Proverbs and proverbial materials in Færeyinga saga.

Editions used.    Færeyinga saga. Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar eptir Odd munk Snorrason. Ed. Ólafur Halldórsson. Íslenzk fornrit. XXV. Reykjavík. 2006.
Others.
Translations used. The Faroe Islanders' saga, tr. George Johnston. Oberon Press, 1975.
Others.

Editorial comment.    Approximately 28350 words.

ÍF. XXV.  6. 13.  Snæúlfr svarar: "Illa er pér farit," segir hann; "leitar á þér betri menn um sakleysi, en berr þó ofvallt lægra hlut."
GJtr. 6. 27.  Snæulf to Hafgrim, on his conflict with Brestir:
"Things are bad with you, says he; you pick on better men for nothing and you always get the worst of it too."

ÍF. XXV.  7. 16. "Þú ert skauð at meiri at þú getr eigi sótt tvá menn við tvennar tylftir manna, ok er þat háttr þinn at hafa jafnan aðra á skotspœni fyrir þér ok þorir lítt í nánd at koma þegar nökkur er mannraun í."
GJtr.
7. 29.  Thrand to Hafgrim when the latter asks him for help against Brestir:
"The bigger mare's cunt you if you can't bring down two men with two dozen, and what you always do is get someone else in front of you to draw the blows . . ."

ÍF. XXV.  7. 16. "Þú ert skauð at meiri at þú getr eigi sótt tvá menn við tvennar tylftir manna, ok er þat háttr þinn at hafa jafnan aðra á skotspœni fyrir þér ok þorir lítt í nánd at koma þegar nökkur er mannraun í."
GJtr.
7. 29.  Thrand to Hafgrim when the latter asks him for help against Brestir:
"The bigger mare's cunt you if you can't bring down two men with two dozen, and what you always do is get someone else in front of you to draw the blows . . ."

ÍF. XXV.  7. 17-8.  Sveinarnir sátu á klettinum ok sá upp á þessi tíðendi, ok grét Þórir, en Sigmundr mælti: "Grátum eigi, frændi, en munum lengr."
GJtr. 7. 30.  
Thorir and Sigmund react to the killing of their fathers after Bjarni declares the boys themselves must not be killed:
The boys sat on the crag and watched what happened and thorir cried, but Sigmund said, "Let us not cry cousin, and remember all the longer."

ÍF. XXV.  9. 21.  Réð nú Þrándr einn öllu í Færeyjum, ok treystisk engi honum þá í móti at mæla.
GJtr. 9. 32.
 Thrand dominates the Faroes:
Thrand now ruled alone over everything in the Faroes, and no-one dared talk back to him about anything.

ÍF. XXV.  10. 23.  Nú vaknar Sigmundr við þat at maðr kemr inn, mikill vexti ok í hreinbjálfa ok hafði hreindýri á baki.2  Hann hafði uppi nasarnar ok ver ygldr ok spurði hvat komit3 væri.  2hreinbjálfi: fat úr hreindýraskinni, væntanlega yfirhöfn.  3hvat komit: skr. 'hva komi' F.
GJtr.  10. 33.  
Sigmund is awakened by the return of 'Úlfr':
His nose was up in the air, he was frowning and he demanded to know what had come in.

ÍF. XXV.  12. 28.  "Þér varð þessa þrekvirkis auðit, frændi," sagði Þórir, "en eigi mér, ok er þat ok líkligast at ek sé um mart þinn eptirbátr."
GJtr.  12. 36.  
Thorir acknowledges Sigmund´s superiority:
This great deed was fated for you, cousin, said he, and not for me, and there is little doubt that in many things I shall be your cock-boat.

ÍF. XXV.  13. 29.  Ok nú er svá er komit, þá segir Sigmundr Úlfi fóstra sínum at hann vill á brott leita, "ok þykki mér lítil okkur afdrif verða munu ef vit forvitnumsk eigi til annarra manna."
GJtr.  13. 37.  
Sigmund asks 'Úlfr' for permission to go travelling:
And at this stage Sigmund tells Ulf, his foster-father, that he wants to go away--for it seems to me that our fate will not come to much if we have no curiosity about other men.
Ed. note.  See Laxdœla saga, ÍF V.  72. 211. Bolli svarar: "Þat hefi ek lengi haft í hug mér, at ganga suðr um sinns sakar; þykkir maðr við þat fávíss verða, ef hann kannar ekki víðara en hér Ísland."

ÍF. XXV.  14. 32.  Faðir hans svarar at hann vill hátt støkkva, en þetta verðr þó, at þeir feðgar fara til Þórálfs bónda ok bera upp ørendi sín um bónorð Þorkels við dóttur hans Ragnhildi.
GJtr.  14. 38.  
Steingrim tells his son, Thorkell, that he is aiming above his station in seeking to marry Ragnhild, daughter of Farmer Thoralf:
His father answers that he is wanting to jump high, but it happens nevertheless that father and son go to Farmer Thoralf's and make known their errand.

ÍF. XXV.  15. 32.  Faðir hans varð illa við þetta ok kvað hann taka stein um megn sér ok bað hann flytja hana heim skjótt.
GJtr.  15. 39.  
Steingrim tells his son, Thorkell, that he has undertaken more than he can manage in taking Ragnhild:
His father got angry about this, told him he was lifting too heavy a rock for his strength and ordered him to take her back quickly.

ÍF. XXV. 16. 34.  . . . þá segir Steingrímr at Þorkell má eigi heima þat vera meðan þeir leita mest eptir honum; . . . 
GJtr.  16. 40.  
Steingrim warns Thorkell, newly outlawed for killing Thoralf, that he must go into hiding:
When father and son hear this, Steingrim says that Thorkell cannot be at home while the hunt is first hot after him . . .
Ed. note. FJ Proverb word 43. Page 71. blóðnætr – blóðnætr eru (hverjum kan tilföjes) bráðastar Gl. 25, Vats 39, Bisk I 142. ‘Blodnætterne er (for enhver) de mest æggende’. ‘Blodnætter’ er de nætter (dage), som følger efter et drab, og ordsprogets egl. mening er, at den der skal hævne et drab er allerivrigst med at hævne straks. GJ har ordspr. med v. l. blóðæsarnar og med varianten um blóðhnútinn er hverjum bráðast.
TPMA 2.   50. BLUT/sang/blood  8. Blutnächte sind die jähesten Nächte  Nord. 32 Þat er fornt mál, at blóðnætr eru hverjum bráðastar Das ist ein altes Sprichwort, dass die Blutnächte für jeden die jähesten sind VÍGA-GLÚMS SAGA 15, 2 (= JÓNSSON, ARKIV 43. JÓNSSON 18). 33 Þvíat blóðnætr eru bráðastar Denn Blutnächte sind die jähesten VATNSDŒLA SAGA 24, 1 (= JÓNSSON, ARKIV 43). 34 Blóðnætr aru bráðastarBlutnächte sind die jähesten BISKUPASŒGUR I, 142 (→ JÓNSSON, ARKIV 43).

ÍF. XXV. 16. 35.  ". . . ok komir mér í þrift ok í sætt við sveitunga mína, því at mjök leiðisk mér nú í óbyggðum þessum." 
GJtr.  16. 41.  
Thorkell asks Sigmund to speak for him if he becomes accepted among the chieftains of the district:
". . . see if you can better things for me and make my peace with the men of my district, for I have grown very tired of this forlorn country."

ÍF. XXV.  17. 37.  Sigmundr kvezk helzt vilja fara í víking ok fá þá annat hvárt nökkurn frama eða bana.
GJtr.  17. 42.  
Sigmund, as the son of Brestir, his former liegeman, asks Earl Hakon for help in undertaking an expedition:
Sigmund says that his heart is set on raiding and winning one or the other, fame or death.

ÍF. XXV.  18. 38.  Treystisk hann hvergi til at halda þar er mikit er fyrir við þenna liðskost. Hann lætr þó fara kaupmenn í friði.
GJtr.  18. 43.  
The composer describes Sigmund's strategy:
He did not trust himself to attack where there was much opposition, not with this crew, but merchants he lets go their ways unmolested.

ÍF. XXV.  19. 42.  "Mörg eru enn góð til," sagði Sigmundr, "ok optar sigrask þeim eigi vel er fleiri eru saman, ef menn eu skeleggir til móts.  Nú skulu vér þat ráð taka at fylkja liði váru ok gera á svínfylking."1    1svínfylking: nefnd porcinum caput (þ.e. svínshöfuð) í latnesku herfræðriti frá 4. öld (Vegetius, Epitoma rei Militaris, 3.19). Slíkar fylkingar voru afbragð í sögum og er víða getið, sjá t.d. Saxa, 8. bók, kap. 3 og 8, og Íf. XXXV, 61-63. Sjá einning Lexicon poeticum undir hamalt. En heimildir benda til að svínfylking hafi gefist afar illa í orrustum, sjá G. Johnston, The Faroe Islanders' Saga, 129-30.
GJtr.  19. 46.  
Sigmund, on an aggressive punitive expedition in Sweden, finding himself threatened by the forces of King Eirik's bailiff Bjorn:
There is still plenty we can do, said Sigmund; big numbers don't often mean much when they are faced by hard men. Here is the tactic we shall use: draw our troop up into a swine-snout.

ÍF. XXV.  19. 42.  Sigmundr segir at þeir skulu eigi reka flóttann; sagði at þeir hefði ekki afla til þess í ókunnu landi.
GJtr.  19. 47.  
Sigmund advises against chasing the fleeing remnants of Bjorn's troops:
Sigmund tells them not to chase the fleeing men, said they did not have the numbers for it in a strange land.

ÍF. XXV.  20. 44.  Aðill mælti þá: "Umskipti hafa nú orðit, ok mun Vandill drepinn ok leggjum á flótta. Verðr nú hverr at leita fyrir sér."
GJtr.  20. 48.  
The Viking Adill advises flight, assuming the death of Vandill:
Then Adill spoke: There has been a turn in the fighting, Vandill must have been killed, and let us get away. Every man for himself now.

ÍF. XXV.  21. 46.  "Ekki mun okkr þetta einn veg þykkja," segir Sigmundr.
GJtr.  21. 50.  
Sigmund disagrees with Harald Ironskull when he calls Earl Hakon a bad man:
You and I will not think alike about that, says Sigmund.

ÍF. XXV.  22. 48.  Silfr þat hit mikla er Þrándr fekk á Haleyri gekk aldri á grunn, ok var hann auðgastr allra ok stjórnaði nú öllu einn í Færeyjum, því at þeir Özurr váru eigi jafnslœgir.
GJtr.  22. 53.  
The composer on how Thrand and Ozur got along ruling in the Faroes:
The great haul of silver that Thrand brought from halor never got to the bottom, and he was richest of all, and he ruled everythng in the Faroes, all by himself, because he and Ozur were not both so sharp.

ÍF. XXV.  23. 50.  "Þann skal út leiða at maðr vill at aptr komi."
GJtr.  23. 53.  
Earl Hakon on saying goodby to Sigmund:
We should see a man on his way if we want him to come back.

ÍF. XXV.  23. 50.  Sigmundr svarar: "Ek trúi á mátt minn ok megin."
GJtr.  23. 53.  
Sigmund responds when Earl Hakon asks him where he puts his trust:
Sigmund answers, I believe in my own might and main.

ÍF. XXV.  24. 53.  "Þangat kemsk þú eigi heldr í himininn up," sagði Bjarni, "at þessi veðrstöðu." 
GJtr. 24.      
Bjarni tells Sigmund the wind won't take them to Eysturoy:
You will get up to the sky as soon as there, said Bjarni, with this wind.

ÍF. XXV.  
GJtr.  

 

 

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