Eskál Vell 20^I

Búinn lézk valdr, ef vildi
valmey konungr heyja,
haulda morðs at halda
— herr fell of gram — velli.

{Valdr {morðs haulda}} lézk búinn at halda velli, ef konungr vildi heyja {valmey}; herr fell of gram.

{The controller {of the killing of men}} [BATTLE > RULER = Hákon jarl] declared himself ready to hold the field, if the king [Ragnfrøðr] wanted to wage {the maiden of the battle-slain} [VALKYRIE = Hildr (hildr ‘battle’)]; the host fell around the ruler.

Mss: FskBˣ(20v), 51ˣ(18r), 302ˣ(28r), FskAˣ(80), 52ˣ(31v), 301ˣ(28v-29r) (Fsk)

Readings: [3] morðs: so FskAˣ, 52ˣ, 301ˣ, njǫrðr FskBˣ, 51ˣ, 302ˣ;    at: ok 51ˣ, 302ˣ, FskAˣ, 52ˣ, 301ˣ

Editions: Skj AI, 127, Skj BI, 120, Skald I, 67; Fsk 1902-3, 72 (ch. 14), ÍF 29, 114 (ch. 16).

Context: See st. 19 above.

Notes: [2] valmey ‘the maiden of the battle-slain [VALKYRIE = Hildr (hildr “battle”)]’: This cpd is the object of heyja ‘wage, hold, carry out’, and the sense ‘battle’ is produced by ofljóst, since a famous valkyrie is Hildr, whose name is also a common noun meaning ‘battle’. See further Notes to Eyv Hál 7/2, ÞjóðA Mfl 8/5, 6^II. — [2] konungr ‘the king’: Ragnfrøðr Eiríksson. His designation as king is somewhat unexpected, but could be explained by his ambition for power (see Context to st. 18), his royal descent (as a grandson of Haraldr hárfagri), and the fact that he was holding several regions south of Trondheim (see Context to st. 21). — [3] haulda ‘of men’: See Note to st. 10/5. — [3] morðs haulda ‘of the killing of men [BATTLE]’: For this unusual battle-kenning see Meissner 177. — [3, 4] halda velli ‘hold the field’: The phrase is interpreted either as waiting for the opponent in battle formation (Konráð Gíslason 1895-7, I, 138) or holding the field, resisting (Skj B; LP: halda 2). Cf. also Eyv Hák 12/5.

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. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 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. ÍF 29 = Ágrip af Nóregskonunga sǫgum; Fagrskinna—Nóregs konungatal. Ed. Bjarni Einarsson. 1985.
8. Konráð Gíslason. 1895-7. Efterladte skrifter. 2 vols. I: Forelæsninger over oldnordiske skjaldekvad. II: Forelæsninger og videnskablige afhandlinger. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
9. Internal references
10. Kari Ellen Gade 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Máríuflokkr’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 507. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1027> (accessed 25 April 2024)
11. Russell Poole (ed.) 2012, ‘Eyvindr skáldaspillir Finnsson, Háleygjatal 7’ 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. 205.
12. R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Eyvindr skáldaspillir Finnsson, Hákonarmál 12’ 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. 186.