Cite as: Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Snorri Sturluson, Háttatal 41’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 1150.
Velr ítrhugaðr ýtum
otrgjǫld jǫfurr snotrum;
opt hefr þings fyr þrøngvi
þungfarmr Grana sprungit. |
Hjǫrs vill rjóðr, at ríði
reiðmálmr Gnitaheiðar;
vígs es hreytt at hættis
hvatt Niflunga skatti. |
Ítrhugaðr jǫfurr velr snotrum ýtum {otrgjǫld}; {þungfarmr Grana} hefr opt sprungit fyr {þrøngvi þings}. {Rjóðr hjǫrs} vill, at {reiðmálmr Gnitaheiðar} ríði; {skatti Niflunga} es hreytt hvatt at {hættis vígs}.
The splendid-minded prince selects {otter-payments} [GOLD] for wise people; {the heavy burden of Grani <horse>} [GOLD] has often burst before {the oppressor of the assembly} [STERN RULER]. {The reddener of the sword} [WARRIOR] wants {the riding-metal of Gnitaheiðr} [GOLD] to be scattered; {the treasure of the Niflungar <legendary family>} [GOLD] is distributed vigorously at [the dwelling] {of the darer of battle} [WARRIOR].
Mss: R(49r), Tˣ(51r), W(145), U(53v) (SnE)
Readings: [3] opt: ‘op’ Tˣ; þrøngvi: so all others, þrøngi R [7] hreytt: so U, ‘hreit’ R, ‘hrott’ Tˣ, ‘hrvtt’ W; hættis: so Tˣ, U, hættiz R, hætti W
Editions: Skj: Snorri Sturluson, 2. Háttatal 41: AII, 63, BII, 72, Skald II, 41, NN §2182; SnE 1848-87, I, 652-3, II, 390, III, 121, SnE 1879-81, I, 7, 79, II, 18, SnE 1931, 233, SnE 2007, 20; Konráð Gíslason 1895-7, I, 25.
Context: The dróttkvætt
variant is liðhent ‘helping-rhymed’
(see also sts 53, 58 below). The internal rhymes in
the odd lines and the first rhyme in the even lines fall on the alliterating
syllables and the hendingar in each
couplet have the same postvocalic environment.
Notes: [All]: This rhyme scheme is not uncommon in dróttkvætt poetry (see also SnE 2007, 80-1). — [All]: The heading in Tˣ is 33. — [All]: The kennings for ‘gold’ are
all derived from stories about Sigurðr the Dragon-slayer and the Niflungar. — [2] otrgjǫld ‘otter-payments [GOLD]’: This refers to the compensation paid by the gods for the slaying of Otr, the brother of Reginn and Fáfnir (see Rm, SnE 1998, I, 45-6 and RvHbreiðm Hl 3-8). See also Notes to st. 15/1-2 above and Anon Bjark 5/5. — [3] þrøngvi ‘the oppressor’: So all
other mss. In R ‘þravngi’ has been altered to ‘þravngvi’ (R*). — [4] þungfarmr Grana ‘the heavy burden of Grani <horse> [GOLD]’: This is the gold carried on the back of Grani, Sigurðr’s horse, across Gnitaheiðr (see Fáfn end prose, NK 188, Gríp 11-13, SnE 1998, I, 47 and Note to Anon Bjark 4/6). For Grani, see Note to Anon Kálfv 4/8 (see also Þul Hesta 1/8). — [6] reiðmálmr Gnitaheiðar ‘the riding-metal of Gnitaheiðr [GOLD]’: This kenning extends the imagery from l. 4. Gnitaheiðr was
the heath where Fáfnir lay on the gold. — [7] es hreytt ‘is distributed’: The verb is used impersonally with skatti Niflunga (m. dat. sg.) ‘the treasure of the Niflungar’ (l. 8) as the dat. object. In
R ‘hreit’ has been altered to ‘hreytt’ (R*). — [8] skatti Niflunga ‘the treasure of the Niflungar <legendary family> [GOLD]’: This is the gold belonging to the Niflungar, Gunnarr and Hǫgni (see Akv 27, SnE 1998, I, 45-9 and Note to Anon Bjark 6/6).
