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Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Þórðr Kolbeinsson (ÞKolb)

11th century; volume 1; ed. Jayne Carroll;

Eiríksdrápa (Eirdr) - 17

Skj info: Þórðr Kolbeinsson, Islandsk skjald, 11. årh. (AI, 212-19, BI, 202-9).

Skj poems:
1. Belgskakadrápa
2. Gunnlaugsdrápa ormstungu
3. Eiríksdrápa
4. Lausavísur

Þórðr Kolbeinsson (ÞKolb) was born c. 974 in Iceland (ÍF 3, lxxxviii). The Hauksbók version of Ldn names his father as Kolbeinn klakkhǫfði ‘Lump-head’ (?) Atlason, from Atley (Atløy) in Norway, while the Sturlubók version names him as Kolbeinn Þórðarson (ÍF 1, 99, 144, lxiv-vi). Þórðr’s mother is said in Bjarnar saga Hítdœlakappa (BjH, ÍF 3, 168) to be called Arnóra; in Ldn (ÍF 1, 142) she is also identified as the daughter of Gunnbjǫrn. Þórðr’s home was at Hítarnes in western Iceland; the poet Arnórr jarlaskáld (ArnII), one of Þórðr’s five sons, was born there. Two other sons, Kolbeinn and Kolli, are named in BjH, and three unnamed daughters are also mentioned (ÍF 3, 125, 171-2, 174, 179, 208). Nothing is known about Þórðr’s death.

Þórðr is famous as the villain of BjH, in which he marries Oddný eykyndill ‘Island-candle’ Þorkelsdóttir, having deceived her into believing that Bjǫrn Arngeirsson (BjhítV), to whom she is betrothed, is dead. This intensifies a life-long feud between Þórðr and Bjǫrn which ends with Bjǫrn’s death at Þórðr’s hands.

Skáldatal (SnE 1848-87, III, 253, 257, 258, 261, 262, 266, 274, 280, 283) names Þórðr as poet to four rulers: Eiríkr jarl Hákonarson of Hlaðir (Lade; d. c. 1023); the Norwegian kings Óláfr Haraldsson (d. 1030) and, in the U redaction, Magnús góði ‘the Good’ Óláfsson (d. 1047); and, in the 761aˣ redaction, the Danish king Sveinn Úlfsson (d. 1076). Of these, only Eiríkr is named in source texts as the recipient of surviving stanzas, although BjH (ÍF 3, 126-7) has Þórðr compose and recite a drápa for Óláfr. It is doubtful on chronological grounds that Þórðr composed for Sveinn Úlfsson, and it has been suggested (Fidjestøl 1982, 117) that confusion with Sveinn tjúguskegg ‘Fork-beard’ (d. 1014) might lie behind the erroneous listing. Seventeen stanzas about Eiríkr jarl survive, and in this edition all are attributed to Eiríksdrápa (ÞKolb Eirdr) with varying degrees of confidence. BjH places Þórðr in Eiríkr’s retinue in Norway, c. 1007, delivering a poem entitled Belgskakadrápa ‘Bag-shaking drápa’ (ÍF 3, 115-9), but this may be the same poem as Eirdr, whose content suggests that Þórðr paid court to Eiríkr in England after the conquest of Knútr inn ríki (Cnut the Great) in 1016 and before Eiríkr’s death c. 1023 (see Introduction to Eirdr). In addition to Eirdr, twelve lausavísur (ÞKolb Lv 1-12V) are preserved in BjH, mostly directed against the saga’s hero, Bjǫrn, and a single stanza said to be by Þórðr (ÞKolb GunndrV) survives in praise of the poet Gunnlaugr ormstungu ‘Serpent-tongue’ Illugason (GunnlIV, d. c. 1008; ÍF 3, 101-2). These are edited in SkP V.

Eiríksdrápa — ÞKolb EirdrI

Jayne Carroll 2012, ‘ Þórðr Kolbeinsson, Eiríksdrápa’ 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. 487. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1415> (accessed 8 January 2025)

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Skj: Þórðr Kolbeinsson: 3. Eiríksdrápa, 1014 (AI, 213-217, BI, 203-206); stanzas (if different): 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

SkP info: I, 501

old edition introduction edition manuscripts transcriptions concordance search files

9 — ÞKolb Eirdr 9I

edition interactive full text transcriptions old edition references concordance

 

Cite as: Jayne Carroll (ed.) 2012, ‘Þórðr Kolbeinsson, Eiríksdrápa 9’ 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. 501.

Veitk, fyr Erling útan
ár at hersar vôru
(lofak fasta Tý) flestir
(farlands) vinir jarla.
Enn ept víg frá Veigu
— velk orð at styr — norðan
land eða lengra stundu
lagðisk suðr til Agða.

Veitk, at flestir hersar, fyr útan Erling, vôru ár vinir jarla; lofak {Tý {fasta {farlands}}}. Enn ept víg lagðisk land norðan frá Veigu suðr til Agða eða stundu lengra; velk orð at styr.

I know that most hersar, other than Erlingr, were previously friends of the jarls; I praise {the Týr <god> {of the fire {of the vessel-land}}} [SEA > GOLD > MAN = Eiríkr]. And after the battle the land was subjected from Vega in the north south as far as Agder or somewhat further; I choose words about the battle.

texts: Flat 384, Fsk 127, Fsk 130, ÓT 202, ÓTC 69 (I 171), Skm 316 [5-8], Hkr 200 (I 171), SnE 318 [5-8]

editions: Skj Þórðr Kolbeinsson: 3. Eiríksdrápa 6 (AI, 215; BI, 204); Skald I, 107; Hkr 1893-1901, I, 458, IV, 104, ÍF 26, 371, Hkr 1991, I, 252 (ÓTHkr ch. 113), F 1871, 167; ÓT 1958-2000, II, 300 (ch. 260), Flat 1860-8, I, 533; Fsk 1902-3, 134, 138 (chs 23, 24), ÍF 29, 163, 166 (chs 25, 26); SnE 1848-87, I, 474, II, 448, 593, SnE 1931, 167, SnE 1998, I, 86, 209.

sources

AM 35 folx (Kx) 217v, 15 - 217v, 22 (Hkr)  transcr.  image  image  
AM 45 fol (F) 37ra, 4 - 37ra, 6 (Hkr)  image  image  image  image  
AM 37 folx (J1x) 135r, 21 - 135v, 2 (Hkr)  image  
AM 38 folx (J2x) 118r, 1 - 118r, 8 (Hkr)  image  
AM 325 XI 2 i 4° (325XI 2 i) 1va, 31 - 1va, 34 (Hkr)  image  
AM 61 fol (61) 70ra, 38 - 70rb, 2 (ÓT)  image  image  
AM 53 fol (53) 66vb, 23 - 66vb, 26 (ÓT)  image  
AM 54 fol (54) 68rb, 13 - 68rb, 17 (ÓT)  image  
AM 325 VIII 2 g 4° (325VIII 2 g) 2rb, 13 - 2rb, 17 (ÓT)  image  
Holm perg 1 fol (Bb) 103vb, 34 - 103vb, 38 (ÓT)  image  image  
GKS 1005 fol (Flat) 71rb, 11 - 71rb, 14 (ÓT)  image  image  image  
OsloUB 371 folx (FskBx*) 39v, 3 - 39v, 6 [1-4] (Fsk)  image  
OsloUB 371 folx (FskBx*) 38r, 20 - 38r, 23 [5-8] (Fsk)  image  
AM 303 4°x (FskAx*) 150, 20 - 150, 23 [1-4] (Fsk)  image  
AM 303 4°x (FskAx*) 146, 17 - 146, 20 [5-8] (Fsk)  image  
GKS 2367 4° (R) 37r, 14 - 37r, 15 (SnE)  image  image  image  
Traj 1374x (Tx) 38v, 22 - 38v, 23 (SnE)  image  
AM 748 I b 4° (A) 13r, 4 - 13r, 5 (SnE)  transcr.  image  image  
AM 748 II 4° (C) 6r, 30 - 6r, 31 (SnE)  image  image  
AM 51 folx (51x) 35v, 28 - 35v, 31 [1-4] (Fsk)  image  
AM 51 folx (51x) 34v, 17 - 34v, 20 [1-4] (Fsk)  image  
AM 301 4°x (301x) 53v, 15 - 53v, 17 [5-8] (Fsk)  image  
AM 301 4°x (301x) 55r, 14 - 55r, 15 [1-4] (Fsk)  
AM 761 b 4°x (761bx) 450r, 7 - 450r, 10 [5-8]  image  
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