Þfagr Frag 2^III

This half-stanza (Þfagr Frag 2) is preserved in mss R (main ms.), Tˣ, U, W, A, B and C of SnE (Skm), and it is also transmitted in LaufE (mss 2368ˣ, 743ˣ). The name of the poet is given variously as Þorleikr fagri (W, A, B, 2368ˣ, 743ˣ) or Þorleifr fagri (R, Tˣ, U, C).

Kastar gramr á glæstar
gegn valstǫðvar þegnum
— ungr vísi gefr eisu
armleggs — digulfarmi.

Gegn gramr kastar {digulfarmi} á {glæstar valstǫðvar} þegnum; ungr vísi gefr {eisu armleggs}.

The righteous ruler throws {crucible-cargo} [SILVER] onto {the decorated falcon-perches} [ARMS] of his men; the young leader gives {fire of the upper arm} [GOLD].

Mss: R(32v), Tˣ(34r), W(75), U(31v), A(10r), B(3v), C(4r) (SnE); 2368ˣ(92), 743ˣ(72v) (LaufE)

Readings: [1] Kastar: Kasta A    [2] ‑stǫðvar: ‘‑stodar’ C;    þegnum: ‘þeg[…]’ U    [3] ungr: ‘[…]r’ U;    vísi: so Tˣ, W, U, A, B, C, vísir R, 2368ˣ, 743ˣ;    gefr: ‘ge[…]r’ U

Editions: Skj AI, 399, Skj BI, 368, Skald I, 184; SnE 1848-87, I, 404-5, II, 322, 433, 517, 582, III, 69, SnE 1931, 144, SnE 1998, I, 61; LaufE 1979, 347.

Context: Eisu armleggs ‘fire of the upper arm’ and digulfarmr ‘crucible-cargo’ are given in Skm and LaufE among the kennings for ‘gold’ and ‘silver’, respectively.

Notes: [2] þegnum (m. dat. pl.) ‘of his men’: This is a dat. of possession. Þegnar ‘men, retainers, subjects’ has been translated here as ‘his men’, reflecting the loyal relationship between a ruler and his men (for the various meanings of this word, see Goetting 2006). For other stanzas describing a king adorning the arms of his men with gold and silver, see e.g. Þblǫnd Sigdr 2 and Sturl Hákkv 31-3^II. — [3] ungr vísi ‘the young leader’: The R (and LaufE) variant vísir ‘leader’ is a later form and has been normalised accordingly. If this stanza indeed were part of Sveinn^II and addressed to Sveinn Úlfsson (see Introduction above), the apostrophe ungr vísi ‘young leader’ would be somewhat inappropriate because Sveinn must have been at least middle-aged at this time (c. 1051; see ÍF 35, 129 n. 1).

References

1. Bibliography
2. SnE 1848-87 = Snorri Sturluson. 1848-87. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar: Edda Snorronis Sturlaei. Ed. Jón Sigurðsson et al. 3 vols. Copenhagen: Legatum Arnamagnaeanum. Rpt. Osnabrück: Zeller, 1966.
3. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
4. LaufE 1979 = Faulkes, Anthony, ed. 1979. Edda Magnúsar Ólafssonar (Laufás Edda). RSÁM 13. Vol. I of Two Versions of Snorra Edda from the 17th Century. Reykjavík: Stofnun Árna Magnússonar, 1977-9.
5. ÍF 35 = Danakonunga sǫgur. Ed. Bjarni Guðnason. 1982.
6. SnE 1931 = Snorri Sturluson. 1931. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar. Ed. Finnur Jónsson. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
7. SnE 1998 = Snorri Sturluson. 1998. Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2 vols. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
8. Goetting, Lauren. 2006. ‘Þegn and drengr in the Viking Age’. SS 78, 375-404.
9. Internal references
10. 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].
11. (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 5 May 2024)
12. Kari Ellen Gade 2017, ‘(Biography of) Þorleikr fagri’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 484.
13. Kari Ellen Gade 2009, ‘ Þorleikr fagri, Flokkr about Sveinn Úlfsson’ 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. 313-22. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1430> (accessed 5 May 2024)
14. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Sturla Þórðarson, Hákonarkviða 31’ 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. 722.
15. Vivian Busch (ed.) 2017, ‘Þorvaldr blǫnduskáld, Sigurðardrápa 2’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 488.
16. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Þorleikr fagri, Fragments 2’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 485.
17. (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 5 May 2024)