Áslákr hefr aukit
(es vǫrðr drepinn Hǫrða)
(fáir skyldu svá) (foldar)
frændsekju (styr vekja).
Ættvígi má eigi
(á líti þeir) níta
— frændr skyli bræði bindask
bornir — (môl in fornu).
Áslákr hefr aukit frændsekju; vǫrðr foldar Hǫrða es drepinn; fáir skyldu vekja styr svá. Ættvígi má eigi níta; bornir frændr skyli bindask bræði; líti þeir á in fornu môl.
Áslákr has increased crime against kindred; the guardian of the land of the Hǫrðar [= Hordaland > = Erlingr] has been killed; few should cause conflict in such a way. Kin-killing cannot be denied; those born as kinsmen should refrain from violence; let them look to the old sayings.
[8] fornu: ‘fo[…]nu’ 325XI 2 b
[8] in fornu môl ‘the old sayings’: Despite the suggestion of Jón Skaptason (1983) that môl could mean ‘laws’, the sentiments of this stanza are proverbial, rather than legal. Neither frændsekja ‘crime against kindred’ (l. 4) nor ættvígi ‘kin-killing’ (l. 5) appears as a technical term in either the Norwegian or the Icelandic laws.