ESk Geisl 12VII
Martin Chase (ed.) 2007, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Geisli 12’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 17.
Sigvatr ‘Sigvatr’
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Sigvatr (noun m.): Sigvatr
notes
[1] Sigvatr: Sigvatr (or Sighvatr) Þórðarson was one of Óláfr Haraldsson’s favourite and most prolific court poets, composing sts about Óláfr’s battles and journeys, acting as his ambassador on several occasions, and composing an erfidrápa ‘memorial lay’ in honour of the king. He was born c. 1000 in the west of Iceland, the son of a poet, Þórðr Sigvaldaskáld, and the maternal uncle of another, Óttarr svarti (see Note to l. 4 below). Sigvatr also composed poetry for several other Scandinavian rulers. He died c. 1043 (see further Poole 1993a). Sigvatr’s poetry is edited in Volume I of this edn.
frák ‘I heard’
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1. fregna (verb): hear of
at ‘that’
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4. at (conj.): that
segði ‘told’
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segja (verb): say, tell
sókn ‘of the battle’
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sókn (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): attack, fight < sóknbráðr (adj.): [attack-swift]
[2] sóknbráðs: so Bb, sóknbráðr Flat
notes
[2] sóknbráðs (m. gen. sg.) ‘battle-quick’: The reading of Bb; if Flat’s sóknbráðr were adopted, the only possible referents for it would be Sigvatr and Óttarr. ‘Vehement in battle’ is an unlikely epithet for a skald, and it would be a breach of protocol for the only epithet in the helmingr to refer to a poet rather than to the king.
bráðs ‘quick’
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bráðr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): quick(ly) < sóknbráðr (adj.): [attack-swift]
[2] sóknbráðs: so Bb, sóknbráðr Flat
notes
[2] sóknbráðs (m. gen. sg.) ‘battle-quick’: The reading of Bb; if Flat’s sóknbráðr were adopted, the only possible referents for it would be Sigvatr and Óttarr. ‘Vehement in battle’ is an unlikely epithet for a skald, and it would be a breach of protocol for the only epithet in the helmingr to refer to a poet rather than to the king.
jǫfurs ‘’
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jǫfurr (noun m.): ruler, prince
dáðir ‘the deeds’
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dáð (noun f.; °; -ir): feat, deed
spurt ‘learnt’
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spyrja (verb; spurði): ask; hear, find out
hefr ‘have’
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hafa (verb): have
ǫld ‘men’
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ǫld (noun f.; °; aldir): people, age
at ‘that’
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4. at (conj.): that
orti ‘composed’
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yrkja (verb): compose
Óttarr ‘Óttarr’
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Óttarr (noun m.): Óttarr
notes
[4] Óttarr: Óttarr svarti ‘the black’ was the son of Sigvatr Þórðarson’s sister, and was another of S. Óláfr’s favourite poets. He is cited as a skaldic authority in FGT (c. 1150) and is also quoted frequently by Snorri Sturluson in Skm. See further Guðrún Nordal 2001, 28; Poole 1993b. Óttarr’s poetry is also edited in Volume I.
gram ‘the king’
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1. gramr (noun m.): ruler
dróttar ‘of the court’
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1. drótt (noun f.): troop
Þeir ‘They’
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
hafa ‘have’
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hafa (verb): have
kennings
þengils Mœra;‘of the lord of the Mœrir; ’
= Óláfr
the lord of the Mœrir; → Óláfr
Mœra ‘of the Mœrir’
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1. Mœrir (noun m.; °; -ir): pl. Mœrir
kennings
þengils Mœra;‘of the lord of the Mœrir; ’
= Óláfr
the lord of the Mœrir; → Óláfr
s ‘has been’
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
sýst ‘done’
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sýsa (verb): [done, You set out]
frama ‘the courage’
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frami (noun m.): success
lýstan ‘proclaimed’
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2. lýsa (verb): illuminate, show
helgum ‘to the holy’
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heilagr (adj.; °helgan; compar. -ari, superl. -astr): holy, sacred
kennings
helgum jǫfri fira.‘to the holy king of men.’
= Óláfr
to the holy king of men. → Óláfr
lýtk ‘I do homage’
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lýta (verb): bow down
es ‘who’
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
hétu ‘were called’
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2. heita (verb): be called, promise
hǫfuð ‘the chief’
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hǫfuð (noun n.; °-s; -): head < hǫfuðskáld (noun n.): [chief skald]
skǫld ‘skalds’
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skáld (noun n.; °-s; -): poet < hǫfuðskáld (noun n.): [chief skald]
fira ‘of men’
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firar (noun m.): men
kennings
helgum jǫfri fira.‘to the holy king of men.’
= Óláfr
to the holy king of men. → Óláfr
jǫfri ‘king’
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jǫfurr (noun m.): ruler, prince
kennings
helgum jǫfri fira.‘to the holy king of men.’
= Óláfr
to the holy king of men. → Óláfr
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Sigvatr, frák, at segði |
I heard that Sigvatr told the deeds of the battle-quick king; men have learnt that Óttarr composed [poetry] about the king of the court. They who were called the chief skalds have proclaimed the courage of the lord of the Mœrir [= Óláfr]; that has been done; I do homage to the holy king of men [= Óláfr].
[5-8]: Hétu must be understood in its passive sense ‘were called’, and jǫfurr fira ‘king of men’ as an epithet for Óláfr parallel with gram dróttar ‘the king of the court’ (l. 4). For other readings see Finnur Jónsson in Skj B, Kock in Skald, where, following a suggestion of Konráð Gíslason, fira (l. 8) is emended to firar, giving þeir es firar hétu hǫfuðskǫld ‘they whom men called chief poets’.
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