Þórðr Kolbeinsson (ÞKolb)
11th century; volume 1; ed. Jayne Carroll;
Eiríksdrápa (Eirdr) - 17
V. Gunnlaugsdrápa ormstungu (Gunndr) - 1
V. Lausavísur (Lv) - 12
IX. Belgskakadrápa (Belgdr) - 0
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.
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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 27 May 2022)
stanzas: 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
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 |
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| 9 — ÞKolb Eirdr 9I
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old edition
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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.
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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 |
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AM 45 fol (F) |
37ra, 4 - 37ra, 6 |
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AM 37 folx (J1x) |
135r, 21 - 135v, 2 |
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AM 38 folx (J2x) |
118r, 1 - 118r, 8 |
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AM 325 XI 2 i 4° (325XI 2 i) |
1va, 31 - 1va, 34 |
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AM 61 fol (61) |
70ra, 38 - 70rb, 2 |
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AM 53 fol (53) |
66vb, 23 - 66vb, 26 |
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AM 54 fol (54) |
68rb, 13 - 68rb, 17 |
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AM 325 VIII 2 g 4° (325VIII 2 g) |
2rb, 13 - 2rb, 17 |
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Holm perg 1 fol (Bb) |
103vb, 34 - 103vb, 38 |
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GKS 1005 fol (Flat) |
71rb, 11 - 71rb, 14 |
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OsloUB 371 folx (FskBx*) |
39v, 3 - 39v, 6 [1-4] |
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OsloUB 371 folx (FskBx*) |
38r, 20 - 38r, 23 [5-8] |
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AM 303 4°x (FskAx*) |
150, 20 - 150, 23 [1-4] |
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AM 303 4°x (FskAx*) |
146, 17 - 146, 20 [5-8] |
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GKS 2367 4° (R) |
37r, 14 - 37r, 15 |
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Traj 1374x (Tx) |
38v, 22 - 38v, 23 |
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AM 748 I b 4° (A) |
13r, 4 - 13r, 5 |
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AM 748 II 4° (C) |
6r, 30 - 6r, 31 |
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AM 51 folx (51x) |
35v, 28 - 35v, 31 [1-4] |
(Fsk) |
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AM 51 folx (51x) |
34v, 17 - 34v, 20 [1-4] |
(Fsk) |
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AM 301 4°x (301x) |
53v, 15 - 53v, 17 [5-8] |
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AM 301 4°x (301x) |
55r, 14 - 55r, 15 [1-4] |
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AM 761 b 4°x (761bx) |
450r, 7 - 450r, 10 [5-8] |
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