Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Snorri Sturluson, Lausavísur 5’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 370.
This lausavísa (SnSt Lv 5), edited by Kari Ellen Gade, is found in TGT (mss A (main ms.) and W) as well as in Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar (Hák; mss E, F, 42ˣ, 81a, 8 and Flat). It is attributed to Snorri in all mss, and it emerges from the prose narrative in Hák that Snorri composed it during his sojourn at the court of Duke Skúli Bárðarson in Trondheim, Norway, in 1238 (see Context below). The author of TGT, Óláfr Þórðarson, may have been present on the occasion when Snorri recited the stanza, since he accompanied Snorri to Norway in 1237 (cf. Storm 1888, 130, s. a. 1237).
Herfanga bauð Hringi
hjaldr einskǫpuðr galdra
— Gautr hvatti þrym þreyta
þann — ok Hilditanni.
Oflengi veldr yngva
ósætt, en vel mætti
herstefnandi hafna
hans dóm, Vǫlundr rómu.
{Einskǫpuðr {galdra {herfanga}}} bauð Hringi ok Hilditanni hjaldr; Gautr hvatti þreyta þann þrym. Oflengi veldr {Vǫlundr rómu} ósætt yngva, en {herstefnandi} mætti vel hafna dóm hans.
‘The one creator of incantations of army-tunics [BYRNIES > BATTLES > = Óðinn] ordered Hringr (‘Ring’) and Hilditǫnn (‘War-tooth’) to fight; Gautr <= Óðinn> incited [them] to prolong that clash. For too long the Vǫlundr <legendary smith> of strife [WARRIOR = Gautr Jónsson] has caused the rulers’ conflict, and the army-summoner [RULER = Hákon] would do well to reject his judgement. ’
In TGT the stanza is given as an example of the rhetorical figure icon, i.e. the comparison between two persons or their characteristics. As Óláfr Þórðarson explains (TGT 1927, 88): Hér er óeiginlig líking milli Óðins ok nǫkkurs illgjarns manns ‘Here there is an improper comparison between Óðinn and a certain evil-minded man’. According to Hák, one of King Hákon Hákonarson’s counsellors, Gautr Jónsson af Meli, was causing bad blood between Hákon and his father-in-law, Skúli Bárðarson. One day Skúli asked Snorri jokingly whether it was correct that ancient kings had referred to Óðinn by the name of ‘Gautr’. When Snorri confirmed that this was indeed the case, Skúli issued the following challenge to Snorri (E 1916, 573): yrk nu visu … ok seg huerssu miok þesi glikiz þeim ‘compose a stanza now … and say how much this one [Gautr Jónsson] resembles that one [Óðinn]’. Snorri then recited the present stanza.
In 1261, Snorri’s nephew, Sturla Þórðarson, composed a lausavísa (Sturl Lv 4IV) in a similar vein in which he made a comparison between Gizurr jarl Þorvaldsson and Óðinn (Gizurr was also a name for Óðinn; cf. Note to Þul Óðins 1/5). Sturla was clearly familiar with Snorri’s stanza, and Óláfr Þórðarson, Sturla’s brother and the author of TGT, must have known the identity of the Gautr in the present stanza (see Introduction above), but he refrains from divulging that information (cf. nǫkkurs illgjarns manns ‘a certain evil-minded man’ in Context above). — [7]: This line echoes Eskál Vell 35/3I.
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.
Herfanga bauð Hringi
hjaldr einskǫpuðr galdra
— Gautr hvatti þrym þreyta
þann — ok Hilditanni.
Oflengi veldr yngva
ósætt, en vel mætti
her-stofnandi hafna
hans dóm, Vǫlundr rómu.
Herfanga bꜹð hringi hia | lldr einskǫpvðr galldra gꜹ́tr hvatti þrym þreyta þann ok hillditanni . of lengi | velldr yngva ósætt en vel mǽtti herstofnandi hafna hans dóm vǫlvndr ró | mv .
(VEÞ)
Herfanga bauð Hringi
hjaldr einskǫpuðr galdra
— Gautr hvatti þó þrautar
þann — ok Hildi-tannar.
Oflengi veldr yngva
ósætt, en vel mætti
herstefnandi hafna
hans dómr, Vǫlundr rómu.
Herfanga bavð hringí hiall|dr einskopvðr galldra gavtr hvattí þo þravtar þann ok hillditannar of lengí velldr || yngva v sætt enn vel mættí her stefnandi hafna hans dómr vǫlvndr romv.
(TW)
Herfanga bauð Hringi
hjaldr einskǫpuðr galdra
— Gautr hvatti þrym þróttar
þann — ok Hilditanni.
Oflengi veldr yngva
ósætt, en vel mætti
herstefnandi hafna
hann dóm, Vǫlundr rómu.
Herfanga bauð hringi hialldr ein skáu | puðr galldra gautr huatti þrym þrottar þann ok hillditanni of lengui uelldr yngua | vsætt en uel mǽtti her stefnandi hafna hann dom uꜹ́lundr romu.
(VEÞ)
Herfanga bauð Hringi
hjaldrs ein-skǫput galdra
— Gautr hvatti þrym þróttar
þann — ok Hilditanni.
Oflengi veldr yngva
ósætt, en vel mætti
herstefnandi hafna
†hior† dóm, Vǫlundr rómu.
Herfanga bꜹð hringi híalldrs | eín skꜹput galldra gꜹtr hvatti þrym þrottar þann ok hill | dítaɴar · of lengi velldr yngva vsætt eɴ vel mætti her | stefnandi hafna hior dóm vꜹlundr rómv·
(VEÞ)
Herfanga bauð Hringi
hjaldr en†skop auðr† gjalda
— Gautr hvatti þrum þróttar
þann — ok Hilditanni.
Oflengi velkti yngva
ósætt, en vel mætti
herstefnandi hafna
†hondom† , vanlundr rómu.
Herfanga bꜹð ringi | hialldr en skop auðr giallda | gꜹtr hvatti þrum þrottar | þann oc hillditanne | oflengi velkti yngva | usætt enn vel mætti | herstefnandi hafna | hondum vanlundr romu |
(VEÞ)
Herfanga bauð Hringi
hjaldr einsskǫpuðr galdra
— Gautr hvatti þrym þróttar
þann — ok Hilditanni.
Oflengi veldr yngvi
ósætt, en vel mætti
herstefnandi hafna
hans dóm, Vǫlundr †rama†.
Herfanga baud hringe . hialldr eins | skopodr galldra . gautur huatti þrym þrottar | þann ok hilldi tanní . ofleínge velldr ynguí o᷎ | sætt en vel mætti . herstefnnande hafna hans dom | volundr ʀama.
(VEÞ)
Ganga bauð Hringi
hjaldr einsskǫpuðr galdra
— Gautr hvatti þrum þróttar
þann — ok Hilditanni.
Oflengi veldi †ungva†
ósætt, en vel mætti
herstefnandi hafna
hann dóm, Vǫlundr rómu.
Ganga bauð ríngí hialldr eins skaupuðr gịalldra gautr huattí þrym þrottar þann | ok hilldi tanní of lengi uelði ungva vsętt en vel mættí herstefnanði hafna hann ðom volunðr romu |
(VEÞ)
Herfanga bauð Hringi
hjaldrs einskǫpuðr galdra
— Gautr hvatti þrym þróttar
þann — ok Hilditanni.
Oflengi veldr yngva
ósætt, en vel mætti
herstefnandi hafna
hans dóm, Vǫlundr rómu.
Her fanga baud hringí hialldrs | eínskaupudr galldra gautr huatti þrym þrottar þann ok hillditanní ofleíngi velldr yngua | v sætt enn vel mættí herstefnandi hafna hans dom vaulundr romu.
(VEÞ)
Skj: Snorri Sturluson, 4. Lausavísur 4: AII, 78, BII, 89, Skald II, 49, NN §2192; SnE 1848-87, II, 184-5, 426, III, 152, TGT 1884, 31, 116-17, 234-5, TGT 1927, 87-8, 109; E 1916, 573, F 1871, 491, Hák 1910-86, 499, Hák 1977-82, 100, Flat 1860-8, III, 120.
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