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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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ESk Lv 8III

Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Lausavísur 8’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 171.

Einarr SkúlasonLausavísur
789

introduction

Stanzas 8-9 below (ESk Lv 8-9) are recorded without intervening prose in LaufE (mss papp10ˣ, 2368ˣ and 743ˣ). They are printed in RE 1665 and also cited in ms. A of SnE. The stanzas are anonymous in A, but LaufE identifies the poet as Einarr Skúlason, and RE 1665 gives his name as Einarr (Autore Einaro). In LaufE and RE 1665 these two stanzas form a sequence with Lv 14-15 below. There is no direct evidence that these stanzas are lausavísur; rather, they give the impression of being a þula-like exercise inventing kennings for ‘sea’ in which the determinants are islands and the base-words denote something encircling the islands. Many of these islands are also mentioned in Þul Eyja and Þul Islands (see also Fidjestøl 1982, 203-4). It could be, however, that the stanzas are bona fide lausavísur and represent Einarr’s response to a poetic challenge (see ESk Lv 5-6II). The metre is áttmælt ‘eight-times spoken’, a variant of dróttkvætt in which each line of the stanza forms a separate, independent clause (see SnSt Ht 10).

text and translation

Brattrs baldrekr Þjóttu;
berr vindr Raðar linda;
víðgyrðill þýtr Vǫrðu;
veltr Fenhringar belti.
Yglisk umbgerð Huglar;
olmrs grásili Stolmar;
fleygir Bóknar baugi;
brakar Lygru men nǫkkvat.

Brattrs {baldrekr Þjóttu}; vindr berr {linda Raðar}; {víðgyrðill Vǫrðu} þýtr; {belti Fenhringar} veltr. {Umbgerð Huglar} yglisk; olmrs {grásili Stolmar}; fleygir {baugi Bóknar}; {men Lygru} brakar nǫkkvat.
 
‘Steep is the baldric of Tjøtta <island> [SEA]; the wind lifts the band of Radøy <island> [SEA]; the wide girdle of Varða <island> [SEA] roars; the belt of Askøy <island> [SEA] rolls. The sheath of Huglo <island> [SEA] becomes fierce; grim is the grey harness-strap of Stolmen <island> [SEA]; the ring of Bokn <island> [SEA] is flung out; the necklace of Lygra <island> [SEA] thunders somewhat.

notes and context

The stanza illustrates heiti for ‘islands’.

[1]: This line is given as l. 1 of Lv 9 in LaufE and RE 1665. 

readings

sources

Text is based on reconstruction from the base text and variant apparatus and may contain alternative spellings and other normalisations not visible in the manuscript text. Transcriptions may not have been checked and should not be cited.

editions and texts

Skj: Einarr Skúlason, 11. Lausavísur 11: AI, 484, BI, 456, Skald I, 224; SnE 1848-87, II, 491, III, 172; LaufE 1979 267, 342; Resen 1977, Ee3.

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