Richard L. Harris (ed.) 2017, ‘Hjálmþés saga ok Ǫlvis 18 (Hergunnr, Lausavísur 2)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 510.
Held ek upp hrömmum; hér máttu, jöfurr, líta
hendr Hergunnar; hefi ek negl óskorna.
Rifna mun þín ólpa, ef vit, jöfurr, finnumz;
þér skal ei kyrt klappa, konungr inn suðræni.
Ek held upp hrömmum; hér máttu líta, jöfurr, hendr Hergunnar; ek hefi óskorna negl. Ólpa þín mun rifna, ef vit finnumz, jöfurr; skal ei klappa þér kyrt, inn suðræni konungr.
‘I hold up my paws; here you can see, prince, Hergunnr’s hands; I have uncut nails. Your cloak will be ripped if we two meet, prince; you will not be stroked gently, southern king. ’
Hergunnr threatens Hjálmþér, showing him her hands with their sharp nails and promising to tear his clothes.
The threatening behaviour of troll-women towards the male heroes they encounter, particularly their desire to rip them apart with their claws is graphically expressed in GrL 5/8.
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.
Heldr upp hrömmum;
hér máttu, jöfur líta,
hendr Hergunnar;
hefi ek ei negl óskorna.
Rifna mun þín ólpa,
ef vit, †jofr†, finnuz;
þér skal ei kyrt klappa,
konungr inn inn suðræni.
Helldr vpp hravmmum | hier mattu lyta jofur lyta hendr hergvnnar | hefec ey negl oskorna ʀifna mvn þyn olpa ef vid | jofr finnuzt þier skal ey kirt klappa konungr hinn | hinn sudʀæne
(RH)
Heldr upp hrömmum;
hér máttu, jöfurr, líta
hendr Hergunnar;
hefi ek negl óskorna.
Rifna mun þín ólpa,
ef vit, jöfurr, finnuz;
þér skal ei kyrt klappa,
konungr inn suðræni.
Held ek upp hrömmum;
hér mátt, jöfurr, líta
hendr Hergunnar;
hefi ek negl óskorna.
Rifna mun þín ólpa,
ef vit, jöfurr, †finnunz†;
þér skal ei kyrt klappa,
konungr inn suðræni.
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