Cite as: Hubert Seelow (ed.) 2017, ‘Hálfs saga ok Hálfsrekka 23 (Hálfr Hjǫrleifsson, Innsteinskviða 5)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 323.
Gefa mun ek hverjum hjálm ok brynju
frækna drengja, er fylgja mér. |
Þat mun at líta, sem logi brenni
skjöldungs liði um skarar fjöllum. |
Ek mun gefa hverjum frækna drengja, er fylgja mér, hjálm ok brynju. Þat mun at líta, sem logi brenni um {fjöllum skarar} liði skjöldungs.
I shall give to each of the brave warriors who follow me a helmet and a byrnie. That will look as if a flame were burning around {the mountains of hair} [HEADS] of the prince’s host.
Mss: 2845(36r) (Hálf)
Readings: [2] hjálm: ‘hiaml’ 2845
Editions: Skj: Anonyme digte og vers [XIII], E. 6. Vers af Fornaldarsagaer: Af Hálfssaga VI 10: AII, 260, BII, 280, Skald II, 146-7, FF §25; Hálf 1864, 18-19, Hálf 1909, 103, FSGJ 2, 111, Hálf 1981, 118, 181; Edd. Min. 34.
Context: This stanza is introduced by the words:
kóngr kvað ‘the king said’.
Notes: [All]: See Hálf 21, Note to [All]. — [2] hjálm ok brynju ‘a helmet and a byrnie’: Bugge (Hálf 1864) emends the line to hjálm gullroðinn ‘gold-covered helmet’ because to his mind ok brynju is not consistent with the content of the second helmingr. — [3] frækna (gen. pl.) ‘brave’: The reading of the ms. Hálf 1909, FSGJ and Edd. Min. correct to fræknra, Skj B, Skald and Hálf 1981 retain frækna. Both forms are possible; cf. ANG §427.2. — [8] um fjöllum skarar ‘around the mountains of hair [HEADS]’: The ms. reads of (prep.) ‘around’ rather than um, but has been normalised to a 1250-1300 standard. The kenning fjall skarar ‘mountain of hair’ for ‘head’ is also used in ESk Frag 2/4III; háfiall scarar ‘high mountain of hair’ for ‘head’ occurs in Hym 23/6 (NK 92).