Note to Anon Líkn 14VII
[8] fjöldyggr ‘very faithful’: Since the ‘er/ir’-abbreviation can also be expanded simply as ‘r’ (Hreinn Benediktsson 1965, 92), the sg. fjöldyggr (modifying guð ‘God’) is also possible – so Skj B (in contrast to Skj A), Skald, and Rydberg (1907), the last adding an enclitic of before hyggja. Elsewhere, in Þstf Stuttdr 6/6II, fjöldyggr ‘very loyal’ occurs in reference to a prince, and here the sg. would have the advantage of keeping the l. to six syllables. On the other hand, Líkn contains over thirty-five aukin, septasyllabic ll., including (ll. 4, 6 and 7). And while the pl. ‘very faithful men’ may seem a little odd in the context, the plain style and almost prose-like syntax of the st. favours the closer referent. Further, although instances of the ‘er’ tittle for ‘r’ following a vowel occur in the ms., there is no other case in Líkn where this sign might be expanded to ‘r’ following a consonant (except perhaps hefr 42/1, where hefir would also work).
References
- Bibliography
- Skj A = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1912-15a. Den norsk-islandske skjaldedigtning. A: Tekst efter håndskrifterne. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Villadsen & Christensen. Rpt. 1967. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde & Bagger.
- Skj B = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1912-15b. Den norsk-islandske skjaldedigtning. B: Rettet tekst. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Villadsen & Christensen. Rpt. 1973. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde & Bagger.
- Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
- Rydberg, Hugo, ed. 1907. ‘Die geistlichen Drápur und Dróttkvættfragmente des Cod. AM 757 4to.’. Ph.D. thesis. University of Lund. Copenhagen: Møller.
- Hreinn Benediktsson. 1965. Early Icelandic Script as Illustrated in Vernacular Texts from the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries. Íslenzk Handrit/Icelandic Manuscript Series in Folio II. Reykjavík: The Manuscript Institute of Iceland.
- Internal references
- 2022, ‘ Anonymous, Droplaugarsona saga’ in Margaret Clunies Ross, Kari Ellen Gade and Tarrin Wills (eds), Poetry in Sagas of Icelanders. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 5. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 136-150. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=24> (accessed 26 April 2024)
- George S. Tate 2007, ‘ Anonymous, Líknarbraut’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 228-86. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1024> (accessed 26 April 2024)
- Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Þórarinn stuttfeldr, Stuttfeldardrápa 6’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 477-8.