Eyv Hák 17I
R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Eyvindr skáldaspillir Finnsson, Hákonarmál 17’ 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. 190.
Gerðar ‘armour’
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2. gerð (noun f.): gear
voru ‘’
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
órar ‘our [my]’
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várr (pron.; °f. ór/vár; pl. órir/várir): our
[1] órar (‘várar’): voru J1ˣ
kvað ‘said’
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2. kveðja (verb; kvaddi): (dd) request, address, greet
inn ‘the’
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2. inn (art.): the
notes
[2] inn góði ‘the good’: This may be meant as characterisation, though it is also Hákon’s nickname.
góði ‘good’
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góðr (adj.): good
notes
[2] inn góði ‘the good’: This may be meant as characterisation, though it is also Hákon’s nickname.
konungr ‘king’
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konungr (noun m.; °dat. -i, -s; -ar): king
viljum ‘wish’
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vilja (verb): want, intend
vér ‘We’
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vér (pron.; °gen. vár, dat./acc. oss): we, us, our
sjalfr ‘’
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sjalfr (adj.): self
hafa ‘to keep’
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hafa (verb): have
hjalm ‘one’s helmet’
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1. hjalmr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): helmet
ok ‘and’
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
brynju ‘mail-shirt’
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1. brynja (noun f.; °-u (dat. brynnoni Gibb 38⁹); -ur): mailcoat
skal ‘one should’
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skulu (verb): shall, should, must
hirða ‘care’
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hirða (verb): hide, care for
vel ‘good’
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vel (adv.): well, very
gótt ‘good’
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góðr (adj.): good
notes
[6] gótt es at taka til gǫrs ‘it is good to have recourse to ready gear’: Two main possibilities are to hand here. (a) ‘Geyrs’ in F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ is a common spelling of gǫrs: see Jón Þorkelsson (1884, 45). Gǫrs gives satisfactory sense, and the expression in l. 6 may be proverbial, with the sense ‘it’s good to use what is to hand’ (see Heggstad et al. 1997: gerr I. 2). This would harmonise with the impersonal skal ‘one should’ in l. 5. (b) Several eds read geirs ‘spear’ for gǫrs (from Bartholin 1689, 526 to Kock, Skald and NN §1055, comparing Beowulf ll. 1245-6a), and this would complement the reference to helmet and mail-shirt in l. 4.
es ‘it is’
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
notes
[6] gótt es at taka til gǫrs ‘it is good to have recourse to ready gear’: Two main possibilities are to hand here. (a) ‘Geyrs’ in F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ is a common spelling of gǫrs: see Jón Þorkelsson (1884, 45). Gǫrs gives satisfactory sense, and the expression in l. 6 may be proverbial, with the sense ‘it’s good to use what is to hand’ (see Heggstad et al. 1997: gerr I. 2). This would harmonise with the impersonal skal ‘one should’ in l. 5. (b) Several eds read geirs ‘spear’ for gǫrs (from Bartholin 1689, 526 to Kock, Skald and NN §1055, comparing Beowulf ll. 1245-6a), and this would complement the reference to helmet and mail-shirt in l. 4.
til ‘to’
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til (prep.): to
notes
[6] gótt es at taka til gǫrs ‘it is good to have recourse to ready gear’: Two main possibilities are to hand here. (a) ‘Geyrs’ in F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ is a common spelling of gǫrs: see Jón Þorkelsson (1884, 45). Gǫrs gives satisfactory sense, and the expression in l. 6 may be proverbial, with the sense ‘it’s good to use what is to hand’ (see Heggstad et al. 1997: gerr I. 2). This would harmonise with the impersonal skal ‘one should’ in l. 5. (b) Several eds read geirs ‘spear’ for gǫrs (from Bartholin 1689, 526 to Kock, Skald and NN §1055, comparing Beowulf ll. 1245-6a), and this would complement the reference to helmet and mail-shirt in l. 4.
geyrs ‘’
notes
[6] gótt es at taka til gǫrs ‘it is good to have recourse to ready gear’: Two main possibilities are to hand here. (a) ‘Geyrs’ in F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ is a common spelling of gǫrs: see Jón Þorkelsson (1884, 45). Gǫrs gives satisfactory sense, and the expression in l. 6 may be proverbial, with the sense ‘it’s good to use what is to hand’ (see Heggstad et al. 1997: gerr I. 2). This would harmonise with the impersonal skal ‘one should’ in l. 5. (b) Several eds read geirs ‘spear’ for gǫrs (from Bartholin 1689, 526 to Kock, Skald and NN §1055, comparing Beowulf ll. 1245-6a), and this would complement the reference to helmet and mail-shirt in l. 4.
at ‘to’
(not checked:)
5. at (nota): to (with infinitive)
notes
[6] gótt es at taka til gǫrs ‘it is good to have recourse to ready gear’: Two main possibilities are to hand here. (a) ‘Geyrs’ in F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ is a common spelling of gǫrs: see Jón Þorkelsson (1884, 45). Gǫrs gives satisfactory sense, and the expression in l. 6 may be proverbial, with the sense ‘it’s good to use what is to hand’ (see Heggstad et al. 1997: gerr I. 2). This would harmonise with the impersonal skal ‘one should’ in l. 5. (b) Several eds read geirs ‘spear’ for gǫrs (from Bartholin 1689, 526 to Kock, Skald and NN §1055, comparing Beowulf ll. 1245-6a), and this would complement the reference to helmet and mail-shirt in l. 4.
taka ‘have recourse’
(not checked:)
2. taka (verb): take
notes
[6] gótt es at taka til gǫrs ‘it is good to have recourse to ready gear’: Two main possibilities are to hand here. (a) ‘Geyrs’ in F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ is a common spelling of gǫrs: see Jón Þorkelsson (1884, 45). Gǫrs gives satisfactory sense, and the expression in l. 6 may be proverbial, with the sense ‘it’s good to use what is to hand’ (see Heggstad et al. 1997: gerr I. 2). This would harmonise with the impersonal skal ‘one should’ in l. 5. (b) Several eds read geirs ‘spear’ for gǫrs (from Bartholin 1689, 526 to Kock, Skald and NN §1055, comparing Beowulf ll. 1245-6a), and this would complement the reference to helmet and mail-shirt in l. 4.
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
As for st. 1.
Hákon’s desire to keep his weapons (which recalls the image of slain princes sitting fully armed in st. 9) has been variously explained. Olsen (1916a) explains it as a sign that he wishes to be prepared at all times for the great final battle of the einherjar, and Paasche (1916) as a necessary precaution in the presence of Eiríkr and his allies (rendering ironic Bragi’s reassurance in the preceding stanza that Hákon has eight brothers in Valhǫll). See also Holm-Olsen (1953, 161).
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