Diana Whaley (ed.) 2009, ‘Arnórr jarlaskáld Þórðarson, Haraldsdrápa 12’ 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. 273-4.
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valda (verb): cause
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ofrausn (noun f.): excess of heroism
[1] ofrausn ‘excess of heroism’: Or lit. ‘over-magnificence’. Like the near-synonym ofermōd, lit. ‘over-courage’ in the OE Battle of Maldon (l. 89), this word introduces the rare possibility that heroic excess is being criticised. While rausn implies magnificent deeds and hospitality (cf. Arn Magndr 19/4, Arn Þorfdr 2/3, 6/7), the ofrausn which here causes Haraldr’s death seems to have a near-pejorative sense, as also in Sigv Berv 11/3 and Sturl Hákkv 9/9 (see also Note to Halli XI Fl 4/7 and see Fritzner for prose examples). It could refer generally to his reckless zeal or more specifically to his presumption in marching from the ships without armour, his decision to tackle the superior Engl. host (as suggested by the Context to the st. in H-Hr) or his overweening ambition in invading England: cf. Þjóðólfr’s comment (ÞjóðA Lv 11/4) that it was þarflaust ‘needlessly’ that Haraldr called up troops for the expedition westwards. See also Note to Þfagr Sveinn 6/6.
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ormr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): serpent
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ormr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): serpent
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látr (noun n.; °; dat. -um): lair < ormalátr (noun n.): [reptiles’ lair]
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látr (noun n.; °; dat. -um): lair < ormalátr (noun n.): [reptiles’ lair]
[2] þats ‘that’: (a) The Mork, H reading þat has been emended by previous eds (beginning with Sveinbjörn Egilsson, SHI 6, 387 n.) to dat. sg. því, since dat. would normally be required by olli, 3rd pers. sg. pret. of valda ‘cause’ (l. 1). However, if því were the object of olli, it would be stressed, not cliticized with es and in an unstressed position. (b) Þats is therefore retained in the present edn, and taken as a conj. functioning like at ‘that’ (a usage found elsewhere, e.g. Ill Har 1/1); the Flat reading er would have a similar function. Olli ‘caused’ is assumed to have a suppressed object ‘this’. Alternatively, the þats-cl. could be taken as its object, albeit acc. rather than dat., or olli could be read as intransitive, with the sense ‘prevailed, determined the outcome’ (see LP: valda for examples).
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1. stál (noun n.; °-s; -): steel, weapon, prow
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í (prep.): in, into
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strangr (adj.): strong
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él (noun n.; °; dat. -um): storm
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stríðir (noun m.): opponent, fighter
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elli (noun f.; °-): old age
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bíða (verb; °bíðr; beið, biðu; beðit): wait, suffer, experience
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
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aldrigi (adv.): never
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2. aldinn (adj.): old
[6, 7, 8] lituðr hramma aldins, ótams viggs varðrúnar ‘the stainer of the claws of the old, untamed steed of Varðrún <troll-woman> [WOLF > WARRIOR]’: Viggs is a slight and well-justified emendation. Ms. ‘vigs’, presumably vígs ‘of battle’, would not make sense, and would provide a less exact consonantal rhyme with glygg-. Varðrún occurs only here and among the heiti for ‘troll-woman’ in Þul Trǫllkvenna 5/3III.
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2. aldinn (adj.): old
[6, 7, 8] lituðr hramma aldins, ótams viggs varðrúnar ‘the stainer of the claws of the old, untamed steed of Varðrún <troll-woman> [WOLF > WARRIOR]’: Viggs is a slight and well-justified emendation. Ms. ‘vigs’, presumably vígs ‘of battle’, would not make sense, and would provide a less exact consonantal rhyme with glygg-. Varðrún occurs only here and among the heiti for ‘troll-woman’ in Þul Trǫllkvenna 5/3III.
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ótamr (adj.): [untamed]
[6, 7, 8] lituðr hramma aldins, ótams viggs varðrúnar ‘the stainer of the claws of the old, untamed steed of Varðrún <troll-woman> [WOLF > WARRIOR]’: Viggs is a slight and well-justified emendation. Ms. ‘vigs’, presumably vígs ‘of battle’, would not make sense, and would provide a less exact consonantal rhyme with glygg-. Varðrún occurs only here and among the heiti for ‘troll-woman’ in Þul Trǫllkvenna 5/3III.
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ótamr (adj.): [untamed]
[6, 7, 8] lituðr hramma aldins, ótams viggs varðrúnar ‘the stainer of the claws of the old, untamed steed of Varðrún <troll-woman> [WOLF > WARRIOR]’: Viggs is a slight and well-justified emendation. Ms. ‘vigs’, presumably vígs ‘of battle’, would not make sense, and would provide a less exact consonantal rhyme with glygg-. Varðrún occurs only here and among the heiti for ‘troll-woman’ in Þul Trǫllkvenna 5/3III.
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lituðr (noun m.): colourer
[6] lituðr: ‘vítudr’ Flat, ‘b(ru)dr’(?) Hr
[6, 7, 8] lituðr hramma aldins, ótams viggs varðrúnar ‘the stainer of the claws of the old, untamed steed of Varðrún <troll-woman> [WOLF > WARRIOR]’: Viggs is a slight and well-justified emendation. Ms. ‘vigs’, presumably vígs ‘of battle’, would not make sense, and would provide a less exact consonantal rhyme with glygg-. Varðrún occurs only here and among the heiti for ‘troll-woman’ in Þul Trǫllkvenna 5/3III.
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hrammr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ar): claws
[6, 7, 8] lituðr hramma aldins, ótams viggs varðrúnar ‘the stainer of the claws of the old, untamed steed of Varðrún <troll-woman> [WOLF > WARRIOR]’: Viggs is a slight and well-justified emendation. Ms. ‘vigs’, presumably vígs ‘of battle’, would not make sense, and would provide a less exact consonantal rhyme with glygg-. Varðrún occurs only here and among the heiti for ‘troll-woman’ in Þul Trǫllkvenna 5/3III.
[6, 7, 8] lituðr hramma aldins, ótams viggs varðrúnar ‘the stainer of the claws of the old, untamed steed of Varðrún <troll-woman> [WOLF > WARRIOR]’: Viggs is a slight and well-justified emendation. Ms. ‘vigs’, presumably vígs ‘of battle’, would not make sense, and would provide a less exact consonantal rhyme with glygg-. Varðrún occurs only here and among the heiti for ‘troll-woman’ in Þul Trǫllkvenna 5/3III.
[6, 7, 8] lituðr hramma aldins, ótams viggs varðrúnar ‘the stainer of the claws of the old, untamed steed of Varðrún <troll-woman> [WOLF > WARRIOR]’: Viggs is a slight and well-justified emendation. Ms. ‘vigs’, presumably vígs ‘of battle’, would not make sense, and would provide a less exact consonantal rhyme with glygg-. Varðrún occurs only here and among the heiti for ‘troll-woman’ in Þul Trǫllkvenna 5/3III.
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í (prep.): in, into
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vápn (noun n.; °-s; -): weapon
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Varðrún (noun f.): Varðrún
[6, 7, 8] lituðr hramma aldins, ótams viggs varðrúnar ‘the stainer of the claws of the old, untamed steed of Varðrún <troll-woman> [WOLF > WARRIOR]’: Viggs is a slight and well-justified emendation. Ms. ‘vigs’, presumably vígs ‘of battle’, would not make sense, and would provide a less exact consonantal rhyme with glygg-. Varðrún occurs only here and among the heiti for ‘troll-woman’ in Þul Trǫllkvenna 5/3III.
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Varðrún (noun f.): Varðrún
[6, 7, 8] lituðr hramma aldins, ótams viggs varðrúnar ‘the stainer of the claws of the old, untamed steed of Varðrún <troll-woman> [WOLF > WARRIOR]’: Viggs is a slight and well-justified emendation. Ms. ‘vigs’, presumably vígs ‘of battle’, would not make sense, and would provide a less exact consonantal rhyme with glygg-. Varðrún occurs only here and among the heiti for ‘troll-woman’ in Þul Trǫllkvenna 5/3III.
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sik (pron.; °gen. sín, dat. sér): (refl. pron.)
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2. spara (verb): spare, withhold
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Olli ofrausn stillis, |
The excess of heroism in the ruler caused [this] in the stern blizzard of steel [BATTLE], that the foe of the reptiles’ lair [GOLD > GENEROUS MAN = Haraldr] could not live to see old age, the stainer of the claws of the old, untamed steed of Varðrún <troll-woman> [WOLF > WARRIOR] who never spared himself in the wind-storm of weapons [BATTLE].
In Mork and Flat, st. 12 is quoted immediately after st. 10. In H-Hr, an interlude separates sts 10 and 12, in which the Engl. king Harold Godwineson (Haraldr Guðinason) comes to Tostig (Tósti), his own brother but Haraldr Sigurðarson’s ally, with a peace offer that is rejected. The saga reports the common opinion that Tostig’s proposal to return to the ships when confronted by the enemy had been the best. The compiler adds that the Norw. king’s excessive zeal (ofrkapp)—his refusal to act with caution lest it should be construed as cowardice—led to disaster, and the st. is cited to confirm this.
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