ESk Geisl 12VII/4 — Óttarr ‘Óttarr’
Sigvatr, frák, at segði
sóknbráðs konungs dáðir;
spurt hefr ǫld, at orti
Óttarr um gram dróttar.
Þeir hafa þengils Mœra
— þvís sýst — frama lýstan,
(helgum lýtk) es hétu
hǫfuðskǫld (fira jǫfri).
Frák, at Sigvatr segði dáðir sóknbráðs konungs; ǫld hefr spurt, at Óttarr orti um gram dróttar. Þeir, es hétu hǫfuðskǫld, hafa lýstan frama þengils Mœra; þvís sýst; lýtk helgum jǫfri fira.
I heard that Sigvatr told the deeds of the battle-quick king; men have learnt that Óttarr composed [poetry] about the king of the court. They who were called the chief skalds have proclaimed the courage of the lord of the Mœrir [= Óláfr]; that has been done; I do homage to the holy king of men [= Óláfr].
notes
[4] Óttarr: Óttarr svarti ‘the black’ was the son of Sigvatr Þórðarson’s sister, and was another of S. Óláfr’s favourite poets. He is cited as a skaldic authority in FGT (c. 1150) and is also quoted frequently by Snorri Sturluson in Skm. See further Guðrún Nordal 2001, 28; Poole 1993b. Óttarr’s poetry is also edited in Volume I.