Cite as: Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Snorri Sturluson, Háttatal 95’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 1204.
Mundak mildingi, þás Mœra hilmi
fluttak fjogur kvæði, fimtán stórgjafar. |
Hvar viti áðr orta með œðra hætti
mærð of menglǫtuð maðr und himins skautum? |
Mundak mildingi fimtán stórgjafar, þás fluttak {hilmi Mœra} fjogur kvæði. Hvar und skautum himins viti maðr mærð með œðra hætti áðr orta of {menglǫtuð}?
I remembered the generous one for fifteen grand gifts when I presented four poems {to the lord of the Mœrir} [NORWEGIAN RULER = Skúli]. Where beneath the corners of heaven may a man know praise with a more distinguished verse-form previously composed about {a necklace-destroyer} [GENEROUS MAN]?
Mss: R(53r) (SnE)
Editions: Skj: Snorri Sturluson, 2. Háttatal 95: AII, 76, BII, 86, Skald II, 47; SnE 1848-87, I, 710-11, III, 134, SnE 1879-81, I, 15, 85, II, 33, SnE 1931, 251, SnE 2007, 37; Konráð Gíslason 1895-7, I, 64.
Context: The metre is málaháttr ‘speeches’ form’ (heading added by R*).
Notes: [All]: For a more detailed discussion of this metre, see Section 4 of the General Introduction in SkP I. — [All]: For the four poems that Snorri composed about Skúli, see st. 69 and Note to st. 69 [All]. According to Sturlunga saga (Stu 1878, I, 244), Skúli presented Snorri with fifteen gifts during his stay at the jarl’s court in 1218-20: Jarlinn hafði gefit hónum skip þat, er hann hafði út, ok fimtán stór-gjafar ‘The jarl had given him the ship on which he sailed out [to Iceland], and fifteen grand gifts’. The wording of Stu betrays knowledge of Ht. — [1] mundak ‘I remembered’: For this verb, see Note to st. 29/1 above. — [8] skautum himins ‘the corners of heaven’: Cf. GunnLeif Merl I 27/8VIII.
