Bragnar, þegnar, beimar, hǫlðar,
firar ok flotnar, fyrðar, hǫlðar,
fǫruneyti, drótt, flokkr, harðmenni,
kníar ok kappar, kenpur, nautar.
Bragnar, þegnar, beimar, hǫlðar, firar ok flotnar, fyrðar, hǫlðar, fǫruneyti, drótt, flokkr, harðmenni, kníar ok kappar, kenpur, nautar.
Noble ones, freemen, warriors, freeholders, vital ones and seamen, vital ones, freeholders, company, retinue, flock, tough ones, kníar and champions, fighters, mates.
[4] fyrðar hǫlðar: fyrðar Tˣ, flotnar fyrðar C, ‘[…]o᷎ldar’ B, ‘fýrdar ho᷎ldar’ 744ˣ
[3, 4] firar ok flotnar, fyrðar ‘vital ones and seamen, vital ones’: These are poetic terms for ‘men’ or ‘warriors’ used only in the pl. form. Firar is derived from fjǫr n. ‘life’, hence ‘vital ones’, and fyrðar (also firðar) from firar (AEW: firar; fyrðar). In Skm (SnE 1998, I, 105), fyrðar and firar are ‘defenders of the land’ (landvarnarmenn) and flotnar ‘seamen’ (from floti m. ‘fleet, ship’) belong to a naval force (skipaherr).