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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Háleygjatal — Eyv HálI

Eyvindr skáldaspillir Finnsson

Russell Poole 2012, ‘ Eyvindr skáldaspillir Finnsson, Háleygjatal’ 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. 195. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1186> (accessed 19 March 2024)

 

Viljak hljóð
at Hôars líði,
meðan Gillings
gjǫldum yppik,
meðan hans ætt
í hverlegi
galga farms
til goða teljum,
hinn es Surts
ór søkkdǫlum
farmǫgnuðr
fljúgandi bar.
 
‘I would wish for a hearing for the drink of Hôarr <= Óðinn> [POETRY], while I lift up the payment for Gillingr <giant> [POETRY], while we [I] reckon his lineage back to the gods in the cauldron-liquid [DRINK] of the burden of the gallows [= Óðinn > POETRY], that which the travel-furtherer [= Óðinn] carried flying from the treasure-valleys of Surtr [giant].
Þann skjaldblœtr
skattfœri gat
Ása niðr
við járnviðju,
þás þau mær
í manheimum
skatna vinr
ok Skaði byggðu,
sævar beins,
ok sunu marga
ǫndurdís
við Óðni gat.
 
‘The shield-worshipped kinsman of the Æsir <gods> [= Óðinn] begat that tribute-bringer [JARL = Sæmingr] with the female from Járnviðr, when those renowned ones, the friend of warriors [= Óðinn] and Skaði [giantess], lived in the lands of the maiden of the bone of the sea [(lit. ‘maiden-lands of the bone of the sea’) ROCK > GIANTESS > = Jǫtunheimar ‘Giant-lands’], and the ski-goddess [= Skaði] bore many sons with Óðinn.
Þás útrǫst
jarla bági
Belja dolgs
byggva vildi.
 
‘When the adversary of jarls [RULER] wished to settle the outlying tract of the enemy of Beli <giant> [= Freyr].
En Goðlaugr
grimman tamði
við ofrkapp
austrkonunga
Sigars jó,
es synir Yngva
menglǫtuð
við meið riðu.
 
‘But Guðlaugr tamed the savage horse of Sigarr <legendary king> [GALLOWS], because of the belligerence of the eastern kings, when the sons of Yngvi fastened the ring-destroyer [GENEROUS MAN] to the tree.
Ok náreiðr
á nesi drúpir
vingameiðr,
þars víkr deilir.
Þars fjǫlkunnt
of fylkis hrør
steini merkt
Straumeyjarnes.
 
‘And the corpse-bearing swaying tree droops on the headland, where it separates the bays. There the well-known Straumeyjarnes is marked by a stone over the ruler’s body.
Ok sá halr
at Hôars veðri
hǫsvan serk
Hrísgrísnis bar.
 
‘And that man wore the grey shirt of Hrísgrísnir <wolf> [WOLF-SKIN] in the storm of Hôarr <= Óðinn> [BATTLE].
Varð Hôkun
Hǫgna meyjar
viðr vápnberr,
es vega skyldi,
ok sinn aldr
í odda gný
Freys ôttungr
á Fjǫlum lagði.
 
‘Hákon, tree of the maiden of Hǫgni <legendary hero> [= Hildr (hildr ‘battle’) > WARRIOR], became weapon-bare when he had to fight, and the kinsman of Freyr <god> [= Hákon] laid down his life in the din of points [BATTLE] at Fjaler.
Ok þar varð,
es vinir fellu
magar Hallgarðs,
manna blóði
Stafaness
við stóran gný
vinar Lóðurs
vágr of blandinn.
 
‘And there where the friends of the son of Hallgarðr [Grjótgarðr] [= Hákon] fell, the bay of Stavenes was mingled with the blood of men in the great din of the friend of Lóðurr <god> [= Óðinn > BATTLE].
Ok Sigurð,
hinns svǫnum veitti
hróka bjór
Haddingja vals
farmatýs,
fjǫrvi næmðu
jarðráðendr
á Ǫglói.
 
‘And the rulers of the land [RULERS] deprived Sigurðr, he who supplied beer of the cormorants of the chosen of the Haddingjar <legendary heroes> [WARRIORS > RAVENS/EAGLES > BLOOD] to the swans of the god of cargoes [= Óðinn > RAVENS], of life at Ǫgló.
Ok ǫðlingr
í ǫlun Njarðar
alnar orms
ófælinn varð
lífs of lattr,
þars landrekar
Týs ôttung
í tryggð sviku.
 
‘And the unflinching prince was deprived of life at the ale-feast of the Njǫrðr <god> of the serpent of the forearm [ARM-RING > MAN], where rulers of the land deceived the kinsman of Týr <god> [= Sigurðr] in the truce.
Þar varð minnstr
meinvinnǫndum
Yngvi-Freys
ǫndverðan dag
fagnafundr,
es flota þeystu
jarðráðendr
at eyðǫndum,
þás sverðalfr
sunnan kníði
lagar stóð
at liði þeira.
 
‘There the least welcome meeting came about for the workers of the harm of Yngvi-Freyr <god> [(lit. ‘harm-workers of Yngvi-Freyr’) BATTLE > WARRIORS] at the break of day, as the rulers of the land [RULERS] impelled their fleet against the ravagers, when the sword-elf [WARRIOR] drove his stud-horses of the sea [SHIPS] from the south against their army.
Þeims allt austr
til Egða býs
brúðr valtýs
und bœgi liggr.
 
‘Under whose arm the bride of the slaughter-god [= Óðinn > = Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘land’)] lies all the way east to the territory of the Egðir.
Jólna sumbl
enn vér gôtum
stillis lof
sem steinabrú.
 
‘We [I] have produced once more a feast of the gods [POETRY], praise of the ruler, like a bridge of stones.
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