Anon (ÓT) 2^I

Kate Heslop (ed.) 2012, ‘Anonymous Lausavísur, Lausavísur from Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar in mesta 2’ 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. 1084.

introduction

These two stanzas (Anon (ÓT) 2-3) are preserved only in ÓT ch. 212 (ÓT 1958-2000, II, 133-4), transmitted in 61, 53, 54, 62, Bb and Flat. The saga attributes them to an anonymous old man in a boat (nǫkkvi, hence nǫkkvamaðr ‘man in a boat’ in ÓT, and in Skj) whom Óláfr Tryggvason and his men encounter while on a missionary voyage in southern Norway. The nǫkkvamaðr speaks his stanzas in the course of a conversation with the king, at the end of which he capsizes his boat and disappears into the sea. The anecdote is typical of those in which the missionary king encounters and bests a representative of the pagan religion, usually Óðinn or Þórr. The nǫkkvamaðr lacks obvious divine attributes, but it is possible that he is a giant. Indications of this are the saga’s references to his superhuman size and strength; his calling himself the son of Harðráðr (see Note to Lv 2/6); and the fact that he rows for the cliffs when confronted by Óláfr (see Perkins 1999 on the association of supernatural beings with prominent landmarks on the Norwegian coast). Finnur Jónsson (LH I, 466) took the stanzas as authentic, dating them c. 998, but there is no sure internal evidence either way. Lv 2-3 are edited here by Kate Heslop.

text and translation

notes and context

(See Introduction above.) The wild-eyed nǫkkvamaðr ‘man in a boat’ rows away with superhuman speed toward some cliffs; with great effort King Óláfr and his men close the distance. The king addresses the nǫkkvamaðr and he replies in prose and then verse.

[2] døkkr : nǫkkva: The aðalhending is inexact if the two vowels have their etymological value. It is possible that the two sounds would have been sufficiently close for the rhyme to be acceptable if the stanza dates not from the C10th but from the C13th or later (cf. Note to SnSt Ht 73/2^III), but definite conclusions cannot be built on this point. — [5-8]: The conditional ef-clause precedes the main clause né flœðim þá ‘we would not have fled then’. This situation is the most common exception to the normal ordering of skaldic helmingar, with main clause first (Kuhn 1983, 190-1).

readings

• [1] errinn: œrinn 62
• [2] ormr: orm 53, orms 54, Bb
• [2] brunar: ‘brun’ 53, 54, Bb
• [2] at: á 53, 54
• [2] nǫkkva: nǫkkvi Flat
• [3] hyggju: hrygginn 54, hryggum Bb, hygginn Flat
• [3] stóra: stjóra Bb, 62, Flat
• [4] vinnur: vinnr 62, vinnir Flat
• [5] hárir: ‘hęrir’ Bb, ‘harrar’ 62, ‘harar’ Flat
• [6] Harð‑: her‑ 62
• [7] brim: ‘brun’ Bb, Flat
• [7] blíkir: bleikir all others

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.

• AM 61 fol (61) — 53vb/29 - 53vb/31

  Of fiaʀi stendr errinn. ormr brvnar dauckr at navckva. hꜳʀ með | hyɢiv stora. hlyri minn ok vinnvr. ef værím her hꜳrir. hardraðs synir badir | snakr skriðr þar er brím blikir. brædr tueir ne vit þa flæðim.

  (KSH)

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• AM 53 fol (53) — 50vb/26 - 50vb/31

  Of fjarri stendr errinn
  — orm †brun† døkkr á nǫkkva —
  hôr með hyggju stóra
  hlýri minn ok vinnur.
  Ef værim hér hárir
  Harðráðs synir báðir
  — snákr skríðr, þars brim blíkir —
  brœðr tveir, né þá flœðim.

  Of fiaʀí | stendr eʀín orm brvn dǫckr ꜳ nǫckua h | ꜳʀ með hyggiu stora hlyri minn ok uínnur | ef uærim her hꜳrir hardrads synír | badir snakr skridr þar er brím bleikir ∙ | brœdr tveir ne vit þa flœdím ∙

  (KSH)

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• AM 54 fol (54) — 43vb/29 - 43vb/32

  Of fjarri stendr errinn
  — orms †brun† døkkr á nǫkkva —
  hôr með hrygginn stóra
  hlýri minn ok vinnur.
  Ef værim hér hárir
  Harðráðs synir báðir
  — snákr skríðr, þars brim blíkir —
  brœðr tveir, né þá flœðim.

  Of fiaʀi stendr eʀinn ∙ orms brun dauckr a navc | kua. haʀ med hrygginn stora. hlyri mínn ok vinnvr | æf værím her ha᷎rir ∙ hardrads synir badir ∙ sna᷎kr | skridr þar er brím bleikir ∙ brœdr tueir ne vit þa flædim |

  (KSH)

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• Holm perg 1 fol (Bb) — 79va/23 - 79va/28

  Of fjarri stendr errinn
  — orms †brun† døkkr at nǫkkva —
  hôr með hryggum stjóra
  hlýri minn ok vinnur.
  Ef værim hér †hęrir†
  Harðráðs synir báðir
  — snákr skríðr, þars †brun† blíkir —
  brœðr tveir, né þá flœðim.

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• AM 62 fol (62) — 43ra/39 - 43rb/2

  Of fjarri stendr œrinn
  — ormr brunar døkkr at nǫkkva —
  hôr með hyggju stjóra
  hlýri minn ok vinnr.
  Ef værim hér †harrar†
  her-ráðs synir báðir
  — snákr skríðr, þars brim blíkir —
  brœðr tveir, né þá flœðim.

  Offíaʀí stendr ęrínn ormr | brvnar dǫckr at nǫckva har með hyggío stíora hlyʀí mínn || 7 vínnr ef verím her harrar herrads synir badir snakr skredr | þar er brím bleikir brędr í ne vit þa flędim ∙

  (KSH)

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• GKS 1005 fol (Flat) — 52va/22 - 52va/25

  Of fjarri stendr errinn
  — ormr brunar døkkr at nǫkkvi —
  hôr með hygginn stjóra
  hlýri minn ok vinnir.
  Ef værim hér †harar†
  Harðráðs synir báðir
  — snákr skríðr, þars †brun† blíkir —
  brœðr tveir, né þá flœðim.

  Of fíarre stendr errínn ormr brunar daukkr | at no᷎kkuí hárr með hygginn stíora hlyrí mínn ok vínnír ef verím her harar | hardrads synir bader. snakr skridr þar er brun blæíkir ∙ brædr tuæír ne | uit þa flædim ∙

  (KSH)

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• AM 761 b 4°x (761bx) — 502r/2 - 502r/9

  Of fiarri stendr errinn ormr brunardauckr at nauckva hárr meþ hyggiu stora hlyri minn oc vinnur ef værim her harir harþraþs synir baþir snakr skriþr þar er brim blikir bræþr tveir ne viþ þa flæþim.

  (KSH)

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