9. Sigla for the corpus

This chapter describes how reference should be made to items in the corpus, illustrating the principles for sigla formation (for poets, groups of verses (poems etc.) and verses). # For the sigla themselves, please check the lists on the skaldic website ('database' > 'skj refs' for material in Skjaldedigtning; 'database' > 'SkP refs' for material new to our edition, including sigla for runic inscriptions).

A. Sigla principles and formats

1. General conventions

i.       A superscript roman numeral indicating the volume in which the verse referred to is located should be suffixed to the siglum, e.g. Anon Eirm 3^I; Bragi Rdr 7^III; Egill Lv 4^V.

ii.      The volume numbering can be dropped for references to items within the same volume. The sigla should remain unique because of the numbering systems described below.

iii.     With the possible exception of runic poetry, all sigla for skaldic poetry will be combined sigla (see § 4. below) which include:

- a siglum for the skald's name, 'Anon.' or 'Þul'

- a siglum for the poem or group of verses or an indication that this is a lausavísa or fragment.

2. Sigla for skalds

i.       Use the list in Lexicon Poeticum. Where LP does not have the skald's name, the siglum from the database should be used.

ii.      In vols V and VIII, verses are attributed to a 'skald' if the skald is named in the prose text, even if the skald is dead, three years old, a troll or a person in a dream. Inanimate 'skalds' (rocks, cloaks) or verses not attributed to named beings are listed as Anonymous, and þulur are abbreviated as Þul.

3. Names and sigla for poems and groups of verses

i.       Use the list in Lexicon Poeticum. Since LP most commonly refers to a poem by a number referring to its position in a skald's œuvre, a great many new sigla have been created. Where LP does not have a siglum for a poem:

a.       Where it is necessary to devise sigla for poems, the normal pattern in the case of poems with medieval titles will be:

- first syllable of subject

- abbreviation of type of poem: –dr for drápa, -fl for flokkr, -kv for kvæði or kviða, -v for vísur. Other types (e.g. -mál, -stefja) will not have an abbreviation of the type of poem.

Thus Magnúsdrápa > Magndr, Hákonarflokkr > Hákfl, Knútsdrápa > Knútdr

b.      Titles that are not recorded in medieval sources but are traditional are retained, e.g. Heilagra manna drápa > Heil (as in LP). Although the siglum does not indicate that the title is not medieval, a discussion of its provenance should be included in the Introduction (see also >> 3. Guidelines on presentation for submission A-3-c). Please be aware, however, that the issue of non-medieval titles is currently under review by the General Editors and practice may be subject to change.

c.       Where a title as such is not recorded in medieval sources, but there is strong internal evidence suggestive of one, the title may be assumed. For example, a poem that is clearly (a) a drápa and (b) about Haraldr, should be Haraldsdrápa (siglum Hardr).

ii.      Same title, same siglum — the three Eiríksdrápur should all be called Eirdr; the numerous Hákonardrápur are Hákdr.

iii.     Different title, different siglum — Hákonarkviða is Hákkv to distinguish it from the Hákonardrápur (both Hák in LP).

iv.     Sigla for poems that do not have established titles (either medieval or traditional, as under § i. above) should be based on the subject (if identifiable) alone and italicised — so Bragi's verses about Þórr's fishing expedition (formerly thought to be part of Rdr) are Bragi Þórr.

v.      Where the poem is not about a person, place or event with an Icelandic name, e.g. an unidentified person ('a woman') or a general topic ('gifts'), the siglum will have to be formed from the English title and be presented in italics, so: Ormr Poem about a woman; siglum: Ormr Woman 1-5^III.

vi.     'Frag' covers everything that isn't above or a lausavísa. A fragment (Frag) is an isolated verse of 8 lines or fewer, which appears not to be a lausavísa (most often because it doesn't occur in a lausavísa-type narrative context); there is no poem mentioned in a medieval source to which it can be assigned; and there is no other verse it clearly belongs together with. If a skald has more than one such verse, these are collected under the heading 'Fragments' and arranged thematically if possible. For example, Skraut-Oddr has two verses, one of which appears to be about a woman and the second of which is unclear in its subject. These would be SkrautO Frag 1^III and SkrautO Frag 2^III.

vii.    Frag and Lv are the only 'poem' sigla which are not italicised. No plural form is used in sigla — so Bragi Lv 1-3 is the siglum for his first three lausavísur, in contrast to the discursive use of the plural, lvv. (e.g. '...as also found in various lvv. of Egill (Egill Lv 1–7)...').

4. Sigla for individual verses

There are three basic siglum formats. Of these, (a) is used for poetry of any sort assigned to a named skald, and for anonymous poems (however fragmentary); (b) is for anonymous lausavísur or fragments presented under the heading of a prose work (not in vols V or VIII); and (c) is for poetry which is included under the heading of a saga in vols V or VIII. For clarity, these types are subdivided in order to show their application to anonymous and named skalds; and to poem or verses.

a.      Sigla for verses arranged by skald or anonymous poem

i.       Sigla referring to a named skald and poem

Format: skald poem number^VOL

Example: Bragi Rdr 7^III

The poet and poem sigla will normally be the same as those in LP.  Differences only arise where: (a) the LP skald siglum conflicts with our prose text siglum, e.g. LP has 'Eg' where we have Egill=skald, Eg=Egils saga; (b) our poem siglum is different in conformity with the principles outlined above.

ii.      Sigla referring to named skald and lausavísur or fragments

Format: skald Lv/Frag number^VOL

Example: Oddi Lv 2^II

If the lvv or fragments for a particular skald occur in more than one volume, the numbering of verses does not restart for each volume. For example, the lvv of Máni and Einarr Eyjolfsson occur in more than one volume: Máni Lv 1^II, Máni Lv 2^II, Máni Lv 3^II, Máni Lv 4^IV, Máni Lv 5^III; Eþver Lv 1^I, Eþver Lv 2^V (Glúm 11) — see § c. below for this last format.

iii.     Sigla referring to anonymous poems

Format: Anon Poem number^VOL

Examples: Anon Eirm 2^I; Anon Sól 34^VII

b.      Sigla referring to anon. verse in a prose work (vols I, II, III, IV and VII)

This format is used for verses appearing in volumes I, II, III, IV and VII, in which all non-anonymous poetry is arranged according to skalds, but anon. poetry appears under the prose work in which it is preserved.

Format: Anon (saga) number^VOL

Examples: Anon (ÓTOdd) 1^I, Anon (SnE) 4^III, etc.

The prose work sigla are those listed in >> 5. Sigla for sources. Anonymous verses are numbered in a single continuous sequence by prose work.

c.       Sigla referring to a verse in a fornaldar- or íslendingasaga (i.e. in vol. V or VIII)

These sigla use the same formats as shown above, but with an optional designation of the saga location. This is because vols V and VIII are arranged entirely by saga, rather than by skald.

Format: skald/Anon poem/Lv/Frag number^VOL [(saga num)]

Examples: Grett Æv 6^V (Gr 41), Anon (Gr) 1^V (Gr 6)

Anon (Gr) 1^V is thus the sixth verse in Grettis saga, but the first anonymous verse.

d.      Sigla for þulur

These are in a similar format to the skald/Anon-poem sigla, with the Icelandic name of the þulur category given in italics, if specified in the manuscript. A roman numeral is given where more than one list exists for a particular category. Þulur with names (i.e. Kálfsvísa and Þorgrímsþula) are treated as anonymous poems.

Format: Þul things number^III

Examples: Þul sverða 2^III, Þul jǫtna I 1^III, Anon Kálfsv 1^III

e.       Sigla for runic inscriptions

These are currently all listed under 'Anonymous Runic' in the database, but please note that the categorisation of the runic material has not yet been finalised and may change.

References