkur or nokkor
nakkvara or nokkora
nakkvarri
Gen. nakkvars nakkvarrar
Plur. Nom. nOkkur nakkvarir nakkvarar
Ace. nokkur nakkvara nakkvarar
Dat. nftkkurum
Gen. nakkvarra.
In n. g. also nakkvat, if derived from hvat, Dat. nOkkvi
Sometimes nOkkut, nOkkurr, nOkkur,
and often nokkut, nokkurr, nokkur,
which has been adopted in the modern language. The two
last forms are also abridged by the moderns as:
Dat. nokkru, nokkrum, iiokkurri
116. The negative pronoun is a compound of eitt, einn,
ein and the negative termination -gi, -ki, which also takes
many irregular forms; the oldest and most correct seem to be:
Sing. Nom. ekki (for eitki)
Ace. ekki
Dat. eingu (einugi)
eingi eingi
eingan (eingi) einga
eingum eingri
Gen. eingis, einkis,
Plur. Nom. eingi
Ace. eingi
einskis
eingir
einga
eingrar
eingar
eingar
Dat.
Gen.
eingum
eingra
The syllable eing is often found contracted into eng;
thus in the Ace.: engan, enga; and this eng changes with
o'ng, as: ongan, Onga; or with an inserted v
as: Ongvan, Ongva,
Dat. Ongu, Ongum, Ongri,
or even: Ongarri, Gen. Ongarrar, it also lengthens into
aung, as: aungan, aunga, or aungvan, aungva.
But in n. g. and m. g. Gen. occur the changes of ei,
or i in the chief syllable, not onkis, aunskis.
33
117. Numerals.
Cardinal Numbers. Ordinal Numbers.
one eitt, einn, ein;
two tvau (t\o), tveir, tvaer;
three prjii, brir, prjar;
four fjogur, fjorir, fj6rar;
five timm;
6 s<-\:
7 sjau (sjO) ;
8 atta;
9 niu;
10 tin;
11 ellifu;
12 tolf;
13 prettan;
14 ijortan ;
15 u'mtn;
16 sextan;
17 sautjan (seytjan);
18 atjan;
19 nitjiin ;
20 tuttugu;
21 tuttugu ok eitt etc.;
30 prjatiu;
40 fjorutiu;
50 fimliu;
60 sextiu;
70 sjautiu (sjtitiu);
SO attatiu;
90 niutiu;
the first fyrsta, -i, -a;
-second annat, annarr, onnur ;
- third pri8ja, Kifti, prifija;
4 th fjtirfa, -i, -a ;
5 th fimta, -i, -a;
6 th setta, (sjotla) ;
7 th sjaunda, sj<inda(sjOunda)
8 th atta (attunda) ;
9 th niunda ;
10 th tfunda;
ll th ellifta;
12 th t61fta;
13 th prettanda;
14 th fj6rtanda;
15 th fimta~nda;
16 th sextanda ;
17 th sauljanda (seytj^inda);
100 hundrafi, tiutiu;
110 lumdraS <ik tiu, ellifutiu;
120 h. ok tuttugu, stc'trt hundra8
200 tvau hundraft etc.
1000 pi'isund
118. The four first of the numeral pron
Eitt (see 110,) the others in the Plural thus:
Plural Nom. tvau tveir tva i r |irju l)rir
Ace. tvau tva t\a-r jijru J)rjd
I veini (tveimr)
tveggja.
19 th uiljanda;
20 th tuttugasta ;
21 st tuttugasta ok fyrsta etc.
30 th britugasta ;
40 th fertugasta ;
50 th limtugasta ;
60 th sextugasta ;
70 th sjautugasta (sjotugasta) ;
80 th attatugasta ;
90 th nitugasla ;
100 th hundrafiasta ;
110 th hundra9asta ok tfunda;
120 th h. ok tuttugasta;
200 th tvau hundraQasta ;
1000 th jnisundasta
are declined.
J.rjar
J)rjar
Dat.
Gen.
Icelandic Grammar.
(primr)
Ju-igjya.
3
34
Plural Norn. fjOgur fjorir fjorar
Ice. fjogur fjora fjorar
Dat. f jorum
Gen. fjogurra
1 19. Those compounded with -tiu, have often another form
in -tigir, -tigi as: brjatigir, brjdtigi, but are not further
declined, as: brjatigi ok fimm a"rum Landn. pag. 2, stiil
more visible in the noun tigr (>tugr', togr, togr), Plur.
tigir, as: sex tigir, Sverriss. pag. 230 and atta tigir,
Hk. 3,357. Hun draft is a regular noun (55). The ancients
almost always reckoned by the great hundred (120) so that
ha" 1ft hun drab 5 counted for 60 etc. I*usund (bushiind-
raft) is irregular (62).
120. From the ordinal Numbers are formed, those ending
in -tugt, -tugr, -tug (-togt or tfigt),
and -rcett, -rceftr, -ra>&, as:
the 2 nd part: tvitugt, tugr, tug; the 8 th part: attrostt, -roe5f , -roe5 ;
- 3 rd - britugt; - 9 th - niroett,
- 4 th - fertugt; - 10 th - tiroett;
- 5 th - fimtugt; -11 th - ellifuro3tt;
- 6 th - sextugt; - 12 th - olfroett.
- 7 th - sjautugt (sjotugt);
The half is expressed by: ha 1ft, halfr, half, as: half-
britugt, halffertogr etc. which points out that 5 has been
deducted from the last ten, thus:
halffertogr = 35, halfattro35r = 75.
The Verb.
121. Verbs are divided like the substantives into two chief
orders the 1 st or open, with the vowel in its termination;
2 nd or closed, with a consonant
The first has more than one syllable in the Imperfect, the
second is monosyllabic.
The open oiHler is subdivided into 3 classes:
1 st Cl. has three syllables in the Imperfect, with vowel a,
2 nd Cl. has two syllables in the Imperfect, with vowel i,
3 rd Cl. has two syllables with change or modification of vowel
35
(it has in the 1 st person us, but seems originally to have had
the vowel ).
The closed order has two manners of inflection.
1 st Cl. the one in which the change of vowel takes place
in the Indicative and Conjunctive of the Imperfect; the Part,
takes the same vowel of the main syllable as the present tense.
2'" 1 Cl. contains the modification of the vowel of the Im-
in the Part, with some exceptions.
Each of these two conjugations is subdivided in three
classes according to the modification of the vowel of the Im-
perfect. There are therefore altogether 9 Conjugations in which
every regular and irregular verb is included.
122. The following table will show the distinctive feature
of each:
I. Open Order.
1 st Form.
Pres. Indie. Imperfect. Sup.
1 st Class ek autla stlafia atlat
2 nd - - heyri heyrda beyrt
3 r ' 1 - - spyr spnrda spurt.
11. Closed Order.
2 1 " 1 Form.
1 st Class ek drep drep drap drepit
2 nd - - raft rdQ re9 raQit
3 rd - - dreg drag dro dregit.
3 rd Form.
1 st Class ek renn rann PI. runnum nmnit
2 nl - - lit leit - litum litiB
3 rd - - by8 bau8 - bu8um ho9it.
123. It must be borne in mind, that the indicative and
Conjunctive distinguish the Present and Imperfect, the Impe-
rative is only used in the Present.
The Infinitive and Participle are only single forms, but
they are both declined like nouns.
The Supine is the Participle in n. g.
The Participles end generally in -st, in the oldest lan-
guage in sk (an abbreviation of sik).
3*
36
124.
I st Open Order.
/" Form.
kalla, to call; brenna, to burn; telja, to tell.
1" Class.
2 nd Class. 3 rd Class.
Indicative
Active.
Pres. Sing.
1. ek kalla
2. bii kallar
3. hann kallar
breuni
brennir
brennir
tel
telr
telr
Plur.
1. ver kollum
2. ber kallit
3. heir kalla
brennum
brennit
brenna
teljurn
telit
lelja
Imp. Sing.
1. ek kallafta (i)
2. bii kalla5ir
3. hann kallafti
brenda (i)
brendir
brendi
lalda (i)
taldir
taldi
Plur.
1. ver kolluSum
brendum
toldum
2. ber kolluSul
3. f>eir kolluchi
brendut
brendu
toldut
toldu
Conjunctive
Pres. Sing.
1. ek kalla (i)
2. bii kallir
3. bann kalli
brenna (i)
brennir
brenni
telja (teli)
telir
teli
Plur.
1. ver kallim
brennim
li'liin
2. ber kallit
3. beir kalli
brennit
brenni
telit
teli
Im%. Sing.
1. ek kallafti (a)
2. bii kalla5ir
3. hann kallaSi
brendi (a)
brendir
brendi
teldi (a)
teldir
teldi
Plur.
1. ver kallaftim
brendim
teldim
2. ber kalla5it
3. {>eir kallaSi
brendit
brendi
teldit
teldi
Imp. Sing.
2. kalla (-8u)
brenn (-du)
tel (-du)
Plur.
1. kollum (ver)
2. kallit (ber)
brennum
brennit
tel jinn
telit
Infinitive
Part.
Sup.
at kalla
kallanda, i
kallat.
brenna
brennanda, i
brent.
telja
teljanda, i
taht (tail).
Indicative
37
I' 1 Class. 2 nd Class.
Passive.
3 rd Class.
Pres.
Sing.
1.
kallast
brennist
telsl
2.
kallast
brennist
telst
3.
kallast
brennist
telst
Phtr.
1.
kollnmst
brennumst
teljumst
2.
kallizt
brennizt
telizt
3.
kallast.
brennast.
teljast.
Imp.
Sing.
1.
kalladist
brendist
taldist
2.
kallaftist
brendist
taldist
3.
kalladist
brendist
taldist
Plur.
1.
kOlluSumst
brendumst
Wldumst
2.
kiilluduzt
brenduzt
tOlduzt
3.
k5llu5ust.
brendust.
tOldust.
Conjunctive
Pres. Sing.
\. kaUist
brennist
telist
2. kallist
brennist
telist
3. kallist
brennist
teiist
Plur.
1. kallimst
brennimst
telimst
2. kallizt
brennizt
telizt
3. kallist.
brennist.
telist.
Imp. Sing.
1. kalladist
brendist
teldist
2. kallaSist
brendist
teldist
3. kallaQist
brendist
teldist
Plur.
1. kalladimst
brendimst
teldimst
2. kalladizt
brendizt
teldizt
3. kallafrst.
brendist.
teldist
Imp. Sing.
2. kallast-u
brend-u
telst-u
Plur.
1 . kollumst (ver)
brennumst
teljumst
2. kallizt (ber).
brennizt.
telizt.
Infinitive
at kallast.
brennast.
teljast.
Part.
(kallandist).
(brennadist).
(teljamdist).
Sup. Pass.
kallazt.
brenzt
talizt (talzt).
125. Many ol the personal terminations are unsettled, we
have taken as the regular one those which have most claim
to be called so. The 1 st Person Pres. has sometimes r, and
becomes alike to the 2 ml and 3 rd Person, as:
ek kallar, ek brennir, ek telr,
38
but the frequent and best use, as well as contractions, show
the r to be spurious as
kallag, brennig, telk, for kalla ek etc.,
hyggig, hykk for hygg ek etc.
126. It is more correct to end the 1 st Pers. of the Im-
perfect in -a, than in -i, for the preceding part of the verb
has always those vowels which harmonize wilh a and not with
i, except when i in the Present has been substituted by deri-
vation and runs in every tense through the entire word, as
brenni, from brann.
127. The 1 st Pers. of the Conj. Present is also more
correctly ended in a than i, but both are frequently used, and
good manuscripts prefer in certain cases the -i.
Abbreviations like hugQak (Lodbrkv. 24) munak (Snorra
E. 35) also prove the termination -a.
The 1 st Person Plural has -im, in harmony with the other
termination, and by a general use of the ancients; in the mo-
dern language this person has been changed into -um as the
Indicative (kollum, brennum, teljum).
128. The 1 st Pers. of the Conj. Imp. has sometimes -a
instead of i in ancient writers, chiefly used by the Skalds;
but it is less correct considering the vowel of the chief syllable.
It is therefore less correct to say vekba ek than vekti ek
ba3paek - bsefti ek
(Snorra E. 97) except the third person be taken, which could
perhaps be placed in the 1 st pers., as is done in the oriental
languages.
It is however always correct in the plural that the 1 st pers.
should terminate in -im, the 2 1 " 1 in -it, although, -um, ut, is
to be met with in more recent Mss. In all verbs, (except the
1 st Class) with the modification of vowel in the principal syl-
lable, which requires the termination -i, as:
kOlluQum, kOlluQut, brendum, brendut, teldum,
t e 1 d u t..
The 3 r<1 Pers. is only found in u, in the modern icelandic
of the northern dialect, as:
kollu5u, brendu, teldu
although these forms have crept into all Mss. The two first
persons in -um and -ut are generally wrong, even if they ap-
pear in the Sagas or the Skalds.
39
129. It must be observed that the Imperative 1 >1 and 2' J
person harmonize with the Indicative Present. The third per-
son is formed by (he Conjunctive, as: Nj. 67:
koll urn karl enn skegglausa !
and Sverriss. S. 185:
TVnom Birkibeinum !
beri Sverrir hint verra! etc.
130. In reflective verbs the 1 st Person Plur. -umst, is often
seen, also in the 1 st Pers. Sing, as:
eigi berjumst ek (Fms. 6, 25),
ek hiigfimnst (Snorra E. 97).
131. The terminations of the Plural drop in the 1 st Pers.
-m, in the 2 nd Per?, -t (3) if immediately followed by a pronoun,
particularly in the Imperative, as:
megu ver, megu pit (Nj. 17",
for u ver! far i her!
132. The 1 st Class is very regular. Words which have no
-a in the principal syllable take naturally no modification, as:
ek skipa, ver skipum, ek s k i p a 5 a , ver skipudum,
not even those which have d', change it into a, although the
-u termin., which seems to have occasioned the d in the prin-
cipal syllable, is dropped and terminates in -a, as:
ekfjotra, ver fjfltrum, ek fjtitrada, ver fjotruduin,
f jot rat.
133. The other class has some irregularities, occasioned
by the vowel -i in the Imperfect and Part., which is dropped
if the consonant is the same as the root. The ancients make
it single, where it was double as:
byggi
hnykki
kippi
kenni
stemmi
h\es>i
byg5a
hnykta
kipta
kenda
stemda
hvesta
bygt -goY -g8
hnykt -ktr -kt
kipt -ptr -pt
kent -dr -d
stem! -dr -d
livest -tr -t.
134. The termination is still more influenced by the con-
sonant of the root
-/ after p, t, k, s,
-da after 6, 8 (changed into d) fl, gl, fn, gn, m,
-8a after /", </, r and every vowel; with another consonant
preceding t is dropped behind tt or ?,
-d behind nd etc., 9 behind r8, as:
steypi
veiti
krffiki
lijesi
kembi
rei8i
efli
nefni
ILi'ini
deyfi
vigi
la?ri
PJai
hitti
vaenli
heiniti
sendi
vir8i
steypta
veitta
krcekta
liiesla
kembda
reidda
eflda
nefnda
fhemda
deyi'3a
vigSa
Iaer8a
bja8a
hit! a
vaenta
heimta
sen da
\ir8a
steypt
-ptr
-pt
veitt
-ttr
-tt
kroskt
-ktr
-kt
la-si
-sir
-st
kembt
-bdr
-bd
reidt
-ddr
-dd
eflt
-Idr
-Id
nefnt
-ndr
-nd
fla?mt
-mdr
-md
deyft
vigt
laert
-f5r
-g8r
-r8r
-f5
-
r5
pa8
hitt
-8r
-ttr
-9
-tt
va;nt
-tr
-t
h oil ul
-tr
-t
sent
-dr
-d
virt
-9r
-8.
135. Those in -Ig, -ng, receive in some Mss. -Igfta, -ngfta;
in others -Igda, -ngda; as fylgda, tengda (Fms. 7)
Those in /, n receive partly -da, partly -ta, as: fell, fellda
(felda); masli, mselta, s^ni, s^nda; raeni, raenta.
136. Those whose last consonant is g or fr, even with
another consonant preceding, do not always drop the i, but
change it into /, which they retain before the terminations -a
and -H, as:
byggi, ver byggjum, beir byggja, at byggja,
byggjanda; likewise:
ek fylgi, ver fylgjum; ek syrgi, ver syrgjum;
ek .teingi, ver teingjum; ek fylki, ver fylkjum;
ek merki, vermerkjum.
137. It will be observed that this class does not modify
the vowel, having already received the modification in the Qrst
person (-t), which is transmitted without regard to the ter-
mination. In some words this is not accidental; it seems as if
41
the characteristic letter should be ; these words have other
irregularities, the most important of them are:
dugi at duga dugdka Conj. dyg8i dugat
vaki
- vaka
vakta
-
vekti
vakit
-inn -in
kaupi
- kaupa
keypta
-
keypti
keipt
-tr -t
poJi
- pola
polda
-
l>yldi
polat
pori
- |)ora
por8a
-
j)yr8i
jiorat
uiii
- una
unda
-
yndi
nnal
vari
- vara
var8a
or
vara8a-i
varat
trui
- tn'ia
triiSa
Conj.
try8i
In'iat
n;e
- na
na8a
-
nac8i
na8
le (IjiB)
- lj a
Ie8a
-
Ie8i
Ie8.
138. To this class belongs the auxilliary verb ,,hefi"
to have:
Indicative.
Present. Sing. 1. hefi
2. 3. hefir
Plur. \. hofum
2. hafit
3. hafa
Imperf. Sing. 1. hal'fta
2. haf8ir
3. haf5i
Plur. 1. hOfQum
2. hoTQut
3. hOf3u.
Imperat. Sing. 2. haf-8u
Plur. 1. hOfum
2. hafiS
Conjunctive.
Present. Sing. 1. hafa
2. hafir
3. haQ
Plur. 1. hafim
2. hafit
3. hafi
Imperf. Sing. \. hef5i
2. hef^ir
3. hef8i
Plur. 1. hef5im
2. hefSit
3. hefft.
Infinit. at hafa
Part, hafanda, i
Sup. haft, -ffir,
139. Sometimes the modification of a vowel appears in
the F'resent:
na3 veld
naer veldr
iiam (for naum) vOldum
n, lit valdit
na (for na*a); valda.
Sing. 1. vaki
2. 3. vakir
Plur. \. vokuni
2. vakit
3. vaka;
42
Veld is one of the most irregular verbs: Imperf. olli,
Conj. ylli, Sup. valdit, now ollal, Infin. valda (only
olla). In the Supine differs: lifi, Iif8i, lifat.
140. The third Class is monosyllabic in the Present
Sing., but takes a -j before the finals in -a, -u. In the Im-
perfect it has like the preceding -ta, -da, or 5a, but more
regularly da after /, n. In the Part. Past, it has sometimes
the shortened sometimes the mixed form (95). The Imperfect
and Part. Past, has only a double modification of vowel, either
e into a, or y into u, as:
glep
at glepja
glapta
glepti
glapit (glaptj,
to lead astray
let
- lelja
latta
letti
lall.
to let
vek
- vekja
vakti
vekti
vakit,
to waken
kve8
- kvedja
kvaddi
kveddi
kvadt,
to take leave
vel
- velja
valda
veldi
valit,
to chose
ven
- venja
van da
vendi
vanit,
to wean
tern
- temja
tamda
terndi
tamit,
to tame
kref
- krelja
kraf5a
krel'Si
krafit (kraft),
to crave
legg
- leggja
laggSa
Ieg5i
(lagit) lagt,
to lay down
her
- berja
bar3a
bertfi
barit (bart),
to smite
flyt
- flytja
flulta
flytti
flutt,
to carry
lyk
- lykja
lukta
lykli
lukt,
to shut to
pys
- pysja
pusta
bysti
bust,
to rush on
rv5
- rydja
rudda
ryddi
rudt,
to root out
hyl
- hylja
hulda
hyldi
(hull) hulit,
to hide
styn
- stynja
stunda
styndi
(stunt) stunit,
to groan
rym
- rymja
rumda
rymdi
rumt,
to roar
tygg
- tyggja
tugQa
tygSi
tuggit,
to chew
spyr
- spyja
spurfta
spyrSi
spurt,
to ask
11
- lyja
Iu9a
Iy8i
luit (Iu9),
to hammer.
141. Irregular in the Sup. is: hygg, hugQa, hugat.
The five following do not change the vowel:
set at setja setta setti sett, to set
sel - selja selda seldi sell, to sell
skil - skilja skilda skildi (skill) skilit, t<> separate
vii - vilja vilda vildi viljat, to will
fty - ftyja flfQa flyft ftyit, to fly.
of these vil is found in the ancient Manuscripts in the 2 nd
and 3' d person: vill (for vilr) sometimes to {the 2 nd person
villtu or vilt, modific. form Infin. vildu for vilja.
43
The five following have in the Present:
sagl, to say
bagat, to be silent
bolt, to think
ort to write verse
yrkt to work
s6tt, to seek.
142. Some are also irregular in the Present, where they
become monosyll. ; and like the Imperfect of the closed order,
they are:
scgi
at segja
sagda
seg5i
begi
- legja
bag8a
pegft
l>ykki
- bykkja
jx'tlta
bffitti
yrki
- yrkja
f orta
I yrkta
yrti
yrkti
soeki
- soekja
s6lta
soetti
ann
at unna
unna
ynni
unt,
to grant
man
- muna
munda
myndi
munat,
to remember
kann
- kunna
kunna
kynni
kunnat,
to be able
man
mini
- mundu
- iiiiiini
> munda
( myndi
1 mundi
wanting
will, would
skal
{- skyldu
- skulu
I skylda
skyldi
wanting
shall, ought
barf
- burfa
Juirfta
byrfti
purft,
to be needful
A
- eiga
:ilt:i
setli
all,
to own
in;i
- mega
matta
ni;i'lli
mStt, \
to be able
ku:'.
- knega
knatta
kiiM-lli
(knaHt), (
veil
- vita
vissa
vissi
vita9,
to know.
A regular word unni, unta, ynti, unt must be di-
stinguished from ann. For kna" is also found knai, knafta,
k n a 5.
143. The irregularities in the Present consist in these
verbs, that the 1 st and 3 rd person are alike, the 2" d receives
the termination -t or -st in words in which the principal letter
is t, chiefly in the word veil; the 2 nd pers. Plur. receives in
some words -ut or -#, the 3 rd pers. Plur. often receives -u (o)
by the ancient, and -a by the modern writers, as:
1.
Plur.
3. kann
2. kant
sk;il
skalt
a
All
veil
vci/.l
1. kunnum
2. kunnit
3. kunna.
skulum
skulut
skulu.
eigum
eigut ti)
eigu (a).
vitum
vili8 (a5)
vita (u).
44
144.
II nd Closed Order.
II nd Form.
gefa, to (jive; Hta, to let: fara, to fare.
1 >1 Class. 2 nd Class. 3 rd Class.
Indicative
Active.
Pres. Sing.
1. gef
Ia3t
fer
2.
3. gefr
Iffltr
ferr
Plur.
1. gefuin
latuni
fOrum
2. gefit
lati?
farit
3. gefa
lata
fara
Imp. Sing.
1. gaf
let
f6r
2. gaft
lezt
fort
3. gaf
let.
for
Plur.
1. gafum
letum
f6rum
2. gafut
Ietu5
f6rut
3. gafu.
letu.
f6ru.
Conjunctive
Pres. Sing.
I . gefa (i)
lata (i)
fara (i)
2. geQr
latir
farir
3. gefi
lati
fari
Plur.
1. geflm
lalini
farim
2. geQt
iatid
farit
3. gefi
lati
fari
Imp. Sing.
1. gsefi(a)
leti (a)
foeri (a)
2. gififir
letir
ferir
3. gaefi
leti
tori
Plur.
1. ggefim
letim
foerim
2. gaefit
Ieti8
foerit
3. gajfi
leti
fffiri
Imp. Sing.
2. gef (-5u)
hit
far
Plur.
1. gefum
latniii
fdrum
2. gefit
Iali5
farit
Inf.
at gefa
lata
fara
Part.
gefanda, i.
hilaudii, i.
faranda, i
Sup.
gefit.
lati?.
farit.
45
III rd Form.
brenna, to burn; gripa, to gripe;
s kj6ta.
I' 1 Class. 2 nd Class.
3 rd Class.
Indicative Passive.
Pres. Sing. 1. brenn grip
2. 3. brennr gripr
skyt
skytr
Plur. 1. brennum gripum
2. brennit gi'fpit
3. brenna gripa
skjotum
skj6li5
skj6ta
Imp. Sing. 1. brann greip
2. brant greipt
3. brann greip
skaut
skauzt
skaut
Plur. 1. brunnum gripum
2. In iinniit gripul
3. brunnu. gripu.
skutum
skutuft
skutu.
Conjunctive
Pres. Sing. 1. brenna (i) gripa
2. brennir gripir
3. brenni giipi
skj6ta (i)
skjoiir
skjoti
Plur. 1. brennim gripim
2. brennit gripit
3. brenni gripi
skjolim
skj6ti5
skjoli
Imp. Sing. 1. brynni (a) gripi (a)
2. brynnir gripir
3. brynni gripi
skyti (a)
skylir
skyli
Plur. 1. brynnim gripim
2. brynnil gripit
3. brynni gripi
skylim
skytid
skyti
Imp. Sing. 2. brenn grip
skjot
Plur. 1. brennum gripum
2. brennit gripit
skj6tum
skj6ti5
Inf. at brenna gripa
skji'dii
Part, brennanda, i grfpanda, i
skj6tanda,
Sup. liriiiniit. gripit.
>l\nli|.
145. As a singularity in tbe Conjugation of tins closed Or-
der, it must be noticed that those whose principal letter is- s,
46
take in the 2 nd and 3 rd person not -r, but in the 2" d -t, and
retain in the 3 rd the termination of the first, as:
ek les, bu lest, hann les, Imp. las, Sup. lesit;
ek blass, bu falsest, hann blses, Imp. bles; Sup. bla"sit;
ek ris, bii rist, hann ris, Imp. r e i s , Sup. r i s i t ;
ekfrys, bii fryst, hann fry s, Imp. fraus, Sup. fro sit.
No doubt this belongs to the modern icelandic language, not to
the genuine old Norsk, in which the termination was without
doubt r, contracted with s into ss:
ek eys, bu eiss (Lokagl. 4), hann eiss, ver ausum,
Imp. jos, Sup. a us it. Also:
ek vex, bii vex (not bu vext), Snorra E. 114, hann
vex, sst. ver vflxum, Imp. v6x or 6x, Sup. vaxit.
The modern language applies this rule generally to those words,
whose principal letter is r as:
eg fer, pii fer 5, hann fer, for
ek fer, pii ferr, hann ferr,
which is generally the rule in the ancient language.
146. The 2 nd form, If Class, contains some irregular
verbs, as:
kem
sef
get
get
et
veg
ligg
troSa tra<5 tra"9um
trafti
troSit,
to tread
koma kvam kva"mum
kva3mi
kornit
to come
sofa svaf sval'um
SV33fi
so fit,
to sleep
geta gat ga"tum
gaeti
geU5,
to beget
geta gat ga"tum
gseti
getaS,
to talk of
eta at -urn
a?ti
eti5,
to eat
vega vS -gum
vaegi
vegit,
to kill
liggja la -gum
Ia3gi
legit,
to lie
piggja pa -gum
baegi
begit,
to receive
- se
- sa
sa -m
saei sed (se5), to see.
For kvam etc. we find often kom-um, kasrni, rarely in the
Imp. Sing. v3g, Hg, bg; the second person is bii va"tt
(Nj. 203), not vdgt. The word se shortens, when u follows
after a, as: in the Pres. sj&m (ver), Hk. 1, 163, and in the
Imperf. sa<5 (per), Nj. 8. Part. Pass, adds j before e or takes
the accent, as: in n. g. set (or se9), in m. g. senn (Fms.
5, 249) or se<5r, in f. g. sen.
147. To this class belongs also the auxiliary verb, ek
em, / am:
47
Indicative: Conjunctive: Imperative:
Pres. Sitig. ek em (er) / am. se veri
bu ert ser ver-tu (verir)
hann er se veri
Plur. ver erum
sem verum
|)er erut
se8 vent
J>eir eru.
se. veri.
Imp. Sing, ek var / was.
bii vart
hann var
Plur. ver vArum
]>er vArut
va3ri (a) Infinitive:
vajrir Pres. at vera
vairi Part, veranda, i
va3rim Sup. verit
va3rit
|>eir vAru
vjfiri.
148. Some have irregular modification of the vowels in
the Supine, 0s:
in'tii at nema nam
namiim na>mi niunit
breg8 - breg5a bra"
ber - bera bar
brugQum bryg5i brugfiit
luii'iim li.ni borit
sker - skera skar
skArum >k,rri skorit
stel - stela stal
stdlum >i;i li stolit
fel - fe,a { J*,
IVdum f.i-li falit i
folum) folgit |
/ op
149. The second class has but few irregularities, these are:
heit at hcita
lieiti - heita
hangi - hanga
geing - ganga
het -um -i heitiQ
het -um -i heitiS
hekk hengum -i hringit
gekk gengum -i gengit
fekk fengum -i fengit.
150. Several belonging to this class are quite irregular in
the Imperfect:
ny nua nera -rum -ri ni'iit
ny snua snera (Nj. 95) -rum -ri sniiit
ro3 r6a rera -rum -ri roil
gro; groa grc-ra -rum -ri gr6it
they are conjugated according to Ihe first form, namely 2 n<l IMTS. :
nerir, 3 rd neri etc. In the old language we often iiiul (i
or ey for e, in the new language e, as: nera or neri, sneri,
etc. The word rsS, which is regular in the old language,
forms in the new the Imperfect with additional t, refli.
48
151. The third Class has the following irregularities:
svar sverja / S r8i s f r8um Sver8i j svarit, to swear
I s6r sorum SORH I
stend standa sto5 -urn stoebi staSit, to stand
sla3 sla" sl6 -gum sloegi slegit, to strike
fl fla" fl6 -gum floegi flegit, to flay
hlae hteja hlo -gum hlffigi hlegit, to laugh
dey deyja d6 -gum doegi dSit, to die
spy spyja spj6 -m spuit, to spit.
In the Sing. Imperf. we find, although rarely
slog, flog, 16g, d6g.
The g is more frequently dropped in the Plur. of the Conj.
Imperfect, as:
s!6um, don, hloei (Fms. 2, 152).
152. Some verbs are quite irregular in the plural of the
Imperfecl, Indicative and Conjunctive, as:
vex vaxa ox uxum yxi vaxit, to wax, grow
eyk auka jok jukum jyki aukit, to increase
eys ausa j6s jusum jysi ausit, to sprinkle
hleyp hlaupa hlj6p hlupum hlypi hlaupit, to run, urge
by biia bjo bjuggum bjyggi buit, to dwell
hOgg hOggva hj6 hjuggum hjyggi hOggvit, to hew.
We also find 6xum, hlj6pum, but this form is spurious,
as the Conjunct. O3xi, hi j 02 pi is not used, but only yxi,
hlypi, which presupposes in the plur. of the Indicat. uxum,
hlupum.
153. The 1 st form of the 3 rd Class has also the following
irregular verbs:
finn finna fann fundum fyndi fundit, to find
bind binda batt bundum byndi bundit to bind
vind vinda vatt undum yndi undit to wind
sting stinga stakk stungum styngi slungit to sting
spring springa sprakk spningum spryngi spningit, to split
geld gjalda gait guldum gyldi goldit, tobeworth,pay
skelf skjilfa skalf skulfum skylfi skolfit, to shake
hverf hverfa hvarf hurfum hyrfi horfit, to diminish.
The last are regular with the exception of the accent in sk j a 1 f a ,
such is also the auxilliary verb:
ek ver9, at verSa, Var5, urSum, yrQi, or5it.
Most of the regular verbs have o in the first syllable of the
Sup.; only those which have n after the vowel, receive u; also
drekk, drakk, drukkit
because kk stauds here for nk or ngk (38).
154. The second class is very regular. But the Verbs in
-ig have in the Imperfect not only -eig, but also the 2 n>1 form
of the 2 d Class in e, with a dropped g, as:
}
I ste (steum stei) I
Likewise: vik, vikja, veik or vi>k (Paradism. S. 218).
155. The third class is also very regular; only a few have
in the Imperfect ; occasioned by a double Consonant following
it, which is pronounced hard. Some in -ng take in the first
syllable of the Sup. after a vowel u. These ought to be added
to those which take in the Imperfect; but the extension of
all vowels before -ng (34) is the reason that they generally
take -aw, as:
sukk sOkkva sOkk sukkum sykki sokkit, to sink
stokk stokkva stokk stukkum stykki stokkit, to leap.
hrokk hrOkkva hrokk hrukkum hrykki hrokkit, to move quickly
isyng syngja saung siingum syngi sungit, I fQ g| .
Isyug syngva sOng sungum [ syngi sungit, I
Thus also sl^ng, slaung (Helgakv. Hundb. I. V. 33); slun-
gil, and bryng, braung, |)rungit, which are however
antiquated poetical words.
Auxiliary Verbs.
156. These auxiliary verbs are used to supply the wanting
tenses by periphrase ; they are very simple in the Old Norsk,
and were less frequently in use than in the Danish, otherwise
they are about the same.
Future periphr. man (mun) and skal;
Future preterite, munda, skylda;
Perfect, hefi, em (er);
Pluperfect. haf8a, var,
f. i. with the auxiliary verbs em and ver5.
Icelandic Grammar. 4
50
Indicative
Put. periph. ek man vera
- skal vera
Put. prefer. - munda vera
- skylda vera
hefi verit
Perfect.
Pluperfect.
- hafSa verit
Conjunctive
Put. periph. ek muna (i) vera
- skula (i) vera
Put. prefer. - myndi (a) vera
- skyldi (a) vera
Perfect. - hafa (i) verit
Pluperfect. - heffti (a) verit
Derivative Forms
Ind. Put. per. (at) munda vera
- skyldu vera
Perfect. - hafa verit
Part. Perf. - hafanda verit.
The Part. Perf. was rarely used.
ek man verQa
- skal ver5a
- munfta \er5a
- skylda verSa
- hefi or8it
- em orSinn
- haffia or5it
- var or5inn.
ek muna (i) verSa
- skula (i) verSa
- myndi (a) ver5a
- skyldi (a) verfta
- hafa (i) or5it
- se ordinn
- heffii (a) orSit
- vseri (a) orfinn
(at) munda ver9a
- skyldu verfta
- hafa or9it
- vera or5inn
- hafandi orSit
- hafandi or5inn.
157. Passive.
Indicative
Pres. ek em (er) kallaQr talinn etc.
Imp. - var kallaQr talinn
Future. - man (ver5a) kallaSr talinn
Put. pret. .- munda (ver8a) kalla5r talinn
Perf. - hefi verit kallaQr talinn
Pluperf. - haffta verit kalla5r talinn
Conjunctive
Pres. ek se kalla8r talinn
Imp. - vaeri (a) kalla5r talinn
Future. - muna (i) [verSa] kalla3r talinn
v
51
Fut. pret. - myndi (a) [ver5a] kalla5r talinn
Per/. - hafa (i) verit kallaSr talinn
Phtperf. - hefSi (a) verit kallaQr talinn
Derivative Forms
Ind. Put. per. at vera kallaSr talinn
Perf. - mundu [ver5a] kallaSr talinn
Pluperf. - hafa verit kallaoV talinn
These periphrase iorms are rarely used in the order we have
given, they are partly separated, partly transposed by inserted
words.
Skal is used in an obligatory and assured sense. After
man or skal verQa or vera is frequently left out. Vera
is used for the present time, which has begun, verQa, for the
future time, which is now beginning, man and skal for the
future time, not yet begun.
158. The Passive form in -st, has also derivatives, as:
ek man kallast teljast
- munda kallast teljast
- hefi kallazt talizt
- haffta kallazt talizt etc.
V. Particles.
159. This class of words, generally not inflected, take a
comparison, they form the Comparative in -a, the Superlative
in -ast; some have shorter forms in -r, -st:
opt
tilt
vfSa
nor3r
skamt
leingi
160. Some are irregular or imperfect:
vel betr bezt good
ilia verr verst bad
mjok meir mest much
lilt minnr (mi5r) minnst little
gjarna heldr helzt rather
uti utar yzt without
4*
optar
tiQar
vi9ar
nor8ar
skemr
leingr
optast
ti8ast
viQast
norQast
skemst
leingst
often
closely
widely
northerly
shortly
long ago.
52
inni innar innst within
uppi ofar (efra) ofarst (efst) up
niQri neQar neQst beneath.
The n. g. of the adjective in the 1 st and 2'" 1 degree has often
two forms with different significations as:
utar, outside (opposite the door, but visible),
ytra, without (out of sight),
leingr and skemr, shorter, only of time,
leingra and skemra, shorter, only of place.
The Formation of Words.
161. The formation of words, much resembles the Danish,
but it is more lively, richer and more certain. We do not
intend to enter here into a minute disquisition, but one of the
chief sources of derivation deserves attention, il is the Imper-
fect of the 2" d Order. From the plural are derived:
162. A) Nouns, such as:
drip, from drep, drap, dra"pum;
na"m from iiem, nam, namum;
fengr from fae, fekk, fen gum;
soeri from sver, s6r;
hloegi from hlae, hlog;
fundr from finn, fann, fundum;
spriinga from spring, sprakk, sprungum;
hvarf from hverf, hvarf;
stig from stig, steig, stigum;
bit from bit, beit, bitum;
saungr (sflngr) from syng, saung (sOng).
Sometimes there is no difference at all, and the noun
seems to be the genuine old Imperfect, as:
brag 5 from bregU, bra;
bo 5 from by 5, bau8;
skot from skyt, skaut.
The plural brug5um seems to be formed from bragS and
not from bra; also stigum from stig, not from steig,
bitum from bit, not from beit; bu5um, Conj. form by5i,
from bo8, not from bau8; skutum, Conj. form skyti,
53
from skot, not from skaut. Related languages show the
same, as for instance the english
/ bite, bit, I shoot, shot, with a bit, a shot, as nouns;
such is also the german:
beisse, biss, schiesse, schoss and the nouns: Biss, Schuss.
Sometimes the German language lengthens the vowel as in
steige, stieg; biete, bot;
but even these lengthened Imperfects harmonize with the Old
Norsk nouns:
stig, bo9, not steig, bau5.
But transitions occur from
i'i into i
au (ey) into o (ut
even in the old norsk formation of words, as:
veik-t vik-na; baugr, beygi bogi, bugr.
163. B) Adjectives which show in the Active as well as
Passive that the exlention of the verb is possible. These are
so much more remarkable, as they have entirely disapeared
in the modern language, as:
dra3p-t, dr;ep-r, drp, what one may Ml;
naem-t, to take easily, contagious,
& - f e n gr, which is easily received, goes into the head, intoxicates ;
al-geng-t, (german gctng und gctbe) current, usual, from
geng, gekk, gengum;
foer- 1, navigable, from fer, for;
upp-tock-t, takeable, from tek. t6k.
fleyg-t, (german flilgge) fledged, from fl^g, flaug;
n e y t - 1 , useful, from n $ t , n a u t etc.
164. C) Verbs, which instead of the unobjective take the
active signification, or if the root were active they take the
figurative signification as:
svtefi, to fall asleep, from sef, svaf, sva"fum;
saUi, to watch, from sit, sat, s a" turn;
hacngi, to hang up, from hangi, hekk, hengum;
felli, to fell, from fell, fell-urn;
breyti, to alter, from bryt, braut;
neyti, to eat etc.
54
Syntax.
165. In the position of sentences the Old Norsk resembles
the Danish, but the definite inflection to which the ancients
paid great attention, gave them greater scope and freedom in
the composition of the sentence. The most remarkable differ-
ence of this kind is the custom of placing the verb, particu-
larly the Imperfect, before the noun or pronoun, as:
kallaSi Njall betta lOgvOrn;
varu f bessu p margir hOfQingjar;
ok fekst bat af;
gengu hvarirtveggju ha";
ri9a beir mi heim.
166. The numeral pronouns up to 29 are always added to
the noun as adjectives, whether declinable or not, as:
brir islenzkirmenn; fimta"n bcendr; tuttuguskip
(HK. 3, 344),
but 30 and the higher decimals govern the word in the Ace. as:
brjdtigi skipa; sextigi heiftingja (Fins. 6, 61);
tfutigi manna (Fms. 7, 303).
The reason of this is, that the last part of this compound is
a noun (119) as with
hundraS as: prjii hundru5 nauta.
167. The Verbs frequently govern the Gen. as in other
languages, often the Dat. and Ace. Some govern two cases,
two Gen., two Dat. or Gen. and Dat., Dat. and Ace. etc.
One of these rules has such expansion that we must spe-
cify it; it is this: a number of verbs govern the Dative, showing
that a thing changes place and position, without being changed
in its own basis, as:
sny, vendi, fleygi, kasta, sk^t, lypti, dreifi, sa"i,
styri, rse9 etc.
Some take the Gen. in a different signification, as:
hann skaut Oru til mannsins; but:
skj6ttu manninn bann hinn mikla.
All Verbs which express a use, assistance, injury, saying etc.
govern the Dative, some of them take two Datives, as:
hann Iofa5i henni bvi; lion svaraoM hdnum pvi.
.jr.
Prepositions.
168. The following govern the Accusative:
urn (of), over umfram, before
unihvciTis, round about Irani yfir, over
i gcgnum, through, by framundir, against,
also a great many combinations with um, as:
ut um, out of, outside,
inn um; yfir um, i bring um (around in a ring],
and those signifying a position, as:
fyrir norQan, fyrir sunn an, fyrir ofan, fyrir ne5-
an, fyrir utan, fyrir innan, also fyrir handan Sna.
169. The Dativ govern:
af, of lija, by
fr, from asamt, together with
Or, yr, ur, or, out gagnvart, above
undan, out of m6t, 5 m6ti, i m6ti, against,
with some combinations, as:
lit af, upp fra, fram or, a" undan (before),
framhjei, by, over;
i gegn, against;
& hendr, against, in opposition;
til ban da, for, for the best;
also: user, na3rri, fjarri, near, yet.
170. The Genitive govern:
til, to millum, a" milli, & meftal, between
an, on, without i sta5 (bans), instead of (his)
utan, out of sakir (fyrir sakir) |
innan, within sOkum > by means of,
auk, without vegna
and the composita with me gin, as:
bd8um megin, on both sides,
bo ru m m e g i n , h i n u m megin, on each side,
}> e s s u m megin, on t his side,
6 1 1 u m megin, on all sides.
171. The Accusative and Dative govern:
A, on eptir, behind
i, to, in fyrir, for
me5, with uudir, under
vi9, with, by, against yfir, over,
56
and a great number of combinations with short, local ad-
verbs, as:
upp a", lit i, fram me9, i sta3inn fyrir, inn undir,
lit yfir etc.
172. The preposition at governs three cases:
\) the Accusative in the signification ,,after" (obsolete),
2) the Dative in the sign. ,,to, towards" used of things,
places, and time ,,at sumri", towards summer,
3) the Genitive in the signification ,,at, in."
173. It often happens that a preposition is found before
a noun, without governing the same ; in such a case the prep,
belongs to the verb ; in reading a short stop is made between
prep, and noun. As:
sva 1 at begar t6k af hofu5it,
so that (it) straight took off the head.
174. The preposition is often found behind the verb in
relative sentences, chiefly where the demonstr. pronoun is not
declined, as:
Sverrir koniingr haf5i viSset bessi snOru
er peir a3tlu9u hann i vei5a.
The king Sverrir had seen the cord
with which they thought to catch him.
The prepos. -i is accented, but forms no composite with v e i 8 a,
as ivei5a is no word.
Prosody.
175. The old verse of the Skalds may be reduced to three
Orders; corresponding to the three manners of rhyme in which
the chief poems of the old Icelandic tongue are written.
They are all divided into sing- verses or strophes (visa,
staka) which generally contain eight lines in each verse.
These strophes are again divided into two halves (visu-
helmingr) and each of these again into two parts (vfsu-
fjor8ungr) which form the fourth part of the whole strophe.
The separate lines or verses (visuorS) are generally
short, the longest has but four feet, they all have the caesura.
57
176. The two lines which form the fourth part of I ho
slrophe are without exception united by alliteration (letter -
rhyme), this is a most essential part of the Icelandic versification.
The nature of Alliteration demands that three words should occur
in these lines beginning with the same letter. One of these
three words must stand at the beginning of the second line
and is called the chief letter, the two others in the first line
are governed by it, these are called the sub-letters.
If the chief-letter be a compound as -sp, st etc., the sub-
letters must correspond with it, but if the chief letter be a vo-
wel or a diphthong the sub-letters may change the tone by
another vowel, as:
Stendr AngantVrs
'/"-inn moldu
salr i Sdrnsey
sunnan\er3ri.
177. It is not always necessary that the chief-letter stands
at the beginning of the line, in short verses it often has a
toneless word before it, indispensable for completing the sen-
tence, these are called f nidify! ling) ^filling up the sentence",
such are or, sem i etc.
178. The Assonance or Line-rhyme, consists in the oc-
currence in the same line of two syllables, the vowels of
which and the following cons, agree together. The one stands
at the beginning, the other at the end of the syllable. It is
called half-assonance when the vowels are different, and only
the consonants agree. These two kinds of the Line-rhyme
are thus divided ; the first line of the quarter verse has the
half-assonance, the second has the assonance, as:
held-vild, in the first line,
veg-seg, in the second line.
179. The final rhyme is the same as in the modern lan-
guage, except that it is generally monosyllabic, and that the
two lines united by the chief-letter rhyme together, as:
Ni'i er hersis hefnd
vi8 hilmi efnd,
gengr ulf'r ok Orn
of Ynglings born.
180. Quantity is not observed, as all syllables may be long.
The freeest and oldest kind of verse is the (fornyrQalag)
58
speechverse ; it has four long syllables, sometimes two with em-
phasis, and if the verse permits it is followed by some short ones.
The example of 176 is quite regular without short syllables.
181. The Heroic-poems (drottvae9i) generally have the
end-rhyme and the syllabic-rhyme. Regular lines, each with
six long syllables, or three spondees, of which the two first
change with dactyls. This is the verse used in most of the
Sagas. It must be observed, that one meets sometimes a syl-
lable in the oldest verses of this kind, before the chief-letter,
which cannot be looked upon as ,,malfylling", but which
belongs, to the verse to give it the right lenght, as:
sattaftu
of hr&-
Arafn i
soil!
fcuisti
gjalla
182. The Songs (run'henda) have also regular lines but
they have both syllabic and final rhymes. The shortest verse
of four syllables also has sometimes a syllable before the chief-
letter, for the reason given, as:
vi 5 hllml efnd.
Jon Olafsen, who has written a treatise ,,on the old Icelandic
Poetry" expresses the same opinion on pag. 68.
A single short syllable is frequently found in the verse.
PART II.
The Old Norsk Poetry and the Sagas.
Iceland was formerly looked upon as the ultima Thule
of Virgil; it received the greater part of its population from
Norway, where it first became known between the years 860
870 through the skandinaviau navigators Nadd-Odd, Gar-
dar and Floeke. The last one called it Iceland in conse-
quence of the masses of drift-ice which he found in all its
creeks.
The first settler was the Nonveian In golf (870) who
fled to the iceland with his retinue and relations from King
Ha raid Harfager who after having subdued the other petty
kings of Norway, obtained supreme power by levelling taxes oil
all the freeholds of the nobles, whom he in reality reduced
to tenants, and all those who would not submit fo this usurped
authority, emigrated to Iceland, and thus within 60 years the
habitable shoreland of the isle was taken possession of.
As most of these emigrants were the freest and noblest
men of Norway, some of royal descent, others from the flower
of the aristocracy, they continued their old mode of life in
their new home, and Iceland became an aristocratic republic.
They brought with them their language, the Old Dansk, their
rites of heathen worship and their civil institutions. The ground
work of their political life was chieliy Ulfi lot's (927), who
established a system of law and created the ,,Althing" a national
parliament, composed of all the freeholders of the island, which
held its meetings every year for 14 days on the great plain of
the Thingvalla to discuss the interests of the land.
Besides this general meeting, there were instituted since 962
60
a number of smaller Things* for the various districts of the
island, to which was added A. D. 1004 through Njal a superior
court of justice. Christianity, already introduced by some of
the early settlers, was legally established in 1000, and with it
came the knowledge of the latin language and literature, in-
deed poetry and science found ground ready to receive them
on these shores, and both poetry and historic sagas where al-
ready more widely cultivated here than in other parts of the
germanic north.
It is no wonder that in this remote region a literary life
began and literary treasures were kept and reared, whilst the
whole of northern Europe was nothing but a bloody battlefield.
These noble Norsemen had brought with them a beautiful lan-
guage, diamond-hard, pure as crystal and golden tinted, in
which the Edda Songs were written. We call it the Icelandic
or Old Norsk tongue, but the Old Icelanders called it the
,,dtinsk tunga och norrcena tunga."
It was once the common language of all the tribes of the
germanic north, spoken in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, The
FarOe, Orkney and Hebrides Islands, and transplanted by the
Danes into England. This tongue is still spoken, with some
modifications, in Iceland and the FarOe Islands, it has kept up
its ancient type, partly from the naturally secluded position of
the island, partly because of its finished literature. In Den-
mark itself, it underwent a process of degeneration by the mix-
ture with the Anglo-Saxon and German, through the influence
of latin and at last by the french, so that it is scarcely possible
now to trace* in the Danish language, the once powerful,
harmonious, full -sounding Norraena - tongue. Thus it is that
since the beginning of the 14 th Century, the contrast of the
old-norsk or icelandic tongue (fslendska tunga) and the modern
danish and Swedish language has become visible.**
It is interesting to enquire how these rich treasures of
ancient lore were preserved in this remote island. A great
quantity of Sagas matter was collected in Iceland from the very
first, not only did the emigrants bring with them the great
national Sagas of the Norwegians, Swedes and Danes, but also
*) Thing in Icelandic means, a meeting or assize, Court of Justice.
**) Koeppen's Literar. Einleitung in die NordischeMythologie; one
of the best hooks on icelandic literature and Mythology.
Dietrich's Altnordisches Lesebuch, with Introduction on the Old
Norsk Literature.
61
the Sagas of the tribes and the local traditions from every part
of Scandinavia; besides a number of Sagas from the other
countries which they continually visited in their numerous
travels by sea and land. The nobles brought with them their
own family Sagas from the remotest times, and they were also
the keepers of the Old Sagas of Gods and Heroes, with the
latter of whom their own families were often connected by
tradition. Hence this incredibly rich mine of poetry and history,
of mythology and superstition in Iceland. Moreover the nobles,
from the old houses of Y n g u i s or Ski Old, remained in their
northern seats, without any other occupation than the care of
Jheir property, there was little agriculture and that was left to
their servants. The national feasts, and the Things, and also
disputes and wars occasionally interrupted their solitude, other-
wise their days glided away evenly enough. Ennui drove the
nobles partly to travel, partly to study and writing, and thus
they became poets and historians, and created this rich icelandic
literature which we possess.
The Skalds.
,,The early dawn of literature*) in Europe was almost every-
where else marked by an awkward attempt to copy the classi-
cal models of Greece and Rome. In Iceland, an independent
literature grew up, flourished , and was brought to a certain
degree of perfection before the revival of learning in the South
of Europe. This island was not converted to Christianity until
the end of the tenth century, when the national literature,
which still remained in oral tradition, was full blown and ready
to be committed to a written form. With the Romish religion,
latin letters where introduced; but instead of being used, as
elsewhere, to write a dead language, they were adopted by
the learned men of Iceland to mark the sounds, which had been
before expressed by the Runic characters. The ancient language
of the North was thus preserved in Iceland, whilst it ceased to
be cultivated as a written, and soon became extinct as a spoken
language, in the parent countries of Scandinavia/'
The Skalds or poets were the Minnesingers of the North,
they preserved poetry, mythology and history in the verses
*) Whea ton's History of the Northmen pag. 49. an interesting
work for the early history of the Danes and Normans.
62
which they recited. As early as the 10 th Century these ice-
landic Skalds where known far and near. We find them at
all the northern courts, where they occupy a distinguished po-
sition in the trains of kings, whose companions and chroniclers
they were ,,who liberally rewarded their genius (see Wheaton)
,,and sometimes entered the lists with them in trials of skill
,,in their own art. A constant intercourse was kept up by
,,the Icelanders with the parent country, and the Skalds were
,,a sort of travelling minstrels, going continually from one North-
,,ern country to another. A regular succession of this order
,,of men was perpetuated, and a list of 230 in number, of those
,,who were most distinguished in the three Northern kingdoms,
,,from the reign of Ragnar Lodbrok to Valdemar II is
,,preserved in the Icelandic language, among whom are several
,,crowned heads and distinguished warriors of the heroic age.
,,The famous king, Ragnar Lodbrok, his queen AslOg or
,,Aslauga, and his adventurous sons, who distinguished them-
,,selves by their maritime incursions into France and England
,,in the ninth century, were all Skalds. A sacred character
,,was attached to this calling. The Skalds performed the office
,,of ambassadors between hostile tribes, like the heralds of an-
,,cient Greece and of the Roman fecial law. Such was the
,, estimation in which this order of men was held, that they
,,often married the daughters of princes, and one remarkable
,,instance occurs of a Skald, who was raised to the vacant
,,Jutish throne, on the decease of Frode III, in the fourth Cen-
,,tury of the Christian a3ra."
In such a position the Skalds accompanied the king in
their raids and to the battle field, they were present in the
banqueting hall and in the hot fight, continually collecting ma-
terials for new Songs, Sagas and Tales ; and at last when they
were worn out and tired of life, they returned to their home
in Iceland, frequently covered with renown and with riches,
to tell their friends and countrymen of the foreign countries
they had visited and of their own exploits. The Skalds therefore
much more resemble the knightly Troubadours of the Middle ages
than the Indian Rramahs, or the Celtic Druids. They could sing
of fights and battles and deaths, which they had personally wit-
nessed, they could sing of the Sea with its charms and dangers
because they had led a daring Vikinglife and had steered the
,,steed of the sea" ; through storms and tempests. They could
sing of the bliss of the Gods and Einheriar, because they
63
had partaken of kingly hospitality and feasts, the prototype of
which was Valhall.
The Skalds obtained their highest position at the time of
Eric, the bloody axe, Ha con the Good, Ilarald and II a -
con Jarl
The most celebrated Skalds of that period were: Egil
Skallagrimson, KormakAugmundarson, Einar Hel-
gason Skalaglam, Eilif Gudrunarson, Guttorm Sin-
dri, Glunv Geirason etc., but they were all surpassed by the
Norvveian Eyvind, the great-grand child of Harald Haar-
schOns, who received the proud name of Skaldaspillir (the
annihilator of the Skalds). Even the Icelanders acknowledged him
and sent him a costly present (Harald-GraTelds-Saga c. 18).*)
,,As there were female warriors (Wheaton), or Amazons
,,in the heroic age of the North, so there were female Skalds
,,or poetesses, whose lays sometimes breathed the harsh notes
,,of war and celebrated the' achievements of conquering heroes,
,,and at others sung the prophetic mysteries of religion.
,,Thus we perceive how the flowers of poetry sprung up
,,and bloomed amidst eternal ice and snows. The arts of peace
,,were successfully cultivated by the free and independent Ice-
ganders. Their Arctic isle was not warmed by a Grecian sun,
,,but their hearts 'glowed with the lire of freedom. The natural
,,divisions of the country by ice-bergs and lava streams, insu-
,,lated the people from each other, and the inhabitants of each
valley and each hamlet formed, as it were, an independent
,,community. These were again reunited in the general na-
,,tional assembly of the Althing, which might not be unaptly
,, likened to the ^mphyctionic council or Olympic games, where
,,all the tribes of the nation convened to offer up the com-
,,mon rites of their religion, to decide their mutual difl'emin's,
,,and to listen to the lays of the Skald, which commemorated
,,the exploits of their ancestors.*'
A collection of these early remains of old Scandinavian
poetry will be found in the Poetic or Elder Ed da, the prose
in the Younger Edda and the Sagas, the Nja"la, the
Heimskringla, the Konungsskuggsja' , and the Land-
namabok.**j
*) A Catalogue of the most celebrated Icelandic skalds (Skaldatal)
will be found in Worm's Literal. Run, and in Peringskiold'- IV.i-
lion of the Heimskringla.
**) See Bos worth's Scandin. Literal, with specimens of the va-
64
Indeed the Icelandic literature begins with the compilation
of the Poetic Edda in 1056 and ends in the 14 th Century.
The Edda.
In the year 1643 the Bishop ofSkalholt Brynjulf S ven el-
se n found amongst other Manuscripts, a very old Memhran
which contained icelandic poems, he had it copied and added
to the title with his own hand ,,Edda Saemundar hins
Fr6da" Edda of Sanwnd the Wise. The old Manuscript
was sent to Copenhagen and is now to be found there in the
Royal Library. It seems to have been written in the 1 4 th Cen-
tury and although not quite perfect, is the chief codex of the
Edda.
This Poetic Edda is one of the most incomparable works
of the human race, no people have noted down their heathen
belief in so innocent a manner and with such freshness of
colour as the Icelanders. These Songs are the ancienf Relics
of Antiquity, and are for the Scandinavian Nations, what Homel-
and Hesiod combined are for Ancient Greece. It is the thoroughly
original and national poetic monument of the Northern Nations.
The Songs of this Edda consist of the Sagas of Gods and
Heroes. Edda means proa via" the great grand mother,*
who tells to her numerous grand children the history and tales
of their forefathers.
The Songs of the Edda are mythologic or heroic -epic,
they are of so remote a period, that it is not likely they were
written in Iceland, it is much more probable that they were
brought over to Iceland by the old Noble families in whose
keeping they were preserved, and it is the proud distinction
of the Icelanders that to their intelligence we are indebted for
these, the most precious relics of the germanic races.
Wheaton says:**) About two centuries and a half after
,,the first settlement of Iceland by the Norwegians the learned
,,men of that remote island began to collect and reduce to
,,writing these traditional poems and histories. Sttunuud Sig-
rious northern Dialects; Mallet's Northern Antiquities. English trans-
lations of the Edda by S. Cottle (mythol. songs only) and by Thorpe.
*) Halderson' explains: ,,M6dir heitir ein/amma onnur, edda
hin bridia." (Moder is called the one [in the first degree] grand mother
the second, Edda or the great, grand mother; the third).
**) Northmen page 59.
65
,,1'ussen, an eccle*iastic, who was born in Iceland in 1056
,,and pursued his classical studies in the universities of Ger-
,,many and France, first collected and arranged the hook of
,,songs relating to the mythology and history of the ancient
,,North, which is called the poetic, or elder Edda. Various
,,and contradictory opinions have been maintained as to the
,, man ner in which this collection was made by Sar-inund, who
,,first gave it to the world. Some suppose that he merely
,,gathered the Runic manuscripts of the different poems, and
^transcribed them in Latin characters. Others maintain that
,,he look them from the mouths of different Skalds, living in
,,his day, and first reduced them to writing, they having been
,, previously, preserved and handed down by oral tradition
,,merely. But the most probable conjecture seems to be, that
,,he collected some of this fragmentary poetry from cotem-
,,porary Skalds and other parts from manuscripts written after
,,the introduction of Christianity and Latin letters into Iceland,
,,which have since been lost, and merely added one song of
,,his own composition the S61ar Lj6d, or Carmen-Solare of
,,a moral and Christian religious tendency, so as thereby to
,,consecrate and leaven, as it were, the whole mass of paganism."
The Edda contains I st Songs of the Gods, and II" d Songs
of the Heroes. Volu-spa" (the oracle of vala, the seer) tells
of. the creation of the World, and the Gods and People who
dwell in it. The Seer has heard of the doings in this world
from her instructors, the primeval giants, and she is acquainted
with nine heavens, she also knows the future.
The entire poem is most prophetic and remarkable.
Grimnis-ma"!, the Song of Grimnir, in which he de-
scribes the twelve duellings of the Gods and the splendour of
Valhalla.
The Vafbru5nis-mal, OQinn undertakes to visit a
wise and powerful giant and to question him on the World,
the Gods and the Giants. The giant gives his replies and
shows his knowledge, but from the lenour of the last question
he guesses that the visitor who has drawn his secrets from him
is the powerful God himself.
The S61ar-li6d, the song of the sun, as we have al-
ready seen is a Christian song, interwoven with old mytholo-
gical fancies.
Besides these four most important songs, the following are
of a very remarkable kind, in which the old poetry has a tinge
Icelandic Grammar. 5
66
of divine lore, namely: the Skirnisfor, Vegtamsk vi9a .
Harbar9slio9, HymiskviSa and the PrymskviSa.
The most important of the Songs of the Heroes are
the Volundarkvi8a, the two Songs of Helgakvifta, the
songs of Sigurft, Tafnismal and Sigrftrifumal.
The Epic contents of some of these Songs are maintained
by Jac. Grimm, to have been gathered from the german
forefathers, and that the Scandinavians have saved these tutonic
remains; these poems are of an epic grandeur, and a truly
homeric power, which give them the foremost position in the
Edda.
Schools were formed in Iceland in the eleventh Century,
and being far distant from Rome, enjoyed much liberty and
national formation. The Bishops were elected by the Althing,
the schools were not only established in the Monasteries but
also in private houses.
The Bishop of Skalholt introduced writing in 1057 and
Sagas were then much collected. Without writing there were
songs and sagas in abundance, even traditional science, but
no literature. The Icelanders like other Norsemen certainly
wrote earlier in Runic Characters, but these were only used
for inscriptions in wood and stone, to express names, pedigrees
and forms of witchcraft, rarely poems.
The Runic alphabet*) ,,consists properly of sixteen letters,
which are Phenician in their origin. The Northern traditions,
,,sagas and songs, attribute their introduction to Odin. They
,,were probably brought by him into Scandinavia, but they have
,,no resemblance to any of the alphabets of central Asia. All
,,the ancient inscriptions to be found on the rocks and stone
,,monuments in the countries of the North, and which exist
,,in the greatest number near old Sigtuna and Upsala, in S\ve-
,,den, the former the residence of Odin, and the latter of his
,,successors, and the principal seat of the superstition intro-
,,duced by him, are written in the Icelandic or ancient Scan-
,,dinavian language, but in Runic characters."
The Icelanders first received the latin alphabet from the
missionaries, in a double form, namely from the Germans and
Anglo-Saxons. The german writing ( MOnchsschrift ) became
however predominant, but they retained some of the anglo-
*) Wheaton's Norsemen 61.
67
saxon characters. Books were created through school-know-
ledge. Young Icelanders visited Germany, England, Italy and
France to study and prepare Ihemselves for the church; they
studied at the Universities in Oxford, Rome and Paris. Schools
were established to teach Christian learning and to educate
their own clergy, Latin, Theology, reading, writing and sing-
ing were the branches chiefly taught.
Sacmund hinn fro8i, Sigfusson (born 1036. d.
1133j who collected the poetry of the elder Edda had studied
at Paris and Cologne, and in the School on his property Odd
was educated ,,Snorri Sturluson the author of the Chron-
icles of the Norwegian Kings from Odin downwards, and the
Prose Edda. Historical prose rose to its highest point in the
12"' and 13 th Centuries when Sagas of all times and countries
were written or translated.
Willi the gradual fall of the political state in the begin-
ing of the 13"' Century, we also find that the compositions
of the Sagas become less numerous; the 14" 1 Century only fur-
nished translations, fictions, fairy tales and Annals, and even
these ceased to be created at the end of the Century, when
Iceland was visited by diseases and plagues.
Poetry of the Skalds.
We find in the 12 th Century the most celebrated of the
historical Skalds to be:
Marcus Skeggson, Ivar Ingemundson at the nor-
wegian court, the priest Kin arc Skulason court poet, from
1114 with Sigurd in Norway. He wrote poems on Sven, king
of Denmark to whom he went in 1151. In the time of king
Sverrer(1177 1202) the following are the most distinguished
Skalds: Hallr Snorrason, MAni, Blackr, PorbibTn,
Skackaskald, and the young Snorri Sturluson.
In the first part of the 13 th Century Liot, HOskuld
the blind. Jatgeir, Snorri, Jarl Gizur, and chiefly Olaf
hvita skald bo r 8 arson (d. 1259) the author of the Knyt-
lingasaga and of many poems on king Waldemar of Den-
mark and Hakon VI of Norway were much esteemed. His
brother Sturla hinn fro5i (d. 1284) wrote the histories of
Hakon VI and Magnus VII. In the 12 th Century we already find
in the Icelandic and Norwegian Sagas a number of folk songs
5*
68
(Volkslieder) interspersed. Saxo Grammaticus often quotes
these songs as authorities.
Prose writing rose high in the 12 tu Century, historical
events were frequently written down, and although the man-
ner in which they were composed, was unfinished, yet an
artistic form is visible in the narrative of events and in the
treatment of the subjects generally. Real history of which the
father is Ari hinn fro Si who wrote a Chronicle of Iceland,
and ( the Landnmabok is treated too much in the character
of dry statistics and genealogy and is much in want of general
survey and enlarged handling. It is only when we come to
Snorri and his nephews Olaf and Slur la that descriptive
history becomes more finished and personal dialogues infuses
life into the historical pages. Both Sweden and Norway have
taken part in collecting and writing down their old laws and
privileges, but we are only indebted to the industry and in-
telligence of the Icelanders for having preserved to us the tra-
ditions of their common Hero Sagas, to which we look as the
real history of those remote ages. Without these Sagas there
would be a great blank in northern history for several Centuries.
The Sagas.
,,The ancient literature of the North" says Wheaton, ,,was
,,not confined to the poetical art. The Skald recited the
,, praises of King and heroes in verse, whilst the Saga-man re-
,,called the memory of the past in prose narratives. The talent
,,for story-telling, as well as that of poetical invention, was
Cultivated and highly improved by practice. The prince's hall,
,,the assembly of the people, the solemn feasts of sacrifice, all
,,presented occasions for the exercise of this delightful art. The
,,memory of past transactions was thus handed down from age
,,to age in an unbroken chain of tradition, and the ancient
,,songs and Sagas were preserved until the introduction of book-
,,writing gave them a fixed and durable record."
The great mass of Prose writing which has come down
to us, from these cold icebound shores, is truly amazing, it
contains not only the Sagas of entire tribes, but of kings, Jarls
or chiefs, skalds and other celebrities. We will mention some
of the most important
09
/*' Hero Sagas
were one of the flrst subjects of their prose tales. In the Vol-
sungasaga \ve find much of the germanic and northern.ele-
meni, it tells of Sigfrid's youthful deeds, Ihis is followed by
the Ragnarlodbrokssaga, in which is set forth how the
danish king, having lost his queen Thora, marries Si gf rid 's
daughter, whose sons become the great conquerors. Both Sa-
gas belong to the 12'" or beginning of the 13 th Century.
The Vilkina or Niflungasaga are based on low ger-
man poems and tales.
There are a number of sagas whose heroes are renowned
Icelanders, such as Finnbog and Gretter, Hialmler and
Olver, Hromund, Hroi and of the Swedish Herraud
and Bo si. Styrbiorn, the Swedefighter , Gautrek King
of Wesfgolhia, and of his son Hrolf, and the Sagas of the
Norwegian An, the bow-man, Sturlaug the industrious, Por-
stein the son of Vikings and others.
Foreign Hero-Sagas were introduced into Iceland and Nor-
way during the 13 th Century through translations, chit-fly by
Hakon Hakonarson and the Icelandic clergy; of which
Jon Hall tor, Bishop of Skalholt 1322 39 was the most
celebrated. Old British Legends are also early imported through
translations, the BretasOgur is said to have been made by
the monk Gunnlaug Leifson in Thingeyre (1218).
Many foreign sagas were transcribed by order of HP. kon
VI, such as the Prophecies of Merlin, the Arlursaga, the
Mottulssaga, the monk Robert, the Tristram ok Isod-
d u saga; and in the 13"' Century the Alexandrasaga, and
the history of King Tyrus and Wlate, both by Brandr
Jonsson , who died Bishop of Holum in 1264. The precise time
when many of these sagas were translated is not known, as the
TrAamannasaga and the Spanish F 1 o r and Blancheflur.
II nd The Historical Sagas
were written unter the title SOgur, they contain much that
is mythic before the time of Halfdan the Black (863) but
much real history is interspersed, which is principally taken
from the pedigrees and traditions of the Nobles of the land. One
of the most important works, on the history of Iceland, chiefly
composed from the various family histories which were then
70
in existance, is the ,,Islendf ngabok" written by Ari hinn
fro5i (born 1067) which gives a general history of the colo-
nisation and events of the island, down to the beginning of
the -12 th Century, also the Landn&mab6k commenced by
Ari, which after many continuations was* finished by Sturla
Pordarson (d. 1284) with additions by Erlauk Erlend-
son (d. 1334). It contains a complete history of the island
from the taking possession of the same to the 10 th Century,
but it is full of genealogies and dry detail. We must further
mention the excellent Fcereyingasaga (12 th C.) which treats
of the history of Sigmund, who introduced Christianity into the
Fan) Islands. The Orkneyingasaga from the middle of
the 13 th Century; the Heidarvigasaga (12 th C.) which gives
an account of the battle on the Heath (1013 1015) a fearful
contest, in which entire tribes fought against each other. The
Hungurvaka (12 th Cent.) treats of the first five Bishops of
Skalholt.
The Laxdoelasaga (13 th Cent.) is an interesting history
of the trials and adventures of a very rich norwegian woman
A u d a , who fled with her father before H a r a I d , first to Scot-
land and then to Iceland.
The Sturlungasaga (end of the 13 th Cent.) is one of
the most important historical documents we possess. It begins
its narrative in 1110, and relates minutely the fate of Sturle,
the father of Snorri, and the various conflicts of his race with
other chiefs; its author was Sturla fordssohn who was
engaged in writing it until he went on his journey to Norway
in 1164.
The Vigastyrssaga written by a noble Icelander Styr
(styled Arn grim) the "murderous fighter"; he was at last slain,
and it was in consequence of his death, that the celebrated
battle on the Heath was fought.
The Liotsvetninga or Reykdoelasaga, written by
the rich Gudmund the powerful (d. 1025) and his sons. It
gives an account of the earliest aristocracy of the island (12 lll C).
The historical biographies of the Icelandic Skalds are
very interesting. One of the oldest is the Gunnlaug Orm-
stunga ok Skald Rafn's Saga from the 12 th Cent. The
Saga of two poets, whose valour was widely renowned is the
Fostbrosdrasaga, it tells of formed who received his
death wound in the battle of Stiklestad, and 1* o r g e i r
who saw many a fight in Iceland, Ireland, England and Norway,
71
in the latter country he was for some time Court skald at
Olaf's, until at last he found his end in Iceland, where he
was slain in battle.
The Kormakssaga also belongs to this remarkable kind
of Sagas, in which the battle and love adventures of these
Minnesingers and gallant blades, which they experienced in
their romantic wanderings are told.
The Heimskringla (orbis terrarum) is one of the prin-
cipal works of Iceland. It is written by Snorre Slurlason, a
man to whom his country's history and literature are much
indebted; and who earned for himself the title of the Northern
Herodotus. A scion of one of the old noble families, he was
born in the year 1178 at Ilvamm. He lived long at the Courts
of Sweden and Norway, became an Icelandic lagman and was
murdered in his castle on the 22 nd September 1241. He was
a man of great talents, and made himself famous as a poet,
lawgiver and historian.
Snorre collected 16 Sagas on his numerous voyages, the
first of which treats of the mythic limes before Half dan the
Black, followed by the histories of all Norwegian Kings down
to Magnus Erlingsson (1162 1184). To these are add-
ed three continuations, first by Karl Jonsson Abbot of
Thingeyri (d. 1213) who wrote the minute history of King
Sverrer, followed by the histories of Hakon Sverrersson,
Guttorm Sigur5arson and Ingi Bardarson, written by
an unknown author, and lastly by Sturla, the last Skald who
wrote the life of Hakon VI and a fragment of Magnus VII.
Snorre mentions that he has not only used the poems of
the Skalds, but the Sagas of Kings which he found written,
and which he collected in his travels. The completion of the
entire work may be placed towards the year 1230.
With this remarkable book, a masterpiece of history, only
inferior to the Edda itself, closes the history of the Sagas. It
is a mine of Icelandic history and mythology, interesting alike
for its Swedish and norwegian Annals, giving at the same
time historical glances at Bussia.
The history of the Swedish Kings has not been treated
with originality by the Icelanders; nor has Danish history been
faithfully represented after the 12 th Century. The Jomsvikin-
gasaga is the history of the renowned pirates who lived in
the Jomscastle, the terror of navigators and the coast popu-
lation, and Jarl Hakon's taking and destruction of this Castle ;
72
the Knytlingasaga records the history of Knut the Holy
(1080 1086) and his successors down to 1186.
There are also a great number of Biblical Sagas and Old
Legends extant, which it would be beside our sketch to
dwell upon.
III rd The Old Law Statutes.
are of great value to the philologist, as these Old Laws and
Statutes were collected and wrilten down by the northern Coun-
tries in their own various dialects. One of the oldest is the
Icelandic Grama's" (Greygoose) which name was given to it
by its last editor the Lagman Gudmund Porgeirsson
(1123 1135). It commenced in 1119 on the basis of the
laws of Ulfliot in the 10 th Century, but was only used until
the subjugation by Norway, since which time (1273) the Ha-
konarbdk was introduced, which, having being re-edited by
Jon an icelandic Lagman (1280) was called J6nsb6k.
The Icelandic Cannon -law (Kristinrettr) dates from the
year 1275.
IV th Science.
Remains of Learning and Science are not wanting in Ice-
land, for after the introduction of Christianity, many persons
studied abroad. Grammar, Rhetorics, Astronomy, Chronology,
Physics and Geography were cultivated by them. The study of
Grammar was an especial favourite in which Porodd became
so great that he received the name Runameistari (Gram-
maticus) but the most celebrated work is the
lounger Ktlila or Prose Edda.
It was first found 1628 by Arngrim Johnson. Three
Codices are extant, two in the Copenhagen and one in the
Upsala Library. It was Snorre who contributed mainly to
the compilation of this prose Edda.
In the 14 th Century the Younger Edda consisted of three
parts. The 1 st contained the Myths, or the material out of
which the poetic language should be formed. The 2'" 1 Ken-
ningar, gave the forms of authority, in which the mythic
element should be adopted, and it therefore gives the Mytho-
logy of the Poetic Edda. The 3' J part contains the Skalda,
73
the rules or art of poetry adopted by the Skalds subdivided
into three classes namely 1) reading and writing, 2) speaking
correctly and 3) writing verses as the result of the entire study.
It further contains a Dictionary of poetic synonymes and the
whole art of versification, alliteration, species of verse, etc.
The ,,Konungsskuggsi;\" Kingsmirror, from the 12"'
Century, is a curious collection of knowledge and experience.
It contains firstly physical and geographical curiosities, secondly,
rules of life and manners to be observed in the presence of
Kings and Courts, and hence its title.
The learned industry, so long and habitually practised by
these noble Icelanders, continued during the Centuries following,
but after the introduction of the Reformation, although literary
occupations were kept up, the authors wrote in latin, much
was translated, nor did poetry entirely die out, but the power
and the lustre of its might and beauty were gone, the Saga
with its powerful poetry and its heroic elements fled, and the
old Icelandic Art was at an end for ever.*)
*) We refer the student for further information to
Mo bins, T., Ueber die altere islandische Saga. 1852.
Ueber die allnordische Philologie. 1S64.
Analecta Norrcena. Auswahl aus der islandischen und norwegi-
schen Lileratur des Mittelalters. 1859.
These books can be had of the publisher of this Grammar as well as:
Haldorsson's Lexicon Islaridico-Latino-Danicum.
Jonsson's Icelandic-Danish Dictionary.
Fritzner, J., Old Norwegian Dictionary.
PART III.
Icelandic Reader.
Sundurlausir
enbcrlafc
Separated thoughts.
Icelandic: G6d bok og god kona, lagfsera marganii brest,
Danish: ob 33og og gob $one rette mangen 33r0ft,
English: Good book and good wife mend many fault,
slasm b6k og slaem kona sk6mma margt gott bjartalag, margir
ftem 33og og ftem one fovbcere mangt gobt ^jertelao, ntange
bad book and bad wife spoil many good disposition, many
gaeta ekki ad ftdru & bidum beim, enn hvOrnin bser
fee iffe fcaa anbet paa begge bem, enb ^oor(ebe be
look not to others on both (sides) them, than how (but only to) they
eru utan; Fer })eim b^i ad kvarta yfir
ere itboorteg. - (Summer bem ba at Kage ooer
are the outside (of things). Beseems them then to complain over
bvOrnin hid innra seinna reynist.
^bortebeg bet 3nbre fenere ^oe6.
how the interior later proves.**)
Heimskura verdur ad halda til g6da, b6 beir tali
>imtme fcttoer ot ^otbe tt( obe, ffj^nbt be tate
Stupid must to keep to good, although they speak
nokkra heimsku, bvi bad vaeri hardt ad Jofa beim aldrei ad
nogen )uml?eb, t^t bet boere fyaarbt at ttttabe bem atbrtg at
some stupidity, for it were hard to allow them never to
tala eitt ord.
tale et Orb.
speak one word.
*) From Sivertsen's Icelandic Laesbog.
**) Must be constructed thus: Most people look not to both sides,
but only to the outside of things; it behoves those who complain to
examine both sides.
75-
Correct Danish.
Gm gob 33og og en gob $one forbebre mange $ct(, en
f(et 33og og en f(em $one forbccrbe 2)?ange8 gobe inbetab.
>e ^(efte fee fun paa S3cgge UbborteS. (Summer bet fig
ba at ftage otoer fyoorlebeS S3egge8 3nbre fiben erfareS? )e
>umme maa man fyolbe bet tit obe, ffjonbt be tate noget
burnt, ba bet cilbe ocere fyaarbt, atbrtg at tiflabe bem at tate
ct Orb.
Gatur dauber Riddles.
Eg er m6durlaus, en hann fadir minn er madurinn rninn.
3eg er mobert^S, men ^>an ^aber min er SOlanben min.
/ am motherless, but the father my is the husband my.
Frd m6dur lifi kom eg hofudlaus, og fotavaui,
gra 2Rober-(io !om jeg l^oebt0, og g0bber$mang(enbe,
From mother's life came I headless and feetwanting,
fell eg })annin mOrgum vel, med hofdi og f6tum er eg
fatber jeg faatebeS mange t>et, meb ofceb og ^bber er jeg
fall I thus many well, with head and feet am I
lika g6dur maga }>inum, en }> verdur l>u ad bida.
ogfaa gob 9)?ae bin, men ba btioer bu at fcente.
also good [to] stomach thy, but then must thou wait.
Hvad er |>ad sein i dag ekki verdur Jjat sama d
bab er bet font i-bag iffe bttber bet famme t*
What is it which to-day not becomes that same to
morgun, missir bord, rum, has, og nafnid med, en gne-
morgen, mifter S3orb, @eng, uu, og 9labnet meb, men groe*
morrow, loses table, bed, house and the name with but de-
tur ))n ekki missirinn.
ber bog iffe @faben (Xabet).
plores yet not (he loss.
Correct Danish:
3eg er moberUd, og min Saber er min Mgtefccfle. (5 o a.
3eg er fob uben ^)ooeb og jobber, og be^ager bog SDiange.
76
ofceb og gibber fmager jeg big ogfaa ret gobt, men faa
bu maa fcente ifyrenb be fomme). 2@g.
)ab er bet font i )ag iffe b(ier bet fatnme i 9ftorgen,
foranbrer 33orb, @eng, ntu$, og maaffe v J?afcn, men kgrceber
bog et Xobet? en 33rub.
Thales Thales.
Merki til heimskn er ofmikil lyst til ad tala.
2ttcerfe paa J)um^eb er formegen Styft tit at tate.
^w o/ stupidity is too-great desire to to talk.
Likamans farsa?ld er irmiialin i heilbrigdi, en ssilar-
Segemet^ S^ffatig^eb er inbbefattet t ^elBreb, men @jce^
The body's happiness is contained in health, but the
innar i laerdtimi.
tens t Scerbom
soul's in knowledge.
01 er innri niadur,
1 er inbrc 9ftanb.
Ale is inner man.
Tyrkja-keisarinn, edur eins og ba var kallad Califeii,
Xit>rfefeiferen eller lige font ba bar latbet ($altfen f
The Turks' emperor, or as then was called the Calif f
Mahadi var einn af beim sti6rnendum, sem voru sofandi a
SDZa^abt bar en af be ttyrere, font Dare focenbe paa
Mahadi was one of those rulers, who were sleeping on
ktings - hcisa3tmu, og feingu agjOrnum radherrum taiun-
tong^<JtfcEbet, og finge gjcerrtgc 9^aabS^errer X^m--
the king's-highseat, and delivered avaricious councilors the rein-
haldid i hendur. Einusinni ba hann a dyraveidnm var ad
^otbet t Ipcenber. (Sngang ba ^an ^aa SDtyrefangfter ar at
keeping in hands. Once then he on ^ rcam 9 s wa $ to
(huntmg)
elta steingeit, villtist hann fri fylgiurum sinum, og
forf^tge teengeeb, bttbebeg fyon fra S0(gere fine, og
pursue stonegoat ( - wmt v ' stra y^ he from followers his, and
y
77
nttllin yfirfell liann. Pegar liann var breyltur onlinn. kom
9ktten oberfatbt fyant. )a fyan tear trcct bteben, font
the night over fell him. When he was tired become, came
liann i riodur, livar liann sa tjald eitt, ur IivOrin ara-
fyan t tab, fybor fyan faae ett et, ubaf fybilfet ara-
he in clearing, where he saw tent a, from which Ara-
bisknr madm* kom ut, og beiddi gst sinn ad vera vel-
biff 2)?anb !om ub, og bab jceft fin at boere bet*
bic man came out, and asked guest his to be wel-
kominn. Calffen 16t ekki & bera, hvOrr liann va3ri, annad-
fommen. SaUfen tob iffe moerle, fyt>em ^an car, en-
come. The Calif did not disclose, who he was, ei-
hvort til bess ad sjd seinna hvornin b6nda yrdi vid, begar
ten tU bet at fee fenere fytoortebeS Sonbe ^ teebe } ba
ther in order to see later how peasant became to, when
liann feingi ad vita, bvflr kominn vreri, ellegar og hann
^an ftnge at totbe, ^bo fommen bar, efler og ^an
he got to know, who come was, or also he
tptladi einusinni a llfstid sinni niota bess yndis at
agtebe engang toaa 8totib fin n^be
intended otice in lifetime his enjoy that delight to
uniifangast vid jaminga sinn. Medan J)essi a;rlegi madur
omgaaeS beb gtgemanb fin. SftebenS benne crrttge 9)?anb
converse with lus equal. While this honest man
gittrdi allt hvad hann gat til at taka vel a" moti komum-
gjorbe a(t ^bab ^an !nnbe tit at tage bet t mob jce*
did all that he could in order to talk well against the com-
anni, spurdi Califen liann ad, bvarl'yri bann byggi i
ften, fburgte Satifen ^am ont, ^borfor ^an btyggete t
er, asked the Calif him about, why he dwelled in
svoddan eydiplatsi? ^adsem J)6r med svo iniklum r6tti kallid
faabant )be^tabS? etfom S)e meb faa ftor 9ict fatber
such ' desertplace? That which you with so great right call
eydiplats, svaradi binn arabiski, var fyrrnni IjOlbyggt
SbebtabS, fbarebe fytn Slrabtffe bar forbum toetb^gget [ted
desertplace, answered the Arab, was formerly nuinwonsly inhabi-
af Arabiskum og TyrkjaiiKmnum, sem bOI'du nog vidnrvii-ri
af i(rabtf!e og X^rfe'-aJicenb, font ^abbe nof Unbeii;otb
hy Arabs and Turks, who had enough support
78
af kaupbOndlun og akuryrkju, og med anaegin guldu
of ^fcfyanbel og 2lgerbtyr!ning, og meb $orn0jetfe fcetaite
from trade and agriculture, and with pleasure .paid
}>olanlegann skatt Califanum Almansor. Sci go5i Herra lagdi
taatetig fat Sattfen 2llmanfor. )en gobe erre lagbe
bearable taxes(to) the Calif Almansor. That good Lord laid
alud d ad stiorna sinum lOndum, og gjOra begna
glib paa at fttyre fine anbe, og gfore Unbevfaatter
diligence on to govern his countries and make subjects
sina lukkussela; en hanns eptirkomara og nuverandi
fine fyffeltge; men fyanS @fterfommereS og nnocerenbe
his happy; but his successors and present
sti6rnara leti og hyrduleysi hefir feingid hird-
ttyreres )ofcenffab og @!i0beS(0$fyeb ^ar gtoet (j^Jab*
rulers laziness and carelessness have delivered the coun-
stjorunum i hendur pegna bans, svo ad vegna
atberne) * $ en ^ er Unberfaatter ^ang, faa at formebelft
cillors in hand subjects his, so that on account
peirra tfgirni eru hinir tvistradir vidsvegar sem her
bereS jcemg^eb ere Ijtne abfprebte toibe 33ete font Ijer
of their avarice are the others scattered far and wide who here
bjuggu adur. Califen, sem nu i fyrsta sinni heyrdi sannleikann,
B^ggebe for. (Saltfen, font nu f^rftegang ^0rte @anb^eben r
lived before. The Calif, who now for first time heard the truth,
firtist ekki af pvi, heldur ^setti ser ad verda adgaet-
DrebebeS iffe af bet, men beftemte fig at 6(toe o^mcerf*
got angry not of it, but resolved himself to be more atten-
nari i embaettisskyldu sinni framveigis, en 16t ekki
fommere t (SmBebS'^ligt fin frembe(e6, men (ob t!fe
tive in office -duty his for the future, but let not
husbondann d s6r merkja med hvada paunkum bans
|)uubonben tyaa. fig mcer!e meb ^otl!e 5Tan!er IjanS
the house-master (on) himself perceive with which thoughts his
sinni var uppfyllt. S^l arabiski vildi gjOra komumanni til
@tnb ar o^f^tbt. en Slrabtffe t(be gj^re joeften tit
mind was upfilled. The Arab would do the comer to
g6da allt hvad hann gat, og p6 undireins var
obe att ^oab tyan formaaebe, og bog ttflige oar
good all what he could, and yet at the same time was
79
hrrcddur um ad hann kynni hneixla hann, dr6 leingi timann,
bange for at fyan f unite [rjk e j fyant, brog fonge STimen,
afraid for that he might scandalize him, dreic long the time,
adurenn hann taladi til bess, at hann cetti eina vinflusku,
ferenb Ijan tatebe tit bets, at fyan eiebe en SStin-gfoffe,
before he spoke to that, that he possessed one wine- flask,
sem hann gjarnan skyldi g6fa honum ad drekka ur, ef
font fyan gierne ffutbe gibe fyannem at brtffe af, berfom
which he willingly should give him to drink from, if
gSstur byrdi ad taka bad uppa" sina samvitsku, bvi eptir
ioeft turbe at tage bet oppaa fin antbtttigljeb, tl)i efter
guest dared to take it upon his conscience, for after
Tyrkja-trfi er ekki leyfilegt ad drekka vin, edur neitt sem
tyrIeS-ro ev iffe tiUabetigt at briffe 23iin, efler noget font
Ttirks'-religion is not allowable to drink wine, or anything which
afeingt er. Califen sem var 6vanur bessum drikk, vildi
fecritfenbe er. Sattfen font bar noant benne X)rif f bt(be
inebriating is. The Calif who was unused this drink, would
nyta ser tickifserid til at ni6ta peirrar dnaegiu, sem
ni^tte fig getltgfyebet tit at ntjibe benS gorn0je(feg ; font
use for himself the opportunity to to enjoy that pleasure, which
honum var bvi ymlislegri af bvi bun var fyribodin, og
fyam &ar befto fcefyagetigere af bet fyitn bar forbuben, og
him was the more delightful because she was forbidden, and
hann vissi ad silt misbrot mundi her ei komast npj>.
^an bibfte at fit ^orbrl^betfe monne fyer et lomnteg op.
he knew that his crime would here not come up.
Eptir ad hann var biiinn ad drekka hid fyrsta staup, sagdi
(gfter at ^an bar fcerbig at briffe bet ferfte @t0b, fagbe
After that he was finished to drink the first glass, said
hann med hiru bragdi vid bann arabiska: Minn vin! eg
tycm tneb Btibt 5laft;n beb ben ?(raotffe: 2)itn $en! jeg
he^ with mild mine to the Arab; My friend! I
er einn af hirdsveinum Califans, og bu skalt ei burfa ad
er en af >offbenbe (EatifenS, og bn flat ei befy0tte at
am one of courtiers the Calif's and thou shall not need to
ydrast eptir bann greida sem bu hefir gjiJrt m^r. Sa 1
fortr^be efter ben S3ebcertning font bit fyaber gjort ntig. >en
repent of that entertainment, which thou hast done me. The
80
arabiski let aptur m6ti i te gledi og bakklaeti
Slrobtffe tob atter imob t tee tcebe og (et) a!nemme(t>ifjeb
Arab let again in return joy and gratitude
fyri bessa alutl, og syndi komumanni bessmeiri
for benne Dptncerffomfyeb, og bifte jceften beftomere
for- this condescension, and showed the comer the more
vyrdingu. I'essi, sem sagdist vera Califans embaBtlismadur,
Slnfeetfe. >enne, font fogbeS ocere (SotifenS (SmbebSmonb,
honour. This, who said himself be the Califs officer,
t6k fliott til floskunnar aptur, en vid hvOrt eitt staup 6x
tog fnart tit ^taffenS otter, men beb fytoert et <St0b too^te
look quickly to the bottle again, but at every one glass increased
bans anaBgja og vidf'eldni. Eg vil ekki leyua |>ig
fyonS gorntfjetfe og Dmgaengetigfyeb. 3eg bit iffe ffjute (for) big
his pleasure and affability. I will not conceal thee
neinu sagdi bann vid husbtimlann, eg er Califans einka
noget fagbe ^>an beb wu$bonben jeg er SatifenS fcebfte
anything said he to the housemaster, 1 am the Califs intimate
vin, sem hann hefir mestar msetur A. SA vinskapur
23en, font ^an ^aer ftarfte obljeber ^aa. en 33enffa6
friend whom he has greatest goodness upon. That friendship
sem bann vyrdist at hafa til min, skal innan skamms g6fa
font fyan bcerbigeg at ^ae tit ntig, ffal tnben torts gie
which he appears to have for me, shall within short give
mcr tffikifa?ri at litvega ber velgjOrdir af banns hendi.
ntig (et) eitigl)eb at f orffaff e big 33etgjerninger of J?an$ aanb.
me opportunity to get thee benefits from his hand.
Pegar enn arabiski beyrdi petta, Jioktist bann ei n6gsamliga
)o ben Slrobiffe ^erte bette, ttyfteS l^an ei noffomt
When the Arab heard this, thought himself he not sufficiently
gela veitt g6sti sinum lotningu en kysti banns klacdafald,
lunne ^be joeft fin ^)0jogtetfe men l(>fte IjonS (en) ttcebeoon,
be able given guest his reverence' but kissed his cloths' -seam,
og beiddi hann fyrir alia muni ad spara ei |ietla vin, sem
og bob tyom for ot 5Ting ot fpore et bette SStin, fom
and bade him by all means to spare not this wine, which
gjOrdi hann svo lystugann. Mahadi kom s6r belur og betur
gjorbe ^om foo t^ftig. Sttofyobt fom fig bebre og bebre
made him so merry. Mahadi came himself bettet* and better
81
hja" vininu, svo hann burfti ekki ad taka naerri
i S3enffab IjoS SMnct, [aa fyan k^oefce iffe at tage noer
into friendship by the wine, so (hat he needed not to take near
s6r ad drekka [>ad fyri hiisbdndans bon. Eg sjd sagdi
fig at briffe bet for $ituSbonben8 S30n. 3eg feer fagbc
himself to drink it fur the housemaster's request. I see, said
hann, ad 01 seigir allann vilja. Eg er hvorki hirdmadur
Ijan, at [ figer at $MUje. 3eg er fyoerfen )offinbe
he that ale says all will. I am neither courtier
n6 einka vinur Califans, heldur er eg Califen sjalfur, og
elter bebfte 23en GattfenS, feller er jeg Salifen feto, og
nor intimate friend of the Calif's, rather am I the Calif himself, and
nu stadfesti eg og ytreka allt pad loford, sem eg adur hefl
nu ftabfcefter jeg og gjentager att bet 0fte, font jeg far Ijar
now confirm I and repeat all that promise which I before have
gjttrt l>cr. Arabiski madurinn tok slrax i kyrdum fri
gjort big. Slrabiffe-manben tog ftraj t @ti(^eb fra
made thee. The Arab took immediately in quietness from
honum fluskuna, og a3tladi ad bera hana burt. Hvad ertii
fyannem 5(af!e*n, og agtebe at fccm ben Bort. t>ab er bu
him the bottle, and intended to carry her (it) away. What art thou
ad gjOra? spurdi Califen, sem hugsadi ad sd arabiski mundi
at gjtfre? fpurgte Salifen, font tcenfte at ben Strabtffe monne
to do? asked the Calif, who thought that the Arab would
nii syna s6r Idngtum meiri lotningu enn ddur. I*6r
nu ijtfc fig langt mere 0jagtelfe enb for. e
now show him far more reverence than before. You
megit vera hvOrhelst sem }>er viljid, svaradi husb6ndinn,
maa occre ^bofom^etft font 1)e it, foarebe uu6onben,
may be whosoever which you like, answered the housemaster,
ba" laet eg ydur samt ekki drekka meir. Vid fyrsta staupid
ta (aber jeg !5)cm bog tffe briffe nteer. SSeb forftc (Stybet
then let I you yet not drink more. At the first glass
sOgdust per vera sttirherra, og bvi gat eg vel truad;
fagbeS e toaere tor^erre, og bet !unne jeg et troet;
thou saidts you were great Lord, and that could I well believe;
vid bad annad vorud per ordinn mesta uppi bald Califans,
eb bet anbet oar )e bteoen ntefte 3lff;olb SaltfenS,
at the second were you become greatest favourite of the Calif's,
Icelandic Grammar. 6
82
og ha" hafdi eg st6ra vyrdingu fyrir ydur; vid hid bridja
og ba fyabbe jeg ftor $(rb0btgljeb for >em; beb bet trebie
and then had I great reverence for you; at the third
sOgdust her vera Califen sjdlfur, og bad getur sk6d,
fagbeS 5)e bcere Sattfen felt), og bet fan f!ee,
thousaidst you were the Calif himself, and that may happen
ad bad s6 salt; en haett er vid, ad b6r vid fjorda statipid
at bet er fanbt; men fartigt er beb, at )e beb fjerbe ttfbet
?/*a? it he true; but danger is to, that you at the fourth glass
segist vera okkar st6ri spamadtir Mohamelh, og kanusk6
figeS bcere boreS ftore<Sbaamanb!>Jftofyameb, og fanffee
say you were our great prophet Mahometh, and perhaps
vid fimta staupid alma'ttugur Gud ; en pvi a eg ba"gt med
beb femte <St0bet atmcegtige ub ; men bet ejer jeg Onbt meb
at the fifth glass Almighty God; but that own I difficult with
ad triia. Mahadi hlo ad jjessu einfaldlega en p6 ekki
at troe. Sftafyabt toe ab bette eenfotbige men bog iffe
to believe. Mahadi laughed at this simple but yet not
heimskuliga svari; og par vinid var farid ad stiga uppi
bnmme @Dar; og ba 23inet bar faret at fttge oto t
stupid answer; and as the wine icas begun to rise up in
hofudid, lagdi hann sig nidur a abreiduna, sem hus-
<pobebet, (agbe ^an fig neb toaa ^ebben, fom ^)iiu*
the head, laid he himself down on the coverlet, which the house-
bondinn hafdi a3tlad lionum til ssengur um n6ttina. Daginn
bonben ^abbe agtet ^am tit eng$ om fatten. SDagen
master had intended (for) him as bed during the night. The day
eptir reid hann af stad, tok med ser pann arabiska, svo sem
efter reeb Ijan affteb, tog meb fig ben Slrabiffe, faafom
after rode he away, took with him the Arab, as
leidsOgumann, og gaf honum stor gjafir, begar heir komu
ebfagetfemanb og gab fyam ftore aber, ba be fom
guide and gave him great presents, when they came
til Bagdad,
tit SBagbab.
to Bagdad.
83
I tlcgdarsiigan.
Godgjordasamur madur nokkurr a"setti sr ad audsyna
velgjiirdir einum br*li sinum, gaf honum pessvegna frelsi, skip
med ullum reida, og svo mikinn forda, sem n6gur vjeri til ad
leita ser lukku og frama med, i hvttriu hellst landi sem hann
vildi taka s6r bolfestu. I'essi frelsingi f6r um bord, og let ur
lagi, en skelfilegr stormur koni uppa", sem hrakti hann uppa
nokkra ey, er honum syndist vera obygd. Nu var hann buinn
ad missa allt hvacl hann Uti, hjalpa"rlaus, vissi ekkert hvad af
ser mundi verda, og gat ei hugsad til seinni timanna a*n sk61-
fingar. Hann var einsog i poku hvad hann a"tti ad horfa, gekk
afram i baunkum, edur rettara ad seigja ba"nkaleysi, baugadtil
fyri honum vard slettur og trodinu vegur. Med gledi hellt
hann afram bann veg, og sa" a"leingdar st6ra borg, hvad ed jok
I>ans fognud, svo hann hvatti sporid til ad koma pangad sem
fliotast. Hissa vard hann, pegar hann na"Igadist borgina, sa
hennar innbyggjara koma i hopatali a" moti ser, segja sig vel-
kominn med meslu blidla'tum, og ad stadarins tiilkur hrbpadi
harri roddu: bessi er ydar Kongur! Allir fylgdu honum til
borgarinnar med fOgnudi og gledildtum ; hann var leiddur med
mestu vidhOfn og prakt i ])A boll, hvar Kongarnir v6ru vanir
ad hafa sitt adsetur, var fserdur i purpura kipu og dirmaet
k6rona sett a" bans hofud. ^Edstu hofdingjar borgarinnar s6ru
honum hollustu eid i alls lidsins nafiii, ad heir skyldu vera
honum hlidnir, hollir, og tniir, einsog beim ba3ri vid Kong
sinn ad breyta. Sd nyi K6ngur hugsadi i fyrstunni, ad Jjetta
allt vaeri ekki annad enn draiimur, en af reynslunni hlaut hann
ad gauga ur skugga um, ad betta var raunar einsog bad syn-
di^t, svo hann i huganum vard ad spyrja sialfinu sig; hvad ^
betta ad pVda? Og hvad mun s<1 tedsti Sliornari allra hluta
sctla ser med mig? l*essi l>a"nki f6r aldrei ur huga bans, og
Audsyna, show. horfa,
Fordi, provisions. aleingdar, from distance.
leita, search. hvatli sporid, quickened his paces
Frami, honour. harri roddu, in a loud voice.
Bolfesta, dwelling. Adsetur, residence.
ad lata ur lagi, to leave the dirma i lr, precious.
Imrbour. breyta, behave.
hrakli, drifted. hlaut, was obliged.
buinn, finished. ganga ur skugga, be convinced.
an, without. raunar, really, in fact.
6*
84
loksins kom hann honum til ad grendslast eptir, hvornin & Ollu
pessu stsedi. Hann kalladi bvi bann af birdmOnnum sinum
fyri sig, sem optast var vanur ad vera i kringum hans per-
s6nu, var hans radaneyti, og sem af Guds forsjon syndist hafa
verid settr honum til adstodar i landstjOrninni. Drottseti!
sagdi hann: hvOrr hefur gjOrt mig ad ykkar K6ngi? hvorsvegna
hlfda me"r allir? og hvad a" af mer ad verda? Vitid Herra,
svaradi hirdst j6rinn honum, ad innbyggendur eyar bessarar,
hafa bedid Gud ad senda peim a" ari hvOriu bann Kong sem
s6 af Adam kominn. Sa" Almattugi hefur bsenheirt pa", svo ad
ari hvOriu kemur hiugad em manneskja, allur lidurinn tekur
med mestu vidhofn og fOgnudi mod bessum manni, og setur
hann til K6ngs yfir sig; en hans rikisstjorn varir ekki leingur
enn eitt a"r. f*egar si timi er a" enda, pa" er honum velt lir
hei?a3tinu, dregin af honum tignar kla3din, og hann aptur fa3r-
dur i litilfjorliga larfa, stridsmenn, sem ekki gefa nein grid,
fa3ra hann ofan til strandar, og kasta honum Jiar 6ti skip, er
flytur hann til annarar eyar, sem af sia"lfrar sinnar kostum er
hri6strug og g^dalaus. Sa"sem fyri nokkrum dOgum var rikur
k6ngur, hefur b^ hvorki Pegna n6 vini, en lifir |)ar i sorg og
eymd. Lidurinn, sem laus er ordinn vid sinn gamla K6ng,
flylir s6r pi ad medtaka bann n^a, sem Guds forsjon a"rlega
sendir hingad, og betta Herra ! er bad 6umbreytanlega Iflgmal,
sem ekki stendur i ydar valdi ad raska. Vissu beir sem fyri
mig hafa verid spurdi Kongurinn, pessi hOrdu forlOg? Eingum
beirra svaradi Drottsetinn, hefir pad verid dulid, en peir hafa
ei haft n6gann mod og mannshug ad athuga svo sorglegar Lt-
farir, par augu peirra hafa verid blindud af glampa KongdaB-
misins. Peir hafa lifad og I3tid einsog vellystingar og einsegja
hafa hvatt bd til, og aldrei hugsad til ad n3 stodugri lukku, eda
gjOra s6r baerileg |iau endalok, sem beir vissu s6r var 6mOgulegt
ad unifl^a; J)eirra lukku a"r leid eetid fliotara enn ba* vardi, svo
<3fara dagurinn kom loksins yfir ba" fyrr enn beir v6ru biinir, ad biia
nokkud i haginn fyri sig, ad eymd og litlegd beirra yrdi beim bseri-
leg. Pegar Kongurinn heyrdi betti, vard hann micig 6ttasleginn,
sveid honum bad mest, ad mikill partur af dirmseta timanum
var til 6n^tis lidinn; hann a*setti ser pvi ad briika bess betur
jjrendslast eptir, inquire. hriostrugur, barren.
adstod, assistance. fegn, subject.
Drottseti, counsellor. eymd, distress.
litilfjorlegr, mean. oumbreytanlegr, unalterable.
larfar, rags. raska, alter.
85
bad af honum, sem eptir var. l'ii vitri Dr6ttseti! Sagdi harm
til bans, bii hefir sagt me"r mitt lilkomandi ofall, scgdu me>
lika hvOrt medal er til ad komast klaklaust hja" bvi? Minnist
]ier, Herra! svaradi Drotisetinn, ad be"r kumud hingad allslaus
til eyarinnar, og athugid ba undir eins ad allt eins muni verda,
pegar Jer farid h6dan, og ad |HT aldrei muuud >i;i hana aptur.
Eitt einasta medal er til, ad varna bvi ofalli sem fyrir ydur
liggur, ])er verdid ad senda smidi til eyarinnar, sem per egid
ad fara til, lata byggja pa"r stor vistahiis, og fylla bau af Ollu
sem barf til vidurlifls. Fors6mid hddanaf ekkert augnablik sem
be"na kann til ydar lukku og brukid Oil pau medOl sem ber
ge"lid upphugsad, til ad koma i veg fyri J)d vesOld, sem fli6tt
dynur yflr en leingi varir; allt ])etta verdur ad giOrast undan-
dr^ttarlaust Jivi tidin fl'ygur, sa" fastsetti timans punktur n^ilgast,
og ])ad er forgefins ad aHla ser ad aptur kalla pa stund sem
;i II ili hi er; en yilr alia hluti fram, munid til ]>ess ad a* peim
stad, sem per egid til svoddan la"ngframa ad bua, munud p6r
ekkert fyri finna nema }>ad, sem per latid ftytja pangad, ^ peim
stutta lima er J)er egid ennu eptir. K6ngurinn fe"llst a* rad
Dr6ttseta sins, sendi strax smidi til Eyarinnar ad koma ollu
pessu i verk, hann let gjora eyuna ad yndisligum og gagn-
legum biistad. Loksins kom sa fikvardadi dagur, kouginum
var snarad lir baseetinu, allur Kongs-skrudi af bonum tekiun,
og hann hnepptur uti skip sem flutti bann i bans Utlegdarstad.
I'essi al'setti Kongur kom bdngad lukkulega, og lifdi bar badi
rolegri og dnaegdari enn ddur.
ofall, disaster. vidurlifi, subsistence.
Klaklaust, without danger, undandratlarlaust, without delay.
Vistahus, store-room. langframa, for so long a lime.
Af Egils-Saga.
tpphaf rikis llaralds harragra.
Haraldr, son Halfdauar svarta, hafSi tekit arf eptir fo5ur
sinn; bann haffti pess beit streingt, at Llta eigi skera bdr sitt
ne kemba, fyrr en bann \xri einvaldskoniingr yfir Noregi ; bann
var kallaQr Haraldr lufa.
Si3an barQist bann vi9 J).1 konunga, er ntestir varo, ok
86
sigraBi ba, og eru })ar Idngar frdsagnir. SiBan eignaBist hann
Upplond, paBan for hann norBr i Prindheim, ok atti par mar-
gar orrostur, aBr hann yrBi einvaldi yfir tillum PramdalOgum.
SiBan atlaBi hann at fara norBr i Naumudal a hendr peim
broidrum Herlaugi ok Hrollaugi, er pi vAro konungar yfir Nau-
mudal. En er beir broedr spurBu til ferBar hans, pa gekk
Herlaugr i haug pann meB tolfta mann, er a"Br hoi'Bu peir
gera IdtiB, ok vAro at prjd vetr; var siBan haugrinn aptrlokinn.
En Hrollaugr konungr veltist or konungd6mi, ok t6k upp jarls-
rett, ok f6r siBan a vald Haralds konungs, ok gaf upp riki sitt.
SvA eignaBist Haraldr konungr Naumdoelafylki ok Halugaland;
setti hann par menn yfir riki sitt.
SiBan bj6st Haraldr konungr or frandheimi me9 skipaliBi,
ok f6r suBr i Mceri, atti par orrostu viB Hunpjof konung, ok
hafBi sigr; fell par Hiinpj6fr: pi eignaBist Haraldr konungr
NorBmoeri ok Raumsdal.
En Solvi klofi, son Hi'mpjdfs, hafBi undan komizt, ok for
hann a Sunnmoeri til ArnviBar konungs, ok baB hann ser full-
tings, ok sagBi svA: P6tt petta vandradi hafi nu borit oss at
hendi, pa mun eigi l&ngt til, at sama vandraedi mun til yBvar
koma; pviat Haraldr setla ek iat skjott mun her koma, Jja er
hann hefir alia menn }}ra3lkat ok a"pjaB, sem hann vill i NorB-
moeri ok i Raumsdal. Munu per hinn sama kost fyrir hOndum
eiga, sem vaer ittum, at verja fe yBvart ok frelsi, ok kosta
partil allra teirra manna , er ySr er liBs af van , ok vil ek
bj6Bast til meB minu liBi moti pessum ofsa ok ojafnaBi. En
at oBrum kosti munu per vilja taka upp Pat raB, sem Naum-
doelir gerBu, at ganga meB sjilfvilja i dnauB, ok gerast prselar
Haralds. Pat p6tti foBur minum sigr, at deyja i konungd6mi
meB soemd, heldr en gerast undirmaBr annars konungs i ga-
mals aldri : hygg ek at per muni ok sv& pykja, ok oBrum peim
or nokkurir ero borBi, ok kappsmenn vilja vera. Af slikum
1'ortOlum var konungrinn fastraBinn til pess at samna liBi, ok
verja land sitt.
Bundu peir Solvi pa saman lag sitt, ok sendu orB AuB-
liirni komingi, er reB fyrir FirBafylki, at hann skyldi koma til
liBs viB ba. En er sendimenn komu til AuBbjarnar koniings,
ok baru hftnum Jjessa orBsending, bi reBst hann urn viB vini
sina, ok redu hAnum bat allir, at samna liBi, ok fara til m6ts
viB Mceri, sem hAnum vAro orB send til.
AuBbjOrn kouiingr let skera upp herOr, ok fara herboB
um allt sitt riki; hann sendi ok orB n'kismonnum, ok baB })a
87
koma a sinn fund. En er sendiraenn kom'ings komu til Kveld-
I'll's, ok sog8u hanum sin emidi, ok bat ;tt konungr vill, at
Kveld-L T lfr komi til hans me3 alia hiiskarla sina; pa svarar
hann: 1'at mun konungi skylt bykja, at ek fara meS lignum,
ef hann skal verja land sitt, ok se lierjat i FirQafylki, en liitt
;i-tla ck mer alloskylt at fara nor8r a Mojri ok berjast }>ar, ok
verja land beirra. Er ySr bat skjotast at segja, bd er her hiltiS
koniing ySvarn, at Kveld-UH'r mun beima sitja um betta her-
blanp, ok hann mun eigi herliSi samna, ok eigi gera sina pa"
heitnanfcrft, at berjast moti Haraldi lufu; bviat ek hygg at hann
bail bar byrQi gn6ga hamingju, er komingr vjlrr hafi eigi krep-
ping fullan. F6ro sendimenn heim til konungs, ok stigftu lianuni
erendislok sin, en Kveld-Llfr sat heima at buum sinum.
Peir I J 6rolfr ok Egill viro J)aun vetr me5. Ptfri (hersi)
i goQu yfirlfcti, en um vArit bjuggu }jeir Mngskip mikit, ok
fengu manna til, f6ru um sumarit i Austrveg ok herju3u, fengu
})ar of fjar, ok <iltu orrostor margar. 1'eir heldu til Kiirlands,
ok Iog5u vi5 landsmenu h^lfs minaftar friS, ok Ii0f8u vi8 ba"
kaupstelnu ; en er pvi var lokit, })a t6ko peir al berja, ok 10g8u
at i ymsum stoQum.
Einn dag logftu })cir at vi8 aros einn mikinn, ok var }>ar
murk mikil a land upp; peir re8u par til uppgongu. Li5i var
skipt i sveitir, tolf monnum saman ; peir gengu yfir sk6ginn,
ok var ]);i eigi langt, a9r en bygftin tok vid ; beir rtentu })a,
ok drapu menn, en Ii5it flj'8i, unz peir fengu Onga viQtoku.
En er a"lei5 daginn, })a let Porolfr bldsa Ii8inu til ofangungu;
sneru nifnn ]ia aplr ;i sknginn, par sem bverr var staddr. En
er Jieir I'oi^lfr rannsOku5u Ii8it, b5 var Egill eigi ofankominn,
ok sveit hans, en ba tok at myrkva af n6tt, ok })6ttust meun
eigi mega leita hans.
Egill hafSi gengit yiir skog nokkurn , ok tolf menn me8
hdnum, ok si J)eir Jii slettur myklar ok byg8ir. Brer einn
slo8 skamt frd l)eim ; ])eir stefna til boejarins, en er beir komo
|)ar, hlaupa peir i bus inn, ok ver8a ekki vi8 menn varer;
j)eir toko fe }>at allt, er fyrir l>eim var, laust, bar vAro mOrg
htis, ok dvaldisl beim ]>ar lengi.
En er Jieir vftro ulkonmir, ok fra boenum, var Ii3 komit
inilli beirra ok skogarins, ok s6lti }>at at ])eim. Ski8gar8r var
liar fr1 boenum til skogarins; jia m;plti Egill, at beir skyldu
fylgja hanum, sva at eigi maUli Ollum megin at beim ga"nga.
I'cir ger8u sva, irckk Egill fyrslr, en si8an hverr at O8rum,
svA naer at ekki nialti skilja jta. Kurer s6ltu at }>eim fast, ok
88
mest me3 lo'gum ok skotum, en gengu ekki i hoggorrosliu
En er peir Egill heldu fram me5 ski5gar5inum, fundu peir eigi
fyrr, en par gekk annarr ski9gar5r jafnframt, ok ger5ist par
mj6tt i milli, partil er lykkja var9 a, ok matti eigi framkomast.
Kurir sottu eptir peim i kvina, en suuiir sottu utan at, ok
logftu spj6tum ok sverSum i gegnum garftana, en sumir bru
klaeSi & vdpn peirra. Ur5u peir Egill sdrer, ok pvi nsest hand-
tekner, ok aller bundner, leiddir sva" heim til bccjarins.
Sa" var rikr ma9r ok auQigr, er bo3 bann a"tti; hann atti
son roskinn. Pa" var umrredt, hvat vift ba skyldi gera: sag<5i
b6ndi, at h^num b6tti bat ra9, at drepinn, va3ri hverr A foetr
()5rum; b6ndason segir at ba" ger3i myrkt af n6tt, ok matti
enga skemtan af hafa at kveija ^ei, ba9 hann Idta bi5a margins.
Var beim bd skoti8 i hiis eitt, ok bundnir ramliga; Egill var
bundinn vi9 staf einu, bse5i hendr ok foetr; si3an var hiisit
laest ramliga, en Kurir gingu inn i stufu, ok mOtu8ust, ok
vSro allkcitir ok drukku.
Egill ferSist vi9, ok treysti stafinn, til bess er upplosna5i
or g61fiuu; si5an fell stafrinn, smeygSist Egill pa" af stafnum.
Eptir pat leysti hann hendr sinar me9 tOnnum; en er hendr
bans voru lausar, leysti hann bond af fotum ser. Si3an leysti
hann felaga sina; en er beir vAro aller lauser, bei leitubust
beir um, hvar likast var lit at komast. Husit var gert at vegg-
jum af timbrstokkum storum, en i annan enda hussins var
skjaldjjili flatt, hljopu |)eir Jjarat, ok brutu })ilit; var bar bus
annat, er beir komo i, vAro bar ok timbrveggir um.
Pa heyr9u beir manna mal undir fostr ser ni5r; Ieitu9ust
beir ba um, ok fundu hur5 i g61finu, luku beir bar up, var
|>arundir gr5f djup, heyr5u beir Jjangat manna malit. Pa
spurQi Egill hvat manna par vsri. Sd nefndist Aki, er yi5
hann ma3lti. Egill spurSi ef beir vildi upp ur grofinni; Aki
segir at peir vildu pat gjarna; si5au letu peir Egill siga festi
ofan i grOfina, pd er peir vAro bundnir me9, ok drogu bar
upp J)rja menn. Aki segir at pat vAro synir bans tveir, ok
beir v&ro menn dansker, hof5u ])ar or5it hertekner it fyrra
sumar. Var ek, sag9i hann, vel haldinn i vetr, haf9a ek mjok
fj<irvar9veizlur biianda, en sveinarner v&ro bj^5er ok undu beir
ilia. I var re9u ver til, ok hlupum a brott, ok ur5um si5an
fundner, vAro ver bd her setter i grOf bessa. Per mun her
kunnigt um hiisaskipan, segir Egill, hvar oss er vrcnst a brott
at komast. Aki sag5i at bar var annat skjaldbili: brjoli ber
J)at upp, munu per pa" koma fram i kornhlo9u, en pa er lit-
S9
gdnga sem sjalfr vill. f*eir Egill ger9u svA, brutu upp lilit,
gengu si<5an i hlo8una, ok j>a5an ut. NiSamyrkr var L
IM imcltu l>cir forunautar Egils, at beir skyldu skunda
& sk6ginn. Egill mtelti vi3 Aka ef per eru her kunnig hVbyli,
(fi muntu visa oss til fefanga nokkurra. Aki segir at eigi
mundi par skorla lausafe: her er lopt mikit, er b6ndi sefr i,
par skorter eigi va"pn inni. Egill ba8 pa ]>;ingat fara til lopt-
sins ; en er peir komo upp & Ioptri5it, p3 s1 peir at loptit var
opit; var par Ij6s inni, ok pj6nostu-menu , ok bjuggu rekkjur
manna. Egill ba8 bd suma I'iti vera, ok gta at engi kaemist
ut. Egill hljop inn i loptit, greip }>ar vApn, l)viat pan skorti
]>ar eigi inni, dr1pu par menn alia, pi er par varo inni; }jeir
t6ko ser aller alva?pni.
Aki gekk bar til er hlemmr var i golfpilinu, ok lauk upp,
mrelti at peir skyldi par ofan g^nga i undirskemmuna. l^eir
t6ko ser Ijos, ok gengu piingat; vAro J)ar febirzlur b6nda ok
griper g69er ok silfr mikit; I6ko men ser par byr5ar, ok bciru
lit. Egill t6k undir hOnd ser mjoddrekku eina vel mikla, ok
bar hana undir hendi ser. En er beir komo i sk6ginn, bii:
nam Egill sta5 ok msclti: ]>essi fer8 er allill, ok eigi hermann-
lig; ver hofum stolit fe b6nda, svA at hann veil ekki til, skal
oss aldregi }>a skomm henda; fOrum nil aptr til boejarins, ok
lAtum j)A vita hvat tilt er. Allir mseltu pvf i m6t, si)g9u at
peir vildu til skips.
Egill setr ni9r mjo5drekkuna, si5an hefr hann & ras, ok
rann til Ixrjarius; en er bann kom til bo?jarins, bA sd hann,
at Jijonostusveinar gengu fra eldaskala me5 skutildiska, ok barn
inn i stofuna. Egill sa at i eldahusinu var eldr mikill, ok
katlar yfir, gekk hann bringat til. t'ar hol'Qu verit stokkar
st6rer flutter heim, ok svA eldar gerver, sem bar er siSvenja
til, at eldinn skal leggja i stoksendann, ok brennr svA stokk-
rinn. Egill greip upp stokkinn, ok gekk heim til stofunnar,
ok skaut beim endanum er logacli upp undir upsina, ok svi
upp i na?frina, ok fesli par eldinn i skjott. En vi8ir lau |>ar
skamt i brott, ok bar bann )ia fyrir stofudyrnar. Eldrinn las
skjott tr()9vi8inn , en })eir er vi5 drykkjuna s^tu ; fundu eigi
fyrr, en loginn st63 inn um raifrit. Hlj(')po menn ba til dy-
ranna; en par var ekki greiQfoert lit, ba?8i fyrir viSunum, sv^
}iat at Egill varBi dyrnar, ok drap })a fiesta er lit leUu5u, ba?9i
i dyrunum ok liti lyri.
Bondi spyrr, hverr fyrir eldinum re5i. Egill segir: s
einn ra38r nii fyrir eldi, er her mundi olikast bykja i ga;rkveld^
90
ok skaltu ekki bei3ast at baka heitara, en ek mun kinda ; skaltu
hafa mjiikt ba9 fyrir mjuka rekkju, er bu veitter mer ok minum
fOrunautum. Er her nu sa sami Egill, er bu lezt fjtitra, ok
binda vi<5 stafmn i husi bvi, er her Ia3stu9 vandliga: skal nii
launa ber vickokur, sem bu ert verSr. I bvi astlar b6ndi at
leynast ut i myrkrit, en Egill var nasrstaddr, ok hj6 hann begar
banabOgg, ok marga aSra. En bat var svipstund ein, aSr stufan
brann, svA at hon fell ofan ; tyndist bar mestr hluti Ii5s bess,
er bar var inni.
En Egill gekk aptr til sk6garins, fann bar fOrunauta sina,
fara ba allir saman til skips. Sag5i Egill, at mjo5drekku b
vill hanu hafa at afnamsfe, er hann f6r me9, en hon var
reyndar full af silfri. Peir P 6r6lfr urSu allfegnir, er Egill kom
ofan, heldu })eir ba {oegar fra landi, er mornaQi. Aki ok Jjeir
fe9gar v&ro i sveit Egils. t*eir sigldu um sumarit, er dlei5, til
Danmarkar, ok l<5gu bar enn fyri kaupskipum, ok ra3ntu par
er peir komust vi3.
Haraldr Gormsson haf9i pd tekit vi5 riki i Danmork,
en Go'rmr var pa" dau5r, fa3ir bans; landit var J^a herskatt,
la"gu vikingar mjOg liti fyri, DanmOrku. Aka var kunnigt i
DanmOrku basSi sj^i ok landi; spurSi Egill hann mjog ept-
ri, hvar peir staler vasri, er st6r fefaung mundi fyriliggja. En
er peir komu i Eyrarsund, pa sag5i Aid at par var a" land upp
kaupstaSr mikill, er het i Lundi, sag9i at par var fevdn, en
likligt at par mundi vera \i5taka, er boejarmenn vseri. Pat
mdl var uppborit fyri Ii8sm0nnum , hvcirt bar skyldi r^5a til
uppgaungu eSa eigi. Menn t6ko par allmisjafnt a, fystu sumer
en sumer lottu, var pvi ma"li skoti5 til styrimanna. Por^lfr
fysti heldr uppgaungu; pa" var roedt vi5 Egil, hvat lionum ])6tti
ra5 hann kva5 visu:
Upp skolum orum sverQum,
ulfs-tann-litu3r ! glitra ;
eigum da5 at drygja
i dal miskunn fiska.
Leiti upp til Lundar
1^9a hverr sem braQast;
gerum Jjar fyri setr s61ar
sei9 6fagran vigra.
SiSan bjuggust menn til uppgaungu, ok foro til kaupsta-
Sarins. En er boejarmenn urftu varer vi3 ufrift, bd stefndu
}}eir f m6t; var Jjar treborg um staSinn, settu beir bar menn
til at verja; t6kst bar bardagi hinn har9asti. Egill s6tti at
91
hli5inu fast me9 sina sveit, ok hlif9i ser lilt; var9 jjar mikit
mannfall; bu at hvcrr fell inn annan hon:arinanna. Er *\A
sagt at Egill gengi fyrstr manna i borgiua, ok si9an hverr
at o9rum; si9an fly9u boejarmenn, var bar mannfall mikit.
En beir Porcilfr r&ntu kaupsta9inn, ok toku mikit fe, en brendu
boejinn, a9r beir skildust vi9. F6ro si5an ofan til skipa sinna.
Af Snorre Sturlesens Heimskringla.
Saga Hakonar gorta.
1. Hakon A9alsteinsf6stri var ba" a England! , er hann
spur9i andldt Haralds konungs fo9ur sins; bjost hann ba begar
til ferSar: fekk A9alsteinn konungr hAnom Ii8, ok g69an ski-
pakost, ok bjo bans for allvegliga; ok kom hann um bauslit
til Noregs. Pi spur8i hann fall broe9ra sinna, ok })at me9
at Eirikr konungr var ba" i Vikinni: sigldi })d Ha"kon nor9r til
I'randheims, ok f6r d fund Sigur9ar Hla9ajarls, er allra spekinga
var mestr i Noregi, ok fekk par g69ar vi9tOkur, ok bundo })eir
lag silt saman; het Hakon hanom miklo riki, ef hann yrdi
konungr. Pa" leto beir slefna Jiing fjOlmennt, ok ^ bingino
tala9i Sigurdr jarl af hendi Hakonar, ok bau9 b6ndom hann
til konungs. Eptir pat sto9 Hakon sjalfr upp ok tala9i ; ma'lto
J)d tveir ok tveir sin a milli, at l>ar vrcri kominn Haraldr ha"r-
fagri, ok or9inn lingr i annat sinn. ILikoii haf9i bat upphaf
sins mals, at hann beiddi boendr vi9tOku, ok at gefa ser kon-
I'mgsnofn, ok bat me9 at veita ser fullting ok styrk til at halda
konungdominom; en }jarim6t bau9 hann l)eim at gera alia
bocndr 69alborna, ok gefa beiin 69ol sin, er abjoggu. At besso
orendi var9 r6mr svA mikill, at allr bonda mugriun O3pti ok
kalla9i, at Jjeir vildi hann til konungs taka; ok var sva" gert,
at 1'nendir toku Hdkon til konungs um allt land, [bar var hann
15 vetra: tok hann ser j)A hir9, ok f6r ylir land.
I J au ti9indi spur8ust & Upplond, at ^sendir hOf9o ser kon-
I'mg tekit, slikan at Ollu sem Haraldr hiun ha"rfagri var, nema
})at skildi, at Haraldr haffii allan lyd i landi [}>ra3lkat ok a"bja9,
en bessi, Hdkon, vildi hverjom manni gott, ok bau9 aptr at
gefa b6ndoiu 69ol sin, bau er Haraldr konungr haf9i af l)eim
tekit. Vi9 j)au ti9indi ur9o allir gla9ir, ok sag9i hverr o9rum,
92
flaug pat sem sinoeldr allt austr til lands enda. Margir boendr
f6ro af Upplondum at hitta Hakon koniing; sumir sendo menn,
sumir gerflo or5sendingar ok jartegnir, en allir til pess, at
bans menn vildo gerast. Koniingr t6k pvi pakksamliga.
2. Hdkon koniingr f6r ondurSan vetr a" UpplOnd, stefndi par
ping, ok dreif allt f61k a" bans fund, bat er komast ma'tti; var ban
pa" til koniings tekinn a Ollum pingom; f6r bann pa" austr tilVikr.
11. fa" er Hdkon var koniingr i INoregi var friSr g6<5r
med bondom ok kaupmOnnum; svA at engi grandaQi O9rum
ne annars fe ; pa var ok a" r mikit ba3(5i a" sja" ok landi. Ha" kon
koniingr var allra manna glaSastr ok malsnjallastr ok litilla'tastr^
hann var ma5r storvitr, ok Jagcii mikinn hug a" lagasetning:
hann setti GulabingslOg me3 ra9i Porleifs spaka ; ok hann setti
FrostabingslOg me3 r9i SigurQar jarls ok annarra bra3nda,
beirra er vitrastir v^ro; en HeiSssefislOg haf5i sett Ha'lfda'n
svarti, sem 1'yrr er ritat.
15. Ha"kon koniingr var vel kristinn, er hann kom i Noreg,
en fyrir pvi at J^ar var land allt hei5it, ok b!6tskapr mikill,
ok stormenni mart; en hann b6ttist Ii8s burfa mjok ok albyftu
vinsasld ; ba" t6k hann bat ra^, at fara leyniliga me9 kristninui,
belt sunnodaga ok frja'dagalb'sto ok minning hinna storsto hati9a,
Hann setti Jiat i logom, at lief j a jolahald bann tima, sem krist-
nir menn, ok skyldi jia* hverr ma5r eiga maelis 61, en gjalda
fe ella, ok halda heilagt me5an ol ynnist; en i9r var j61ahald
hafit Ho'ko-nott, bat var miftsvetrar n6tt, ok haldin briggja neitta
j6l. Hann a3tla3i svA, er hann festist i landino, ok hann hef9i
frja"lsliga undir sik lagt allt landit, at bafa ba" fram kristniboQ.
Hann gerfti svA fyrst, at hann lokkafti ba" menn, er hdnom vAro
ka3rstir til kristni ; kom svd me9 vinsaild bans, at mjok margir
leto skirast, en sumir leto af blotom. Han sat Icingom i Prand-
heimi, bviat bar var mestr styrkr landsins. En er Halion kon-
iingr bottist fengit hafa "styrk af nokkorum rikismonnum , at
halda upp kristninni, })i sendi hann til Englands eptir biskupi
ok OSrum kennimOnnum; ok er peir komu i Noreg, pa" ger9i
Ha*kon koniingr pat bert, at hann vildi bjoSa kristni urn allt
land, en Moerir ok Raumdo3lir skuto bannug sino rndli, sem
Pra3ndir vfiro. Ha"kon koniingr let bd vigja kirkjor nokkorar,
ok setti bar presta til. En er hann kom i Prdndheim, b6
stefndi hann bing vi9 boendr, ok bau8 jjeim kristni. Peir svara
sva\ at heir vilja pesso mdli skj6ta til Frostajiings, ok vilja ba
at bar komi menn or Ollum fylkjom, }ieim sem ero i Pra3nda-
logom; segja at pa" mAno peir svara pesso vandma^li.
93
17. Hdkon konungr kom til Frostajnngs, ok var j)ar komit
allljOlmennt af btindom. En er })ing var sett, bd talaSi Hakoii
konungr, hefr bar fyrst, at bat var bo8 bans ok bum vi8 boendr
ok bubegna, rfka ok urfka, ok barmeS vi8 alia albySo, imga
menu ok gamla, saelan ok vesadan, konur sem karla, at allir
menn skyldo kristnast Idta, ok triia a" einn gu3, Rrist Marioson,
n hafna bltitum Ollum ok hei8nom go5um, balda beilakt limit
7da hvern dag vi8 vinnom ollum, fasta ok binn 7da hvern dag.
En Pegar er konungr haffii belta uppborit fyrir alj>y8o,
pd var3 begar kurr mikill, kurro3o bcendr urn bat, er konungr
vildi vinnur taka af })eim, ok segja at vi9 }iat malti landit eigi
byggja; en verkalyor ok J)rselar kOlluSu, at beir msetti eigi vinna,
ef l>eir skyldi eigi mat hafa: sogSo ok at bat var skaplostr
HAkonar konungs, sem fo9ur bans ok beirra fraenda, at beir
vAro illir af mat sfnom, }6tt [>eir va3ri mildir af gulli.
Asbjorn af Meoalhusom or Gaulardal st65 upp, ok svarar
yrindi konungs ok m.Tlti. Pat hug3o ver boendr, Hakon kon-
ungr! segir bann, at ba* er l)ii bafSir et fyrsta J)fng haft her
i Prandheimi, ok hOfSom }>ik til konungs tekit, ok begit af ber
6oOl vrtr, at ver hefSim ba" bimin hOndom tekit; en nii vitom
ver eigi hvfirt heldr er, at ver mAnom frelsi Jjegit hafa, e8a
mantu nii la"ta bra?lka oss af nyjo me9 undarligom lu-etti, at
ver munim liafna 5triina9i beim, er fe5r vdrir hafa haft fyrir
oss, ok allt forellri, fyrst urn brunaOld, en nii urn haugsOld,
ok hafa beir verit miklo gofgari en ver, ok hefir oss b6 dugat
bessi atrunaQr. Ver hofum lagt til yoar svd mikla aslu5, at
ver hi)fom bik ra"3a latit me5 oss Ollum logum i landino ok
landsrett. Nu er bat vili vdrr ok sambykki, b6ndanna, at halda
bau log, sem }>u settir oss her a" Frostajjingi, ok ver ja"ta9oin
})er; viljom ver allir ber fylgja, ok J)ik til konungs halda, me-
9an einnhverr er lifs b6ndanna beirra, er her ero nii a" bin-
gino, ef bii, konungr, vill nokkut hof viShafa, at bei5a oss
bess eins, er ver megom veita ber, ok oss se eigi 6geranda.
En ef her vilit betta ma 1 ! laka me9 s\& mikilli freko, at deila
atli ok ofriki vi8 oss, bd hofum ver bnendr gert rd8 vArt, at
skiljast allir vi8 |)ik, ok taka oss annan hOfSingja, bann er
oss haldi til bess, at ver munim i frelsi hafa bann dtruna8,
sem [ver viljom. Nii skallu, konungr, kj6sa um kosti bessa,
48r J)ing se slitit.
At eyrindi ])esso ger8o bojndr r6m mikinn, ok segja at
beir vilja svd vera Idla.
En er hlj68 fekkst, bd svarar Sigur8r jarl: Pat er vili
94
Hdkonar koniings, at samjjykkja vi9 y5r, bcendr, ok la"ta aldri
skilja y8ra vinatto. Boendr segja at beir vilja, at konungr
bloti til ars beim ok IriSar, sva sem faSir bans gerSi, staSnar
ha" kurrinn, ok slita beir bingino. SiSan talaSi SigurSr jarl
viS konung, ok baS hann eigi riemast meS Ollu, at gera sem
boandr vildi, sagSi at eigi mundi annat lySa, en sveigja til
riokkot viS bcendr: er betta, konungr, sem sja"lfir per megut
heyra, vili ok a"kafi hOfSingja ok barmeS alls folks; skolo ver,
konungr, her fmna til gott ra"5 nokkut; ok samdisfc bat meS
beim konungi ok jarli.
16. SigurSr LaSa-jarl var hinn mesti bl6tmadr, ok sv
var Ha"kon fadir bans; belt SigurSr jarl upp b!6tveizlom ollum
af hendi koniings par i Prandalogom.
Pat var forn si5r, pa" er b!6t skyldi vera, at allir boendr
skyldo bar koma, sem hof var, ok flytja pannug fdng sin, ban
er beir skyldo hafa, meftan veizlan st65. At veizlo beirri skyldo
allir menn Ol eiga: pa var ok drepinn allskonar smali ok svd
bross, en bl65 |)at allt, er bar kom af, bat var kallat hlaut,
ok hlautbollar bat, er bl65 bat st65 i, ok hlautteinar, bat var
svck gert sem stoklar, me9 pvi skyldi rj69a stallana Olio saman,
ok svji veggi hofsins utan ok innan, ok svA stokkva a" mennina ;
en sldtrit skyldi sjo8a til mannfagna5ar. Eldar skyldo vera
i micljo g61fi i hofinoj, ok par katlar yfir, ok skyldi full um
eld bera. En sd er ger9i veizlona, ok hOfQfngi var, J)a skyldi
hann signa fullit ok allan b!6tmatinn. Skyldi fyrst 09ins full,
[skyldi bat drekka til sigrs ok rikis konungi sinom, en si9an
NjarSar full ok Freys full til a"rs ok fri5ar. P& var morgum
mOnnum titt at drekka parna3st Braga full; menn drukko ok
full frsenda sinna, peirra er gofgir hof5o verit, ok varo bat
minni kOlluS.
Sigur5r jarl var manna Orvastr; hann gerSi bat verk, er
fra?gt var mjok, at hann ger3i mikla [b!6tveizlo a" Hlo5om, ok
belt einn upp Ollum kostna9i.
18. Um haustit at \etrn6ttum var bltitveizla a" Lo8om, ok
s6tti bartil konungr. Hann hafSi jafnan fyrr verit vanr, ef
hann var staddr bar sem b!6t v^ro, at matast i litlu hiisi me5
fa menn; en boendr toldo at bvf, er hann sat eigi i ha"?feti
sino, ba" er mestr var mannfagnadr; sag5i jarl, at hann skyldi
eigi ba" sv^i gera, var ok svA at konungr sat i ha"sa3ti sino.
En er et fyrsta full var skenkt, ha" maBlti SigurSr jarl fyrir,
ok signaSi 65ni, ok drakk af horninu til konrtngs; konungr
t6k vi5, ok gerSi krossmark yfir: ba" maBlti Ka"rr af Gratingi:
95
hvi ferr konungrinn nii svA? vill hann eigi enn biota? SigurSr
jarl svarar: konungr gerir svA, sem beir allir, er triia i mitt
sinn ok megin, ok signa full sitt t*6r; hann ger8i hamarsmark
yfir, i8r hann drakk. Var bi kyrt um kveldit. Eplir um da-
ginn, er menn gengo til bor8a, ha" busto bcendr at konungi,
sOg5u at pi skyldi hann eta brossaslitr; konungr vildi Jtat firir
engan mun. fa bi8u beir hann drekka so5it; hann vildi bat
eigi. Pi bi8o beir hann eta flotit; hanu vildi bat ok eigi;
[ok var bi vi3 atgOngu buit.
[Jarl kvaSst vildu sretta bi, ok baS bi hretta storminom,
ok ba3 hann konting gina yfir ketilhodduna, er soSreykinn Iiaf3i
lagt upp af hrossaslitrino , ok var smjOrug haddan; \)& gekk
konungr til, ok bra" lindiik um hodduna, ok gein yfir, ok gekk
si<5an til hisastis, ok Iika9i hvarigom vel.
19. Um vetrinn eptir var buit til jolaveizlo konungi inn
i Moeri ; en er atlei5 jolunom, Iog3o beir stefno me9 ser itta
hofQingjar, er mest reSo i'yrir blotum i Ollum PnendalOgurn ;
beir vAro 4 utan or I J randheimi: Kirr af Grytingi ok AsbjOrn
af MeQalhiisum, I*6rbergr af Varnesi, Ormr af Ljoxu; en af
Innl>ra?ndom B6I61IV af Olvishaugi, Narfi afStaf i Veradal, ]>randr
haka af Eggjo, Ptirir skegg af Husaboi^f eynni IbVi: jiessir 8
menn bundust i bvi, at Jieir fjorir af [Otjinendom skyldu ey5a
kristninni, en Jieir fjorir af Innjra3ndom skyldu neyda koniing
til biota. Utpraandir f6ro 4 skipom su8r a Moeri, ok drdpo
Jar presta 3, ok brenndo kirkjor 3, [f6ro aptr si5an. En er
Ilakon konungr ok Sigur8r jarl komu inn i Moeri rneS hir5
sina, l>a vAro bar bccndr komnir allfjolniennt. Ilinn fyrsta dag
at veizlonni [veitto bicndr, konungi algOngo, ok ba"9o hann
b!6ta, en heto hAnom afarkostom ella ; Sigur5r jarl bar ba sitt-
mal i millom beirra, kOmr })i svA at Hikon konungr it nok-
kura bita af hrosslifr; drakk hann bi Oil minni krossalaust,
bau er bcendr skenkto hAnom.
En er veizlo bessarri var lokit, f6r konungr ok jarl begar
lit a Hla9ir; var konungr allukatr, ok bjost Jiegar i brott me5
Ollu H9i sfno or Prindheimi , [ok malti svA, at hann skyldi
fjolmennari koma i IVindheim annat sinn, ok gjalda brindom
J)enua Ijandskap, er ]>eir hflfSo til bans gert. SigurSr jarl
ba5 koniing gefa trap-ndom petta eigi at sOk; segir svA at kon-
ungi muni eiga pat duga at heitast eor herja i innanlands
folk, [}>ar sem mestr styrkr er landsins, sem i I'rindheimi
var. Konungr var bi svA rei8r, at eigi mitti or8om vi3 hann
koma; for hann i brott or IVmdheimi, ok su8r i Moeri; dval-
96
dial bar um vetrinn ok um va"rit. En er sumraSi dr6 hann
Ii8 at ser, ok v&ro bau or3 a", at hann mundi fara meS her
bann & hendr brsendom.
20. [fldkon koniingr var ha" & skip kominn, ok hafSi 115
mikit; pa" koma ha"nom tidindi sunnan or landi, bau at synir
Eiriks konungs varo komnir sunnan af DanmOrk i Vikina; ok
pat fylgSi, at beir hoi'5o elt af skipom Tryggva konung Olafs-
son austr vi9 S6tanes; hoffto beir ba vi9a herjat i Vikinni, ok
hoffto margir menu undir ha" gengit. En er koniingr spur3i
bessi tiftindi, b6ttist hann Ii5s burfa, sendi hann ha" or8 Sig-
ur<5i jarli, at koma til sin, ok sva 1 oSrum hOfSingjom, beim er
h^nom var Ii8s at van. SigurSr jarl kom til Hdkonar konungs,
ok hafSi allmikit Ii3; varo bar ha" allir PrsBndir, beir er um
vetrinn hof9o mest gengit at kominginom, at pynda hann til
b!6ta; varo beir bd allir [i saBtt teknir af fortolum SigurSar
jarls.
JHannjafna^r mc3 kouungum.
Eysteinn konungr ok SigurSr koniingr f6ro einn vetr
at veizlom d UpplOndom, ok a"tti sin bii hvdrr beirra; en er
skamt var milli beirra bosja, er komingar skyldo veizlor taka,
ba gerSu menn bat r&9, at beir skyldu bciSir vera samt at
veizlonom, ok sino sinni at hv&rs buum ; varo J^eir fyrst ba^er
samt at \wi biii, er Eysteinn konungr a"tti. En of kveldit, er
menn t6ku at drekka, ha" var munngat ekki gott, ok vro menn
hlj63er. Pd ma3lli Eysteinn konungr: [1*6 ero menn hljo5er!
hitt er 5lsi9r meiri, at menn geri ser gle9i; fdm oss olteiti
nOkkura, man ba enu dreitast gaman manna. Sigur8r br68ir!
Pat mun Ollum sosmst jjykkja, at vi3 hefim nOkkurar skemt-
unarroeSur. SigurSr konungr svarar heldr stygt: ver bu svd
malugr sem pii vill, en lit mik na" at pegja fyrir per!
Eysteinn konungr mashi: sd OlsiSr hefir opt verit, at menn
taka ser jafnaftarmenn, vil ek her svd vera Idta. Pd bagSe
SigurSr konungr.
Se ek, segir Eysteinn konungr, at [ek ver3 at hefja bessa
teiti; mun ek taka bik, br63er! til jafna5armanns mer: foeri
k bat til, at jafnt nafn hofom vi9 bdSer, ok jafna eign, geri
ek ok engi mun settar okkarrar e3a uppfoezlu.
H svarar SigurSr konungr: mantu pat eigi, er ek braut
bik a" bak, ef ek vilda, ok vartu vetri ellri!
97
Eysteinn koiiiingr svaraSi: eigi man ek hitt si9r, er bu
fekkt ekki leikit, pat er mjiikleikr var i.
1'a m<rlti Sigur3r konungr: mantu hversu of suudet f6r
me6 okkr? ek mdtta kefja pik, ef ek vilda!
Eysteinn sagSi: ekki svam ek skemra en pii, ok eigi var
ek verr kafsyndr; ek kunna ok a" fsleggjom, sva" at engau
vissa ek, Jann [er kep5e vi9 mik, en pii kunnir pat eigi heldr
en naiii.
SigurSr konungr svarar: hoffiingligri iQrott ok uytsarnligri
J)ykki mer sii, at kunna vel vi8 boga; a3tla ek at pii nytir
eigi boga minn, J)6tto spyrnir fotom i.
Eysteinn segir: ekki em ek bogsterkr sva* sem pii,
eu minna mun skilja beinskeyti okkra, ok myklo kann ek
betr en {)ii a" skiQom, ok haffte pat enn [verit kallat fyrr
go5 i5rott.
Sigur5r segir: pess bykkir mikill munr, at bat er hOfSing-
ligra, at sa*^ er yfirrnaoY skal vera annarra manna, se mikill i
ilokki, sterkr ok vapnlberr betr en aQrir, auQsaar ok au5kendr,
pa er [inargir eru saman.
Eysteinn segir: eigi er pat si5r eiukanna hlutr, at ma5r
se friSr sanom, ok er sa ok auQkendr i mannfjolda, pikki mer
pat ok hofftingligt, pviat ft iQleikinom samir hinn bezti biinaQr.
Kami ek ok myklo betr til laga en biij ok sva\ hvat sem vi8
skolum tala, em ek myklo slettorQari.
SigurQr svarar: Vera kann at \>u baflr numit fleiri log-
pretto, jnlat ek atta \>& annat at starfa ; ok engi fryr per slett-
ma^lis, en hitt maela margir, at J>u ser ekki allfastorQr, ok JitiQ
mark se liverjo [>ii beitr, ok ma;lir eptir })eim er pa ero bja",
ok er pat ekki konunglikt.
Eysteinn svarar: ]>at herr til l^ess, er menu bera mil sin
fyrir mik, }>a hugsa ek pat fyrst, at liika svA livers maims
ma"li, at l>eim mteUi bezt }>ykkja; bd kemr opt annarr, si er
mal a" viS hann, \er5r pa" jafnan dregit til ok mi81at, sva" at
ba"5om skyldi Jika. Hitt er ok, at ek lieit pvf er ek em beftenn,
pviat ek vilda, at allir fouri fegnir af minom funde ; se ek hinn
kost, ef ek vil hafa sem pii gerir, at heita Ollurn illu, en engi
heyri ek efndanna i'ryja.
Sigur9r svarar: pat hefir verit mil manna, at fer8 sii er
ek f6r or lande va3ii heldr hof5inglig, en bu sazt heima inedan,
sem d6ltir fc)9ur l>ins.
Eysteinn svarar: nii greiptu a" kylino! eigi mynda ek bessa
r(c9o vekja, ef ek kynna her engu [um at svara: na3r b6tti
Icelandic Grammar. 7
98
mer hino, at ek ger5a pik heiman sem systor mfna, a8r bu
yr9ir btiinn til fararinnar.
Sigur8r svarar: heyrt muntu bat hafa, at ek a"tta orrostor
margar i Serklandi, ok fekk i Ollum sigr, ok margskonar gjOr-
simar, baer er eigi hafa slikar komit hingat i land*, p6tta ek
}>ar mest verSr, er ek fann gtffgasta menn, en ek hygg, at
eigi hafir bti enn [hleypt heimdreganom. F6r ek til J6rsala,
segir hann, ok kom ek vi5 Ptil, ok sa" ek big eigi par, broclir!
Ek gaf konimgd6m Rodgeiri jarli hinom rika; vann ek atta
orrostor, ok vartu at aungarri. F6r ek til grafar drottins, ok
sa ek big eigi bar, br69ir! For ek i a"na Jorddn, bar sem
drottinn [var skir9r i, ok svam ek tit yfir a"na, ok sa ek big
eigi bar, [en lit a" bakkanom var kjarr nOkkut 1 , ok knytta ek
ber f>ar kntit a kjarrino, ok bi9r bin bar; [ok mselta ek sv
fyrir, at bu skylder leysa, broker! eSa hala ellar bvilikan for-
mdla, sem bar var alagftr.
l*a" ma3lti Eysleinn koniingr: smatt mnn ek hafa herimoti:
Nor3r i V^gom setta ek fiskimannabii5ir, at fa"toekir menn maetti
na^rast til lifshja"lpar, ok setta ek bar prestvisf, ok lagfta ek fe
til kirkju beirrar, er nciliga var allt hei9it a9r; mAno befr
menn muna, at Eysteinn koniingr hefir verit i Noregi. Um
Dofra fjall var f5r or frdndheimi ; ur5o menn bar jafnan titi,
ok foro bar margir menn hOr9om fOrum, let ek bar SBelohiis
gera, ok fe tilleggja, ok munu beir vita, at Eysteinn koniingr
hefir verit i Noregi. Fyrir Ag5anesi voru draft ok hafnleysi T
f6rust mOrg skip; bar er mi hofn ger ok gott skipalsegi, ok
kirkja gjOr. Si5an let ek vita gera i haTjOllom; nti munu pessa
nj6ta allir menn innanlands. Hollina let ek gera i BjOrgyn
ok postulakirkju ok ri5 milli ; munu konungar peir muna nafn
mitt, er eptir koma. Mikjalskirkju let ek gera ok mtinklifi;
skipaSa et ok lOgonom, br63ir, at hverr mselti hafa rettindi vi5
annan, ok ef bau ero haldin, ba" mun betr fara landsstjornin.
StOpulinn let ek gera i Sinh6lmssundi. feim jamtom hofom
ver ok siiiiit undir petta rfki, meir rneft bliQom or9om ok viti
en meS agdng e5r 6fri5i. Nti er betta sma'tt at telja, en egi
veit ek vist at landsbuunom se betta 6hallkva3mara , en bolt
bu brytja9ir bla"menn fyrir fjandann [a" Serklandi, ok hrapa
peim svA til helvitis. En bar sem pti hrosaQir g69gerningom
pinom, a3tla ek mer eigi minna til s,11ub6tar staSi p?i, er ek
let setja hreinlifismOnnum. En par sern pti reitt mer knutinn,
ok mun ek pann eigi leysa, en ri9a matta ek per pann kntit,
[ef ek vilda, at pti va3rir aldregi kontingr i Noregi, p1 er pti
99
sigldir einskipa i her minn, er bii komt i land. Lit! nu viltrir
menu hvat bii hefir umfram, ok vita skulut J)er bat, gullhals-
arnir, at menu nmno enn jafnast viS i<5r i Noregi. Eptir pat
bOgnuSo peir ba3er, ok var hvdrtveggi rei8r. Fleiri lutir ur8o
beir i skiptom peirra brceSra, er bat fanst, at hv&rr dr6 sik
frarn ok silt mdl, ok vildi vera (iSrom meiri, en p6 helzt friQr
[millum peirra, me5an beir lifQo.
Af Njalssaga.
Gunnarr a Hlidarcnda.
19... Gunnarr Ha"mundarson bj6 at Hliftarenda i Flj6ts-
hli9; hann var mikill ma5r vexti ok sterkr, [manna bezt vigr:
hann hjo ba^um hOndum ok skaut, ef hann vildi, ok hann
vA svA skj6tt me5 sverQi', at brjiii b6ttu d lopti at sjd; hann
skaut manna bezt af boga, ok hrefSi allt bat er bann skaut
til; hann hljop meir en bscQ sina me8 ollum herklcccwm, ok
eigi skemra aptr en fram fyrir sik; hann var syndr sem selr;
ok eigi var sa leikr, er riokkurr J)yrfli vi8 hann at keppa;
ok hefir svft verit sagt, at eingi v*ri bans jafningi. Hann var
vsenn at yfirlitum ok Ijos-litaoV, rett-nefjaSr ok hafit upp i fra-
manvert, bldeygr ok snareygr, ok ro8i i kinnunum, h1rit mikit,
ok for vel ok vel litt; manna kurteisastr var hann, harSgjOrr
i Ollu, femildr ok stiltr vel, vinfastr ok vinavandr; hann var
vel auQigr at fe; br69ir bans bet Kolskeggr, hann var mikill
ma<5r ok sterkr, drengr g63r ok Oruggr i Ollu. Annarr br68ir
bans bet Hjorlr, bann var pa" i bernsku. ..
20... Nj^ll bj6 at Bergb6rshvali i Landeyjum, annat bii
^itti hann i tdrflfsfelli. NjAll var vel au8igr at fe ok vnn
at dliti, hAnom vox eigi skegg. Hann var lOgmaSr svA mikill,
at eingi fannst bans jafningi; vitr var hann ok forspar, heil-
ra8r ok goftgjarn, ok var8 allt at ra5i, pat er hann re8 mOn-
num, b6gva3rr ok drenglyndr; hann leysti hvers manns vandraiQi,
er & bans fund kom. Berg})6ra het kona bans, hon var Skar-
phe9ins d6ttir, kvennskOriingr mikill ok drengr g68r, ok nokkut
skaphGrft ; }>au attu 6 bOru, doetr prjdr ok sonu prjri, ok koma
peir allir vi9 }jessa sOgu si8an.
25... Nu skal nefna sonu Nj^ls: SkarpheSinn het hinn
7*
100
^Izti, hann var mikill maBr vexti ok styrkr, vel vigr, syndr
sem sir, manna f6tlivatastr, ok skj6tr ok Oruggr, gagnorBr ok
skj6torBr, ok skald gott, en ])6 laungum vel stiltr; hann var
jarpr 3 heir, ok sveipr i hcirinu, augBr vel, folleitr ok skarpleitr,
liBr a nefi, ok M halt tanngarBrinn, munnlj6tr mjok, ok J)6
manna hermannligstr. Grimr het annarr son Njals, hann var
friBr Seinum, ok hserBr vel, dokkr & htfr, ok friBari sanum en
SkarpheBinn, mikill ok sterkr. Helgi het inn briBi son Njals,
hann var friBr synum ok ha3rBr vel, hann var styrkr maBr ok
vigr vel, hann var vitr maBr ok stiltr vel; allir varu beir 6k-
vangaBir synir Njals. HOskuldr het hinn fj6rBi son Njals, hann
var laungetinn, m6Bir bans var Hr6Bny, ok var HOskulds dottir,
systir Ingjalds fr$ Keldum.
33. Gunnarr rei5 ok beir allir, en er beir komu & ping,
b varu peir sva vel biinir, at Ongir voru bar jafnvel bunir,
ok lorn menn lit or hverri bii9 at undrast \)&. Gunnarr rei9
til bu9ar RSngseinga, ok var bar me9 fraendum si num. Mar-
gir menn f6ru at finna Gunnarr, ok spyrja hann ti5inda; hann
var viB alia menn lettr ok k^itr, ok sag5i Ollum slikt. er vildu.
Pat var einn dag, er Gunnarr gekk fr& kigbergi, hann
gekk fyrir mosfellfngabuft, hi s hann kono fara i moti ser,
ok var vel biiin, en er bau fundust, kvaddi hon begar Gunnar,
hann tok vel kveSju hennar, ok spyrr hvat kvenna hon va3ri.
Hon nefndist HallgerSr, ok kvaBst vera d6ttir Hoskulds Dal-
akollssonar; hon mselti til bans djarfliga, ok baB segja ser fr^
ferSum sinum, en hann kvaBst ekki varna mundu henni mals;
settust |)au b^ ni9r, ok tOluBu. Hon var svA biiin, at hon var
i rauBu kyltli, ok hafBi yfir ser skallazskikkju [hlaBbuna i skaut
niBr; hirit t6k ofan d bringu henni, ok var bffiBi mikit ok
fagrt. Gunnarr var i skallazkl*9um, er Haraldr komingr Gorms-
son gaf hanum; hann hafBi ok gullhring d hendi, bann er
H^kon jarl gaf hAnum.
Pau tOluBu lengi h^itt, par kom er hann spurBi, hvart
hon va3ri 6gefin. Hon sagBi at sva va3ri: ok er pat [ekki
margra at haetta d bat. Pikki per hvergi fullkosta? Eigi er
bat, segir hon, en mannvOnd mun ek vera. Hversu munt bii
svara, ef ek biB bin? l*at man her ekki i hug, segir hon.
Eigi er bat, segir hann. Ef her er nokkurr hugr a\ b3 finn
bii foBur minn. SiBan skildu bau talit.
Gunnarr gekk begar til buBar Dalamanna, ok fann mann
liti fyrir buBinni, ok spyrr hvart Hoskuldr va3ri i buB; s^i segir
at hann va3ri i buB ; gekk b Gunnarr inn. Hoskuldr ok Rutr
101
I6ku vel vi8 Gunnari, harm settist ni8r & meSal beirra, ok
fanrist bat ekki f tali jieirra, at bar helfti missaelti verit i mefal.
Par kom ni9r roe9a Gunnars, hversu J>cir brneQr munclu bvi
svara, ef bann beeSi Hallgerdar. Vel segir Hoskuldr, cf her er
bat alugat. Gunnarr segir ser bat alvOru: en s\& skildu ver
nacslum, at morgum mundi bat ]>ikkja likligt, at her mundi
ekki samband verSa. Hversu Hzt ber, Rutr frandi? segir IIOs-
kuldr. Rutr svaraQi : ekki bikki mer bella jafnraeSi. Hvat
finnr bu til bess? segir Gunnarr. Riitr nitclti: bvi mnn ek
svara Jier urn betta, er salt er; bu ert ma9r vaskr, ok vel
at ber, en hon er blandin mjok, ok vil ek bik i Ongu svikja.
Vel man ber fara, segir Gunnarr, en |>6 mun ek bat fyrir salt
hafa, at ber vir5it i fornan fjandskap, ef j)er vilit eigi gera
mer kostinn. Eigi er bat, segir Rutr; meir er hitt, at ek se
at bu m;Ut nu ekki viSgera; en b6tt ver kaupim eigi, ba vil-
dim ver b6 vera vinir binir. Ek hefi talat vi9 hana, segir
Gunnarr, ok er bat ekki fjarri hennar skapi. Rutr meelti:
veil ek at b,1flum er betta girnda rd9, ha3ttit j)it ok mestu til,
hversu ferr.
Rutr sag8i Gunnari tifregit allt um skapferSi HallgerSar,
ok b6tti Gunnari fyrst oerit mart, |iat er a"fa"U var, en par kom
si8ar, at saman dr6 kaupmdla me9 peim. Var pa" sent eptir
HallgerSi, var pd talat um m^lit, svA at hon var vi3. Letu
beir nii sem fyrr, at hon festi sik sjalf; skyldi betta bo9 vera
at HU5arenda, ok skyldi fara fyrst leyniliga, en b6 kom bar,
er allir vissu.
Gunnarr rei5 heim af biugi, ok kom til Bergbtirshvol?, ok
sagSi Njali fr1 kaupum sinum ; hann t6k pessu piingliga. Gun-
narr spyrr hvi Nja"li b6tti petta svA urdSligt? t*viat af henni
man standast allt it ilia, er hon kemr austr hingat, segir Njdll.
Aldri skal hon spilla okkru vinfengi, segir Gunnarr. I*at man
})6 [svA na?r fara, segir Njall, en j)6 mant pii jafnan boeta fyrir
henni. Gunnarr baud \j;ili til bo5s ok Ollum beim badan, sem
bann vildi at foeri. Njall het at fara. SiSan rei9 Gunnarr
heim, ok rei3 um hera5it, at bj65a mOnnum.
PART IV.
Modern Icelandic.
This part has been added for Travellers and for practical
purposes; and will, it is hoped, be a welcome assistant for
travellers in Iceland.
The Modern Orthography and Grammar is the same as
the ancient, except k, which |is in modern orthography fre-
quently changed into the softer g, and f, which is frequently
changed into 5.
Modern Icelandic.
For Travellers.
1. Alphabetical Vocabulary.
accept
ganga a9
afternoon
si5ari hluti
acceptable
aftgengilegur
dags.
accommodate
utvega
again
aptur
can you accom-
geti5 be> ut-
age
aid UP
modate me
vega5 me"r
agent
umbo5sma8ur
account
reikningur
air
lopt
give me my ac-
gefi 8 mer reikn-
ale
01
count
inginn minn
a glass of ale
glas af (ili
I admire
eg ddist ad
all
allur
advice
ra5
not at all
alls eigi
give me your
gefiS me"r y5ar
nothing at all
alls ekkert
advice
rSQ
alone
einn, aleinn
after
eptir
also
lika
103
altogether
allir saman,
bath
ba8
alveg
I want a bath
eg vil fa
always
alltaf
ba8
and
og
to be
a8 vera
angler
iinglari
be quick
veri8 flj6tur
animal
dyr
let it be
Iati8 j>a8
to answer
a8 svara
vera
answer me
GjOri8 svo vel
because
af pvia8
please
a8 svara m6r
bed
rum
answer slowly
svari8 seint
give me a bed
Iati8 mig fa
apartment
herbergi
rum
have you an
hafi8 per her-
I go to bed
eg fera8hStta
apartment to
bergi til
beef
nautakjot
let?
leigu?
roast beef
i nautakjots-
apple
epli
beef steakes
l stejk
the arm
handleggurinn
beer
bjor
to arrive
a8 koma
I want some
eg vil & bj6r
to ascend
a8 fara uppa"
beer
I want to as-
eg vil fara
to beg
a3 biftja
cend the
uppa fjalli8
I beg of you
eg bi8 y8iir
mountain
behind
eptir
to ask
a8 spyrja, bi3ja
I left it be-
eg skildi pa8
ask him
spyrji8 haiin
hind
eptir
to assist
a8 hjiilpa
the bell
bjallan,klukkan
assist me
hjalpi8 i HIT
the bill
reikningurinn
at
i, *
to bind
a8 binda
at home
heima
bind it up
bindi8 ba8
at sea
5 sj6
upp
not at all
alls eigi
the bird
fuglinn
attendant
p6nari
can you tell
Geti8 per sagt
I want an at-
eg vil fa" ben-
me where to
m6r, hvar
tendant
ara
get board
in,i fa kost
back
aptur
and lodgings
og husuie8i?
let us go back
fOrum aptur,
boat
batur
'
snuum aptur
book
b6k
bacon
flesk
bookseller
b6kasOluma8ur
bad
vondur
boot
stigvt-1
bandage
umbii8ir
I want my
eg barf a 8 f
bank
banki
boots mended
gjiirt vid slig-
bank note
bankase8ill
\rlin in in
banker
vixlari
brush my
bursta8u slig-
the barber
rakarinu
boots
vrlin min
104
loot jack
stigve"la togari
candle
kerti
box
askja, kassi
I wanta
eg barf kerti
brandy
brennivin, ko-
candle
niakk
care
umhyggja, vari
I want some
egvilfa" brenn-
take care
takid vara
brandy
ivin
carriage
vagn
fill my flask
fyllift floskuna
to carry
a9 bera
with brandy
mina me9
carry this
beri5 betta
brennivini
cartridge
skotmanns ves-
bread
brau5
ki
breakfast
morgunver5ur
cattle
nautpeningur
I want to
eg vil fa" mor-
certain
viss
breakfast
gunver5
chair
sttill
bridge
bru
chamber pot
nattpottur
bring
bera, fsera
change
skipti
bring me
fa3ri5 me"r
give me change
geu'5 mer
bring me some
fa3ri9 me"r
skipti
nokkuft
to charge
a9 setja upp,
a brush
bursti
heimta
brush my
burstiQ fotin
what do you
hva9 seti9 per
clothes
min
charge
upp?
but
en
cheap
od^r
butter
smjOr
cheese
ostur
to buy
a5 kaupa
chest
kista
by
hja, me5, af
- of drawers
dragkista
by and by
viflogvift, bra9-
chicken
hasnuungi,
um
kjuklingiir
by all means
fyrir alia muni
child
barn
by no means
fyrir engan
church
kirkja
mun, engan
chymist
efnafraftingur
veginn
cigar
vindill
cabbage
kal
city
ba3r, slafiur
cabbin
kahetta
clean
hreinn
to call
a5 kalla
cloak
k^pa
call the wai-
kalli8 a bjon-
clock
klukka
ter
inn
closet
afhus
call the man
kallifta'mann-
coach
vagn
inn
coat
frakki
what do you
hva9 kalliS
coffee
kaffi
call thatl
b6r ba9?
give me some
gefiS m6r
can
a5 geta, eg get
coffee
kaffi
can you
geti5 J)6r?
coffee-house
kaffihus
105
n//,/ kaldur
at day break i dtigun
/ feel very mr er mji)g
dear d^r
cold kalt
this is very ])etta er mjOg
comb kambur
dear dyrt
to come a9 koma
delightful yndislegur
come here komi9 he>
dentist tannlxknir
come with me komi9 me9
departure burtfor
mr
descend fara ni9ur
a conveyance flutningur
let us descend forum ni9ur
to cook a9 elda
dialect mallVzka
cost kosta
what dialect hva9a ma*llyzku
what does it bva9 kostar
do they speak tala |>eir
cost? ba9
here? her?
country land
difficult Or9ugur
courier hra9sendibo9i
dinner mi9dagsver9ur
cow k^r
/ want to eg vil la" mi9-
cream rjoini
dine dagsver9
give me some gefi9 m6r
distance fjarlseg9, vega-
cream rj6ma
lengd
cup bolli
what is the hva9 er vega-
cupandsaucer bolli og un-
distance? lengdin?
dirskal
to do a9 gjOra
fo cut a9 skera
do this gj<)ri9 ]>etta
CM* # a9 skera bad
do that gjOrift hitt
dawip rakur, votur
do it gjUri9 |>a9
/ hope the eg vona, a9
do me gji)ri9 fyrir mig
sheets arenot rekkvo9irnar
dont do it gjOri9ba9ekki
damp se ekki rakar
the doctor heknirinn
danish danska
do^ hundur
do you speak tali9berdOns-
door dyr
danish ku?
to doubt a9 efa
what is that hva9 er ba9
/ doubt it eg efa j>a9
called in da- kallad a*
down ni9ur
nish diinsku?
let us go down forum ni9ur
/ do not speak eg tala ekki
drawers nasrbuxur
d,anish dtinsku
to dress a9 kloe9a sig
/ understand eg skil daliti9
to drink a9 drekka
a little da- i dOnsku
/ want to eg vil fa a9
Mtlft
drink drekka
dark dimmur
dry bur
day dagur
each hver
to-day i dag
ea^fe Orn
106
early
snemma
field
engi
earth
jOr8
finger
flngur
east
austur
fire
eldur
east wind
austanvindur
let us make
kveykjum upp
easy
au8veldur, hse-
a fire
eld
gur
I want some
eg vil f& eld
to eat
a8 eta, bor8a
fire
I want to
eg vil fa a8
a fish
fiskur
eat
bor3a
to fish
aft fiska
let us eat
latum oss
let us catch a
la turn oss
bor8a
fish
veifta fisk
have you any-
hafi5 her nokk-
my fishing rod
fiskistOngin
thing to eat ?
u<5 a5
min
bor8a?
flask
flaska, pu5ur-
m
egg
horn
give me two
gefi8 mer tv5
fog
poka
W
egg
foot
f6tur
to engage
a8 festa
my foot is
f6turinn a m6r
engage a guide
festa fylgdar-
sore
er viQkvoemur
mann
for
bvia9
enough
nog
fork
gaffall
evening
kvOld
free
frjals
every
s6rhver
fruit
ivOxtur
every day
s6rhvern dag
full
fullur
eye
auga
game
vei8i
my eye pains
mer er illt i
its there any
er nokkur-
auganu
game here!
veifti h6r
face
andlit
german
byzkur
far
langt
to get
a8 fa, utvega
is it far from
er ba8 langt
get me
iitvegi8 m6r
here?
h68an?
get it
fitvegi8 pa8
how far is it
bva8 langt er
gin
einirberja-
from here?
ba8 began?
brennivin
a farm
baer
to give
a8 gefa
fast
flj6tt
give me
gefl8 mer
go faster
gangi8 fljolar
give it
gefi8 ba8
do not speak
tali8 ekki
a glass
glas
so fast
svona flj6tt
to go
a8 ganga, fara,
faster
fljdtar
koma
fellow
ma8ur
go with me
komi8 me8
you are a good
b6r eru8 g68-
mer
fellow
ur ma8ur
go away
fari8 i burtu
107
go back
fariS aptur
head
hofu3
go down
farifl ni8ur
to hear
a8 heyra
go up
fari8 upp
do you hear?
heyri3[>er
good
g63ur
heart
hjarta
very good
miki3 g68ur
heat
lull
better
betri
great heat
mikill liiii
best
beztur
heavy
bungur
be so good
veri3 svo g68-
height
haeS
ur
what is the
hva8 er
have the good-
gjtirff svo vel
height
haj8in?
ness
help
bjalp
great
mikill
help me
hjSIpff me>
a great deal
mikill liluii
give me a help
veiti8 m6r
gun
byssa
hj.ilp
give me my
faff mer bys-
hen
li.i'iui
gun
suna mina
here
her
where is my
hvar er byssan
come here
komi3 he>
gun?
min?
high
bar
powder
pu8ur
how high is
hva8 hdtt er
it?
ba3?
hair
bar
hill
hae8
hair brush
hdrbursti
to hire
a3 leigja
half
hdlfur
to hold
a3 balda
ham
hangi8 svfns-
hold this
haldi3 a j>essu
lasri
home
heimili
hand
bond
is this your
er betta y8ar
give me your
gefi8 m6r hi)" 11
home?
heimili?
hand
y8ar d()
honest
ra3vandur
hand it me
rettff m6r b
I want an ho-
eg vil fa" r^8-
handkerchief
vasakliitur
nest fellow
vandanmann
handsome
fallegur
horse
hestur
harbour
hofn
horseshoe
skeifa
hard
har8ur
hot
heitur
hare
heri
it is very hot
}>a3 er miki8
harness
aktygi
heitt
hat
hattur
I want it hot
eg vil fd ba3
hatbox
battaskja
heitt
to have
a3 hafa
hotel
gestgjafahus
have you?
hafi8 b6r
hour
klukkustund
let me have.
Ia"ti8 mig hafa
house
bus
hay
bey
how
hversu
he
bann
how much
hversu miki3
108
hunger hungur
do you know viti8 J>er
hungry hungra5ur
lake vatn
/ ant hungry eg er hung-
lamp lampi
ra9ur
?f/ land
a km kofi
landlord Iuisb6ndi
Ice is
language tunga
Iceland Island
Lapland Lappland
an Icelander Islendingur
late seint
are you an eru5 per Is-
rt is very late pa9 er mjog
Icelanderl lendingur?
lava seint hraun.
do you speak talift p6r fs-
?o lay a5 leggja
Icelandic ? lenzku ?
fey if down leggiS I)a8-
what do you hva9kalli5per
ni5ur
call this in betta & is-
?/ down Ieggi9 ni9ur
icelandic! lenzku?
fo /earf a5 leiSa, liggja
if ef
does fAe way liggur vegur-
ill illt
/earf M/)? inn upp?
{ f 1 f 1 mer er illt
lead to right Iei5a a rettan
/ am ill ]
way veg
fetch a doctor saekiQ laeknir
left vinstri
in i, i
to the left til vinstri
in the city i bffinum
to let ad I;ila
in the country a landinu
let me alone latiS mig vera
indeed svo ! sannarlega
let it be IdtiS pa9 vera
the inn veitingahiis
?ef me do it Iati5 mig gjOra
inn keeper veitingamaSur
pa3
ink blek
let it be done Iati5 paS vera
insect skorkvikindi
gjtirt
iron jam
Zeer bref
island ey
any letters for nokkur bref
it ba9
met til min?
to keep geyma
send the letter sendi5 brefi5
keep it for me geymi<5 ba5
to the Post a p6st hiisi5
fyrir mig
life Iff
key lykill
the light IjosiS
knife hnifur
bring a light komi5 me5
give me a Ij3i8 mer hnif
Ijos
knife
strike a light kveikiQ Ijos
where is my hvar er hnif-
light the candle kveikiS a kert-
knife? urinn minn
inu
to know aS vita, bekkja
like lika, pykja
/ know eg veil
vsent um
109
/ should like m6r skyldi
^it;c me some gHifi m6r
})ykja vjcnt
7fr nijolk
urn
w7/ mynla
linnen linfot
money peningar
wash my lin- })\oi5 IfnfOliii
moon m;ini, tungl
nen mm
7oor myri
/ want my eg l>arf aft (A
more meira
linnen wash- linfotin min
more on(/ meira og^neira
ed immedi- l>vegiii undir-
more
ately eins
nosf mest
little litill
morning morgun
to live a8 lifa
mother m68ir
liver lifur
mucA, mikid
loaf hrau8
it is too much pa5erofmiki5
lock ls, skni
much more miki9 meira
lock the door I*si8 dyrunum
so much svo mikiQ
lodging leiguherbergi
must. v. aux. verSa, hljota
/on# langur, Icngi
you must do it ]ier ver5i8 a5
to look ad lila
gjOra pa8
looking glass spegill
mustard mustarQur
to lose a9 missa, tina
mutton sau8akjOt
/ have lost eg hefi misst
my minn
have you lost ? hafiS p6r misst
natY nOyl
luggage farangur
name nafn
where is my hvar er fa-
what is your hva8 er nafn
luggage? rangurinn
name? y8ar?
minn?
my name is N. n afn mi tt er N
to make a8 gjOra
narrow prOngur
make haste flytift y8ur
nasty slffimur
man ma8ur
near naerri
many margur
it is near? er pa8 naerri?
market markaSur
necessary nauQsynlegur
me inig, m6r
needle ndl
meat kjot
neither hvorki
roast meat steikt kjot
neither-nor hvorki-n6
feoz'/erf meat so9i8 kjot
never aldrei
fo weef a5 mta
new nyr
meet me maetiQ m6r
news ti8indi
merchant kaupmaBur
next uaest
n?7fc iiijolk
night n6tt
have you any liafiS per nokk-
/as; night i gaurkvOldi
milk? ra mj61k
no engiun
110
no one
enginn
pear
pera
nobody
enginn ma9ur
pen
penni
nr
nor9ur
penknife
pennahnifur
north wind
norSan vindur
pencil
ritbly
not
ekki
people
Iy5ur
not yet
ekki enn ]ia
pepper
pipar
now
mi
perhaps
ef til vill
oats
hafrar
person
ma8ur
to oblige
hjalpa um
a pin
tituprjonn
oblige me
hjlpi5 mer
pipe
pipa
um
pistol
smabyssa
ocean
haf
place
staQur
off
burtu
plate
diskur
far off
langt i burtu
poor
fatsekur, vesall
often
opt
pork
svinakjOt
oil
olia, lysi
porter
bur8arma9ur
old
gamall
portmanteau
fer<5ataska
omlet
eggjakaka
post
p6stur
on
a
where is the
hvar er p6st-
only
einungis
post office?
skrifstofan ?
open
opin ii
postage
burSareyrir
or
e9a
potatoe
jarSepli, kart-
an orange
apelsina
apla
other
annarr
powder
piiSur
the other man
hinnmaSurinn
pronounce
bera fram
the other day
um daginn
pronounce this
beriQberbetta
each other
hver annan
to me
fram lyrir mig
out
lit
provisions
matv?eli, nesti
out of
lit lir
to put
a5 setja
over
yfir
put it down
seti5pa3ni5ur
ox
uxi
put it there
seli5 ba5
to pack
a9 lata uppa"
barna
the mules
lilfaldarnir
quick
fljotur
paper
pappir
railway
jaYnbraut
to pay
a5 borga
rain
regn
I want to pay
eg a3tla a8
rain water
regnvatn
borga ?
it is a rainy
ba9 er rignin-
what have I
hvaS a" eg a<5
day
gar dagur i
to pay?
borga
dag
peak
tindur
rainy
regnlegur
can we ascent
getum vi8 fari9
will it rainl
ailar hann a3
the peak?
upp;i tindinn
rigna?
Ill
raw hra"r
let us see Idtum oss >j,t
to read aft lesa
to send aft senda
read it to me lesift paft fyrir
send it away sendift baft i
mig
burtu
ready tilbiiinn
servant pjtiim
is every thing er allt tilbiiift?
/M sef aft setja
ready?
set it down setiftj>aftniftur
are you rea- eruft her til-
to sew aft sauma
dy? buinn
to shave aft raka
rest hvild
she hun
let us rest vift skulum
ship skip
here hvila herna
s/urf skirla
to return aft fara aptur
shoe sk6r
rich rikur
shoemaker sk6ari
n'rfe rifta
sicAr sjiikur
/ u>z'W rufe eg vil rifta
to sit aft sitja
rifle kulubyssa
to sleep aft sofa
right reltur
sfegp svefn
is this right? er betta rett
slow seinn
is it the right er betta sa
$ma/2 lilill
way? retti vegur?
to smoak aft reykja
to the right til haegri
soap s;i|>;i
ripe broskaftur
soon br^lftuin
river a
N/V//: tala
road vegur
do you speafc talift b6r
ffa /M'giA road alfaravegur
english ? ensku ?
rough 6slettur
or french efta frakk-
a rough road 6slettur vegur
nesku
rum romm
or Icelandic efta fsleDzku
to run aft hlaupa
or danish? efta donsku?
saddle hnakkur, s05ull
7 rfo no? speak eg tala ekki
saddlebags hnakkpoki
/ speak a little eg tala d;ilil ift
horse hestur
speak slowly talift hffigtji ;.j
salt salt
spoon skeift, sp6nn
have you any hafi9 b6r nokk-
steamer gufuskip
salt? u3 salt?
steel stal
sand sandur
stocking sokkur
to say a8 segja
stone stein n
the sea sj6rinn
s/rato str^
the sea bird sjofuglinn
s/reef strati
the sea shore sjdfarstriindin
s*ron$f sterkur
to see aft sjd
stupid heimskur
112
sugar sikur
towel handklaefti
sun s6l
town ba3r, staQur
supper kvoldverBur
travel fer5
sweet saetur
trowsers buxur
to swim aB synda
true sannur
table borB
trunk koffort
the tailor skraddarinn
under undir
to take aB taka
understand skilja
take me t
Iaki5 mig
do you under- skili3 ber mig ?
take it
takiB baB
stand me?
tea tevatn
I do not un- eg skil y3ur
a cup of tea
tevalnsbolli
derstandyou ekki
have you any hafiB ber nokk-
can you un- getiB ber
tea
uB tevatn
derstand? skiliB ?
hot tea
heilt tevatn
not much ekki roikiB
cold tea
kalt tevatn
only a little einungisdalit-
tea spoon
teskeiB
iS
to tell aB segja
until til
tell me
segiB mer
up upp
I tell you
eg segi yBur
Mp ^e ^?7/ upp haeBina
tent ijald
up the stream uppeptirflj<H-
thanks bakkir
inu
many thanks
margfaldar
upon a
bakkir
vegetables kalmeti
I thank you
eg bakka yBur
very m foo
that aB
the waiter bj6nniun
theatre leikhus
to walk aB ganga
then
)d
warm heitur
there
>ar
to wash aB bvo
thick
)ykkur
the washing bvotturinn
thin
)imnur
the watch liriB
thirsty {)yrstur
water vatn
/ am very
eg er mikiS
give me some gefiB mer vatn
thirsty
byrstur
water
this bessi
the water closet naBhiisiB
time timi
the way vegurinn
what is the
hva5 er fram-
show me the visiB m^rveg-
time?
or3i5 ?
way inn
to til, i, a"
which way hvaBa veg verB
to-day
i dag
must I go? eg aB fara?
to-morrow
a morgun
which is the hvar ervegur-
tobacco t6bak
way to? inn til?
113
we
vr, vid
window
gluggi
weather
vedur
wine
vin
will it be fair
aitli bad verdi
have you any
hafid [X'T nokk-
weather?
gott vedur
wine ?
ud \ in
will it be bad
aetli bad verdi
Portwine or
portvin eda
weather?
vont vedur
Sherry?
serri
well
gott, godur,
with
med
friskur
without
an
I am not well
eg er ekki g6d-
woman
kona
ur, friskur
wood
skogur, vidur
west
veslur
to write
ad skrifa
wet
volur
to write a
ad skrifa breT
what
hvad
letter
where
hvar
year
ar
when
hvena3r
yes
j&
which
liver, hvada
yet
enn, ennbiH
ichy ?
bvi
you
b6r
will you
vilid ber
you are
b6r erud
wild
villur
are you?
erud b6r?
wind
vindur
yourself
ber sjalfur
11. Necessary Questions.
I want
Mig vantar, eg
some brandy
brennivin, kon-
barf, eg vil
iakk
ft
a bottle of
brennivins
some bacon
nesk
brandy
flOsku
a banker
vixlara
some bread
braud
a bath
bad
to breakfast
ad borda morg-
my beard shav-
skegg mitt rak-
unverd
ed
ad
tea, coffee,
tevatn, kaffi
a bedroom
svefnherbergi
two eggs and
tvo egg og
some beer
bj6r
bacon
flesk
my bill
reikninginn
or ham
eda hangid
minn
svinslaBri
the bill of
matarlistann
a brush
bursta
fare
some butter
smjrtr
my boots clean-
stigvelin min
to buy
ad kaupa
ed
lireinsud
Jferdanokann
my boots soled
stigvelin min
my carpetbag
i minn
sulud
a carriage
vagn
Icelandic Grammar.
8
114
for one, two eina, tvser
a horse best
hours stundir
some ink blek
for a day einn dag
an interpreter tulk
the chamber- pj6nustu stiilku
the landlord htisb6ndann
maid
my letters brefm min
some cheese ost
to write a letter a9 skrifa bref
to change some a5 skipta nokk-
to post a letter a9 koma l.irefi
money rum pening-
A postlinn
um
my linnen linfotin min
my coat frakkann minn
washed ^vegin
my collars kragana mina
my baggage farangurinn
washed pvegna
minn
a cup of coffee kaffibolla
some meat kjot
a cup of tea tevatnsbolla
cold meat kalt kjot
a comb kamb
hot meat heitt kjot
to dine a8 borSa mi5-
pepper pipar
dagsverQ
pens penna
fish fisk
the porter burSarmanninn
roast meat steikt kjOt
roast beaf steikt nautakjot
boiled meat so9i5 kjot
mutton - sauftakjot
potatoes jarSepli, kart-
veal - kdlfskjot
Oplur
pork - svinakjot
vegetables kalmeti
the railway jarnbrautin
pudding biicJing
a room herbergi
salad salat
some salt salt
drawers naerbuxur
to see the town a5 sja baeinn
eggs egg
- - - thea- - - Ieikhusi5
a fire eld
tre
to get up at aft fara faetur
to see the pro- - - skemmli-
5 o'clock klukkanfimm
menade gdngusviQiS
a glass of water glas af vatni
dry sheets burrar rekk-
a glass of wine glas af vlni
vo8ir
to go to the . . a9 fara til
shirts skirtur
to goby steamer a9 fara med
my shirts skirturnar min-
gufuskipi
washed ar pvegnar
to go by rail- a9 fara me5
a sitting room herbergi
way jirnbraut
my slippers morgunskona
to go to bed a5 hatta
mina
some ham hangift svins-
some soap sdpu
Ia3ri
a stick staf
a good hotel gott gestgjafa-
my stockings sokkaiia mina
hus
suggar sikur
115
supper
kvi>ldver5
help me
lijalpa IIKT
a ticket
bilseti
let me
l;ila mig
for the 1 st class
a" fyrsta pla"ss
let me have
1,-ila mig Inl.i
forthe2" d class
a annad plass
look for
ga a 9
toothbrush
tannbursta
look after
lita eptir
my trowsers
luixurnarminar
make
gjOra
my trunk
koffortift mitt
mend
gjOra vi8
umbrella
regnhlif
oblige
lij.-iijia uiu
you to wake me
a<5 ber veki8
pick
Una
at . . .
mig urn . . .
please
p6knast
the waiter
bjdninn
procure
utvega
some water
vatn
recommend
myela me8
hot water
heitt vatn
remain
vera eptir
cold water
kalt vatn
rest
hvila
watch
ur
ride
ri9a
wine
vin
row
roa
a bottle of wine
flosku af vini
skate
fara a skauluin
port wine
portvin
speak
tala
sherry
serri
swim
synda
claret
rau5a vin
stay
dvelja
stop
standa vi9
111. Will you
Vili8 per
tell me
walk
segja m6r
ganga
ask
spyrja, bi8ja
assist me
hjdlpa mer
IV. Does the
bring
call me
ftera, bera
kalla ;i mig
bell ring?
hringir bjallan?
come
koma
coach go to A?
fer vagninn til
drive
aka
A?
divide
skipta
coach stop at B?
stendur vagn-
do
gjOra
inn vtf i
do me
gjOra fyrir mig
B?
fetch
srekja
- slop here?
stendur vagn-
find
finna
inn vi8
get
la
he>na?
go to
fara til
- leave at?
fer vagninn
away
fara burtu
hurt?
from
fara fra"
- take pass-
tekur vagninn
give me
gefa mer
engers?
vi8 fer8a-
go with
fara me9
mOnnum?
go on
fara afram
coach start at ?
fer vagninn a
hand me
retta mt'-r
sta8?
8*
116
road lead to ?
f liggur vegur-
V. Is it?
E r h a n n
- take to?
l inn til?
(ba8)
- pass near?
liggur vegurinn
\ |'vy
naerri?
attentive
aftgnetinn
- crosses at ?
liggur vegurinn
bad
vondur
yflrum
beautiful
fagur
railway go to ?
liggur jarn-
bitter
bitur
brautin
black
svarlur
train go quick?
fer jdrnbrautar-
blue
blar
lestin hart?
blunt
slj6r
train go slow ?
ferjarnbrautar-
bold
djarfur
lestin hffigt?
broad
brei5ur
mail start
fer posturinn
brown
brunn
af sta5?
careless
skeylingarlaus
journey take
varir fer5in
cheap
6dyr
long?
lengi?
clean
hreinn
steamer start
fer gufuskipift
clever
lipur
from?
frd?
cold
kaldur
steamer pass
fer gufuskipiS
dark
dimmur
here?
herna framhjS?
dear
dv^r
steamer stops
stendur gufu-
deep
djupur
here?
skipiQ herna
disagreeable
6paegilegur
vi8?
difficult
erfi5ur
steamer stop
stendur gufu-
dirty
6hreinn
at?
skipiS vi9 i?
dry
purr
steamer land
lastur gufuskip-
easy
auftvekliir
passengers ?
i9 fer9a-
empty
t6mur
menn a
false
6sannur
land?
far
langt
way lead over ?
liggur vegurinn
fine
fallegur
yfir?
flat
flatur
way lead
liggur vegurinn
full
fullur
through ?
gegnum ?
green
grapnn
way go right?
liggur vegurinn
good
go9ur
til hsegri?
great
mikill
- left?
liggur vegurinn
grateful
bakkldtur
til vinstri?
grey
grir
- strait
liggur vegurinn
hard
har9ur
on?
beint alram?
heavy
J)ungur
time admit of?
leyfir timinn.
healthy
heilnrcmur.
heilsugoSur
hiqh
bar
117
hollow
hoi ur
short
honest
rdQvandur
sick
hot
heilur
small
kind
g69ur
soft
large
st6r
sour
left
leifQur, eptir
strong
tight
leltur
stupid
long
langur
sweet
low
Mgur
tedious
mild
mildur
thick
narrow
brOngur
thin
near
na?rri
tired
new
n 5 r
true
nice
nettur
uggly
obliging
grei5vikinn
unhealthy
old
gamall
unwell
polite
kurteis
warm
poor
fdtaekur, vesall
weak
prudent
hygginn, for-
well
sjall
wet
red
rauour
white
rich
rikur
wild
right
r6ttur
wide
ripe
]}roska5ur
wise
rough
6slettur
wrong
round
kringlottur, si-
yellow
valur
young
sharp
skarpur
stuttur
sjukur
If till
mjiikur
sur
sterkur
liciinskur
saetur
leidinlegur
>ykkur
mnniir
'jreyttur
sannur
Ij6tur
6heiln:emur
6friskur
heitur
veikur
heilbrig3ur
volur
hvitur
viltur
viSur
vi tin-
ran gur
gulur
ungur
VI. Adverbs.
nil
alls
by all means
fyrir alia muni
almost,
naestum
by no means
fyrirenganimm
already
pegar
by and by
vi5 og vi8, br;i5-
always
alltaf
iini
at last
ad siftuslu
certainly
vissulega
at once
i einu, undir-
daily
daglega
eins
early
snemma
because
af [nia9
else
annars
besides
auk
enough
u6g
but'
en
ere
45or
118
ever
jafnan, setiS
out lit
extremely
mjog
perhaps ef til vill
exceedingly,
einstaklega
pretty fallegt
here
her
quite alveg
hither
hingaQ
scarce valla
hourly
hverja stund
seldom sjaldan
how
hvernig, hversu
since si5an
however
samt sem ciftur
so svo
if
ef
some nokkucf
in
i
sometimes stundum
indeed
svo
SOOM bra5um
in fact
i raun rettri
surely vissulega
in this manner
svona
then
)a
in short
i stuttu mali
there
)ar
just now
einmitt niina
thither
)anga5
late
seint
thus
jannig
like
likt
till
)anga9 til
monthly
manaSarlega
to-day :
dag
much
mikicJ
to-morrow a morgun
neither-nor
hvorki-ne
to-night i
kvold
never
aldrei
truly sannarlega
no
nei
well vel
no doubt
efalaust
very mjog
not
ekki
where? hvar?
not at all
alls ekki
whence? hvaftan?
nothing
ekkert
why? pvi?
now
nu
with I
i me9an
of course
sjalfsagt
without doubt efalaust
only
einungis
yearly arlega
oft
opt
yesterday i
ga3r
once
einusinni
yet enn, ennpa
over
yfir
VII. Voyage to Iceland.
/ go to Iceland
When?
to-morrow
how?
by the steamer from Grange-
mouth,
eg fer til Islands
hvenaer?
a morgun
hvernig?
me<5 gufuskipinu fra Grange-
mouth,
119
It is a screw steamer
It comes from Copenhagen
And goes to Reykjavik
rails at Grangemouth
On their outward and home-
ward voyaije
six times a year
The ship is clean ami fast
The danish cheer provided is
ample and loholesome
No man used to luxuries
Shonld make the trip
Even in fine weather
A few Icelanders are an board
The to eat her is excellent
We left the Shetlands yesterday
The Faroe islands are in sight
Their mountains and cliffs are
lofty
At noon we reashed Nalsoe
From which we went to Thors-
haven
We leave the Faroes for Ice-
land
Iceland is one- fifth larger than
Ireland
It is situated about 500 miles
N. W. of Scotland
The Needles of Portland Head
are curious
We pass the singular rock called
the ,,Mealsack" and see Rey-
kianaes
The horizon is so clear, that
ice see in the north the mag-
nificent outline of the Snae-
fells Jo kul
The view is magnificent
>,') <T
|)a5 kermir IV;i KaupmannahdAi,
og fer til Ileykjavikur;
]>afi kenitir vi8 i Grangemouth
a ut- og heim-leiftinni,
sex sin num a ,'iri.
Skipift er hreint og trau>(.
Ilin danska f;e3a, sem vein er,
er mikil og liciln.-nn.
Enginn inadur, vanur vifisii-llili,
setti a9 fara pa for,
jafnvel f ^goSu veSri.
FAeinir Islendingar eru a
skipinu
Ve9ri8 er ^gaelt.
\ IT torum fra Skotlandi i ga3r.
Fa3reyararnar eru i syn.
Fjollin og bjOrgin d |>eim eru
hi.
Urn hadegi komumsl V'T til
N^lseyar,
jiarian forum ver til jiorshafnar.
\ cr ITtrum fra F*reyuin til fs-
Island er einum flmta liluta
slrerra en Irland
|)a91iggur h6rumbil fimin liund-
ru5 milur i utnorihir frd
Skollandi
Drangarnir viQ Dyrfadlaey (Port-
land) eru skrilnir.
Vi9 ft) nun framhja hinuni si'-r-
slaklega kletti, sem kalla^ur
erMelsekkur, og sj;Uim I<'\ k-
janes
Lopti5 er svo bjarl, a5 ver
sjaum i nordri hina lignlegu
af Snaefellsjokli;
Ulsjonin er vegleg
120
We soon reach the bay in which
lies the capital Reykjavik
Here you will find an hotel
It is not a bad one
But you have only a week to
return by the steamer
We want ponies by to-morrow
for the Geysers
Early, very early I
The Icelanders think little of
time
It is indefinite,
Early in Iceland, is at any time
during the forenoon
The beds are delicious
This is the land of eider-down
The icinter requires warmths,
rest, sleep
The harbour and Esianrange
is visible
There is a pretty cemetery
At its foot is the road to Bessa-
stad
This is the promenade of the
beau monde
There is a cathedral
It contains a font by Thor-
waldsen,
who was of Icelandic parentage.
At the back of the church is
the Alsing, the house of par-
lament of the island,
But the whole town looks more
like a village.
Society here is purely Danish.
The great natural phenomena,
with the exception of the
Krabla, lie in and about the
south-west portion of the is-
land.
Ve"r komumst bra'Sum inna" flo-
ann, barsem hofu3sta5urinn
Reykjavik liggur.
Par er gestgjaf'a bus;
ba5 er ekki sla3mt;
JDer hafi5 a5eins viku, ef per
fari5 aptur rne5 gufuskipinu.
Vi5 burfum hesta a" morgun
til Geysis;
snemma bra"Ssnemma !
fslendingar hugsa eigi miki5
urn limann;
ba8 er oakvar5a9.
Snemma a" Island! er allt til
ha"degis.
Riimin eru inndsel;
betta er eeftarduns land.
'A veturna })urfa menn hita,
hvild, svefn.
Hofnin sest og fjallgar8ur sa",
sem kallaQur er Esjan.
barna er laglegur kirkjugar9ur.
Fram hja honum liggur vegur-
inn til Bessasta3a.
Hann er skernmtig Ongusvid
hinna ungu manna,
Jiarna er domkirkja,
par er skirnarfontur eptir
Thorvaldsen
Fa9ir hans var Islendingur
'A bak viS kirkjnna ( er er bus
J)a5, sem Aiding Jslands er
haldift i.
Allur ba3rinn litur lit likt og
borp.
Samkvcemin eru b6r me3 alveg
dOnslui sni5i.
Hin miklu natturu einkenni
eru Oil i og kringum su9-
vestur hluta landsins , a5
KrOflu undan skildri.
121
The island is volcanic.
At Thingvalla, of historic re-
noun, is good shooting.
It is one of the most wonder-
ful sights in the world.
All are riding ponies.
No one thinks of walking here.
The Salmon fishing is excellent
sport,
Particularly the salmon rivers
at Bogar Fiord.
From here you can go to Snae-
fells Jo'kul
Visit the valley of Reykholt and
its terminal waters,
The cave of Surtshellir,
Than, if you have time, go
across country to Geyser and
Hekla.
Generally the visitors only go
to the Geysers and Hekla.
You ought to have good travel-
ling books.
LamliJf er fullt af eldfjullum.
'A I'ingvolliim. SCID iiafMl'iM'iMr
eru i siigulegu tilliti, er n6g
a8 skjoia.
I*eir er ein liin umlrunarverS-
asta sjun i heimi.
Allir rifta a" heslum.
Engum delliir i hug ad ^;niu r a
ber.
Laxveidi er ^gaet skemmtun,
cinkuni i lax.inum i Borgar-
He5an mfi lara til Sria3fells-
jokuls
Sko8iS Reykholtsdalinn og
laugarnar J)ar.
Surtshellir
Ef l>er hafid J)i lima til, geti8
per fari9 ylir um Iandi8 til
Geysis og Heklu.
Vanalega fara fer5amenn aSeins
til Geysis og Heklu.
per 0etti9 aS hafa go5ar ferSa-
baekur.
LIST OP
ICELANDIC BOOKS
IN STOCK OK IMPORTED BY
FRANZ THIMM
EUROPEAN AND ORIENTAL BOOKSELLER 3 BROOK STREET.
GROSVEJiOR SQRE, LONDON. W.
f. S. d.
Andreae, Lexicon Islandicum. ed. Resenius. 4. 1683. 14
Dietrich's, Altnordisches Lesebueh, Poesie und Prosa bis
XV. Jahrh. 1843. 4 6
Edda Islandorum. Islandice, danice et latine. ed. Rese-
nius. 4 paries. 4. 166573. 3
Saemnndi, dicta Voluspa, Iscel. elLat. ed. Resenii, 4. 1673. 1 10
- Semundar Hinns Froda. 3 Vol. 4. 17871828. 55
- die, iibersetzt von Simrock, 8. 1855. 76
Egilsson, Lexicon pret. anti. Linguae septentrionalis. 1854. 2 10
Fommanna. Sogur eplir gomlum Handritum utgefnar ad Tilh-
lutun bins Norraena Fornfraeda Felags; in Icelandic. 12
Vols. 8. Kop. 18121837. 2 10
Gilasun'S, DonskOrdabok, medlslenzumThydingum. 4. 1851. 14
- urn frum. parta Islenzkrar tungu i fornold. 1846. 7 6
Grimm, W. C. Alldanische Heldenlieder, Balladen u. Mar-
chen, iibersetzt ins Deutsche. 1. 1811. 9
Haldorsen'S Lexicon Islandico-latino-danicum ed.Rask. 1814. 2 10 -
Jonsson'S Oldnordisk (islandsk-dansk) Ordbog. Cop. 1863. 1 1
Ire. (J. Glossarium Suio-Gothicum ; Dialect. Moceso-Gothica,
Anglo-Saxonica, Anglica hodierna, Islandica, etc. 2 Vol.
Folio. 1769. 4 10
Islands Landnamabok : Islandice el Lat. 4to. 1774. 1 1
Roppen. Liter. Einleilung in die Nordische Mythologie. 1837. 5
Mboius, fiber die allesle islandische Saga. 1852. 3
Ueber die altnordische Philologie 1864. 16
Analecta Norrasna. Island. u.Tiorw. Lit. d. Mittelalters 1859. 70
Miiller, L. G. Islandsk Laesebog. Kop. 1836. 8
Pfeiffer, Altnordisches Lesebueh. Text, Grammatik, Worth.
1860. 9
Rask, die Verslehre der Islander, deutsch. von Mohnike. 1830. 2
- Undersogelse om del gamle islandske nordiske eller
Sprogs Oprindelse. Cop. 1818. 10
Icelandic Grammer by Dacent (rare) 1843. Cloth. 14
Scripta Historica Islandorum de rebus gestis veterum
Borealium. ed. Soc. Reg. Antiq. Sept. 12 Vols. 8. Cop.
1828/46. 55
Wheaton'S history of the Northmen 1831. 8 6
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