Edáð Banddr 4I
Russell Poole (ed.) 2012, ‘Eyjólfr dáðaskáld, Bandadrápa 4’ 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. 461.
text and translation
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.
Mærr jǫfurr vann síðan {miklu fleiri aðra malmhríð}, — frôgum þat áðr — Eirekr und sik geira … þás {Virfils vala {garð-{Váli}}} gerði strandir Gotlands of herjat vítt. 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 … ’
notes and context
According to Hkr (similarly ÓT), Eiríkr, now based in Sweden, gains the support of Norwegians fleeing from Óláfr Tryggvason and undertakes raiding expeditions to Gotland so as to build up resources.
Lines 4 and 8 belong to the klofastef ‘split refrain’ and stand outside the syntax of the stanza; see st. 9 and Notes. — [5-7]: The text as it stands in the mss is difficult. There seems to be a clear statement that Eiríkr raided Gotland, but the mss differ as to whether strandir Gotlands ‘the coasts of Gotland’ belong together. The remaining nominal elements might well form a kenning for ‘man’, ‘warrior’ or ‘ruler’ as grammatical subject, but the base-word is elusive and other elements ambiguous, especially the duplicated vala (ll. 5, 6). The problems are hardly to be solved without emendation (cf. Jón Þorkelsson 1884, 60). (a) Adopted in this edn is the solution reached by Finnur Jónsson (Hkr 1893-1901; Skj B). This involves emendation of ‘vala’ in l. 5 to Váli, while vala in l. 6 is interpreted as gen. pl. of valr, a heiti for ‘horse’. Though not attested elsewhere in skaldic poetry, the god’s name Váli occurs in eddic poetry (LP: Váli 1) and is probably ancient (McKinnell 2009a, 190-1). (b) Kock (NN §553) points out that only the elements garð(r) ‘enclosure’ and Virfils ‘of Virfill <sea-king>’ are needed for the shield-kenning, which he appears to combine with Finnur Jónsson’s Váli to form a warrior-kenning. Kennings for ‘shield’ with the base-word garðr are exemplified in Eskál Vell 14/7, 8 and 27/2, and the combination with Virfils is possible, though the name of a legendary hero would be more usual: cf. Meissner 170-2. Kock takes l. 6 as a single phrase, Gotlands Vala strandir, which he translates as gotlänningarnas stränder ‘shores of the Gotlanders’. He does not explain gen. pl. Vala, but presumably takes it as a generalised application of the ethnic name Valir, often used of the Franks. Such a phrase would, however, be unparalleled. (c) Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson in ÍF 26, while acknowledging that the helmingr can barely be interpreted, likewise starts with garð- Virfils ‘shield’, suggesting that its vǫlr ‘staff/stave’ (represented by vala in l. 5) might be ‘sword’. (d) Hkr 1991 tentatively suggests that vala in l. 6 represents an indeclinable adj., equivalent to einvala ‘choice, excellent’ and describing the Gotland coast.
readings
- [1] Mærr: meirr F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 61, 53, 54, Bb, Flat
- [2] ‑hríð: hríðir J2ˣ, 61, ‑hríðar 53
- [3] áðr: so F, 61, 53, 54, Bb, Flat, áðr corrected from ‘æðr’ apparently in a later hand Kˣ, eðr J1ˣ, J2ˣ
- [3] frôgum: frá ek um Flat
- [3] þat: þar F
- [4] Eirekr: ‘Eir’ J1ˣ, J2ˣ, Eirek 54, Bb
- [5] þás (‘þa er’): þar er F
- [5] garð‑: graf‑ 54, Bb
- [5] ‑Váli: ‘‑vala’ Kˣ, F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 61, 53, 54, Flat, ‘‑nala’ Bb
- [6] ‑lands: ‑land J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 61, 53, 54, Bb, Flat
- [6] strandir: strandar F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 61, 53, 54, Flat, stranda Bb
- [7] Virfils: ‘hvírfíls’ F, ‘vir(ní)ls’(?) Bb
sources
Text is based on reconstruction from the base text and variant apparatus and may contain alternative spellings and other normalisations not visible in the manuscript text. Transcriptions may not have been checked and should not be cited.
-
AM 35 folx (Kx) — 199r/24 - 199v/4
imagesMærr vann miklu fleiri
malmhríð jǫfurr síðan
— áðr frôgum þat — aðra,
Eirekr und sik geira.
þás garð-†-vala† gerði
Gotlands vala strandir
Virfils vítt of herjat.
Veðrmildr ok semr hildi.Mæ̨ʀ[19] [
var] vaɴ⸌n⸍ miclo fleiri | mal⸌m⸍hrið = jofuʀ siþan[20] | (æ⸌a⸍ðr fragom þat aðra[21] | Eirikr und[22] sic geira || þa er garðvala gerþi | gotlandz vala strandir | virvils vítt um ⸌of⸍ heriað[23] | veðrmilldr og semr hildi |(VEÞ)
-
AM 45 fol (F) — 34ra/9 - 34ra/13
imagesmeirr vann miklu fleiri
malmhríð jǫfurr síðan
— áðr frôgum þar — aðra,
Eirekr und sik geira.
þar er garð-†-vala† gerði
Gotlands vala strandar
†hvírfíls† vítt of herjat.
Veðrmildr ok semr hildi.Meíʀ vaɴ m | yclu fleírí malm hriþ iofvʀ siðan aðr frágom þar aðra | eirikr vnd síg geíra · þar er garð vala geyrðí gotlandz | vala strandar hvírfíls vítt of heriat veðr milldr ok semr | hilldí ·
(VEÞ)
-
AM 38 folx (J2x) — 108v/15 - 108v/22
images -
AM 37 folx (J1x) — 122v/6 - 122v/10
imagesmeirr vann miklu fleiri
malmhríð jǫfurr síðan
— eðr frôgum þat — aðra,
†Eir† und sik geira.
þás garð-†-vala† gerði
Got-land vala strandar
Virfils vítt of herjat.
Veðrmildr ok semr hildi.Meir van myklo fle | iri malm hriþiofurr siþan eþr fragum það aðra eiʀikr · | unð sik geira þa er gard vala gerþi gotland va | la strandar virvils vitt of heriat veðr millðr | ok semr hillði
(VEÞ)
-
AM 38 folx (J2x) — 108v - 108v
meirr vann miklu fleiri
images
malmhríðir jǫfurr síðan
— eðr frôgum þat — aðra,
†Eir† und sik geira.
þás garð-†-vala† gerði
Got-land vala strandar
Virfils vítt of herjat.
Veðrmildr ok semr hildi. -
AM 61 fol (61) — 65rb/24 - 65rb/27
imagesmeirr vann miklu fleiri
malmhríðir jǫfurr síðan
— áðr frôgum þat — aðra,
Eirekr und sik geira.
þás garð-†-vala† gerði
Got-land vala strandar
Virfils vítt of herjat.
Veðrmildr ok semr hildi.Meiʀ vann mik | lu fleiri . malm hriðir iof⸌or⸍r siþan . aðr frágvm þat aðra eirikr | vnd sik geíra . þa er garð vala gerði . got land vala strandar . | virvils viðt of heriat veðr milldr ok semr hilldi .
(VEÞ)
-
AM 53 fol (53) — 62ra/24 - 62ra/28
imagesmeirr vann miklu fleiri
malm-hríðar jǫfurr síðan
— áðr frôgum þat — aðra,
Eirekr und sik geira.
þás garð-†-vala† gerði
Got-land vala strandar
Virfils vítt of herjat.
Veðrmildr ok semr hildi.Meiʀ vann myk | lu fleírí malmhrídar jofur siðan · aðr fragum þat aðra · Eí | ʀikʀ vnd sík geíra · þa er garðvala gerðí gotland vala stra | ndaʀ víruíls vítt of heríat veðr mílldr · ok sémʀ | hílldí
(VEÞ)
-
AM 54 fol (54) — 60va/4 - 60va/8
imagesmeirr vann miklu fleiri
malmhríð jǫfurr síðan
— áðr frôgum þat — aðra,
Eirek und sik geira.
þás graf--†-vala† gerði
Got-land vala strandar
Virfils vítt of herjat.
Veðrmildr ok semr hildi.Meiʀr vann miklv | fleiri · malmhrid iofuʀr sidan · adr fragum þat adra | eirik vnd sik geira · þa er grafuala giordi · gott | land vala strandar · viruils vítt of heriat veðr | milldr ok semr hilldi ·
(VEÞ)
-
Holm perg 1 fol (Bb) — 96ra/28 - 96ra/32
imagesmeirr vann miklu fleiri
malmhríð jǫfurr síðan
— áðr frôgum þat — aðra,
Eirek und sik geira.
þás graf--†-nala† gerði
Got-land vala stranda
†vir(ní)ls† vítt of herjat.
Veðrmildr ok semr hildi.Meiʀ vann mvklv | fleíri malmhrid iofvr sidan . adr fragum þat adra | eiʀik vnd sik geira . þa er grafnala gerdi gottland | vala stranda . víruíls vítt of heriad vedr milldr ok semr | hilldi.
(VEÞ)
-
GKS 1005 fol (Flat) — 69rb/33 - 69rb/36
imagesmeirr vann miklu fleiri
malmhríð jǫfurr síðan
— áðr frá ek um þat — aðra,
Eirekr und sik geira.
þás garð-†-vala† gerði
Got-land vala strandar
Virfils vítt of herjat.
Veðrmildr ok semr hildi.Meírr | uann myklu fleiri malmhrid io᷎furr sidann adr fra ek um þat adra | œirikr undir sig geíra þaer gard uala gerde gotland uala strandar | uíruils vítt um heriat uedr milldr ok semr hillde ·
(VEÞ)
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