Þorm Lv 19I
R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Þormóðr Kolbrúnarskáld, Lausavísur 19’ 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. 831.
kennings
miklu éli Ála;‘the great storm of Áli; ’
= BATTLE
the great storm of Áli; → BATTLE
þryngr ‘presses’
(not checked:)
þrøngva (verb): press, throng
[1] þryngr: þrǫngr 972ˣ, J2ˣ, Bæb, 68, Holm4, 61, Tóm, DG8, 142ˣ, 566aˣ, ‘þreyngr’ 321ˣ, Kˣ, ‘þravgr’ 325V, þrengr 325VII, þrǫng Bb, Flat, Hb, ‘þraumar’ papp4ˣ
notes
[1, 2] ǫrstiklandi þryngr ‘the arrow-shooter [WARRIOR = Óláfr] presses’: The ms. variants of þryngr are mostly mere alternate spellings (see CVC: þröngva). There are two main interpretations of the construction, and an alternative using the variant -stiklanda: (a) On the analysis offered here, ǫrstiklandi is the subject of þryngr, cf. Arn Þorfdr 18/2II mildingr þrǫng at hildi ‘the bountiful one stormed into battle’. (b) The verb is well attested in impersonal usage with at, meaning ‘draws nigh, approaches’ (see Vígf Lv 1/3; LP: þryngva), and this is how eds (beginning with Bartholin 1689, 174) have understood it: ‘the battle draws nigh’. Accordingly, the cpd has generally been interpreted as a vocative (as in Skj B, ÍF 6 and ÍF 27). (c) Finnur Jónsson (1932-3) argues for reading ǫrstiklanda as a dat., ‘for the arrow-shooter’, on the ground that direct address to the king is uncommon in other skalds’ verses; but cf. the next stanza, and ǫrstiklanda is for the most part the reading of the less reliable mss.
at ‘towards’
(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to
éli ‘storm’
(not checked:)
él (noun n.; °; dat. -um): storm
kennings
miklu éli Ála;‘the great storm of Áli; ’
= BATTLE
the great storm of Áli; → BATTLE
ǫr ‘The arrow’
(not checked:)
ǫr (noun f.; °dat. -/-u; ǫrvar/ǫrar): arrow < ǫrstiklandi (noun m.)
[2] ǫr‑: aurr 325V, ǫl‑ DG8, at papp4ˣ
kennings
Ǫrstiklandi‘The arrow-shooter ’
= WARRIOR = Óláfr
The arrow-shooter → WARRIOR = Óláfr
notes
[1, 2] ǫrstiklandi þryngr ‘the arrow-shooter [WARRIOR = Óláfr] presses’: The ms. variants of þryngr are mostly mere alternate spellings (see CVC: þröngva). There are two main interpretations of the construction, and an alternative using the variant -stiklanda: (a) On the analysis offered here, ǫrstiklandi is the subject of þryngr, cf. Arn Þorfdr 18/2II mildingr þrǫng at hildi ‘the bountiful one stormed into battle’. (b) The verb is well attested in impersonal usage with at, meaning ‘draws nigh, approaches’ (see Vígf Lv 1/3; LP: þryngva), and this is how eds (beginning with Bartholin 1689, 174) have understood it: ‘the battle draws nigh’. Accordingly, the cpd has generally been interpreted as a vocative (as in Skj B, ÍF 6 and ÍF 27). (c) Finnur Jónsson (1932-3) argues for reading ǫrstiklanda as a dat., ‘for the arrow-shooter’, on the ground that direct address to the king is uncommon in other skalds’ verses; but cf. the next stanza, and ǫrstiklanda is for the most part the reading of the less reliable mss. — [2] ǫrstiklandi ‘the arrow-shooter’: The resemblance to Stiklastaðir, the name of the battlefield, introduces the possibility of paranomasia.
ǫr ‘The arrow’
(not checked:)
ǫr (noun f.; °dat. -/-u; ǫrvar/ǫrar): arrow < ǫrstiklandi (noun m.)
[2] ǫr‑: aurr 325V, ǫl‑ DG8, at papp4ˣ
kennings
Ǫrstiklandi‘The arrow-shooter ’
= WARRIOR = Óláfr
The arrow-shooter → WARRIOR = Óláfr
notes
[1, 2] ǫrstiklandi þryngr ‘the arrow-shooter [WARRIOR = Óláfr] presses’: The ms. variants of þryngr are mostly mere alternate spellings (see CVC: þröngva). There are two main interpretations of the construction, and an alternative using the variant -stiklanda: (a) On the analysis offered here, ǫrstiklandi is the subject of þryngr, cf. Arn Þorfdr 18/2II mildingr þrǫng at hildi ‘the bountiful one stormed into battle’. (b) The verb is well attested in impersonal usage with at, meaning ‘draws nigh, approaches’ (see Vígf Lv 1/3; LP: þryngva), and this is how eds (beginning with Bartholin 1689, 174) have understood it: ‘the battle draws nigh’. Accordingly, the cpd has generally been interpreted as a vocative (as in Skj B, ÍF 6 and ÍF 27). (c) Finnur Jónsson (1932-3) argues for reading ǫrstiklanda as a dat., ‘for the arrow-shooter’, on the ground that direct address to the king is uncommon in other skalds’ verses; but cf. the next stanza, and ǫrstiklanda is for the most part the reading of the less reliable mss. — [2] ǫrstiklandi ‘the arrow-shooter’: The resemblance to Stiklastaðir, the name of the battlefield, introduces the possibility of paranomasia.
stiklandi ‘shooter’
(not checked:)
stiklandi (noun m.): [dispenser, shooter] < ǫrstiklandi (noun m.)
[2] ‑stiklandi: so J2ˣ, Bæb, 68, Holm4, 325V, Kˣ, Hb, 142ˣ, 566aˣ, papp4ˣ, 761bˣmarg, ‑skilandi Holm2, ‑stiklanda 972ˣ, 321ˣ, 325VII, Bb, Flat, Tóm, DG8, ‑stiklandar 61
kennings
Ǫrstiklandi‘The arrow-shooter ’
= WARRIOR = Óláfr
The arrow-shooter → WARRIOR = Óláfr
notes
[1, 2] ǫrstiklandi þryngr ‘the arrow-shooter [WARRIOR = Óláfr] presses’: The ms. variants of þryngr are mostly mere alternate spellings (see CVC: þröngva). There are two main interpretations of the construction, and an alternative using the variant -stiklanda: (a) On the analysis offered here, ǫrstiklandi is the subject of þryngr, cf. Arn Þorfdr 18/2II mildingr þrǫng at hildi ‘the bountiful one stormed into battle’. (b) The verb is well attested in impersonal usage with at, meaning ‘draws nigh, approaches’ (see Vígf Lv 1/3; LP: þryngva), and this is how eds (beginning with Bartholin 1689, 174) have understood it: ‘the battle draws nigh’. Accordingly, the cpd has generally been interpreted as a vocative (as in Skj B, ÍF 6 and ÍF 27). (c) Finnur Jónsson (1932-3) argues for reading ǫrstiklanda as a dat., ‘for the arrow-shooter’, on the ground that direct address to the king is uncommon in other skalds’ verses; but cf. the next stanza, and ǫrstiklanda is for the most part the reading of the less reliable mss. — [2] ǫrstiklandi ‘the arrow-shooter’: The resemblance to Stiklastaðir, the name of the battlefield, introduces the possibility of paranomasia.
stiklandi ‘shooter’
(not checked:)
stiklandi (noun m.): [dispenser, shooter] < ǫrstiklandi (noun m.)
[2] ‑stiklandi: so J2ˣ, Bæb, 68, Holm4, 325V, Kˣ, Hb, 142ˣ, 566aˣ, papp4ˣ, 761bˣmarg, ‑skilandi Holm2, ‑stiklanda 972ˣ, 321ˣ, 325VII, Bb, Flat, Tóm, DG8, ‑stiklandar 61
kennings
Ǫrstiklandi‘The arrow-shooter ’
= WARRIOR = Óláfr
The arrow-shooter → WARRIOR = Óláfr
notes
[1, 2] ǫrstiklandi þryngr ‘the arrow-shooter [WARRIOR = Óláfr] presses’: The ms. variants of þryngr are mostly mere alternate spellings (see CVC: þröngva). There are two main interpretations of the construction, and an alternative using the variant -stiklanda: (a) On the analysis offered here, ǫrstiklandi is the subject of þryngr, cf. Arn Þorfdr 18/2II mildingr þrǫng at hildi ‘the bountiful one stormed into battle’. (b) The verb is well attested in impersonal usage with at, meaning ‘draws nigh, approaches’ (see Vígf Lv 1/3; LP: þryngva), and this is how eds (beginning with Bartholin 1689, 174) have understood it: ‘the battle draws nigh’. Accordingly, the cpd has generally been interpreted as a vocative (as in Skj B, ÍF 6 and ÍF 27). (c) Finnur Jónsson (1932-3) argues for reading ǫrstiklanda as a dat., ‘for the arrow-shooter’, on the ground that direct address to the king is uncommon in other skalds’ verses; but cf. the next stanza, and ǫrstiklanda is for the most part the reading of the less reliable mss. — [2] ǫrstiklandi ‘the arrow-shooter’: The resemblance to Stiklastaðir, the name of the battlefield, introduces the possibility of paranomasia.
kennings
miklu éli Ála;‘the great storm of Áli; ’
= BATTLE
the great storm of Áli; → BATTLE
skyldut ‘should not’
(not checked:)
skulu (verb): shall, should, must
skelknir ‘frightened’
(not checked:)
1. skelkr (noun m.): fear, ?fun, frightened
[3] skelknir: ‘skelcku’ papp4ˣ
hauldar ‘freeholders’
(not checked:)
hǫlðr (noun m.; °-s; -ar): man
[3] hauldar: so all others, hǫlða Holm2
skalm ‘a sword’
(not checked:)
skalm (noun f.): sword < skalmǫld (noun f.): sword-age; Skálmǫld
[4] skalmǫld: ‘skam avlld’ 325V
kennings
skalmǫld‘a sword-age ’
= BATTLE
a sword-age → BATTLE
notes
[4] skalmǫld ‘a sword-age [BATTLE]’: The reference is to the impending doom, perhaps by allusion to Ragnarǫk (cf. Vsp 45/7, NK 10). The same word is used in reference to the battle of Svǫlðr in Hfr ErfÓl 25/6; its status as a kenning is somewhat uncertain.
ǫld ‘age’
(not checked:)
ǫld (noun f.; °; aldir): people, age < skalmǫld (noun f.): sword-age; Skálmǫld
[4] skalmǫld: ‘skam avlld’ 325V
kennings
skalmǫld‘a sword-age ’
= BATTLE
a sword-age → BATTLE
notes
[4] skalmǫld ‘a sword-age [BATTLE]’: The reference is to the impending doom, perhaps by allusion to Ragnarǫk (cf. Vsp 45/7, NK 10). The same word is used in reference to the battle of Svǫlðr in Hfr ErfÓl 25/6; its status as a kenning is somewhat uncertain.
nú ‘now’
(not checked:)
nú (adv.): now
Búumk ‘Let us prepare ourselves’
[5] Búumk: ‘buniz’ 321ˣ, ‘byvmz’ Bb, hvílsk Tóm
sókn ‘an attack’
(not checked:)
sókn (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): attack, fight
en ‘and’
(not checked:)
2. en (conj.): but, and
slœkni ‘weakling’
(not checked:)
slœkinn (adj./verb p.p.): [weakling]
[5] slœkni: slœknir 61, Flat, Tóm, slœkinn DG8
notes
[5, 6] slœkniorð ‘weakling-words’: The first constituent is presumably a compounding form of a noun *slœknir, derived from slœkinn ‘lax’ (cf. slókr ‘slouching person’).
skyli ‘ought’
(not checked:)
skulu (verb): shall, should, must
[6] skyli‑: skulu Flat, skyla corrected from ‘sky(ni)(?)’ Tóm
orð ‘words’
(not checked:)
orð (noun n.; °-s; -): word
notes
[5, 6] slœkniorð ‘weakling-words’: The first constituent is presumably a compounding form of a noun *slœknir, derived from slœkinn ‘lax’ (cf. slókr ‘slouching person’).
of ‘’
(not checked:)
4. of (particle): (before verb)
es ‘when’
(not checked:)
2. er (conj.): who, which, when
at ‘to’
(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to
geir ‘the spear’
(not checked:)
geirr (noun m.): spear < geirþing (noun n.): spear-assembly
kennings
geirþingi‘the spear-assembly ’
= BATTLE
the spear-assembly → BATTLE
þingi ‘assembly’
(not checked:)
þing (noun n.; °-s; -): meeting, assembly < geirþing (noun n.): spear-assembly
kennings
geirþingi‘the spear-assembly ’
= BATTLE
the spear-assembly → BATTLE
gǫngum ‘we go’
(not checked:)
2. ganga (verb; geng, gekk, gengu, genginn): walk, go
gunn ‘a war’
(not checked:)
gunnr (noun f.): battle < gunnreifr (adj.): battle-glad
notes
[8] gunnreifr ‘war-happy’: This is taken here with the sg. seggr ‘man’ in l. 6. It could equally well qualify the unexpressed subject ‘we’ of gǫngum, which could have sg. meaning; cf. the synonymous vígreifr, qualifying vér ‘we [I]’ in Lv 21/2.
reifr ‘happy’
(not checked:)
2. reifr (adj.): happy < gunnreifr (adj.): battle-glad
[8] ‑reifr: ‑reifir 972ˣ, J2ˣ, Holm4, 325V, 325VII, Bb, Flat, reip 321ˣ, ‑reifs Bæb, 68, ‑leifr DG8
notes
[8] gunnreifr ‘war-happy’: This is taken here with the sg. seggr ‘man’ in l. 6. It could equally well qualify the unexpressed subject ‘we’ of gǫngum, which could have sg. meaning; cf. the synonymous vígreifr, qualifying vér ‘we [I]’ in Lv 21/2.
með ‘with’
(not checked:)
með (prep.): with
notes
[8] Ôleifi ‘Óláfr’: The archaic form with ‑leif- demanded by the rhyme is the usual one before c. 1100. On the development of the form, see Gordon (1957, 238-9), and cf. Note to HSt Rst 3/8.
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Ála þryngr at éli |
The arrow-shooter [WARRIOR = Óláfr] presses towards the great storm of Áli <legendary king> [BATTLE]; freeholders should not waver, frightened; a sword-age [BATTLE] swells now. Let us prepare ourselves for an attack, and a war-happy man ought to shun weakling-words when we go to the spear-assembly [BATTLE] with Óláfr.
In ÓH and Hkr, the skalds Gizurr svarti, Þorfinnr munnr and then Þormóðr exhort King Óláfr and his men before the battle of Stiklastaðir (Stiklestad). We are told that men memorized the stanzas straight away. In ÓHLeg, as battle approaches, the king instructs a farmer named Þorgeirr to bury his body afterwards and to wash the wounds of his men in the same water in which he was washed. Then Þormóðr delivers the vísa that is attributed to Gizurr in ÓH and Hkr (Gizsv Lv 1), followed without interruption by this lausavísa and the next. In Fbr, with its different arrangement of lines, Þormóðr, apparently in private conversation with the king, admits to being sad at the thought that they may not lodge together at day’s end. The king assures him that if he can arrange it, they will go to the same place. Þormóðr brightens up and delivers the stanza (i.e. Lv 19/1-4 + 20/5-8).
Lines 5-8 are not found in the mss of Fbr, which instead have ll. 5-8 of Lv 20 here. Gaertner (1907) favours the Fbr arrangement, but his argument entails taking Ála as a vocative, which is unnecessary and would entail emendation to Áli; see further Note to Lv 15 [All].
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