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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Eyv Lv 2I

Russell Poole (ed.) 2012, ‘Eyvindr skáldaspillir Finnsson, Lausavísur 2’ 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. 216.

Eyvindr skáldaspillir FinnssonLausavísur
123

text and translation

Samira, Njǫrðr, enn norðar,
naddregns, hvǫtum þegni
— vér getum bili at bǫlva —
borðmœrar skæ fœra.
Nús, þats rekr á Rakna
rymleið flota breiðan
— grípum vér í greipar
gunnborð — Haraldr sunnan.

Samira hvǫtum þegni, {Njǫrðr {naddregns}}, fœra {skæ {borðmœrar}} enn norðar; vér getum at bǫlva bili. Nús, þats Haraldr rekr breiðan flota sunnan á {rymleið Rakna}; grípum vér {gunnborð} í greipar.
 
‘ It does not befit a brave man, Njǫrðr <god> of the spear-rain [BATTLE > WARRIOR = Hákon], to take the horse of the gunwale-land [SEA > SHIP] still further north; we curse delay. Now it is coming about that Haraldr drives his broad fleet from the south on the roaring path of Rakni <sea-king> [SEA]; let us grasp the battle-board [SHIELD] in our hands.

notes and context

In Hkr, ÓT and Fsk, this follows Lv 1 (see Context). Hákon abandons his meal and consults his advisers. He sees that he is outnumbered by the fleet sailing from the south and would take evasive action if he could do so honourably. Eyvindr now speaks Lv 2. In Ldn, by contrast, the stanza is ascribed to Þorgeirr hǫggvinkinni ‘Cut-cheek’, a member of Hákon’s entourage, who is about to commence a voyage northwards to Bjarmaland (Permia) when king Haraldr sails up from the south. Þorgeirr supports Hákon in the battle of Fitjar, receiving the wound to the cheek that gives him his nickname.

The ascription to Þorgeirr in Ldn, mentioned above, is rejected by all scholars (e.g. ÍF 1, 66 n.) but is interesting as hinting at divergent traditions in the transmission of skaldic verses.

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: Eyvindr Finnsson skáldaspillir, 3. Lausavísur 2: AI, 71, BI, 62-3, Skald I, 39; Hkr 1893-1901, I, 210, IV, 53-4, ÍF 26, 184, Hkr 1991, I, 118 (HákGóð ch. 28), F 1871, 80; Fms 1, 42, Fms 12, 28-9, ÓT 1958-2000, I, 41 (ch. 25), Flat 1860-8, I, 59; Fsk 1902-3, 37-8 (ch. 11), ÍF 29, 85 (ch. 12); Ldn 1921, 35, Ldn 1958, 19, ÍF 1, 66; Krause 1990, 210-16.

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