Judith Jesch (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Flokkr about Erlingr Skjálgsson 6’ 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. 637.
Erlingr fell, en olli
allríkr skapat slíku
— bíðrat betri dauða —
bragna konr með gagni.
Mann veitk engi annan,
allbrátt þótt fjǫr láti,
enn sás allan kunni
aldr fullara at halda.
Erlingr fell, en {allríkr konr bragna} olli slíku skapat með gagni; betri bíðrat dauða. Veitk engi annan mann, sás kunni at halda enn fullara allan aldr, þótt láti fjǫr allbrátt.
‘Erlingr fell, and the most powerful son of kings [RULER = Óláfr] caused such a thing to be brought about by [his] victory; no better man will experience death. I know of no other man who could maintain his standing all his life, even though he lost his life very early. ’
The defeated Erlingr is killed by Áslákr Fitjaskalli ‘Fitjar-Baldhead’, apparently against the wishes of King Óláfr. His death is greatly mourned by the inhabitants of the region.
[1-4]: Sigvatr here portrays the king as causing (olli) Erlingr’s death through his victory (með gagni), but the extent to which blame is apportioned is unclear. Kock (NN §641) suggests taking með gagni to mean ‘to his advantage’ and construing it with Erlingr fell ‘Erlingr fell’, the advantage to Erlingr in his death being the glory he had won. This would have the effect of deflecting the focus from the king, but seems less plausible in the context. In Snorri’s prose account (ÍF 27, 317-18) Óláfr gives Erlingr a token wound for his treason, but when Áslákr Fitjaskalli intervenes to deal Erlingr his death-blow Óláfr cries out that he has struck Norway out of his hands (see also Note to st. 7/7-8).
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.
Erlingr fell, en †ǫlli†
allríkr skapat slíku
— bíðrat betri dauða —
bragna konr með gagni.
Mann veitk engi annan,
allbrátt †þo at† fjǫr láti,
enn sás allan kunni
aldr fullara at halda.
Erlingr fell eɴ ǫlli | allrícr scapat slíco || bíþrat betri dꜹða | bragna konr með gagni | maɴ veit ec engi aɴan | allbratt þo at fior láti | eɴ sa er allan kuɴi | alldr fullara at halda
(KS)
Erlingr fell, en olli
allríkr skipat slíku
— bíðrat betri dauða —
bragna konr með magni.
Mann veitk engi annan,
allbrátt at fjǫr láti,
enn sás allan kunni
aldr fullara at halda.
Erlingr fell, en olli
allríkr skipan slíkri
— bíðrat betra dauða —
bragna konr af magni.
Mann veitk engi annan,
allbrátt þann er fjǫr latti,
enn sás allan kunni
aldr prúðliga at halda.
Erlingr fell, en olli
Áslákr skipan slíkri
— bíðrat betra dauða —
bragna konr með magni.
Mann veitk engi annan,
allbrátt þann er fjǫr láti,
enn sás allan kunni
aldr fullara at halda.
Erlingr fell, en olli
allríkr skipan slíkri
— bíðrat betra dauða —
bragna konr með gagni.
Mann veitk eigi annan,
allbrátt þann er fjǫr láti,
enn sás allan kunni
aldr fullara at halda.
Erlingr fell, ok olli
allríkr skapat slíku
— bíðrat betra dauða —
bragna konr með gagni.
Mann veitk engan annan,
allbrátt at fjǫr láti,
enn sás allan kunni
aldr fullara at gjalda.
Erlingr fell, en olli
allríkr skapat slíku
— bíðrat betri dauða —
bragna konr með gagni.
Mann veitk engi annan,
allbrátt at fjǫr láti,
enn sás allan kunni
aldr fullara at halda.
Erlingr fell, en olli
allríkr tapaðr slíku
— biðjat betri dauða —
bragninga konr gagni.
Mann veitk eigi annan,
allbrátt af fjǫr láta,
einn þann er allir kunnu
aldr fullara at halda.
Erlingr fell, en olli
allríkr skapaðr slíku
— bíðrat betri dauða —
bragna konr at gagni.
Mann veitk engi annan,
allbrátt at fjǫr láti,
enn sás allan kunni
aldr fullara at halda.
Erlingr fell, en olli
allríkr skapaðr slíku
— bíðrat betra dauða —
bragna konr at gagni.
Mann veitk engi annan,
allbrátt at fjǫr láti,
enn sás allan kunni
aldr fullara at halda.
Erlingr fell, en olli
†vllrik-† tapaðr slíku
— bíðrat betri dauða —
bragninga konungr gagni.
Mann veitk engi annan,
allbrátt at fjǫr láti,
enn sás allan kunni
aldr kunnara fullara at halda.
Erlingr fell, en olli
allríkr tapaðr slíkum
— bíðra at betri dauða —
bragninga kon gagni.
Mann veitk engi annan,
allbrátt at fjǫr látit,
einn er sá allan kunni
aldr fullara at gjalda.
Erlingr fell, en olli
allríkr tapaðr slíku
— bíðrat betra dauða —
†bragningra† konr gagni.
Mann veitk engi anna,
allbrátt at fjǫr latti,
ein sás allan kunni
aldr fullara at halda.
†[…]† ,
allríkr tapaðr slíku
— †b[…] […]† dauða —
†[…]gning[…] […]† gagni.
Mann veitk engi annan,
allbrátt at fjǫr láti,
einn sás allan kunni
aldr fullara at halda.
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