Russell Poole (ed.) 2012, ‘Eyvindr skáldaspillir Finnsson, Lausavísur 1’ 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. 215.
Blóðøxar téa beiða
brynþings fetilstinga
(oss gerask hneppt) ins hvassa
hefnendr (setuefni).
Heldr es vant, en vildak
veg þinn, konungr, segja
— fôum til fornra vápna
fljótt — hersǫgu dróttni.
Hefnendr ins hvassa Blóðøxar téa beiða {brynþings} {fetilstinga}; setuefni gerask oss hneppt. Es heldr vant segja dróttni hersǫgu, en vildak veg þinn, konungr; fôum fljótt til fornra vápna.
‘The avengers of the keen [Eiríkr] Blóðøx (‘Blood-axe’) are asking for a mail-shirt-assembly [BATTLE] with the sword-belt-stabber [SWORD]; the chances of peace are becoming scant for us. It is rather difficult to tell a lord a tale of war, but I wished for your honour, king; let us quickly reach for our old weapons. ’
The sons of Gunnhildr obtain intelligence that Hákon is attending a seasonal feast (veizla) at Fitjar on the island of Storð (Stord). They sail to intercept him, with a full complement of warriors, under the immediate command of Eyvindr skreyja ‘Wretch’ Ǫzurarson tóta (see Lv 3/4, 4/2 and Note to Lv 3/4). Hákon is caught unawares while at his day-time meal. Members of his entourage delegate the task of alerting the king to Eyvindr (so Fsk; the Hkr narration does not reveal the identity of the attackers at first).
For the battle of Fitjar (c. 961), see also Lv 2-5 below, Eyv Hák 2-9, ÞSjár Þórdr and Glúmr Lv. — Eyvindr is given the following aphoristic speech: ‘Litil er liðanda stund hærra en langt matmal’, ‘It’s a short time for somebody sailing, my lord, but a long time for a meal’ (Fsk 1902-3, 36; similarly Hkr, ÓT). It is possible that Eyvindr’s lausavísa was based on such dialogue. — [7]: The line lacks skothending as it stands and some eds have attempted to supply it. Jón Þorkelsson (1884, 44) tentatively replaces fôum and variants with fǫrum ‘we go / let us go’. Kock (NN §§2216, 2509, 2902F, I, 3048, 3396H) emends vápna to varna ‘defences, defensive weapons’. But such regularisations are scarcely warranted: hendingar were not mandatory in odd lines (cf. Notes to Lv 14/3, 4 and 14/5).
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.
Bloðǫxar tía beiða | brynþings fetil stinga | os geraz hnept ens hvassa | hefnendr seto efni | helldr er vant eɴ ec villda | veg þiɴ konungr segia | fam til fornra vapna | flíot hersꜹgo drottni
(KS)
Bloð oxar tia bei | ða brynþings fetils stinnga ós geraz hnept ens hvassa hef | nendr setv efni · helldr er vannt eɴ ek villda veg þíɴ konungr segía | fám til fornra vapna flíott hersogv drottní ·
(VEÞ)
Blóðøxar téa beiða
brynþings fetilstinga
(oss gerask hneppt) ins hvassa
hefnendr (setuefni).
Heldr es vant, en vildak
veg þinn, konungr, segja
— fôum til fornra vápna
fljótt — her†-svgv† dróttni.
Blóðøxar téa beiða
brynþings fetilstinga
(oss gerask hneppt) ins hvassa
hefnendr (setuefni).
Heldr es vant, en ek vissa
veg þinn, konungr, segja
— fôum til fornra vápna
fljótt — hersǫgu dróttni.
Blóðøxar téa beiða
brynþings fetilstinga
(oss gerask hneppt) ins hvassa
hefnendr (†se(tu)-†efni).
Heldr es vant, en ek vissa
veg þinn, konungr, segja
— fram til fornra vápna
fljótt — hersǫgu dróttni.
Blóðøxar téa beiða
brynþings fetilsstinga
(oss gerask hneppt) ins hvassa
hefnendr (setuefni).
Heldr es vant, en ek vissa
veg þinn, konungr, segja
— fram til fornra vápna
fljótt — hersǫgu dróttni.
Blóðøxar trú ek beiða
brynþings fetilsstinga
(oss gera hneppt) hin hvǫssu
hefnendr (setuefni).
Heldr es vant, en vildum
veg þinn, konungr, segja
— fara til fornra vápna
fljótt — hersǫgu dróttni.
Blóðøxar má beiða
brynþings fetilsstinga
(oss gerask hneppt) ins hvassa
hefnendr (setuefni).
Heldr es vant, en vildak
veg þinn, konungr, segja
— fôum til fornra vápna
fljótt — hersǫgu dróttni.
Bloðo᷎xar ma biða | bryn þings fetils stinga | oss geraz næpt ens hvassa | hæfnendr seto æfni. | hæHelldr er vannt en ec villda | veg þínn konongr sægia | fam til fornra vapna | fliot hær sagu drotne. |
(VEÞ)
Bloðꝍxar ma biða | bryn þings fetils stinga | oss geraz næpt ens hvassa | hæfnendr seto æfni. | Hælldr er vannt en ec villda | veg þínn konongr sægia | fam til fornra vapna | fliot hær sagu drotne. |
(VEÞ)
Bloðꝍxar tia bæiða. | brynþings fætil stinga | oss gerazt hnepthins hvassa | hæmfnænndr seto efni | hælldr er vannt enn ec villda | veg þinn konungr segia | faom til fornra vapna | fliott hærr sagu drotne |
(VEÞ)
Bloðæxar tia beiða | brynþings fætil stinga | os geraz hnept hins hvassa | hæmfnændr seto efni | helldr er vant enn ec villda | veg þinn konongr segia || faom til fornra vapna | fliott hersogu drottne |
(VEÞ)
Bloðꝍxar tia beiða | brynþings fætil stinga , oss geraz hnept hins | hvassa , hæmfnendr sætu æfne , hælldr er vant | enn ec vilda, veg þinn konongr sæghia , faom til fornra | vapna , fliott hærr saghu drotne .
(VEÞ)
Skj: Eyvindr Finnsson skáldaspillir, 3. Lausavísur 1: AI, 71, BI, 62, Skald I, 39, NN §§253, 1079D, 2215, 2216, 2509, 2902F, I, 3048, 3396H; Hkr 1893-1901, I, 209, IV, 53, ÍF 26, 183-4, Hkr 1991, I, 117 (HákGóð ch. 28), F 1871, 80; Fms 1, 41, Fms 12, 28, ÓT 1958-2000, I, 40-1 (ch. 25), Flat 1860-8, I, 59; Fsk 1902-3, 36-7 (ch. 11), ÍF 29, 84-5 (ch. 12); Krause 1990, 205-10.
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