Arn Magndr 12II
Diana Whaley (ed.) 2009, ‘Arnórr jarlaskáld Þórðarson, Magnússdrápa 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. 221-2.
notes
[1] vítt ‘broad’: (a) The adj. is here taken as qualifying Helganes. The epithet may be conventional (cf. st. 9/4) but also aptly describes the rhomboidal peninsula, which would appear broad from both the mainland and the sea. (b) Vítt could alternatively be an adv. ‘widely, far and wide’ modifying hefk heyrt ‘I have heard’.
at ‘that’
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4. at (conj.): that
heiti ‘it is called’
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2. heita (verb): be called, promise
[1] heiti: héti F, E, H, Hr, Flat, ‘hæyti’ FskAˣ
Helganes ‘Helgenæs’
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Helganes (noun n.): [Helgenæs]
elgi ‘elks’
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elgr (noun m.; °-s; -ir/-ar): elk
kennings
marga elgi vágs.‘many elks of the wave. ’
= SHIPS
many elks of the wave. → SHIPS
vágs ‘of the wave’
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vágr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-; -ar): sea, wave
[3] vágs: ‘vægs’ FskAˣ, ‘vox’ Flat
kennings
marga elgi vágs.‘many elks of the wave. ’
= SHIPS
many elks of the wave. → SHIPS
kennings
inn víða frægi vargteitir‘the widely famed wolf-cheerer ’
= WARRIOR
the widely famed wolf-cheerer → WARRIOR
víða ‘widely’
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1. víða (adv.): widely
kennings
inn víða frægi vargteitir‘the widely famed wolf-cheerer ’
= WARRIOR
the widely famed wolf-cheerer → WARRIOR
frægi ‘famed’
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frægr (adj.; °-jan/-an; compar. -ri, superl. -jastr/-astr/-str): famous, renowned
kennings
inn víða frægi vargteitir‘the widely famed wolf-cheerer ’
= WARRIOR
the widely famed wolf-cheerer → WARRIOR
varg ‘wolf’
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vargr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ar): wolf < vargteitir (noun m.)
kennings
inn víða frægi vargteitir‘the widely famed wolf-cheerer ’
= WARRIOR
the widely famed wolf-cheerer → WARRIOR
teitir ‘cheerer’
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teitir (noun m.): gladdener < vargteitir (noun m.)
[4] ‑teitir: teitr Hr
kennings
inn víða frægi vargteitir‘the widely famed wolf-cheerer ’
= WARRIOR
the widely famed wolf-cheerer → WARRIOR
hrauð ‘stripped’
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1. hrjóða (verb): clear, destroy
[4] hrauð: so E, J2ˣ, H, Hr, rauð Kˣ, 39, F, FskBˣ, FskAˣ, Flat
kennings
marga elgi vágs.‘many elks of the wave. ’
= SHIPS
many elks of the wave. → SHIPS
Røkr ‘of twilight’
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røkkr (noun n.; °-s): [twilight]
[5] Røkr: reykr F, FskAˣ, C, rekr FskBˣ, rekkr Hr, ‘rek[...]’ U
ǫndurt ‘At the beginning’
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ǫndurr (noun m.; °-s): front, onset
[5] ǫndurt: ‘andrt’ FskBˣ, ǫndur FskAˣ, ‘[...]dvrt’ U
bað ‘called for’
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biðja (verb; °biðr; bað, báðu; beðinn (beiþ- Martin¹ 573, bỏþ- HákEirsp 661, cf. ed. intr. xl)): ask for, order, pray
[5] bað: var U
randir ‘shields’
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rǫnd (noun f.; °dat. -/-u; rendr/randir): shield, shield-rim
[5] randir: om. H, randar C
regg ‘the ship’
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regg (noun n.): boat, vessel < reggbúss (noun m.)
[6] regg‑: regn‑ FskBˣ, ‘r[...]’ U
kennings
reggbúss‘the ship-tree ’
= SEAFARER
the ship-tree → SEAFARER
búss ‘tree’
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búss (noun m.): box-tree < reggbúss (noun m.)
kennings
reggbúss‘the ship-tree ’
= SEAFARER
the ship-tree → SEAFARER
saman ‘together’
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saman (adv.): together
leggja ‘to be set’
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leggja (verb): put, lay
róg ‘of strife’
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róg (noun n.; °-s): strife, slander < rógský (noun n.)
[7] róg‑: so 39, F, E, H, Hr, R, Tˣ, W, U, A, C, 2368ˣ, rógs Kˣ, J2ˣ, FskBˣ, FskAˣ
kennings
regni rýgjar rógskýja‘the rain of the troll-woman of strife-clouds ’
= BATTLE
strife-clouds → SHIELDS
the troll-woman of SHIELDS → AXE
the rain of the AXE → BATTLE
róg ‘of strife’
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róg (noun n.; °-s): strife, slander < rógský (noun n.)
[7] róg‑: so 39, F, E, H, Hr, R, Tˣ, W, U, A, C, 2368ˣ, rógs Kˣ, J2ˣ, FskBˣ, FskAˣ
kennings
regni rýgjar rógskýja‘the rain of the troll-woman of strife-clouds ’
= BATTLE
strife-clouds → SHIELDS
the troll-woman of SHIELDS → AXE
the rain of the AXE → BATTLE
róg ‘of strife’
(not checked:)
róg (noun n.; °-s): strife, slander < rógský (noun n.)
[7] róg‑: so 39, F, E, H, Hr, R, Tˣ, W, U, A, C, 2368ˣ, rógs Kˣ, J2ˣ, FskBˣ, FskAˣ
kennings
regni rýgjar rógskýja‘the rain of the troll-woman of strife-clouds ’
= BATTLE
strife-clouds → SHIELDS
the troll-woman of SHIELDS → AXE
the rain of the AXE → BATTLE
skýja ‘clouds’
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ský (noun n.; °-s; -): cloud < rógský (noun n.)
[7] ‑skýja: skyggja J2ˣ, ‘skyiara’ Hr, ‘sk[...]a’ U
kennings
regni rýgjar rógskýja‘the rain of the troll-woman of strife-clouds ’
= BATTLE
strife-clouds → SHIELDS
the troll-woman of SHIELDS → AXE
the rain of the AXE → BATTLE
skýja ‘clouds’
(not checked:)
ský (noun n.; °-s; -): cloud < rógský (noun n.)
[7] ‑skýja: skyggja J2ˣ, ‘skyiara’ Hr, ‘sk[...]a’ U
kennings
regni rýgjar rógskýja‘the rain of the troll-woman of strife-clouds ’
= BATTLE
strife-clouds → SHIELDS
the troll-woman of SHIELDS → AXE
the rain of the AXE → BATTLE
skýja ‘clouds’
(not checked:)
ský (noun n.; °-s; -): cloud < rógský (noun n.)
[7] ‑skýja: skyggja J2ˣ, ‘skyiara’ Hr, ‘sk[...]a’ U
kennings
regni rýgjar rógskýja‘the rain of the troll-woman of strife-clouds ’
= BATTLE
strife-clouds → SHIELDS
the troll-woman of SHIELDS → AXE
the rain of the AXE → BATTLE
rýgjar ‘of the troll-woman’
(not checked:)
rýgr (noun f.): housewife
[7] rýgjar: ‘rygia’ R, Tˣ, W, C, 2368ˣ
kennings
regni rýgjar rógskýja‘the rain of the troll-woman of strife-clouds ’
= BATTLE
strife-clouds → SHIELDS
the troll-woman of SHIELDS → AXE
the rain of the AXE → BATTLE
notes
[7] rýgjar ‘of the troll-woman’: (a) The reading is here taken, as by Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson, as rýgjar, gen. sg. of the f. noun meaning ‘mighty woman, ogress’ (ÍF 28, 56-7 n., following Nj 1875-8, II, 518); it forms part of an axe-kenning (cf. Meissner 148) which in turn is determinant to a battle-kenning. (b) An alternative also proposed by Bjarni is that rýgr, again like other words for ‘troll-woman’ or ‘giantess’ (e.g. gnepja and vígglǫð), might be an axe-heiti in itself. Róg rýgjar ‘strife of the axe’ would then be ‘battle’, rógský rýgjar ‘clouds of battle’ would be ‘shields’ and the regn of shields once more ‘battle’. (c) Skj B reads the minority variant ‘rygia’ as acc. pl. of Rygjar (men of Rogaland), hence bað Rygja leggja saman randir ‘asked the Rygjar to set their shields together’. (d) Kock (NN §822) reads Rygja and construes rógskýja ... Rygja regni ‘the Rogalanders’ battle’.
rýgjar ‘of the troll-woman’
(not checked:)
rýgr (noun f.): housewife
[7] rýgjar: ‘rygia’ R, Tˣ, W, C, 2368ˣ
kennings
regni rýgjar rógskýja‘the rain of the troll-woman of strife-clouds ’
= BATTLE
strife-clouds → SHIELDS
the troll-woman of SHIELDS → AXE
the rain of the AXE → BATTLE
notes
[7] rýgjar ‘of the troll-woman’: (a) The reading is here taken, as by Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson, as rýgjar, gen. sg. of the f. noun meaning ‘mighty woman, ogress’ (ÍF 28, 56-7 n., following Nj 1875-8, II, 518); it forms part of an axe-kenning (cf. Meissner 148) which in turn is determinant to a battle-kenning. (b) An alternative also proposed by Bjarni is that rýgr, again like other words for ‘troll-woman’ or ‘giantess’ (e.g. gnepja and vígglǫð), might be an axe-heiti in itself. Róg rýgjar ‘strife of the axe’ would then be ‘battle’, rógský rýgjar ‘clouds of battle’ would be ‘shields’ and the regn of shields once more ‘battle’. (c) Skj B reads the minority variant ‘rygia’ as acc. pl. of Rygjar (men of Rogaland), hence bað Rygja leggja saman randir ‘asked the Rygjar to set their shields together’. (d) Kock (NN §822) reads Rygja and construes rógskýja ... Rygja regni ‘the Rogalanders’ battle’.
regni ‘the rain’
(not checked:)
regn (noun n.; °-s; -): rain
[8] regni: regin or regni R, rogni W, ‘r[...]ni’ U, regn C
kennings
regni rýgjar rógskýja‘the rain of the troll-woman of strife-clouds ’
= BATTLE
strife-clouds → SHIELDS
the troll-woman of SHIELDS → AXE
the rain of the AXE → BATTLE
haustnôtt ‘the autumn night’
(not checked:)
haustnátt (noun f.): [autumn night]
notes
[8] gegnum ‘through’: Gegnum is established here by the aðalhending on regni, but the variant gǫgnum is established by aðalhendingar on Hǫgna (st. 13/6) and Rǫgnvalds (Arn Þorfdr 2/4). Both variants are attested in other skaldic rhymes from the C11th, e.g. þegnar : gegnum (Halli XI Fl 4/6), and Rǫgnvalds : gǫgnum (Sigv Austv 12/4I).
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Vítt hefk heyrt at heiti |
I have heard that it is called broad Helgenæs, where the widely famed wolf-cheerer [WARRIOR] stripped many elks of the wave [SHIPS]. At the beginning of twilight the ship-tree [SEAFARER] called for shields to be set together; the rain of the troll-woman of strife-clouds [SHIELDS > AXE > BATTLE] persisted through the autumn night.
In Hkr and H-Hr, it is remarked that the battle off Helgenæs (Helganes) began in the evening, and that at the outset Magnús had a smaller force but larger and better-manned ships. In Fsk, the same battle is summarily narrated up to the point where, after a night-long battle, Sveinn flees ashore. In Flat, on the other hand, the st. follows a description of Sveinn’s flight to Sweden after the battle of Århus (Áróss), Magnús’s capture of Sveinn’s ships and treasure, and his reprisals on the men of Skåne (Skáney). SnE and LaufE quote st. 12/5-8 to show that maðr er kendr til viða—that a kenning for ‘man’ (here reggbúss) can have ‘tree’ as its base-word.
The battle off Helgenæs (Helganes) and its aftermath are also commemorated in sts 13-18 below, Ókík Magn 1, ÞjóðA Magnfl 8-18, ÞjóðA Magn 1-14 and Arn Hryn 14-15.
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