Note to Bjbp Jóms 20I
[1, 4] þrír hraustir hǫfðingjar ‘three bold chieftains’: It is not entirely clear who the three men commanding each troop are or which side they are on, but to judge from ÓT the reference may be to the Norwegian leaders, three heading each of three sections of the battle-line, and if that is correct the reading hverjum flokki ‘each troop’ is preferable to hvárum ‘each troop (of two)’. ÓT (1958-2000, I, 186) says that the Jómsvíkingr Sigvaldi jarl is in the centre of the troop formation; against him is Hákon jarl together with the chieftains Þórir hjǫrtr ‘Stag’ and Styrkárr. One wing is headed by the Jómsvíkingr Búi digri and his brother Sigurðr kápa; against them is Eiríkr jarl with the chieftains Guðbrandr hvíti, Þorkell leira, and a man called Ármóðr, a great champion. On the other wing is the Jómsvíkingr Vagn Ákason, and against him is Sveinn Hákonarson together with Skeggi and Rǫgnvaldr.
References
- Internal references
- (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta’ 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. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=60> (accessed 26 April 2024)
- Matthew Townend 2012, ‘(Biography of) Vagn Ákason’ 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. 365.