Cite as: Kirsten Wolf (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Heilagra meyja drápa 11’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 898-9.

Kvinna var með heiti hennar henni kær og drottni skærum; mildliga skal sú Máría kallaz; Magðaléna jafnan sagðiz.

Fyst var þessi full af löstum; fann hun Krist í vænu ranni; gjörði hann hana með einu orði alprúðastan gimstein brúða.

Kvinna var með hennar heiti, kær henni og skærum drottni; mildliga skal sú Máría kallaz, Magðaléna jafnan sagðiz. Fyst var þessi full af löstum; hun fann Krist í vænu ranni; með einu orði gjörði hann hana alprúðastan gimstein brúða.

There was a woman with her name, dear to her and to the bright Lord; graciously she shall be called Mary; she always named herself Magdalene. First she was full of vices; she found Christ in a beautiful house; with one word he made her the finest gem among women.

Mss: 721(11r), 713(23)

Readings: [2] skærum: þrennum 713    [6] vænu: ‘mynau’ 713    [8] alprúðastan: ‘alprudazta’ 721, 713

Editions: Skj: [Anonyme digte og vers XIV], [B. 12]. Af heilogum meyjum 11: AII, 529, BII, 585, Skald II, 323.

Notes: [All]: The cult of Mary Magdalene ‘appears to have been a late arrival in Iceland’ (Cormack 1994, 130-1). Evidence is confined to C13th and particularly C14-15th. For her saga, see Unger 1877, I, 513-53; Widding, Bekker-Nielsen and Shook 1963, 320-1; Wolf 2003, xxxiii-iv, 50-92, 159-70. — [3-4] mildliga skal sú Máría kallaz, Magðaléna jafnan sagðiz ‘graciously she shall be called Mary; she always named herself Magdalene’: This somewhat obscure statement is probably based on gospel accounts (e.g. Luke VII.37-50) which imply that the woman who annointed Jesus’ feet with oil was to be identified with ‘Mary called Magdalene’ (Luke VIII.2). Magdalene was the woman’s normal name, but she was also given the honorific name of Mary. Alternatively, as tentatively suggested in Skj B, this couplet might mean ‘that Mary, always named Magdalene, can be called upon’, i.e. Mary Magdalene can be invoked by Christians for help. Both here and in 13/5 the name must be spelled Magðaléna, even though both mss have <d>, in order to provide internal rhyme. — [5-8]: See Unger 1877, I, 514-17; Wolf 2003, 50-4. According to both the gospels and her saga, Mary Magdalene was possessed by seven devils which Christ exorcised. The beautiful house in which she met Christ is probably that of Simon the Pharisee (Unger 1877, I, 514-16).