Note to Þhorn Harkv 10I
[4] lét holm at skjaldi sér ‘he let an islet be a shield to himself’: This could mean that Kjǫtvi fled onto an islet (so Munch and Unger 1847, 137; Nygaard 1875, 317; Uppström 1919, 41; Larsen 1943-6, II, 315) or that he fled behind one (so Herbert 1804, 36; Lindquist 1929, 5; Hollander 1964a, 75). Snorri’s interpretation is the former (see Context above), but it seems questionable, since seeking a place to fight out the contest on land would not make Kjǫtvi appear cowardly, though that seems to be the intent of the line. Indeed, Du Méril (1839, 159 n. 2) remarks in a related context that combats waged on an island were bloodier, since flight was easier at sea. In Flat, however, before Þjóð Har 4, it is said that Kjǫtvi got away onto an islet, so that he could not be captured (Flat 1860-8, I, 574). As for skjaldi (dat. sg.) ‘shield’, this is apparently an old analogical variant for the usual skildi (as in Flat and the Fsk mss; see Finnur Jónsson 1901, 56 and 1912, 42). The form is also found on the Rök stone (Run Ög136VI), from the first half of the C9th.
References
- Bibliography
- Finnur Jónsson. 1901. Det norsk-islandske skjaldesprog omtr. 800-1300. SUGNL 28. Copenhagen: Møller.
- Flat 1860-8 = Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and C. R. Unger, eds. 1860-8. Flateyjarbók. En samling af norske konge-sagaer med indskudte mindre fortællinger om begivenheder i og udenfor Norge samt annaler. 3 vols. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
- Munch, P. A. and C. R. Unger, eds. 1847. Oldnorsk læsebog med tilhörende glossarium. Christiania (Oslo): Dahl.
- Lindquist, Ivar. 1929. Norröna lovkväden från 800 och 900 talen. I: Förslag till restituerad täxt jämte översättning. Lund: Gleerup.
- Uppström, Anders, trans. 1919. ‘Visor ur Snorre Sturlesons Konunga Sǫgur’. In Uppström 1914-19, III, 39-49.
- Du Méril, Edélestand. 1839. Histoire de la poésie Scandinave: Prolégomènes. Paris: Brockhaus & Avenarius.
- Herbert, William. 1804. Miscellaneous Poetry. 2 vols. I: Select Icelandic Poetry. London: T. Reynolds.
- Nygaard, Marius. 1875. Udvalg af den norröne literatur for latin- og realgymnasier. Bergen: Giertsen.
- Larsen, Martin, trans. 1943-6. Den ældre edda og eddica minora. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Munksgaard.
- Hollander, Lee M., trans. 1964a. Heimskringla: History of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson. Austin: The American-Scandinavian Foundation. Rpt. 1991 (rpt. cited in SkP II).
- Internal references
- (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Flateyjarbók’ 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=44> (accessed 24 April 2024)
- (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Fagrskinna’ 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, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=56> (accessed 24 April 2024)
- Not published: do not cite (Run ÖgVI)
- R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Þjóðólfr ór Hvini, Poem about Haraldr hárfagri 4’ 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. 62.
- Not published: do not cite (Run Ög 136VI)