ESk Geisl 49^VII

Þríar grímur vann þeima
þjóðnýtr Haralds bróðir
rauknstefnanda Reifnis
ríkr bendingar slíkar,
áðr þrekhvǫssum þessar
(þingdjarfs) firar inga
(bjǫrt eru bauga snyrtis
brǫgð) jartegnir sǫgðu.

{Ríkr, þjóðnýtr bróðir Haralds} vann slíkar bendingar {þeima {Reifnis raukn}stefnanda} þríar grímur, áðr firar sǫgðu þessar jartegnir þrekhvǫssum inga; brǫgð {þingdjarfs snyrtis bauga} eru bjǫrt.

{The powerful, very bountiful brother of Haraldr} [= Óláfr] gave such signs {to that driver {of the ox of Reifnir <sea-king>}} [(lit. ‘to that ox-driver of Reifnir’) SHIP > SEAFARER] for three nights, before men told these miracles to the strength-keen ingi <king>; the deeds {of the battle-brave polisher of rings} [MAN = Óláfr] are bright.

Mss: Flat(2rb), Bb(118ra)

Readings: [1] grímur: so Bb, ‘grimar’ Flat    [2] bróðir: so Bb, bróður Flat    [3] raukn‑: so Bb, ‘rauck’ Flat    [5] þrekhvǫssum: so Bb, þrifhvassir Flat;    þessar: so Bb, þessir Flat    [6] inga: ‘yngva’ Bb    [7] snyrtis: ‘snytris’ Bb

Editions: Skj AI, 468, Skj BI, 439, Skald I, 216, NN §§943, 3396T; Flat 1860-8, I, 5, Cederschiöld 1873, 7, Chase 2005, 99, 156-7.

Notes: [2] bróðir Haralds ‘brother of Haraldr’: The sense of the helmingr makes it clear that bróðir is the subject of the sentence, and the nom. form of the word in Bb must be the correct reading. The epithet for Óláfr refers to his half-brother Haraldr Sigurðarson (Haraldr harðráði ‘the Hard-ruler’), the son of Óláfr’s mother and step-father, Sigurðr sýr ‘Sow’. Haraldr fought alongside Óláfr at Stiklestad, and was sole king in Norway after Magnús the Good (1047-66). He died in the battle of Stamford Bridge. — [6] inga (dat. sg.): Ingi is a variant of the name Yngvi, given to the god Freyr, and to kings considered to have been his descendants, including the Swed. and Norw. royal houses, the Ynglingar. The name functions in skaldic poetry as a king-heiti, and here refers to the Byzantine emperor who bought the sword as a relic. However, Einarr may have chosen it with his royal audience in mind, one of whom bore the name Ingi.

References

1. Bibliography
2. Cederschiöld, Gustaf J. Chr., ed. 1873b. ‘Bandamanna saga’. Acta Universitatis Lundensis 10.
3. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
4. NN = Kock, Ernst Albin. 1923-44. Notationes Norrœnæ: Anteckningar till Edda och skaldediktning. Lunds Universitets årsskrift new ser. 1. 28 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
5. Cederschiöld, Gustaf J. Chr., ed. 1873a. Geisli eða Óláfs Drápa ens Helga er Einarr orti Skúlason: efter ‘Bergsboken’ utgifven. Acta Universitatis Lundensis 10. Lund: Berling.
6. Chase, Martin, ed. 2005. Einarr Skúlason’s Geisli. A Critical Edition. Toronto Old Norse and Icelandic Studies 1. Toronto, Buffalo and London: Toronto University Press.
7. Flat 1860-8 = Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and C. R. Unger, eds. 1860-8. Flateyjarbók. En samling af norske konge-sagaer med indskudte mindre fortællinger om begivenheder i og udenfor Norge samt annaler. 3 vols. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.