Martin Chase (ed.) 2007, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Geisli 20’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 23-4.
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1. gera (verb): do, make
[1] Gerðusk: ‘Gerdiz’ Flat, ‘Giordizt’ Bb
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bráðr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): quick(ly)
[1, 7] þás, þás ‘when, when’: Flat has þás (‘þá er’) ‘when’ in both these cases, but Bb has þars (‘þar er’) ‘where’ in l. 1 and því at ‘because’ in l. 7. These variants make quite a difference to the sense of the st. In the first case, Bb’s version suggests that miracles were wrought on the battlefield, while Flat’s indicates they occurred after the battle has taken place. In the second instance Bb suggests that the light burned over Óláfr’s body because God had taken it to heaven on the same day he died (as in ÓHLeg 1982, 196, quoted in Chase 2005, 36-7), whereas Flat is again concerned with chronology. Skj B adopts Bb’s readings in ll. 1, and 8, but Skald does so in l. 1 only.
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2. berja (verb; °barði; barðr/bariðr/barinn): fight
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broddr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ar): point of spear or arrow < broddrjóðr (noun m.)
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1. rjóðr (noun m.): reddener < broddrjóðr (noun m.)
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2. við (prep.): with, against
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1. kyn (noun n.; °-s; -): kin
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þjóð (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -/-u; -ir): people
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1. gramr (noun m.): ruler
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2. venja (verb): accustom, train
[3] vanðit: ‘vandiz’ Flat, ‘firde’ Bb
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synð (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): sin
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sik (pron.; °gen. sín, dat. sér): (refl. pron.)
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jarteign (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): miracle
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ljós (noun n.; °ljóss; -): light
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2. brenna (verb; °brennr/brenn; brann, brunnu; brunninn): (strong, intransitive)
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líki (noun n.; °-s; dat. -jum): [body]
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ræsir (noun m.): ruler
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lǫgr (noun m.; °lagar, dat. legi): sea < lǫgskíð (noun n.)
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lǫgr (noun m.; °lagar, dat. legi): sea < lǫgskíð (noun n.)
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skíð (noun n.; °; -): ski < lǫgskíð (noun n.)
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skíð (noun n.; °; -): ski < lǫgskíð (noun n.)
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yfir (prep.): over
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síðan (adv.): later, then
[1, 7] þás, þás ‘when, when’: Flat has þás (‘þá er’) ‘when’ in both these cases, but Bb has þars (‘þar er’) ‘where’ in l. 1 and því at ‘because’ in l. 7. These variants make quite a difference to the sense of the st. In the first case, Bb’s version suggests that miracles were wrought on the battlefield, while Flat’s indicates they occurred after the battle has taken place. In the second instance Bb suggests that the light burned over Óláfr’s body because God had taken it to heaven on the same day he died (as in ÓHLeg 1982, 196, quoted in Chase 2005, 36-7), whereas Flat is again concerned with chronology. Skj B adopts Bb’s readings in ll. 1, and 8, but Skald does so in l. 1 only.
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2. ǫnd (noun f.; °andar, dat. ǫnd/ǫndu; andir): soul, breath
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með (prep.): with
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sik (pron.; °gen. sín, dat. sér): (refl. pron.)
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sendir (noun m.): sender, distributor
[7] sendis: ‘sendiz’ Flat, ‘syndiz’ Bb
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samr (adj.; °compar. -ari): same < samdœgris (adv.)
[8] samdœgris: ‘sam dægrs’ Flat, ‘samdægurs’ Bb
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dœgr (noun n.; °-s; -): day and night; 24h period < samdœgris (adv.)
[8] samdœgris: ‘sam dægrs’ Flat, ‘samdægurs’ Bb
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1. guð (noun m.; °***guðrs, guðis, gus): (Christian) God
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fremja (verb): advance, perform
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Gerðusk brátt, þás barðisk |
Great miracles were wrought immediately, when the point-reddener [WARRIOR] had fought with the family of the people; that king did not accustom himself to sins. Then light burned over the body of the prince, when God raised the soul of the sender of the sea-ski [SHIP > SEAFARER] to himself on the same day.
There are numerous variant readings in this st., though in most cases the better choice is clear. However, it is necessary to emend l. 1 Gerðusk (following an original suggestion of Cederschiöld) to give a 3rd pers. pret. m.v. verb ‘were wrought’, l. 3 vanðit ‘[he] did not accustom’, l. 7 sendis ‘of the sender’ (where both mss have -‘z’, probably indicating a m.v. ending) and l. 8 samdægris ‘on the same day’ (to give a six-syllable l.).
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