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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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HSt Rst 25I

Rolf Stavnem (ed.) 2012, ‘Hallar-Steinn, Rekstefja 25’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 927.

Hallar-SteinnRekstefja
242526

text and translation

Tvær senn — tiggja vinnur
telk þær —, es veitk færi
gnýlinns Gǫndlar runna,
gramr íþróttir framði.
Hyr-Baldr hvítra skjalda
handsǫxum lék vandla
fleinrjóðr flestra dáða
frár ok gekk at ôrum.

Gramr framði tvær íþróttir senn, es veitk {færi {{Gǫndlar gný}linns} runna}; telk þær vinnur tiggja. {{Hvítra skjalda hyr-}Baldr}, {fleinrjóðr}, frár flestra dáða, lék vandla handsǫxum ok gekk at ôrum.
 
‘The prince performed two feats at the same time, which I know few trees of the snake of the din of Gǫndul <valkyrie> [(lit. ‘trees of the din-snake of Gǫndul’) BATTLE > SWORD > WARRIORS] [have performed]; I tell of those achievements of the ruler. The Baldr <god> of the fire of white shields [(lit. ‘fire-Baldr of white shields’) SWORD > WARRIOR = Óláfr], the spear-reddener [WARRIOR], swift in most deeds, juggled skilfully with short-swords and walked across the oars.

notes and context

Óláfr, when his men were rowing along the coast, would sometimes walk on the oars overboard while juggling with short-swords.

Óláfr’s exceptional dexterity is also the subject of Anon Ól 1.  — [3]: Line 3 in ÓT forms an alternative warrior-kenning which is also feasible: geymirunna gunnelds ‘guarding trees of the battle-fire [SWORD > WARRIORS]’.

readings

sources

Text is based on reconstruction from the base text and variant apparatus and may contain alternative spellings and other normalisations not visible in the manuscript text. Transcriptions may not have been checked and should not be cited.

editions and texts

Skj: Hallar-Steinn, 1. Rekstefja 25: AI, 549-50, BI, 531, Skald I, 258, NN §§1182, 1853I, 2247B; ÓT 1958-2000, II, 228-9 (ch. 236), Flat 1860-8, I, 464; SHI 3, 260-1, CPB II, 299, Wisén 1886-9, I, 49, Finnur Jónsson 1893b, 164, Konráð Gíslason 1895-7, I, 268-9.

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