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Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Bandadrápa — Edáð BanddrI

Eyjólfr dáðaskáld

Russell Poole 2012, ‘ Eyjólfr dáðaskáld, Bandadrápa’ 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. 454. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1158> (accessed 24 April 2024)

 

Meita fór at móti
mjǫk síð of dag skíði
ungr með jǫfnu gengi
útvers frǫmum hersi,
þás riðloga reiðir
randvallar lét falla
— ulfteitir gaf ôtu
opt blóðvǫlum — Skopta.
 
‘[When] young, he went to an encounter of Meiti <sea-king> [BATTLE] very late in the day on the ski of the fishing ground [SHIP] with a following equal to the noble hersir, when the brandisher of the swinging flame of the rim-plain [SHIELD > SWORD > WARRIOR = Eiríkr] caused Skopti to fall; the wolf-gladdener [WARRIOR] often gave the blood-falcons [RAVENS/EAGLES] food.
Hoddsveigir lét hníga
harða ríkr, þás barðisk,
(logreifis brátt lífi)
landmann Kíars (handa).
Stálœgir nam stíga
stafns fletbalkar hrafna
af dynbeiði dauðum.
Dregr land at mun banda.
 
‘The very mighty treasure-bender [GENEROUS MAN = Eiríkr] caused the countryman of Kíarr <ruler> [= Skopti] to fall, when he fought; you snatched away the life of the presenter of the flame of hands [(lit. ‘flame-presenter of hands’) GOLD > GENEROUS MAN = Skopti]. The sword-intimidator [WARRIOR = Eiríkr] strode away from the dead requester of the din of the house-partition of the horses of the stem [(lit. ‘din-requester of the house-partition of the horses of the stem’) SHIPS > SHIELD > BATTLE > WARRIOR = Skopti]. Wins land at the pleasure of the gods …
Folkstýrir vas fára
†finnsk ǫlknarrar linna†
suðr at sævar naðri
†setbergs† gamall vetra,
áðr at Yggjar brúði
élhvetjanda setja
Hildar hjalmi faldinn
hoddmildingar vildu.
 
‘The troop-leader [RULER] was, [when] a few years old, in the south on the adder of the sea [SHIP], ... before the treasure-bestowers [GENEROUS MEN] wished to place the inciter of the storm of Hildr <valkyrie> [(lit. ‘storm-inciter of Hildr’) BATTLE > WARRIOR], attired in his helmet, over the bride of Yggr <= Óðinn> [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘land’)].
Mærr vann miklu fleiri
malmhríð jǫfurr síðan
— áðr frôgum þat — aðra,
Eirekr und sik geira.
þás garð-Váli gerði
Gotlands vala strandir
Virfils vítt of herjat.
Veðrmildr ok semr hildi.
 
‘The renowned leader then fought many more other metal-storms [BATTLES], — we [I] learned that earlier — Eiríkr under himself of spears … when the Váli <god> of the enclosure of the horses of Virfill <sea-king> [(lit. ‘enclosure-Váli of the horses of Virfill’) SHIPS > SHIELD > WARRIOR] had the coasts of Gotland raided far and wide. Storm-generous and contrives warfare …
Stœrir lét at Stauri
stafnviggs hǫfuð liggja
— gramr vélti svá — gumna.
Gunnblíðr ok ræðr síðan.
Sleit at sverða móti
svǫrð víkinga hǫrðu
unda már fyr eyri.
Jarl goðvǫrðu hjarli.
 
‘ The strengthener of men [RULER] let the head of the prow-horse [SHIP] lie off Staurr; the ruler arranged it in this way. Rejoicing in battle and rules since then … The gull of wounds [RAVEN/EAGLE] ripped the scalp of the vikings in the hard meeting of swords [BATTLE] off the sand-spit. Jarl god-defended land …
Oddhríðar fór eyða
— óx hríð at þat — síðan
logfágandi lœgis
land Valdamars brandi.
Aldeigju brauzt, œgir
— oss numnask skil — gumna;
sú varð hildr með hauldum
hǫrð; komt austr í Garða.
 
‘ The custodian of the flame of the sea of the point-storm [(lit. ‘flame-custodian of the sea of the point-storm’) BATTLE > BLOOD > SWORD > WARRIOR] went afterwards to ravage Vladimir’s land with the sword; the onslaught intensified at that. You crushed Staraya Ladoga, intimidator of men [RULER]; sound information is being brought to us [me]; that battle became hard amongst freeholders; you came eastwards into Russia.
Frák, hvar fleina sævar
fúrherðir styr gerði
endr í eyja sundi.
Eirekr und sik geira.
Hrauð fúrgjafall fjórar
folkmeiðr Dana skeiðar
— vér frôgum þat — vága.
Veðrmildr ok semr hildi.
 
‘I have heard where the hardener of the fire of the sea of barbs [(lit. ‘fire-hardener of the sea of barbs’) BLOOD > SWORD > WARRIOR = Eiríkr] again made war in the sound of islands. Eiríkr under himself of spears … The battle-tree [WARRIOR], bountiful with the fire of bays [(lit. ‘fire-bountiful of bays’) GOLD], cleared four warships of the Danes; we [I] have heard that. Storm-generous and contrives warfare …
Ôttuð hjaldr, þars hauldar,
hlunnviggs, í bý runnu,
gæti-Njǫrðr, við Gauta.
Gunnblíðr ok ræðr síðan.
Herskildi fór hildar
— hann þverrði frið mǫnnum —
ôss of allar sýslur.
Jarl goðvǫrðu hjarli
 
‘You had a battle against the Gautar, protecting-Njǫrðr <god> of the roller-horse [SHIP > SEAFARER], where freeholders ran into the town. Rejoicing in battle and rules since then … The god of battle [WARRIOR = Eiríkr] went with the war-shield across all districts; he diminished the peace for men. Jarl god-defended land …
Dregr land at mun banda
Eirekr und sik geira
veðrmildr ok semr hildi
[gunnblíðr, ok ræðr síðan
jarl goðvǫrðu hjarli].
 
‘Eiríkr draws land under himself at the pleasure of the gods, generous with the storm of spears [(lit. ‘storm-generous of spears’) BATTLE], and contrives warfare, [rejoicing in battle, and the jarl rules since then the god-defended land].
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