R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Þormóðr Kolbrúnarskáld, Lausavísur 24’ 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. 840.
Emka rjóðr, en rauðum
ræðr grǫnn Skǫgul manni
hauka setrs in hvíta;
hyggr fár of mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, at meldrar
morðvenjanda Fenju
djúp ok danskra vápna
Dags hríðar spor svíða.
Emka rjóðr, en {grǫnn Skǫgul in hvíta {setrs hauka}} ræðr rauðum manni; fár hyggr of mik sáran. Hitt veldr mér, at {djúp spor {hríðar Dags ok danskra vápna} svíða {morðvenjanda {meldrar Fenju}}.
‘I am not ruddy, but the slender, white Skǫgul <valkyrie> of the seat of hawks [ARM > WOMAN] gives orders to a red [blood-stained] man; few think about me, wounded. This is the cause to me [of my pallor], that the deep tracks of the blizzard of Dagr <legendary king> and of Danish weapons [BATTLE > WOUNDS] cause pain to the killing-accustomed one of the flour of Fenja <giantess> [GOLD > GENEROUS MAN = Þormóðr].’
In ÓH, excluding Flat, and Hkr, an unidentified person attending to the wounded from the battle at Stiklastaðir (Stiklestad) asks Þormóðr why he is so pale, and why he does not have his wounds bound, and he replies. In Flat, Þormóðr has just pulled an arrow from his heart, its barbs covered with particoloured flesh. In ÓHLeg, a woman (see Context to Lv 25) asks simply what sort of wound he has. In Fbr, the woman asks questions like those in ÓH.
An alternate version of this vísa appears in Hb, and in the list of eds above, those from Hb 1892-6 to ÍS are based on the Hb version. Papp4ˣ also (it appears not to have been recognized) has a text of the stanza, which in one place gives a better reading than Hb and thus supports an emendation to Hb suggested by earlier eds. Hb, however, remains all in all the better text, and so it is the basis for the following edn:
Emka rauðr, né rauðum
ræðr grǫnn kona manni;
járn stendr fast it forna
fenstígi mér benja.
Þat veldr mér, in mæra
marglóðar nú tróða,
Draupnis dýrra vápna
Dags hríðar spor svíða.
Readings: [1] rauðum: rjóðum papp4ˣ [3] fast: so papp4ˣ, farst Hb [4] -stígi: -stíga papp4ˣ [5] Þat: Þó papp4ˣ; mæra: meira papp4ˣ [7] Draupnis: ‘drepnis’ papp4ˣ [8] svíða: om. papp4ˣ. Prose order: Emka rauðr, né ræðr grǫnn kona rauðum manni; it forna járn stendr fast benja fenstígi mér. Þat veldr mér nú, in mæra tróða marglóðar Draupnis: spor dýrra vápna hríðar Dags svíða. Translation: ‘I am not red, nor does the slender woman give orders to a ruddy man; the ancient iron [arrow] sticks fast in my path of the fen of wounds [(lit. fen-path of wounds) BLOOD > HEART]; this is the cause to me now, glorious staff of the ocean-ember of Draupnir <ring> [GOLD > WOMAN]: the tracks of valued weapons of the blizzard of Dagr <legendary king> [BATTLE > WOUNDS] are painful.’ Notes: This alternate version of the stanza seems to be a copyist’s attempt to improve a corrupt stanza, and the translation offered here is not to be regarded as asserting that the stanza makes sense. Draupnis (l. 7), the name of a mythical gold ring from which further rings drip (cf. Þorm Lv 2/2V (Fbr 9)), adds nothing to the kenning to which it is attached, since marglóðar ‘ocean-ember’ by itself means ‘gold’, and similarly hríðar Dags ‘of the blizzard of Dagr’ = ‘of battle’ is superfluous. — [1-4]: This and the following Notes relate to the main text above. The obscurities of this helmingr, especially the two references to ‘red’ (rjóðr ... rauðum) and the variants en/né in l. 1, have given rise to various interpretations by scribes and eds, and much depends on which ms. readings are adopted. (a) In the interpretation offered here, the text of ÓH is adopted, including the conj. en ‘but’. Rauðum ‘red’ is assumed to mean that the poet is blood-stained. Such a usage is admittedly unparalleled (though roðinn ‘reddened’ is often used this way: see LP: rjóða 2), but this analysis provides the contrast implied by en (I am not ruddy, but I am nonetheless ‘red’), and it helps make sense of hitt in l. 5, which is emphatic. It seems likeliest that the stanza known to both Snorri and the author of Fbr collocated rjóðr ‘ruddy’, rather than rauðr ‘red’, with emka ‘I am not’, since in both the stanza is a response to the question why the poet is so pale. (b) Skj B, by contrast, adopts né ‘and not’, and interprets the first three lines to mean ‘I am not red; neither does the white, slender woman have a red-cheeked man’, and this is the reading also of Skald. (c) A further possibility is to take the ‘red man’ in the second clause as a rueful reference to someone other than the speaker, probably a man who is ‘red’ in complexion, healthy and uninjured (so ÍF 6). Reference to a red-haired man, by contrast with the black-haired Þormóðr (Lv 8V (Fbr 26)), is suggested by Finnur Jónsson (Hb 1892-6; Finnur Jónsson 1932-3), but judging from the prose contexts none of the saga authors perceived a reference to a red-haired man here. — [4] fár hyggr of mik sáran ‘few think about me, wounded’: The line may possibly be understood as a gloss on rauðum ‘red’, the import being ‘(I am red because) I am wounded, though some may not have noticed’.
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.
Emka rjóðr, en rauðum
ræðr grǫnn Skǫgul manni
hauklátrs in hvíta;
hyggr fár of mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, at meldrar
morðvenjandi Fenju
djúp ok danskra vápna
dal- hríðar spor svíða.
Emka ec rioðr en rꜹþum ræðr grꜹɴ scꜹgvl manne hꜹc latrs en | hvita hyɢr far vm mic sáran. hitt velldr mer at melldrar morðveniandi fenio diyp oc danscra vap | na dalhriþar spor sviþa.
Einka ek rioder en raudum | ra̋der graun skaugul manne | hauk laters en huita hy̋g | ger far um mik sa̋ran hitt | welder mer at meldrar | mordveniandi fenio diup rand | skra vapna dal hridar spor | swida. |
(VEÞ)
einka ek rjóðr, en rauðum
ræðr grǫnn Skǫgul manni
hauklátrs in hvíta;
hyggr fár of mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, at meldrar
morðvenjandi Fenju
djúp ok danskra vápna
Dags hríðar †spior† svíða.
Einka ek riȯdr enn raudum | rædr gronn skaugul manni | hauk-laturs en huita | hyggr far um mik sarann: | hitt veldr mier at meldrar | mord veniandi fenio | diup ok danskra vapna | dags hridar spior suida. |
(VEÞ)
Emka rjóðr, en rauðum
ræðr grǫn Skǫgul manni
hauka látrs in hvíta;
hyggr fár of mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, ef meldrar
morðvenjandi Fenju
djúp ok danskra vápna
Dags hríðar spor svíða.
Emca ec rioðr enn rꜹðum | ræðr grꜹn scꜹgul manne | hꜹkalatrs en hvita | hyɢr faʀ um mic sarann | hitt velldr mer ef melldrar | mordvæniande fenio | diúp ok danscra vapna | dags hriþar spor sviða |
einka ek rjóðr en rjóða,
ræðr grǫnn Skǫgul manni
hauka látrs ok heitinn;
hyggsk fár um mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, er meldrar
†modrveniande† Fenju
draupnis ok dýrra vápna
Dags hríðar spor svíða.
einka ek riodr enn rjoda. rædr grannskaugul ma | nni. hauka latrs ok heitinn. hyɢz far um mik sarann. hitt velldr | mer er melldrar. modrveniande feniu. draupnis dyʀa vapna | daghs hridar spor svida.
(TW)
Emka rjóðr, en rauðum
ræði †gun† Skǫgul mani
†hꜹkal atrz† in hvíta;
hyggr fár of mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, at meldrar
†morðvenandi† Fenju
drep ok danskra vápna
Dags hríðar spor svíða.
Emka ek riodr enn rꜹdum · | rędi gun skꜹgul mani · | hꜹkal atrz en huita · hyɢr far um mik säran: | hitt velldr mer at melldrar ·| mordvenandi Fenio · | drep ok danskra vapna · | dags hridar spor svida: |
(TW)
Emka rjóðr né rauðum,
ræðr grann Skǫgul manni
hauka látrs in hvíta;
hyggr fár of mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, at meldrar
morðvenjandi Fenju
djúp ok danskra vápna
Dags hríðar spor svíða.
Emka ec rioðr ne rꜹðum. ręðr graɴscøgul | manne hꜹka latrs en hvíta hyɢr fár um mik | saran. Hitt uelldr mer at melldrar morð | ueneande feniv. diup ok danskra vapna | dags hriðar spor suiða.
(TW)
Emka rjóðr, en rauðum
ræðr grǫnn Skǫgul manni
hauka setrs in hvíta;
hyggr fár of mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, at meldrar
morðvenjandi Fenju
draupnis ok dýra vápna
Dags hríðar spor svíða.
Emka ek | riodr enn raudum rędr gronn skaugul manne hauka setr | s hin huita hygr fair vm mik sꜳran hitt velldr mer at | melldrar mord veniandi feniu draupnis dyra vapnad | ags hridar spor suida.
(TW)
Emka rjóðr, en rauðum
ræðr †gun† Skǫgul manni
hauka látrs in hvíta;
hyggr fár of mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, at meldrar
†morðvenandi† Fenju
†diop† ok danskra vápna
Dags hríðar spor svíða.
Emka ek rioðr enn ravðvm ræðr | ɢvnn skavgvl maɴi havka latrs eɴ | hvita hyɢr fár of mik saran· hitt | velldr mer at melldrar morðvenandi | fenio· diop ok danskra vapna dags | hriðar spor sviða
(TW)
Emka rjóðr, en rauðum
ræðr gran Skǫgul manni
hauka setrs †hui† hvíta;
hyggr fár of mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, at †mielldrar†
morðvenjandi Fenju
djúp ok danskra vápna
Dags hríðar spor svíða.
Emkað ec rioðr en rꜹðum ræðr granscꜹgul manni hꜹka sætrs hui hví | ta· hyggr fár um micsaran· Hitt velldr mer at mi⸌e⸍lldrar morþ vǽniandi fænio· diup oc danskra vapna | dags ʀiþar spor suiða·
(TW)
Emka rjóðr en rjóðum,
ræðr grǫnn Skǫgul manni
hauka látrs in heilum;
hyggr fár of mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, at meldrar
margs deyjanda Fenju
draupnis ok dýra vápna
Dags hríðar spor svíða.
Emka ek riodr en | riodum rędr gro᷎nn skogul manne hꜹka latrs en | heilvm hyggr far vm mík saran hitt velldr mer | at melldrar margs deyiaɴda | freyiv drꜹpníss | dyʀa vopna dags hridar spor suida
(TW)
Emka rauðr en rjóðum,
ræðr grǫn Skǫgul manni
hauka setrs in hvíta;
hugfár um mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, at meldrar
morðvenjandi Fenju
djúpt ok danskra vápna
Dags hríðar spor .
Emkad ek ʀaudr en ríodum ʀædr gron sko᷎gul manni hauka setrs hín huita | hugfár um mik saran hitt uelldr mer at melldrar mord ueniande fe | niíu· díuft ok danskra uopnna dags hridar spor·
(TW)
einka ek rjóðr, en rauðum
ræðr grǫnn Skǫgul manni
hauka setrs in hvíta;
hyggr fár of mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, at meldrar
morðvenjandi Fenju
djúp ok danskra vápna
Dags hríðar spor svíða.
Eínka ec ʀío | dr enn ʀauðum; ʀꜽdr ?g?raunn· skaugul manne· hauka setrs hı"n hvíta· hygr farum mic saran· hitt ue | ldr mier ath me?l?drar mord uen?i?ande feínu· díup ok danskra vopna· dags hridar spor svída·
(TW)
Emka rjóðr, en rauðum
ræðr grǫnn Skǫgul manni
hauka setrs in hvíta;
hyggr fár of mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, at meldrar
morðvenjandi Fenju
djúp ok danskra vápna
dals hríðar spor svíða.
Emca ec rioðr eɴ rꜹðom | ræðr grꜹɴ scꜹgul manne | hꜹ́ca setrs hin hvíta | hyɢr fár um mic sáran | hitt veldr mer at meldrar | morð veniandi fenio | diúp ok danscra vapna | dals hriþar spor sviða |
(TW)
Emka ek | rꜹdr ne rꜹdum. rędr gronn kona manni iarn. stendr farst hit forna | fenstigi mer benia þat velldr mer hin mæra marglodar nv troda drꜹpniss dyʀa | vapna dags. hridar. spor. svida.
(TW)
Emka rauðr né rjóðum,
ræðr grǫn Skǫgul manni
hauka setrs in hvíta;
hugfár um mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, at meldrar
morðvenjandi Fenju
djúp ok danskra vápna
Dags hríðar spor .
Emkat ek rauðr ne rioðum | ræðr gron skogvl manni | hauka setrs hin hvita | hugfar vm mik saran | hitt velldr mer at melldrar | morðveniandi feniu | diup ok danskra vapna | Dagshriðar spor |
(TW)
Emka rauðr né rjóðum,
ræðr grǫn Skǫgul manni
hauka setrs in hvíta;
hugfár um mik sáran.
Hitt veldr mér, at meldrar
morðvenjandi Fenju
djúpt ok danskra vápna
Dags hríðar spor .
Emkat ec rauðr ne rioðum | ræðr gron scogul manni | hauka setrs hin hvita | hugsar um mic sarann | hitt velldr mer at melldrar | morðveniandi feniu | diupt oc danskra vapna | Dagshriðar spor |
(TW)
Emkat ec rꜹþr ne rioþom | ræþr gron scogul manne | hꜹcasetrs hin hvita | hugfar vm um mic sarann | hitt velldr mer at melldrar | morðvenjandi feniu | diupt oc danscra vapna | Dags hriþar spor |
(TW)
Emmkada eg ʀaudur nie ʀiodum | ʀædur graunn kona manni , jarnn stenndvr fast hid fornna , | fen || fen stijga mier benia , þo velldvr mier enn meira , mar glo | dar nu troda , dræpnis dijrra vopna , dag⸝s⸜hrijdar spor |
(RDF)
Emka rjóðr né rjóða,
ræðr grǫnn kona manni
hauka setrs um hættinn;
hyggr fár of mik sáran.
þat veldr mér, en mæra
móteggjaðra Fenju
draupnis ok dýrra vápna
Dags hríðar †svor† svíða.
Skj: Þórmóðr Bersason Kolbrúnarskáld, 2. Lausavísur 24: AI, 288, BI, 266, Skald I, 137, NN §§714, 1991 anm. 2; Fms 5, 91-2, Fms 12, 103, ÓH 1941, I, 584 (ch. 234), Flat 1860-8, II, 366; Hkr 1777-1826, II, 376, VI, 115, Hkr 1868, 497-8 (ÓHHkr ch. 247), Hkr 1893-1901, I, 502, IV, 172, ÍF 6, 276, ÍF 27, 391, Hkr 1991, II, 538 (ÓHHkr ch. 234); ÓHLeg 1849, 73, 120, ÓHLeg 1922, 88, ÓHLeg 1982, 202-5; Hb 1892-6, 416, Fbr 1852, 112, Fbr 1925-7, 215-16, ÍF 6, 275 (ch. 24), Loth 1960a, li-lii, 158 (ch. 17), ÍS II, 843, 850-1 (ch. 24); Gaertner 1907, 312, 348-9, Finnur Jónsson 1932-3, 77-8.
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