Eskál Lv 1aI
Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2012, ‘Einarr skálaglamm Helgason, Lausavísur 1a’ 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. 331.
Geyrða ‘’
vet ‘’
Gerðak ‘I composed’
(not checked:)
1. gera (verb): do, make
[1] Gerðak: ‘Gio᷎rda ue⸜t⸝ ek’ 510, ‘Geyrða ek’ M
víg ‘’
(not checked:)
víg (noun n.; °-s; -): battle
kennings
veig Váfaðar‘strong drink of Váfuðr ’
= POETRY
strong drink of Váfuðr → POETRY
notes
[1] veig ‘strong drink’: Omitted in 510 and M, but present in 291 and undoubtedly correct, as it restores metrical and alliterative regularity to the line, as well as providing the base-word of a conventional kenning for ‘poetry’. Flat’s víg ‘killing’ is not appropriate in context.
of ‘about’
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3. of (prep.): around, from; too
virða ‘men’
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virðr (noun m.): man
kennings
virða víðis;‘men of the ocean; ’
= SEAFARERS
men of the ocean; → SEAFARERS
vǫrð ‘’
(not checked:)
vǫrðr (noun m.; °varðar, dat. verði/vǫrð; verðir, acc. vǫrðu): guardian, defender
kennings
virða víðis;‘men of the ocean; ’
= SEAFARERS
men of the ocean; → SEAFARERS
notes
[2] víðis ‘of the ocean’: This, the Jvs A-redaction reading (291 and Flat) from víðir ‘ocean, sea’, is retained here as the reading of the main ms. and the lectio difficilior. It requires an otherwise unprecedented kenning type, virða víðis ‘men of the ocean’, which Ólafur Halldórsson (Jvs 1969, 215) tentatively construes to mean ‘seafarers’. In the context of this stanza, however, one would expect a kenning for Hákon jarl, which the 510, M reading vǫrð virða ‘guardian of men [RULER]’ would provide.
illrar ‘At an unfortunate’
(not checked:)
illr (adj.): bad, evil, unwell
[2] illrar tíðar: þann er sitr á jǫrðu 510, þann er sitr at jǫrðu M
at ‘’
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3. at (prep.): at, to
jǫrðu ‘’
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jǫrð (noun f.; °jarðar, dat. -u; jarðir/jarðar(DN I (1367) 304)): ground, earth
á ‘’
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3. á (prep.): on, at
sitr ‘’
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sitja (verb): sit
er ‘’
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
tíðar ‘time’
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1. tíð (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): time
[2] illrar tíðar: þann er sitr á jǫrðu 510, þann er sitr at jǫrðu M
iðrumk ‘’
(not checked:)
iðra (verb): repent
þat ‘that’
[3] þat vann ek: iðrumk þess 510, M
meðan ‘while’
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meðan (conj.): while
aðrir ‘others’
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1. annarr (pron.; °f. ǫnnur, n. annat; pl. aðrir): (an)other, second
ǫrva ‘’
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ǫr (noun f.; °dat. -/-u; ǫrvar/ǫrar): arrow
aur ‘’
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aurr (noun m.): sand or gravel bank, ford
ǫrr ‘eager’
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ǫrr (adj.): generous, brave
[4] ǫrr Váfaðar: ‘orua ued urs of’ Flat, ‘aur uꜳ̋dermenn’ 510
of ‘’
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3. of (prep.): around, from; too
urs ‘’
við ‘’
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2. við (prep.): with, against
vaðirmenn ‘’
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vaðirmaðr (noun m.): wading man?
Váfaðar ‘of Váfuðr’
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Váfuðr (noun m.): Váfuðr
[4] ǫrr Váfaðar: ‘orua ued urs of’ Flat, ‘aur uꜳ̋dermenn’ 510
kennings
veig Váfaðar‘strong drink of Váfuðr ’
= POETRY
strong drink of Váfuðr → POETRY
svôfu ‘slept’
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sofa (verb): sleep
hykkat ‘’
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2. hyggja (verb): think, consider
kátr ‘’
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kátr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): cheerful, glad
Komkat ‘I have not come’
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koma (verb; kem, kom/kvam, kominn): come
[5] Komkat þess þars þótti (‘komkaþ ec þes þar er þotte’): ‘katr er þrotz þar er þotti’ Flat, komkat ek þrótt þann er þœtti 510, hykkat ek hodda stǫkkvi M
notes
[5, 6] komkat þess þingsættis ‘I have not come to that assembly-reconciler [RULER]’: For the use of verbs of motion + gen., see NS §141, though the genitives in the examples there denote places through or across which the subject is travelling rather than a person who is being sought. Þingsættis, the reading of 291 and Flat, is tentatively construed here as a kenning for a ruler who reconciles others at the assembly. It is without precedent, however, in the skaldic corpus. Ólafur Halldórsson (Jvs 1969, 215) emended to þingsetrs ‘of the assembly-seat’, which is also unprecedented in poetry and not particularly suitable in context. Lines 5-6 in the A-redaction mss of Jvs are likely to be corrupted. They lack hendingar and their general sense seems obscure; do they mean that Einarr has never come across a ruler who paid more for bad poetry and did not reward good?
þess ‘to that’
[5] Komkat þess þars þótti (‘komkaþ ec þes þar er þotte’): ‘katr er þrotz þar er þotti’ Flat, komkat ek þrótt þann er þœtti 510, hykkat ek hodda stǫkkvi M
kennings
þess þingsættis,‘to that assembly-reconciler ’
= RULER
to that assembly-reconciler → RULER
notes
[5, 6] komkat þess þingsættis ‘I have not come to that assembly-reconciler [RULER]’: For the use of verbs of motion + gen., see NS §141, though the genitives in the examples there denote places through or across which the subject is travelling rather than a person who is being sought. Þingsættis, the reading of 291 and Flat, is tentatively construed here as a kenning for a ruler who reconciles others at the assembly. It is without precedent, however, in the skaldic corpus. Ólafur Halldórsson (Jvs 1969, 215) emended to þingsetrs ‘of the assembly-seat’, which is also unprecedented in poetry and not particularly suitable in context. Lines 5-6 in the A-redaction mss of Jvs are likely to be corrupted. They lack hendingar and their general sense seems obscure; do they mean that Einarr has never come across a ruler who paid more for bad poetry and did not reward good?
hodda ‘’
(not checked:)
1. hodd (noun f.): gold, treasure
þrótt ‘’
(not checked:)
þróttr (noun m.): strength, might, valour
þrots ‘’
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þrot (noun n.; °-s; -): [Exhaustion]
þars ‘where’
(not checked:)
þars (conj.): where
[5] Komkat þess þars þótti (‘komkaþ ec þes þar er þotte’): ‘katr er þrotz þar er þotti’ Flat, komkat ek þrótt þann er þœtti 510, hykkat ek hodda stǫkkvi M
stǫkkvi ‘’
(not checked:)
2. stǫkkr (adj.): [swift]
þœtti ‘’
(not checked:)
2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
þótti ‘’
(not checked:)
2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
er ‘’
(not checked:)
2. er (conj.): who, which, when
þar ‘’
(not checked:)
þar (adv.): there
þótti ‘seemed’
(not checked:)
2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
[5] Komkat þess þars þótti (‘komkaþ ec þes þar er þotte’): ‘katr er þrotz þar er þotti’ Flat, komkat ek þrótt þann er þœtti 510, hykkat ek hodda stǫkkvi M
hinnig ‘’
(not checked:)
hinnig (adv.): here, hence
þrenna ‘’
(not checked:)
þrennr (adj.): three(fold)
þing ‘assembly’
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þing (noun n.; °-s; -): meeting, assembly < þingsættir (noun m.)
[6] þingsættis fé betra: þrenna linns at finna 510, ‘hinnig sotta sotta ek gram þottu’ M
kennings
þess þingsættis,‘to that assembly-reconciler ’
= RULER
to that assembly-reconciler → RULER
notes
[5, 6] komkat þess þingsættis ‘I have not come to that assembly-reconciler [RULER]’: For the use of verbs of motion + gen., see NS §141, though the genitives in the examples there denote places through or across which the subject is travelling rather than a person who is being sought. Þingsættis, the reading of 291 and Flat, is tentatively construed here as a kenning for a ruler who reconciles others at the assembly. It is without precedent, however, in the skaldic corpus. Ólafur Halldórsson (Jvs 1969, 215) emended to þingsetrs ‘of the assembly-seat’, which is also unprecedented in poetry and not particularly suitable in context. Lines 5-6 in the A-redaction mss of Jvs are likely to be corrupted. They lack hendingar and their general sense seems obscure; do they mean that Einarr has never come across a ruler who paid more for bad poetry and did not reward good?
sotta ‘’
(not checked:)
sœkja (verb): seek, attack
linns ‘’
(not checked:)
linnr (noun m.): snake
sættis ‘reconciler’
(not checked:)
sættir (noun m.): reconciler < þingsættir (noun m.)
[6] þingsættis fé betra: þrenna linns at finna 510, ‘hinnig sotta sotta ek gram þottu’ M
kennings
þess þingsættis,‘to that assembly-reconciler ’
= RULER
to that assembly-reconciler → RULER
notes
[5, 6] komkat þess þingsættis ‘I have not come to that assembly-reconciler [RULER]’: For the use of verbs of motion + gen., see NS §141, though the genitives in the examples there denote places through or across which the subject is travelling rather than a person who is being sought. Þingsættis, the reading of 291 and Flat, is tentatively construed here as a kenning for a ruler who reconciles others at the assembly. It is without precedent, however, in the skaldic corpus. Ólafur Halldórsson (Jvs 1969, 215) emended to þingsetrs ‘of the assembly-seat’, which is also unprecedented in poetry and not particularly suitable in context. Lines 5-6 in the A-redaction mss of Jvs are likely to be corrupted. They lack hendingar and their general sense seems obscure; do they mean that Einarr has never come across a ruler who paid more for bad poetry and did not reward good?
at ‘’
(not checked:)
5. at (nota): to (with infinitive)
fé ‘money’
(not checked:)
fé (noun n.; °fjár/féar; -): cattle, money
[6] þingsættis fé betra: þrenna linns at finna 510, ‘hinnig sotta sotta ek gram þottu’ M
þóttu ‘’
(not checked:)
2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
gram ‘’
(not checked:)
1. gramr (noun m.): ruler
ek ‘’
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
finna ‘’
(not checked:)
2. finna (verb): find, meet
betra ‘better’
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betri (adj. comp.; °superl. beztr/baztr; pos. góðr adj.): better, best
[6] þingsættis fé betra: þrenna linns at finna 510, ‘hinnig sotta sotta ek gram þottu’ M
fýsinn ‘’
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fýsi (noun f.): urge, desire
færi ‘’
(not checked:)
færa (verb): [bring]
meiðr ‘tree [man]’
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meiðr (noun m.): beam, tree
[7] meiðr sparir hodd við hróðri: færi mik fyrða mæri 510, fýsinn frœknum vísa M
frœknum ‘’
(not checked:)
frœkn (adj.): brave, bold
mik ‘’
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
sparir ‘withholds’
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2. spara (verb): spare, withhold
[7] meiðr sparir hodd við hróðri: færi mik fyrða mæri 510, fýsinn frœknum vísa M
vísa ‘’
(not checked:)
vísi (noun m.; °-a): leader
fyrða ‘’
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2. fyrðr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -): man
hodd ‘treasure’
(not checked:)
1. hodd (noun f.): gold, treasure
[7] meiðr sparir hodd við hróðri: færi mik fyrða mæri 510, fýsinn frœknum vísa M
mæri ‘’
(not checked:)
2. mærr (adj.): famous
við ‘from’
(not checked:)
2. við (prep.): with, against
[7] meiðr sparir hodd við hróðri: færi mik fyrða mæri 510, fýsinn frœknum vísa M
hróðri ‘praise poetry’
(not checked:)
hróðr (noun m.): encomium, praise
[7] meiðr sparir hodd við hróðri: færi mik fyrða mæri 510, fýsinn frœknum vísa M
ferri ‘’
(not checked:)
ferri (adv.): far, further
feri ‘’
skjald ‘’
(not checked:)
skjǫldr (noun m.; °skjaldar/skildar, dat. skildi; skildir, acc. skjǫldu): shield
enn ‘’
(not checked:)
2. enn (adv.): still, yet, again
in ‘’
(not checked:)
2. inn (art.): the
verri ‘’
(not checked:)
verri (adj. comp.): worse, worst
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Gerðak veig of virða |
At an unfortunate time I composed, eager, strong drink of Váfuðr <= Óðinn> [POETRY] about men of the ocean [SEAFARERS]; I did that while others slept. I have not come to that assembly-reconciler [RULER] where money seemed better but the poet worse; each tree [man] withholds treasure from praise poetry.
In Jvs, Einarr complains that Hákon jarl has shown him little honour (sómi) of late, compared to what he had formerly enjoyed, and threatens to defect to the leader of the Jómsvíkingar, Sigvaldi Strút-Haraldsson. In Eg (A-redaction only), the stanza is precipitated by the jarl’s refusal to listen to Einarr’s drápa Vellekla (Eskál Vell), because he is angry with the poet for unspecified reasons.
There is less divergence between the Jvs mss versus M in ll. 1-4 than in ll. 5-8, where there are some marked differences between the readings of all lines, except for the second part of l. 8. M shows the greatest similarity to 510, but also has readings that seem to be independent of any extant Jvs ms. — [7-8]: These lines in the Jvs A-redaction mss again suggest corruption. Meiðr ‘tree’ as a man-heiti is suspicious, as it usually functions as the base-word of a man-kenning.
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