Lausavísur — Ólhelg Lv^I

For the most part, these nine stanzas (Ólhelg Lv) are on light, informal themes and occur within legendary if not outright fictive episodes in the saga materials about Óláfr inn helgi Haraldsson (S. Óláfr; see ‘Ruler biographies’ in Introduction to this volume). Lv 1 calls on a woman for drink and mocks the ‘son of Rannveig’ for his inept riding; it is dated c. 1006 in Skj (and subsequent dates are from there). Lv 2 (c. 1010), 4, 5 (c. 1025), 8 and 9 (c. 1029) express feelings for a woman in a variety of settings (Lv 4 names Staðr and Lv 9 Garðar); Lv 3 (c. 1025) bids the interlocutor pass on a call to action to one Karli. By contrast, Lv 6-7, a pair of stanzas treated as variants of a single stanza by some editors, concern a verifiable historical event, the death of Erlingr Skjálgsson in 1027 or 1028. Four further stanzas are printed among Óláfr’s lausavísur in Skj but this edition follows the evidence of ÓHLeg and the extracts from Styrmir Kárason in Flat (ms. Flat) in regarding them as part of a ten-stanza Liðsmannaflokkr (Anon Liðs 3, 4, 6, 9/5-8), though not in attributing them to Óláfr.

The stanzas below are attributed in the sources to Óláfr helgi (with hesitation in the case of Lv 5-7), but typically they do not entirely marry in content with their accompanying prose narratives, and in the case of Lv 5, a narrative context is entirely lacking. Only Lv 6-7 have political content or firm linkage to undoubtedly historical episodes of the Óláfr story. Although questions of authenticity and dating cannot be conclusively answered, the absence of all the stanzas except Lv 7 from works such as Fsk, Hkr and the main ÓH tradition may indicate that they were regarded as having little evidential value where official Norwegian historiography was concerned.

Much of the poetry may have been composed to serve as entertainment at court. Lv 1 and the riposte in HalldR Lv could have formed part of a more extended exchange of insults (see Note to Lv 1 [All]). Lv 3 could be read as a generic verse of insult. The love poetry also seems generic in content. Lv 2, 8, and 9 may stem from a single composition lamenting disappointment in love (Poole 1985a). The stanzas are for the most part high-quality, sophisticated, and probably prestigious productions. The dróttkvætt verse-form used for most of the stanzas is maintained in a strict form; Lv 1 and 3 are in fornyrðislag. Notable is the building of associative links through the individual stanza so as to create a leitmotiv, as seen especially in Lv 5, and the bold extension of imagery beyond the kennings, as seen in Lv 2 and 9. The speaker’s situation is elaborately notated with details of setting such as a coastal landing-place (Lv 4), the entrance to a hall (Lv 5) and a haugr ‘burial mound’ (Lv 8/4). The descriptions of the beloved woman are equally elaborate, invoking imagery of the fire in its hearth (Lv 5/1, 4) and of a splendid wedding (Lv 9). Kennings built upon the ancestral mythology are sparse, though the valkyrie Gunnr appears in Lv 4/7, 6/3 and names for Freyja in Lv 8/5, 9/6. This might point to composition at a court of fairly strict Christian ethos, whether that of Óláfr or a subsequent ruler, or it might reflect a reduction of skaldic complexity consonant with a somewhat Europeanised mode of entertainment, as seen in stanzas ascribed to Magnús berfœttr (Mberf Lv 3-6^II; cf. Bjarni Einarsson 1961, 28-9; Poole 1985a, 115-18).

The stanzas are preserved chiefly in the interpolated mss of ÓH. Flat has all nine, with Lv 2-5, 7 and 9 appearing in anecdotal extracts (articuli) from Styrmir inn fróði ‘the Learned’ Kárason preserved there. Tóm has Lv 3, 5-8; 61 has Lv 1, 6-8; the Bæb (Bæjarbók á Rauðasandi) transcript 73aˣ has Lv 1, 3, 7 (and its counterparts 71ˣ and 76aˣ are also used for Lv 1, 3 where the Bæb readings are crucial); and Bb has Lv 2, 6-7. Additionally, ÓHLeg (DG8) has Lv 3, 5, 7. In the unusual case of Lv 6-7 (see Note to Lv 6 [All]), both stanzas are preserved in nine C-class mss of ÓH while Lv 7 is also in Hkr (Kˣ, J2ˣ), Fsk (FskBˣ, FskAˣ (margin)) and a further five ÓH mss (see Mss listing for details); Flat has texts of Lv 6-7 and of Lv 7, hence Lv 7 appears twice. Finally, LaufE (papp10ˣ, 743ˣ) has a text of Lv 2/5-8. In this edition, the main ms. is 61 for sts 1, 8 (but Holm4 for st. 6 where 61 has many secondary readings); Flat for sts 2, 4, 9; DG8 for sts 3, 5; and Kˣ for st. 7.

Critical editions of these stanzas are in relatively short supply since the main relevant edition, ÓH 1941, has diplomatic text only. The love-verses (Lv 2, 4, 5, 8, 9) are cited in Bjarni Einarsson (1961, 25-7).

References

1. Bibliography
2. Bjarni Einarsson. 1961. Skáldasögur: Um uppruna og eðli ástaskáldasagnanna fornu. Reykjavík: Bókaútgáfa Menningarsjóðs.
3. ÓH 1941 = Johnsen, Oscar Albert and Jón Helgason, eds. 1941. Saga Óláfs konungs hins helga: Den store saga om Olav den hellige efter pergamenthåndskrift i Kungliga biblioteket i Stockholm nr. 2 4^to med varianter fra andre håndskrifter. 2 vols. Det norske historiske kildeskriftfond skrifter 53. Oslo: Dybwad.
4. Poole, Russell. 1985a. ‘Some Royal Love-Verses’. MM, 115-31.
5. Internal references
6. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Heimskringla’ 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=4> (accessed 27 April 2024)
7. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Óláfs saga helga (Legendary)’ 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=31> (accessed 27 April 2024)
8. (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 27 April 2024)
9. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Óláfs saga helga’ 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=53> (accessed 27 April 2024)
10. (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 27 April 2024)
11. Russell Poole 2012, ‘(Biography of) Óláfr inn helgi Haraldsson’ 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. 515.
12. Diana Whaley 2012, ‘ Halldórr Rannveigarson, Lausavísa’ 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. 798. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1241> (accessed 27 April 2024)
13. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Magnús berfœttr Óláfsson, Lausavísur 3’ 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. 387.
14. Russell Poole (ed.) 2012, ‘Anonymous Poems, Liðsmannaflokkr 3’ 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. 1019.
15. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Laufás Edda’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=10928> (accessed 27 April 2024)