Gamanvísur — Hharð GamvII
Haraldr harðráði SigurðarsonKari Ellen Gade 2009, ‘ Haraldr harðráði Sigurðarson, Gamanvísur’ 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. 35-41. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=3262> (accessed 1 May 2024)
According to Mork (1928-32, 85; see also Hkr (ÍF 28, 89) and Fsk (ÍF 29, 237)), Haraldr composed the Gamanvísur ‘Jesting Vísur’ (Hharð Gamv) on his return to Russia from Byzantium (c. 1043-4): Oc iþesom ferþom orti Haralldr gamans visor. oc ero xvi. oc eitt niþrlag at flestom. þo ero her far ritnar ‘And on these journeys, Haraldr composed the Gamanvísur, and there are sixteen and most end in the same way, although only a few are recorded here’. Mork (Mork) and H, Hr (H-Hr) contain six sts, whereas mss Kˣ, 39, F, E, J2ˣ of Hkr and FskBˣ and FskAˣ (Fsk) only give one (st. 2). Stanza 2/1-4 is also preserved in mss R, Tˣ, W, U and A of SnE (Skm) as well as in LaufE (mss 2368ˣ, 743ˣ). In addition, st. 6/1-3 is recorded on a runic stick found in Bergen, Norway (Run B88VI; c. 1335).
With the exception of st. 4, the poem deals with events in Haraldr’s life, and the order of sts given below attempts to restore the chronology of those events while at the same time adhering as closely as possible to the sequence of sts in Mork (2, 1, 3, 4, 6, 5) and H-Hr (2, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6). In Skj and Skald the sts are included among Haraldr’s lvv. Stanza 3 is left out in both eds, because ll. 1-4 duplicate a helmingr in SnE (mss R, Tˣ, A, C) by Brennu-Njáll Þorgeirsson, the protagonist of Brennu-Njáls saga. No other poetry is attributed to Njáll, however, and the attribution of the lv. to him is highly suspect (so also ÁM in 761bˣ at 23r). The half-st. is therefore edited in this vol. and it is not included in SkP III. The second helmingr of st. 3 duplicates st. 2/5-8. This, and the fact that st. 4/5-8 is part of a lv. composed by Jarl Rǫgnvaldr Kali Kolsson of Orkney (r. 1139-1158; Rv Lv 1), casts doubt on the authenticity of some of the Gamv (see Fidjestøl 1982, 60). In Mork all but one st. (st. 4) end with a refrain referring to Gerðr gollhrings ‘the Gerðr of the gold ring’ in Russia, i.e. Ellisif (Elizabeth), the daughter of Jaroslav (Jarizleifr) of Novgorod and Ingigerðr, the daughter of Óláfr sœnski ‘the Swede’ Eiríksson of Sweden. Haraldr married Ellisif in Russia on his way back to Norway. In H-Hr all sts end with this refrain (see Notes to st. 4 below).
References
- Bibliography
- Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
- Fidjestøl, Bjarne. 1982. Det norrøne fyrstediktet. Universitet i Bergen Nordisk institutts skriftserie 11. Øvre Ervik: Alvheim & Eide.
- ÍF 26-8 = Heimskringla. Ed. Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson. 1941-51.
- ÍF 29 = Ágrip af Nóregskonunga sǫgum; Fagrskinna—Nóregs konungatal. Ed. Bjarni Einarsson. 1985.
- SkP III = Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Ed. Kari Ellen Gade in collaboration with Edith Marold. 2017.
- Internal references
- Edith Marold 2017, ‘Snorra Edda (Prologue, Gylfaginning, Skáldskaparmál)’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols [check printed volume for citation].
- (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 1 May 2024)
- (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Fagrskinna’ 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=56> (accessed 1 May 2024)
- (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Hulda-Hrokkinskinna’ 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=84> (accessed 1 May 2024)
- (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Morkinskinna’ 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=87> (accessed 1 May 2024)
- (forthcoming), ‘ Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=112> (accessed 1 May 2024)
- Judith Jesch (ed.) 2009, ‘Rǫgnvaldr jarl Kali Kolsson, Lausavísur 1’ 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. 576-7.
- (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Laufás Edda’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=10928> (accessed 1 May 2024)
- Not published: do not cite ()
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