Sigv Knútdr 7I
Matthew Townend (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Knútsdrápa 7’ 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. 658.
himnum ‘the heavens’
(not checked:)
himinn (noun m.; °himins, dat. himni; himnar): heaven, sky
[1] himnum: ‘him[…]’ 325XI 1
Hann ‘He’
(not checked:)
hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
[2] Hann: ‘[…]’ 325XI 1, herr J2ˣ, 61, 325V, Bb, Flat, hinns FskBˣ, her DG8
notes
[2] frá ‘learned [news]’: There is a variety of ms. readings, and of interpretational possibilities, for the helmingr. Skj B, ÍF 27 and ÍF 29 all read frá for the last word in l. 2, but assume different objects (or none) for the verb: (a) ÍF 27, following Kˣ in taking hann as the first word, assumes that frá is intransitive (see also ÓHLeg 1982); this interpretation is followed here. (b) Skj B prefers Her austan frá (‘He learned of an army from the east’). (c) ÍF 29 (following FskBˣ with reservations) gives Hinns austan frá | frið (‘the one who learned of peace from the east’). (d) Kock (Skald; NN §2516A) prefers a different interpretation for the line, and consequently for the helmingr as a whole, reading eygr as eykr, hence Herr austan ferr; | frið fylkis niðr | fránn eykr Dana ‘An army travels from the east; the valiant descendant of the ruler increases the peace of the Danes’.
notes
[2] frá ‘learned [news]’: There is a variety of ms. readings, and of interpretational possibilities, for the helmingr. Skj B, ÍF 27 and ÍF 29 all read frá for the last word in l. 2, but assume different objects (or none) for the verb: (a) ÍF 27, following Kˣ in taking hann as the first word, assumes that frá is intransitive (see also ÓHLeg 1982); this interpretation is followed here. (b) Skj B prefers Her austan frá (‘He learned of an army from the east’). (c) ÍF 29 (following FskBˣ with reservations) gives Hinns austan frá | frið (‘the one who learned of peace from the east’). (d) Kock (Skald; NN §2516A) prefers a different interpretation for the line, and consequently for the helmingr as a whole, reading eygr as eykr, hence Herr austan ferr; | frið fylkis niðr | fránn eykr Dana ‘An army travels from the east; the valiant descendant of the ruler increases the peace of the Danes’.
frá ‘learned’
(not checked:)
1. fregna (verb): hear of
[2] frá: so FskBˣ, DG8, fram Kˣ, 325XI 1, Holm2, 68, Holm4, ferr J2ˣ, 61, 325V, Bb, Flat, ‘franin’ 321ˣ, fann 73aˣ, gram Tóm
notes
[2] frá ‘learned [news]’: There is a variety of ms. readings, and of interpretational possibilities, for the helmingr. Skj B, ÍF 27 and ÍF 29 all read frá for the last word in l. 2, but assume different objects (or none) for the verb: (a) ÍF 27, following Kˣ in taking hann as the first word, assumes that frá is intransitive (see also ÓHLeg 1982); this interpretation is followed here. (b) Skj B prefers Her austan frá (‘He learned of an army from the east’). (c) ÍF 29 (following FskBˣ with reservations) gives Hinns austan frá | frið (‘the one who learned of peace from the east’). (d) Kock (Skald; NN §2516A) prefers a different interpretation for the line, and consequently for the helmingr as a whole, reading eygr as eykr, hence Herr austan ferr; | frið fylkis niðr | fránn eykr Dana ‘An army travels from the east; the valiant descendant of the ruler increases the peace of the Danes’.
fríðr ‘the handsome’
(not checked:)
fríðr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): beautiful, fair
[3] fríðr: frið 325XI 1, Holm2, 321ˣ, 73aˣ, 68, Holm4, 61, 325V, Bb, Flat, FskBˣ, DG8, fram J2ˣ, ‘fidur’ Tóm
kennings
fríðr, fráneygr niðr fylkis Dana.‘the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of the ruler of the Danes. ’
= Knútr
the ruler of the Danes. → Sveinn
the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of SVEINN → Knútr
fylkis ‘of the ruler’
(not checked:)
fylkir (noun m.): leader
kennings
fríðr, fráneygr niðr fylkis Dana.‘the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of the ruler of the Danes. ’
= Knútr
the ruler of the Danes. → Sveinn
the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of SVEINN → Knútr
fylkis ‘of the ruler’
(not checked:)
fylkir (noun m.): leader
kennings
fríðr, fráneygr niðr fylkis Dana.‘the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of the ruler of the Danes. ’
= Knútr
the ruler of the Danes. → Sveinn
the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of SVEINN → Knútr
niðr ‘descendant’
(not checked:)
1. niðr (noun m.; °-s; niðjar/niðir, acc. niði): son, kinsman, relative
[3] niðr: nið 325XI 1, 61, 325V, Bb, lið 321ˣ, 73aˣ, Flat, FskBˣ, DG8
kennings
fríðr, fráneygr niðr fylkis Dana.‘the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of the ruler of the Danes. ’
= Knútr
the ruler of the Danes. → Sveinn
the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of SVEINN → Knútr
frán ‘bright’
(not checked:)
2. fránn (adj.): bright, shining < fráneygr (adj.)
kennings
fríðr, fráneygr niðr fylkis Dana.‘the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of the ruler of the Danes. ’
= Knútr
the ruler of the Danes. → Sveinn
the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of SVEINN → Knútr
kennings
fríðr, fráneygr niðr fylkis Dana.‘the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of the ruler of the Danes. ’
= Knútr
the ruler of the Danes. → Sveinn
the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of SVEINN → Knútr
Dana ‘of the Danes’
(not checked:)
Danr (noun m.; °dat. -; -ir): Dane
kennings
fríðr, fráneygr niðr fylkis Dana.‘the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of the ruler of the Danes. ’
= Knútr
the ruler of the Danes. → Sveinn
the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of SVEINN → Knútr
Dana ‘of the Danes’
(not checked:)
Danr (noun m.; °dat. -; -ir): Dane
kennings
fríðr, fráneygr niðr fylkis Dana.‘the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of the ruler of the Danes. ’
= Knútr
the ruler of the Danes. → Sveinn
the handsome, bright-eyed descendant of SVEINN → Knútr
Skreið ‘glided’
(not checked:)
skríða (verb): creep, glide
[5] Skreið: ‘[…]’ 325XI 1, skeið 61, Tóm, skriðu FskBˣ, DG8
viðr ‘ship’
(not checked:)
1. viðr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. -i/-; -ir, acc. -u/-i): wood, tree
[5] viðr: veðr 61, ‘ver’ FskBˣ, DG8
notes
[5] viðr ‘the ship’: Lit. ‘wood’, but the word can also stand alone as a term for ‘ship’ (LP: viðr 5; Jesch 2001a, 134). It is not necessary to combine it with varr ‘sea’ to form a kenning, as Skj B does (see Note to l. 6).
varr ‘The sea’
(not checked:)
1. varr (noun m.): wake < varrglæstr (adj./verb p.p.)
[6] varr‑: var all
notes
[6] varrglæstr ‘sea-splendid’: The mss clearly indicate ‘var’, often writing <v> plus superscript tittle. (a) The first element alliterates and carries strong stress, and is taken in this edn, as in most others, as varr ‘sea’, which combines with glæstr to form a cpd adj. ‘sea-splendid’ qualifying viðr ‘ship’ (so also NN §649, Skald and ÍF 29). In Skj B it is taken with viðr to form, through tmesis, a kenning for ‘ship’. (b) ‘Var’ in the mss is taken as the 3rd pers. sg. pret. indic. ‘was’ in ÍF 27, with the normalised spelling var. This produces the short clause var glæstr ‘it [the ship] was spendid’. However, var ‘was’ is less likely to carry strong stress, and the appropriate form for Sigvatr’s time is vas, which would leave the line without aðalhending.
glæstr ‘splendid’
(not checked:)
glæsa (verb): adorn < varrglæstr (adj./verb p.p.)
[6] ‑glæstr: glæst 61, 325V, hvert FskBˣ, hvert or hverr DG8
notes
[6] varrglæstr ‘sea-splendid’: The mss clearly indicate ‘var’, often writing <v> plus superscript tittle. (a) The first element alliterates and carries strong stress, and is taken in this edn, as in most others, as varr ‘sea’, which combines with glæstr to form a cpd adj. ‘sea-splendid’ qualifying viðr ‘ship’ (so also NN §649, Skald and ÍF 29). In Skj B it is taken with viðr to form, through tmesis, a kenning for ‘ship’. (b) ‘Var’ in the mss is taken as the 3rd pers. sg. pret. indic. ‘was’ in ÍF 27, with the normalised spelling var. This produces the short clause var glæstr ‘it [the ship] was spendid’. However, var ‘was’ is less likely to carry strong stress, and the appropriate form for Sigvatr’s time is vas, which would leave the line without aðalhending.
bar ‘carried’
(not checked:)
3. bera (verb; °berr; bar, báru; borinn): bear, carry
andskota ‘the enemy’
(not checked:)
andskoti (noun m.; °-a; -ar): enemy, devil
kennings
andskota Aðalráðs‘the enemy of Æthelred ’
= Knútr
the enemy of Æthelred → Knútr
Aðal ‘of Æthel’
(not checked:)
aðal (noun n.): inherited land; Æthel- < Aðalráðr (noun m.): [Æthelred]
[8] Aðal‑: ‘[…]’ 325XI 1
kennings
andskota Aðalráðs‘the enemy of Æthelred ’
= Knútr
the enemy of Æthelred → Knútr
ráðs ‘red’
(not checked:)
-ráðr (adj.): -ful < Aðalráðr (noun m.): [Æthelred]
kennings
andskota Aðalráðs‘the enemy of Æthelred ’
= Knútr
the enemy of Æthelred → Knútr
þaðan ‘from there’
(not checked:)
þaðan (adv.): from there
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
In ÓH-Hkr, sts 7-8 are quoted as a pair following an account of the splendour of Knútr’s fleet. In Fsk and ÓHLeg, they are also paired, and are the first stanzas of Sigvatr’s poem to be quoted; they are adduced in corroboration of a brief account of the allied attack on Denmark by Óláfr and Ǫnundr, and Knútr’s response by bringing a great fleet from England.
ÓH-Hkr identify sts 7-8 as from Sigvatr’s Knútsdrápa, and Fsk and ÓHLeg refer to the erfidrápa ‘memorial drápa’ that Sigvatr composed about Knútr. — [1]: The line opens the klofastef ‘split refrain’; see Note to st. 3/1 above.
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