På Selstad budde det ein gong ei slåsskjempe som heitte Knut Selstad. Han var stor og sterk akkurat som dei andre i slekta si, og difor blei han kalla Selstadkjempa. Ein gong var han i bryllaup på Svinom, der festa dei og hadde det moro. Då fekk dei beskjed om at det hadde kome ein kar frå Setesdal for å sloss med Selstadkjempa. Det var slik på den tid, at dei sterkaste karane reiste rundt omkring for å sloss med kvarandre. Slik fann dei ut kven som var sterkast.
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English translation
There once lived in Selstad a fighter named Knut Selstad. He was big and strong just like others in his family, and therefore he was called Selstadkjempa [the Selstad giant]. One time he was at a wedding at Svinom, where they celebrated and there was fun. Then they got word that a man had come from Setesdal to fight with Selstadkjempa. Such it was at the time, that the strongest men traveled around to fight with each other. That is how they found out who was strongest.
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Karen frå Setesdal hadde enda ikkje tapa ein slåsskamp, og hadde ikkje tenkt å tapa no heller. Men Selstadkjempa bare lo av han og sa at det skulle det bli slutt på.
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English translation
The man from Setesdal had not previously lost a fighting match, and had not intended to lose this one either. But Selstadkjempa just laughed at him and said that it will be the end.
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Ein av måtane dei sloss på i gamledagar var å spenne belte. Då stilte dei seg med ryggen mot kvarandre og batt eit belte rundt begge to. Så var det å sloss til ein eine gav seg eller kanskje døydde.
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English translation
One of the ways they fought in olden times was to buckle a belt. Then they stood with their backs against each other and the belt was tied around both of them. Then they were to fight until one gave up or even died.
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Og det var akkurat dette Selstadkjempa og setesdølen skulle gjera. Beltet blei spent og dei drog fram knivane sine. Setesdølen gjorde narr av Selstadkjempa då han såg kniven hans. Han synas det var ein dårleg kniv, og sa at han kunne få låne ein.
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English translation
And it was just like this that Selstadkjempa and the Setesdal man would do it. The belt was tight and they pulled out their knives. The Setesdal man made fun of Selstadkjempa when he saw his knife. He saw it was a poor knife, and said he could borrow one.
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Men då blei Knut sinna og dei skar på kvarandre med knivane sine. Dei fekk store sår, blodet rant og rundt sto folk og heia. Dei fleste ynskte nok at setesdølen skulle tapa.
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English translation
But then Knut was angry and they slashed at each other with their knives. They had large wounds, the blood flowed and people stood around and cheered. Most people probably wished that the Setesdal man would lose.
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Og slik gjekk det. Knut Selstad vann og setesdølen var nesten død då slåsskampen var ferdig. Då tok Selstadkjempa fram hesten sin og køyrde den såra setesdølen heim til Selstad.
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English translation
And so it went. Knut Selstad won and the Setesdal man was nearly dead when the fighting match was finished. Then Selstadkjempa took his horse and rode the wounded Setesdal man home to Selstad.
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Der var han i tri veker, og Selstadkjempa stelte såra hans og gav han god mat.
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English translation
He was there for three weeks, and Selstadkjempa cared for his wounds and gave him good food.
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Etter ei stund var setesdølen frisk nok til å reise heim att og som takk gav han knivane og hesten sin til Knut. Men setesdølen var ikkje heilt i form enda, så Selstadkjempa fann ut at det var best han fylgde han heilt fram til heimen hans. Der skildes dei som gode vener, men setesdølen sloss aldri meir.
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English translation
After a while the Setesdal man was healthy enough to go back home and as thanks gave his knives and his horse to Knut. But the Setesdal man was not completely in shape yet, so Selstadkjempa decided that it was best he accompany him all the way to his home. There they parted as good friends, but the Setesdal man never fought anymore.
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