Arn Magndr 1II
Diana Whaley (ed.) 2009, ‘Arnórr jarlaskáld Þórðarson, Magnússdrápa 1’ 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. 207-9.
Nú ‘Now’
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nú (adv.): now
hykk ‘I mean’
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2. hyggja (verb): think, consider
[1] hykk: hygg 39, F, 325VI, Flat, hygg ek FskAˣ
rjóðanda ‘reddener’
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rjóðandi (noun m.): reddener
[1] rjóðanda: ‘ríǫðanda’ E, rjóðan 73aˣ, rjóðandi Flat
kennings
rógǫrs rjóðanda hneitis eggja,‘of the strife-quick reddener of the sword’s edges, ’
= WARRIOR
the strife-quick reddener of the sword’s edges, → WARRIOR
reiðu ‘of the career’
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1. reiða (noun f.; °-u; -ur): chariot, equipment
[1] reiðu: réðu 39, F, 73aˣ, Holm4, 325VII, 325V, ráða E, J2ˣ, ‘rędu’ 61, ‘tedu’ Tóm
notes
[1] reiðu ‘the career’: Reiða covers a wide semantic range. This translation, like Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson’s sýsla, iðja ‘activity’ (ÍF 28), assumes that attention is here focussed on Magnús’s deeds, but reiða can also refer to a man’s material splendour, often manifested in generous entertainment or equipping of retainers.
róg ‘of the strife’
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róg (noun n.; °-s): strife, slander < rógǫrr (noun f.)
[2] rógǫrs: ‘roghs hyrs’ FskAˣ; róg‑: rang 61, ‘raugg’ Tóm, ‘rǫg’ Hr
kennings
rógǫrs rjóðanda hneitis eggja,‘of the strife-quick reddener of the sword’s edges, ’
= WARRIOR
the strife-quick reddener of the sword’s edges, → WARRIOR
ǫrs ‘quick’
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ǫrr (adj.): generous, brave < rógǫrr (noun f.)
[2] rógǫrs: ‘roghs hyrs’ FskAˣ
kennings
rógǫrs rjóðanda hneitis eggja,‘of the strife-quick reddener of the sword’s edges, ’
= WARRIOR
the strife-quick reddener of the sword’s edges, → WARRIOR
þvít ‘for’
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þvít (conj.): because, since
veitk ‘I know’
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1. vita (verb): know
[2] veitk: veit 39, F, J2ˣ, Holm2, 972ˣ, 325VI, 73aˣ, Holm4, 325VII, 325V, 61, Bb, Tóm, Hr, Flat, ‘væict’ FskAˣ
seim ‘gold’
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2. seimr (noun m.; °dat. -i): gold < seimbroti (noun m.)
[3] seim‑: seima 325VII, seims FskAˣ
kennings
seimbrotar‘gold-breakers ’
= GENEROUS MEN
gold-breakers → GENEROUS MEN
notes
[3] seimbrotar ‘gold-breakers [GENEROUS MEN]’: Presumably Magnús’s hirð ‘retinue’ or close band of retainers were the first audience of this memorial poem.
brotar ‘breakers’
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broti (noun m.; °-a; -ar): breaker < seimbroti (noun m.)
[3] ‑brotar: ‑brjótar 39, J2ˣ, 73aˣ, Bb, ‑brota Holm2, 325VI, ‑brjótr Holm4, 325V, 61, Tóm, ‘‑br(iota)’(?) 325VII, stafar FskAˣ, ‑stafir Hr, ‑staðar Flat
kennings
seimbrotar‘gold-breakers ’
= GENEROUS MEN
gold-breakers → GENEROUS MEN
notes
[3] seimbrotar ‘gold-breakers [GENEROUS MEN]’: Presumably Magnús’s hirð ‘retinue’ or close band of retainers were the first audience of this memorial poem.
seggjum ‘men’
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seggr (noun m.; °; -ir): man
kennings
rógǫrs rjóðanda hneitis eggja,‘of the strife-quick reddener of the sword’s edges, ’
= WARRIOR
the strife-quick reddener of the sword’s edges, → WARRIOR
notes
[4] hneitis ‘of the sword’s’: See Note to ÞjóðA Magnfl 18/6.
eggja ‘edges’
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1. egg (noun f.; °-jar, dat. -ju/-): edge, blade
[4] eggja: eggjar J2ˣ, 61, Tóm, Hr, eggju 73aˣ
kennings
rógǫrs rjóðanda hneitis eggja,‘of the strife-quick reddener of the sword’s edges, ’
= WARRIOR
the strife-quick reddener of the sword’s edges, → WARRIOR
Vasat ‘was not’
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
[5] Vasat (‘vara’): ‘vorar’ Tóm
ellifu ‘eleven’
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ellifu (num. cardinal): eleven
orm ‘of the reptile’s’
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ormr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): serpent < ormsetr (noun n.): [reptile home]
[6] ormsetrs: ormsetr E, J2ˣ, orms setrs Tóm, Flat
kennings
Hati ormsetrs‘The hater of the reptile’s home ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the reptile’s home → GOLD
The hater of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
orm ‘of the reptile’s’
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ormr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): serpent < ormsetr (noun n.): [reptile home]
[6] ormsetrs: ormsetr E, J2ˣ, orms setrs Tóm, Flat
kennings
Hati ormsetrs‘The hater of the reptile’s home ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the reptile’s home → GOLD
The hater of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
setrs ‘ home’
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setr (noun n.; °-s; -): seat, abode < ormsetr (noun n.): [reptile home]
[6] ormsetrs: ormsetr E, J2ˣ, orms setrs Tóm, Flat
kennings
Hati ormsetrs‘The hater of the reptile’s home ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the reptile’s home → GOLD
The hater of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
setrs ‘ home’
(not checked:)
setr (noun n.; °-s; -): seat, abode < ormsetr (noun n.): [reptile home]
[6] ormsetrs: ormsetr E, J2ˣ, orms setrs Tóm, Flat
kennings
Hati ormsetrs‘The hater of the reptile’s home ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the reptile’s home → GOLD
The hater of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
kennings
Hati ormsetrs‘The hater of the reptile’s home ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the reptile’s home → GOLD
The hater of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
vetra ‘winters’
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vetr (noun m.; °vetrar/vetrs(HómHauksb³ 173²³), dat. vetri; vetr): winter
[6] vetra: vettra F, FskAˣ, betri Tóm
hraustr ‘the valiant’
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hraustr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): strong, valiant
[7] hraustr: austr 61, hraust Flat
kennings
hraustr vinr Hǫrða‘the valiant friend of the Hǫrðar, ’
= NORWEGIAN KING = Magnús
the valiant friend of the Hǫrðar, → NORWEGIAN KING = Magnús
þás ‘when’
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þás (conj.): when
herskip ‘warships’
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herskip (noun n.): warship
notes
[7] herskip ‘warships’: This n. acc. noun could be grammatically sg., ‘warship’, but this seems unlikely in context.
glæsti ‘arrayed’
[7] glæsti: geystusk 61, glæstu Flat
Hǫrða ‘of the Hǫrðar’
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Hǫrðar (noun m.): the Hǫrðar
kennings
hraustr vinr Hǫrða‘the valiant friend of the Hǫrðar, ’
= NORWEGIAN KING = Magnús
the valiant friend of the Hǫrðar, → NORWEGIAN KING = Magnús
notes
[8] vinr Hǫrða ‘friend of the Hǫrðar [NORWEGIAN KING = Magnús]’: The periphrasis anticipates the boy Magnús’s acquisition of power at the end of his voyage (cf. Note to Arn Hryn 3/4, 5).
vinr ‘friend’
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vinr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. -/(-i OsvReyk 92.17); -ir): friend
kennings
hraustr vinr Hǫrða‘the valiant friend of the Hǫrðar, ’
= NORWEGIAN KING = Magnús
the valiant friend of the Hǫrðar, → NORWEGIAN KING = Magnús
notes
[8] vinr Hǫrða ‘friend of the Hǫrðar [NORWEGIAN KING = Magnús]’: The periphrasis anticipates the boy Magnús’s acquisition of power at the end of his voyage (cf. Note to Arn Hryn 3/4, 5).
ór ‘to leave’
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3. ór (prep.): out of
Gǫrðum ‘Russia’
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Garðar (noun m.): Russia
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
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Nú hykk rjóðanda reiðu |
Now I mean to tell men of the career of the strife-quick reddener of the sword’s edges [WARRIOR], for I know it fully; let gold-breakers [GENEROUS MEN] be silent. The hater of the reptile’s home [GOLD > GENEROUS MAN] was not fully eleven winters when [he], the valiant friend of the Hǫrðar [NORWEGIAN KING = Magnús], arrayed warships to leave Russia.
Magnús Óláfsson journeys west from north-west Russia. The summary account in Fsk is brought to a close by st. 1. The others are more leisurely and incorporate at least one other st.
In Hkr and ÓH the st. is identified as being from Magnússdrápa. — [7-8]: These ll. are identical to the second couplet of a st. which is attributed in its sole ms. source, F, to Hallar-Steinn (HSt Frag 1I), the first couplet of which reads Tolf vas elds at aldri | ýsetrs hati vetra ‘The hater of the fire of the yew-bow’s rest [ARM/HAND > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN] was twelve years in age’. That st. has been taken as belonging to the opening of Hallfreðr’s Óláfsdrápa (Hallfr ÓldrI), and since a st. by Hallfreðr influenced Arn Þorfdr 24 (see Note to [All]), one cannot rule out the possibility that Magndr 1 is composed in imitation of him (a view favoured by de Vries, 1952, 165). On the other hand, the scribe of one or other st., prompted by the similarity of the ll. ormsetrs hati vetra and ýsetrs hati vetra, may have unwittingly substituted hraustr ... Gǫrðum for its original couplet, which is now lost. If so, the likelihood is that hraustr ... Gǫrðum belongs to Arnórr’s st. rather than the other, since (i) it is found in all the diverse ms. texts of Magndr 1; (ii) the adj. hraustr ‘valiant, bold’ is also applied to Magnús in st. 2/6, where it stands at the corresponding point in the st.; and (iii) the doubtful attribution of the Hallar-Steinn/Hallfreðr st. Tolf vas elds... makes its text suspect also. Cf. Fidjestøl (1982, 107), who sees it as a spurious importation from the tradition about Magnús to that of Óláfr Tryggvason.
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