Eldj Lv 2^II

Frák, at flótta rôkuð
— falsk annat lið manna —
— þar vas harðr, es heyrðak,
hernaðr — á Foxerni.
Varð hjalmþrimu herðis
hár, þars staddir vôruð,
gangr, þars gauzka drengi
Giffarðr í hel barði.

Frák, at rôkuð flótta á Foxerni; annat lið manna falsk; þar vas harðr hernaðr, es heyrðak. Gangr {herðis {hjalmþrimu}} varð hár, þars vôruð staddir, þars Giffarðr barði gauzka drengi í hel.

I heard that you pursued those who fled at Fuxerna; the other host of men hid; it was hard fighting there, as I’ve heard. The success {of the strengthener {of the helmet-crash}} [BATTLE > WARRIOR] was immense where you stood, when Giffarðr beat Gautish warriors to death.

Mss: Mork(23v) (Mork); H(91v), Hr(62vb) (H-Hr); F(59ra), E(35r), J2ˣ(313r), 42ˣ(13r)

Readings: [1] rôkuð: rku H, ‘ræki’ Hr, rkum 42ˣ    [2] falsk: so H, E, J2ˣ, 42ˣ, ‘fasc’ Mork, ‘falk’ Hr, fekksk F    [3] þar: þá 42ˣ;    vas harðr (‘var harþr’): varðr F;    heyrðak (‘ek heyrða’): so H, F, E, J2ˣ, 42ˣ, ek heyrði Mork, ek heyra Hr    [4] á Foxerni: of saxerni F    [6] þars (‘þar er’): er H;    vôruð: so F, E, J2ˣ, vru Mork, H, Hr, 42ˣ    [7] þars (‘þar er’): enn F, þá er 42ˣ    [8] Giffarðr: ‘giparðr’ F, 42ˣ, ‘giparðe’ E, ‘Giparðr’ J2ˣ;    barði: barðit F, barðir E, J2ˣ

Editions: Skj AI, 437, Skj BI, 407, Skald I, 201; Mork 1867, 149, Mork 1928-32, 326 Andersson and Gade 2000, 305, 486 (Mberf); Fms 7, 60 (Mberf ch. 29); F 1871, 274, E 1916, 122 (Mberf).

Context: Giffarðr’s behaviour at the battle of Fuxerna had been less than heroic, and Eldjárn’s st. thus constitutes haþ en eigi lof ‘mockery and not praise’ (Mork 1928-32, 326).

Notes: [4] á Foxerni ‘at Fuxerna’: Located across from Lilla Edet on the western side of the river Götaälv in Sweden. For Magnús’s Swed. campaign and the battle of Fuxerna, see also Mberf Lv 2, Þham Magndr 4, Gísl Magnkv 17-20 and Anon (Mberf) 5. At the battle of Fuxerna, Magnús and his troops faced the Swed. king Ingi Steinkelsson and his army. Giffarðr, who was among Magnús’s men, hid for the duration of the battle and did not emerge until the fighting was over. — [8] barði (3rd pers. sg. pret. indic.) ‘beat’: Skj B and Skald adopt the E, J2ˣ variant barðir (2nd pers. sg. pret. indic.) ‘you beat’ and construe Giffarðr as a form of address. That interpretation is not warranted by the majority of ms. witnesses. For Giffarðr, see Note to Mberf Lv 2/2 and Anon (Mberf) 5/2.

References

1. Bibliography
2. Skj B = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1912-15b. Den norsk-islandske skjaldedigtning. B: Rettet tekst. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Villadsen & Christensen. Rpt. 1973. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde & Bagger.
3. Fms = Sveinbjörn Egilsson et al., eds. 1825-37. Fornmanna sögur eptir gömlum handritum útgefnar að tilhlutun hins norræna fornfræða fèlags. 12 vols. Copenhagen: Popp.
4. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
5. Andersson, Theodore M. and Kari Ellen Gade, trans. 2000. Morkinskinna: The Earliest Icelandic Chronicle of the Norwegian Kings (1030-1157). Islandica 51. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press.
6. Mork 1928-32 = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1928-32. Morkinskinna. SUGNL 53. Copenhagen: Jørgensen.
7. F 1871 = Unger, C. R., ed. 1871. Fríssbók: Codex Frisianus. En samling af norske konge-sagaer. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
8. E 1916 = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1916. Eirspennill: AM 47 fol. Nóregs konunga sǫgur: Magnús góði – Hákon gamli. Kristiania (Oslo): Den norske historiske kildeskriftskommission.
9. Mork 1867 = Unger, C. R., ed. 1867. Morkinskinna: Pergamentsbog fra første halvdel af det trettende aarhundrede. Indeholdende en af de ældste optegnelser af norske kongesagaer. Oslo: Bentzen.
10. Internal references
11. (forthcoming), ‘ Heimskringla, Magnúss saga berfœtts’ 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, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=144> (accessed 26 April 2024)
12. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Anonymous Lausavísur, Lausavísur from Magnúss saga berfœtts 5’ 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. 832-3.
13. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Gísl Illugason, Erfikvæði about Magnús berfœttr 17’ 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, p. 428.
14. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Magnús berfœttr Óláfsson, Lausavísur 2’ 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, p. 386.
15. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Þorkell hamarskáld, Magnússdrápa 4’ 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. 412-13.