[5-8]: ‘Sink into the sea sooner than the praise of the ruler’ i.e. ‘sooner than the praise of the ruler perish’. For similar hyperboles, see e.g. Arn Þorfdr 24II, Eyv Hák 20I, Hfr ErfÓl 27I and KormǪ Lv 18/5-8V (Korm 19). The reference to the stillir ‘ruler’ (l. 8) is ambiguous, because it leaves it up to the audience to decide whether the final words of praise are directed at Hákon or Skúli.
References
- Internal references
- Diana Whaley (ed.) 2009, ‘Arnórr jarlaskáld Þórðarson, Þorfinnsdrápa 24’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 258-9.
- R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Eyvindr skáldaspillir Finnsson, Hákonarmál 20’ 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. 192.
- Kate Heslop (ed.) 2012, ‘Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld Óttarsson, Erfidrápa Óláfs Tryggvasonar 27’ 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. 439.
- Edith Marold (ed.) 2022, ‘Kormáks saga 19 (Kormákr Ǫgmundarson, Lausavísur 18)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross, Kari Ellen Gade and Tarrin Wills (eds), Poetry in Sagas of Icelanders. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 5. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 1056.