# Icelandic: Fóstbrœðra saga question, flooring or panelling



## TheChabon

I hope somebody can make sense of this —I don't speak any Nordic language. 

At some point in the saga, for which the reference I have is
Fóstbrœðra s. B. c. 3. 
there is a description of a chalet (skáli?) 40 cubits wide long, 13 19 wide and 13 high , which is all (and this is the question) either _panelled in wood _or _floored with wood boards_. [The German text reads 'getäfelt', which typically would be wood panelled, but I am having doubts as to whether that is what they would want to highlight in the saga.] 

I tried searching the numbers but they are not using numerals, and didn't get any luckier with skáli.  

The saga is at
http://www.sagadb.org/fostbraedra_saga
http://www.snerpa.is/net/isl/fostb.htm

Thanks for any possible help.


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## Alxmrphi

Sorry, what is your question?
You're asking why they want to highlight the fact this chalet is made out of wood?
If that is your question (which it seems to be), then why are you searching for numbers? It's not linked to why _wood_ would be highlighted.

I think you'd be better to rephrase your question, otherwise I don't think you're going to get any other responses because people don't understand what it is you're asking for.


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## Silver_Biscuit

Can you quote the section in Icelandic that you're having trouble with? I don't think anyone's going to be able to go through the entire saga for you.

It looks like s. B. c. 3. might mean section B, chapter 3, but in the links you give, the text is not separated into sections, just chapters (kaflar). If you can't give an exact quotation, what part of the saga is it, roughly, that you're talking about? I haven't read this one so I can't guess.


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## TheChabon

Thanks for asking for clarification. 

The question is whether this 'chalet'/pavilion is being described as having _wood panelling_ (interior wood finish) or _wood flooring_ (or potentially even tiled flooring). 

[I searched for numbers as a way of quickly finding the passage about this chalet in the text, but there are no numerals in the text. And I don't understand the reference “Fóstbrœðra s. B. c. 3. ”, so I can only give the links to the text of the full saga. So hopefully a search for 'twentyfive' 'forty', 'thirteen' 'nineteen' works.]


Edit: Silver —I was hoping searching for 'skáli' or related word, or the numbers, or perhaps the roots for 'panelling' or 'flooring', would lead to a passage with some sort of description of this building.


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## Alxmrphi

Since you seem to have a copy of the text in German, can you look at the text around the quotation you're having trouble with, and pick out a fairly unusual word, one that is likely to have only one translation in Icelandic. Then we can search for this word in the saga, try to find it and locate the place that will contain the description of these panels / floors.


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## TheChabon

All I have is a an old architecture text saying something like

A _skáli_ could actually be a fairly important building; one is described as being (the dimensions I gave), and _durch und durch getäfelt_ 
[either_ panelled all around_, or _floored/tiled wall-to-wall_] 

with the reference to the saga I gave. 


I was hoping a search for the dimension values (or maybe 'fathom', 'cubit'), _skáli_, or panelling/flooring would work. Thanks anyway if it doesn't.


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## Silver_Biscuit

I think I've found the bit you mean. I'm off to cook dinner, so for now I'll just quote it and maybe someone else can help you out. I'll check back later this evening and hazard a translation if nobody else has. This is from chapter 13. Perhaps if you gave more of the German version (in your own translation to English) we could be more sure. Do you see anything in the surrounding text about Magnús the bishop, Þorgeir (Thorgeir), Veglágur, Skálholt or Reykjahól? These are all proper nouns so should be relatively similar.



> Þorgeir býr þá skip sitt snemma sumars út til Íslands. Honum byrjar vel og kemur hann skipi sínu í Vaðil. Hann fer vestur á Reykjahóla og tekur til skálasmíðar. Sá maður hét Veglágur er var að skálasmíð með Þorgeiri og gerði sínum megin hvor þeirra skálann. Skálinn var um endilangt þilinn en eigi öðrum þiljum. Þau þili héldust allt til þess er Magnús biskup var að staðnum í Skálaholti hinn síðari.


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## kepulauan

I tried "fað..." for fathom, "þil..." and "þj..." for panel, "aln..." and "alin" for cubit but with no results. The only description of a skáli is in chapter 13 but there are no measurements.


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## hanne

I found a note on wikipedia saying that there are several "competing" versions of this saga. Might it be possible that this information is not present in all of them?


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## TheChabon

I haven't been able to find which edition the author refers to --other than it was published before 1856, which probably doesn't help much. Also, the whole reference could be wrong. It might be hopeless. 

In case somebody is curious, the book is Karl Weinhold, _Altnordisches Leben_ (1856). The link below should take you to the problem comment with the footnote reference.  

http://books.google.com.ar/books?id...urce=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q=Arbeitsstube&f=false

Thanks very much anyway.


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## Silver_Biscuit

Can you please quote more of the German version, if possible translated by you into English. If not, in German would be better than nothing. It's really difficult to help with what you have given.
Why does it matter how this building is panelled? Are you an architecture or archaeology student?


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