Anon (Sv) 4^II

This and the following st. (Anon (Sv) 4-5) are recorded in mss 327, Flat, 304ˣ, E, and 81a of Sv (327 is the main ms.). Ms. 8 has a lacuna here, and E conflates the two sts, giving ll. 1-6 of Anon (Sv) 4 together with ll. 7-8 of Anon (Sv) 5. The metre of both sts is hrynhent (see SnSt Ht 62-4^III, SnE 1999, 27-8).

Mánadag kvaddi mildingr sína
menn; drifu hart til vápna sennu,
Inga hirð en upp réð ganga
ár morgin til Sverrisborgar.
Ýtar reistu merki at móti
margar stengr, ok bǫrðusk lengi;
Baglar stóðu í brodda hagli;
brunnu skip, þás kappar runnu.

Mánadag kvaddi mildingr menn sína; drifu hart til {sennu vápna}, en hirð Inga réð ganga upp til Sverrisborgar ár morgin. Ýtar reistu merki at móti, margar stengr, ok bǫrðusk lengi; Baglar stóðu í {hagli brodda}; skip brunnu, þás kappar runnu.

On Monday the generous one summoned his men; they gathered quickly to {the quarrel of weapons} [BATTLE], and Ingi’s retinue advanced up to Sverresborg early in the morning. People raised standards against them, many poles, and they fought for a long time; the Baglar stood in {the hail of missiles} [BATTLE]; ships burned when champions fled.

Mss: 327(78v), Flat(160ra), 304ˣ(234v), E(117r) (ll. 1-6), 81a(44vb) (Sv)

Readings: [1] ‑dag: ‑daginn 81a;    sína: sínu 304ˣ    [3] en: er 81a    [4] ár: á 81a;    morgin: ‘myrgin’ E    [5] at: á E, 81a    [6] ok: en E, 81a

Editions: Skj AI, 596, Skj BI, 596, Skald I, 290-1; ÍF 30, 230 (ch. 151), Sv 1920, 159, Flat 1860-8, II, 669, E 1916, 401, Sv 1910-86, 202.

Context: On 14 August 1198, Sverrir leaves Bergen with a hundred men to join those who have been rounding up cattle in the neighbouring districts. In his absence the Baglar launch a surprise attack on Sverrir’s garrison, and the Birkibeinar retreat to their stronghold. The Baglar also attack those Birkibeinar who are guarding Sverrir’s fleet at Holmen and burn all the ships. Then they recite this st.

Notes: [3] hirð Inga ‘Ingi’s retinue’: Ingi Magnússon (d. 1202), leader of the Baglar and the alleged son of Magnús Erlingsson (see Anon (Sv) 5 below). It is not stated that Ingi was present on the occasion described in this st.; rather, the leader of the Baglar was Nikulás Árnason, bishop of Oslo (1190-1225). — [4] Sverrisborgar ‘Sverresborg’: Fortification in Bergen north-east of Bergenhus fortress, erected by Sverrir in the mid-1180s. — [7] Baglar ‘the Baglar’: Lit. ‘the Croziers’ (pl. of bagall ‘crozier’). Adherents of the clerical party led by Bishop Nikulás Árnason (see Note to l. 3 above).

References

1. Bibliography
2. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
3. Sv 1920 = Indrebø, Gustav, ed. 1920. Sverris saga etter Cod. AM 327 4°. Christiania (Oslo): Dybwad. Rpt. 1981. Oslo: Norsk historisk kjeldeskrift-institutt.
4. 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.
5. E 1916 = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1916. Eirspennill: AM 47 fol. Nóregs konunga sǫgur: Magnús góði – Hákon gamli. Kristiania (Oslo): Den norske historiske kildeskriftskommission.
6. SnE 1999 = Snorri Sturluson. 1999. Edda: Háttatal. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. Rpt. with addenda and corrigenda. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
7. ÍF 30 = Sverris saga. Ed. Þorleifur Hauksson. 2007.
8. Sv 1910-86 = Kjær, Albert and Ludvig Holm-Olsen, eds. 1910-86. Det Arnamagnæanske haandskrift 81a fol. (Skálholtsbók yngsta) indeholdende Sverris saga, Bǫglungasǫgur, Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar. Oslo: Den norske historiske kildeskriftkommission and Kjeldeskriftfondet.
9. Internal references
10. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Sverris saga’ 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=2> (accessed 16 April 2024)
11. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Anonymous Lausavísur, Lausavísur from Sverris saga 4’ 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. 845.
12. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Anonymous Lausavísur, Lausavísur from Sverris saga 5’ 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, pp. 846-7.
13. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Snorri Sturluson, Háttatal 62’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 1173.