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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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ESk Frag 1III

Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Fragments 1’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 151.

Einarr SkúlasonFragments
12

introduction

The half-stanza (ESk Frag 1) is attributed to Einarr Skúlason in all mss. Jón Sigurðsson (SnE 1848-87, III, 365) assigned it to Øxarflokkr (see Introduction to ESk Øxfl above). Although the helmingr must have belonged to a panegyric for a magnate who has given (or will give) a gift to the poet, it lacks the mythical imagery that characterises the other stanzas grouped under the heading Øxarflokkr. The helmingr is transmitted in mss R (main ms.), , W, U and B of Skm (SnE).

text and translation

Hvargis Beita borgar
bálgrimmustum skála
hôr of hnossvin órum
heims vafrlogi sveimar.

Hvargis {hôr vafrlogi {skála heims}} sveimar of hnossvin órum, {{{Beita borgar} bál}grimmustum}.
 
‘Wherever the high flickering flame of the world’s hall [SKY > SUN] hovers above our treasure-friend, most hostile to the fire of Beiti’s <sea-king’s> stronghold [(lit. ‘most fire-hostile of Beiti’s stronghold’) SEA > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN].

notes and context

The helmingr illustrates one of several kennings for ‘sun’ (hôr vafrlogi skála heims ‘the high flickering flame of the world’s hall’) in Skm.

The helmingr is syntactically incomplete, and the preceding, now-lost four lines must have contained the missing main clause.

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, 12. Ubestemmelige vers, tilhørende forskellige fyrstedigte eller lausavísur 1: AI, 479, BI, 451, Skald I, 222; SnE 1848-87, I, 330-1, II, 317, 530, III, 54, SnE 1931, 118, SnE 1998, I, 39.

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