Help with translation

[Lauren Reinertsen]

Hi, I am an english speaker looking for help with translating some words concerning a traveller woman and her father. The author suspects she was feared by the locals because of superstition surrounding travellers. Google translate is returning somewhat awkward translations.

 

About her father the source says: "og mellem de Reisende har jeg hørt mange Historier om, hvorledes han kunde kverve Syn paa Folk." I am having trouble understanding the second part of this sentence.

 

About the daughter the source says: "som høre disse reisende Kvinder til: Tiggen og Truen, Signen og Banden." This translates to "the begging and the threat, the sign and the band" <- what does this mean?

 

Thank you!

[Jon Anders Holtan]

The rare verb "kverve" in this context seems to mean the same as "forvrenge", in English "distort".

https://ordbok.uib.no/KVERVE

 

", how he could distort people's vision"?

 

The language is a bit awkward, is this from an old Norwegian book? If you give more context, it will be easier to understand. Name of book and author, whole paragraph instead of part of sentence, etc.

[Matthias Kolberg]

I believe these two sentences are taken from the book ”Anden Aarsberetning om Fantefolket“ written by the renowned sociologist Eilert Sundt in 1862.

 

This is somewhat archaic language, but I suspect “Tiggen og Truen, Signen og Banden”, would translate to “Begging and threatening, blessing and swearing”

 

[Jon Anders Holtan]

Indeed, here is the book: 

https://books.google.no/books?id=7dBppWCsoeEC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=Tiggen+og+Truen,+Signen+og+Banden&source=bl&ots=migmNI7t7H&sig=ACfU3U0W7GhGp2I-FE7smKQZzkQiRu4VDA&hl=no&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiV2uSfirj5AhU5VfEDHcu-BUwQ6AF6BAgCEAM#v=onepage&q=Tiggen og Truen%2C Signen og Banden&f=false

 

[Lauren Reinertsen]

Sorry for the lack on context! Yes that is the exact book. Your translations make much more sense than what google translate gave me. I imagined it was related to superstition, or the idea they could curse someone, or do some form of folk magic. Much appreciated, thanks!

[Christer Kjølsrud]

3 timer siden, Matthias Kolberg skrev:

This is somewhat archaic language, but I suspect “Tiggen og Truen, Signen og Banden”, would translate to “Begging and threatening, blessing and swearing”

 

More correct translation of "signen" in this context: to protect or heal someone by using magical signs and phrases

[Lauren Reinertsen]

On 8/8/2022 at 7:50 PM, Christer Kjølsrud said:

More correct translation of "signen" in this context: to protect or heal someone by using magical signs and phrases

Interesting, thank you!