Eskál Hákdr 1^I

Byggði lǫnd, en lunda
lék orð á því, forðum
Gamla kind, sús granda,
gunnborðs, véum þorði.
Nús afrendra jǫfra
Ullr geirvaðils þeira
sóknar hvatr at setri
settr hverjum gram betri.

{Kind Gamla}, sús þorði granda véum, byggði forðum lǫnd, en orð {lunda {gunnborðs}} lék á því. Nús {Ullr {geirvaðils}}, hvatr sóknar, betri hverjum gram, settr at setri þeira afrendra jǫfra.

{The kin of Gamli} [= Eiríkssynir], who dared to destroy sanctuaries, once occupied the lands, and the talk {of the trees {of the battle-board}} [SHIELD > WARRIORS] was about that. Now {the Ullr <god> {of the spear-ford}} [SHIELD > WARRIOR = Hákon jarl], bold in battle, better than any ruler, is established upon the seat of those powerful princes.

Mss: FskBˣ(19v-20r), 51ˣ(17v), 302ˣ(21v-22r), FskAˣ(79), 52ˣ(30v-31r), 301ˣ(28v) (Fsk)

Readings: [1] Byggði: so all others, ‘[...]’ FskBˣ    [4] véum: ‘venin’ FskAˣ, 52ˣ, 301ˣ    [5] afrendra: afrendar FskAˣ, 52ˣ, 301ˣ    [6] ‑vaðils: so FskAˣ, 52ˣ, 301ˣ, ‑valins FskBˣ, 51ˣ, 302ˣ    [8] settr: setrs FskAˣ, 52ˣ, 301ˣ;    hverjum: so all others, ‘hrænum’ FskBˣ

Editions: Skj AI, 122, Skj BI, 116, Skald I, 65, NN §2736; Fsk 1847, 37, Fsk 1902-3, 70 (ch. 14), ÍF 29, 112 (ch. 16).

Context: Fsk cites this stanza immediately after Vell 15 and 17, which praise the restoration of heathenism in Norway following Hákon jarl’s rise to power.

Notes: [3] kind Gamla ‘the kin of Gamli [= Eiríkssynir]’: The kenning appears to denote the Eiríkssynir, the sons of Eiríkr blóðøx and Gunnhildr. Gamli, who died at the battle of Rastarkálfr c. 955 (cf. Eyv Lv 6/4 and Note) was the eldest of them. However, kind would normally refer to sons or descendants rather than brothers, and there is an alternative possibility (mentioned by Finnur Jónsson, LP: kind) that this Gamli is Gormr inn gamli ‘the Old’, the Danish king who was maternal grandfather of the Eiríkssynir. — [3, 4] granda véum ‘to destroy sanctuaries’: Eiríkr blóðøx and his sons were repeatedly blamed for having destroyed heathen sanctuaries, e.g. Egill Lv 21^V (Eg 28). — [6] geirvaðils ‘of the spear-ford [SHIELD]’: This kenning is a variation on the pattern ‘path of the weapon’, meaning ‘shield’ (Meissner 169-70).

References

1. Bibliography
2. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
3. NN = Kock, Ernst Albin. 1923-44. Notationes Norrœnæ: Anteckningar till Edda och skaldediktning. Lunds Universitets årsskrift new ser. 1. 28 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
4. Meissner = Meissner, Rudolf. 1921. Die Kenningar der Skalden: Ein Beitrag zur skaldischen Poetik. Rheinische Beiträge und Hülfsbücher zur germanischen Philologie und Volkskunde 1. Bonn and Leipzig: Schroeder. Rpt. 1984. Hildesheim etc.: Olms.
5. LP = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1931. Lexicon poeticum antiquæ linguæ septentrionalis: Ordbog over det norsk-islandske skjaldesprog oprindelig forfattet af Sveinbjörn Egilsson. 2nd edn. Copenhagen: Møller.
6. Fsk 1902-3 = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1902-3. Fagrskinna: Nóregs kononga tal. SUGNL 30. Copenhagen: Møller.
7. Fsk 1847 = Munch, P. A. and C. R. Unger, eds. 1847. Fagrskinna. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
8. ÍF 29 = Ágrip af Nóregskonunga sǫgum; Fagrskinna—Nóregs konungatal. Ed. Bjarni Einarsson. 1985.
9. Internal references
10. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Fagrskinna’ 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=56> (accessed 4 May 2024)
11. Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2022, ‘Egils saga Skalla-Grímssonar 28 (Egill Skallagrímsson, Lausavísur 21)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross, Kari Ellen Gade and Tarrin Wills (eds), Poetry in Sagas of Icelanders. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 5. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 222.
12. Edith Marold (ed.) 2012, ‘Einarr skálaglamm Helgason, Vellekla 15’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 303.
13. Russell Poole (ed.) 2012, ‘Eyvindr skáldaspillir Finnsson, Lausavísur 6’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 223.