Lausavísa — Bersi Lv^I

This stanza (Bersi Lv) is something of a cause célèbre for its three-way attribution: to Bersi in Styrmir Kárason’s Articuli in Flat(187rb); to Óttarr svarti in ÓHÆ and ÓHLeg; and to Sigvatr in the Separate (ÓH) and Hkr (ÓHHkr) versions of Óláfs saga helga (jointly ÓH-Hkr below). The attribution to Sigvatr may be a piece of rationalization on the part of Snorri Sturluson, based on the knowledge that Sigvatr mentioned a fine sword presented by the king in Sigv ErfÓl 27 (Fidjestøl 1982, 23). If the stanza is by Bersi, and if the ruler apostrophised is King Óláfr, the reference in l. 6 to long-term service suggests a date well after Bersi’s Óláfsflokkr (Bersi Ólfl) and his winning of the king’s favour; Skj suggests c. 1025. Within the stanza, too, there are a few important textual divergences, especially between ÓHÆ, ÓHLeg and Flat(187rb) on the one hand and ÓH-Hkr on the other, which makes the printing of a single text somewhat problematic. The mss used are listed below. It may be noted that the text in J2ˣ was copied from K and hence belongs to the Hkr redaction, unlike most stanzas from Óláfs saga helga in J2ˣ, which belong to the ÓH redaction.

References

1. Bibliography
2. Fidjestøl, Bjarne. 1982. Det norrøne fyrstediktet. Universitet i Bergen Nordisk institutts skriftserie 11. Øvre Ervik: Alvheim & Eide.
3. Internal references
4. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Heimskringla’ 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, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=4> (accessed 18 April 2024)
5. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Óláfs saga helga (Legendary)’ 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. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=31> (accessed 18 April 2024)
6. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Óláfs saga helga hin elzta’ 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. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=48> (accessed 18 April 2024)
7. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Óláfs saga helga’ 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. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=53> (accessed 18 April 2024)
8. (forthcoming), ‘ Heimskringla, Óláfs saga helga (in Heimskringla)’ 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. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=152> (accessed 18 April 2024)
9. Matthew Townend 2017, ‘(Biography of) Óttarr svarti’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 335.
11. Diana Whaley 2012, ‘ Bersi Skáld-Torfuson, Flokkr about Óláfr helgi’ 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. 790. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1116> (accessed 18 April 2024)
12. Judith Jesch (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Erfidrápa Óláfs helga 27’ 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. 696.