Bjarni byskup Kolbeinsson (Bjbp)
13th century; volume 1; ed. Jonna Louis-Jensen;
Jómsvíkingadrápa (Jóms) - 45
Bjarni Kolbeinsson (Bjbp) was born into a powerful family in the Orkney Islands, possibly c. 1150-60 (af Petersens, Jvs 1879, 122). His father was the Norwegian-Orcadian chieftain Kolbeinn hrúga ‘Heap’ and his mother was Herborg, a great-granddaughter of Páll jarl Þorfinnsson on the maternal side (see Ættaskrár [Genealogies] II in ÍF 35). Bjarni was also very well connected: he was a close friend of Haraldr jarl Maddaðarson (ÍF 35, 289), sent precious gifts to Hrafn Sveinbjarnarson in Iceland on three occasions (Guðrún P. Helgadóttir 1987, 2-3), and had connections with the Oddaverjar (see further Einar Ól. Sveinsson 1937, 17-18, 34-9).
Bjarni was Bishop of Orkney from 1188 (ÍF 35, 289) until his death on 15 September 1223. Among his achievements as bishop were the exhumation and canonisation of Rǫgnvaldr jarl Kali Kolsson (ÍF 35, 282; SkP II, 575) and the extension of St Magnús’s Cathedral in Kirkwall. Bjarni was also a diplomat and is known to have travelled to Norway for political reasons in 1194-5, 1208-9, 1210, 1218 and 1223 (see Bugge 1875, 244; Holtsmark 1937a, 2-3); he probably died in Norway (Jón Stefánsson 1907-8, 46).
Bjarni is introduced as Bjarni skáld ‘Poet’ in Orkn (ÍF 35, 193), but Jómsvíkingadrápa (Jóms) is the only literary work attributed to him in medieval sources. Suggestions that he compiled Orkn (Jón Stefánsson 1907-8) and the þulur in SnE (Bugge 1875) have not been generally accepted; see Introduction to Jóms below on the attribution of Anon Mhkv to Bjarni.
notes
my abbr.
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Jómsvíkingadrápa (‘Drápa about the Jómsvíkingar’)
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Bjbp JómsI
Emily Lethbridge 2012, ‘ Bjarni byskup Kolbeinsson, Jómsvíkingadrápa’ 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. 954. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1122> (accessed 29 May 2022)
stanzas: 1
2
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Skj: Bjarni Kolbeinsson: Jómsvíkingadrápa (AII, 1-10, BII, 1-10); stanzas (if different): 2 |
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4
SkP info: I, 969 | |
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Cite as: Emily Lethbridge (ed.) 2012, ‘Bjarni byskup Kolbeinsson, Jómsvíkingadrápa 12’ 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. 969. Heitstrenging frák hefja
heiptmildan Sigvalda;
Búi var ǫrr at efla
órœkinn þrek slíkan.
Hétusk þeir af hauðri
Hákun reka fíkjum
— grimm var frægra fyrða
fjón — eða lífi ræna. | Frák heiptmildan Sigvalda hefja heitstrenging; órœkinn Búi var ǫrr at efla slíkan þrek. Þeir hétusk fíkjum reka Hákun af hauðri eða ræna lífi; fjón frægra fyrða var grimm. I have heard strife-liberal Sigvaldi began the making of vows; the reckless Búi was swift to strengthen such daring. They vowed eagerly to drive Hákon from the land or rob him of life; the hatred of the famous men was grim.
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texts: ‹ÓT 67› editions: Skj Bjarni Kolbeinsson: Jómsvíkingadrápa 12 (AII, 3; BII, 3); Skald II, 2, NN §177; Fms 11, 166, Fms 12, 243, Jvs 1879, 108-9; Fms 1, 163, Fms 12, 40, ÓT 1958-2000, I, 179 (ch. 86), Ólafur Halldórsson 2000, 22, 76.
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