Gizsv Lv 1I
Diana Whaley (ed.) 2012, ‘Gizurr svarti (gullbrárskáld), Lausavísa 1’ 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. 818.
Skala ‘shall not’
(not checked:)
skulu (verb): shall, should, must
[1] Skala: skulum 972ˣ, Holm4, skulu 61, Flat, Tóm, ‘Skalu’ 325VII
óglaðan ‘unhappy’
(not checked:)
óglaðr (adj.): [unhappy]
[1] óglaðan: óglaðir in margin Holm2, óglaðir 972ˣ, ógladdan 68
æva ‘ever [lit. never]’
(not checked:)
æva (adv.): (n)ever
[1] æva: so 321ˣ, Bæb, ifa Kˣ, Holm2, 972ˣ, J2ˣ, 68, Holm4, 61, 325V, 325VII, Bb, Flat, Tóm, DG8, 141ˣ
notes
[1] æva ‘ever [lit. never]’: This, the reading of 321ˣ and Bæb, is the only one that provides good sense and the necessary long syllable in this position in the line. It may be, however, that the majority reading ‘ifa’ conceals a now lost word for ‘sword’, or perhaps ‘battle’, ‘valkyrie’, or the name of a sea-king (Hkr 1893-1901, IV; cf. ÍF 27 which favours ‘sea-king’). This could form part of a shield-kenning with borða if that is taken in the sense ‘boards’; the shield-kenning would then form a battle-kenning with þing ‘assembly’. Kock (NN §2015; Skald) favoured íva, which he took as a variant of ý- ‘yew (bow)’.
orð ‘word’
(not checked:)
orð (noun n.; °-s; -): word
[2] orð fregni: orð má 972ˣ, ‘orfregni’ 321ˣ, ‘[...]ð fregne’ Holm4, orð fengan 61, orð fregin Tóm, ‘orðz [...]’ DG8
notes
[2] fregni þat orð ‘may she hear of that word’: The subject is taken here as the woman referred to in l. 4. Alternatively it could be unspecified, and fregni could be taken as pl., hence ‘may they/people hear’. The object (orð ‘word’) is presumably the skald’s defiant speech. Finnur Jónsson (Hkr 1893-1901, IV; Skj B) emended to fengum ‘we gained’, which would be partly justified by the 61 reading fengan, and perhaps by the assumption that fregni in l. 2 erroneously anticipates fregna in l. 4. However, the emendation is unnecessary and only gives good sense on Finnur’s assumption that þat orð would refer to the speaker’s reputation for courage.
fregni ‘may she hear’
(not checked:)
1. fregna (verb): hear of
[2] orð fregni: orð má 972ˣ, ‘orfregni’ 321ˣ, ‘[...]ð fregne’ Holm4, orð fengan 61, orð fregin Tóm, ‘orðz [...]’ DG8
notes
[2] fregni þat orð ‘may she hear of that word’: The subject is taken here as the woman referred to in l. 4. Alternatively it could be unspecified, and fregni could be taken as pl., hence ‘may they/people hear’. The object (orð ‘word’) is presumably the skald’s defiant speech. Finnur Jónsson (Hkr 1893-1901, IV; Skj B) emended to fengum ‘we gained’, which would be partly justified by the 61 reading fengan, and perhaps by the assumption that fregni in l. 2 erroneously anticipates fregna in l. 4. However, the emendation is unnecessary and only gives good sense on Finnur’s assumption that þat orð would refer to the speaker’s reputation for courage.
þat ‘of that’
[2] þat: þetta 972ˣ, þau 61, Flat, Tóm, 141ˣ, ‘[...]’ DG8
notes
[2] fregni þat orð ‘may she hear of that word’: The subject is taken here as the woman referred to in l. 4. Alternatively it could be unspecified, and fregni could be taken as pl., hence ‘may they/people hear’. The object (orð ‘word’) is presumably the skald’s defiant speech. Finnur Jónsson (Hkr 1893-1901, IV; Skj B) emended to fengum ‘we gained’, which would be partly justified by the 61 reading fengan, and perhaps by the assumption that fregni in l. 2 erroneously anticipates fregna in l. 4. However, the emendation is unnecessary and only gives good sense on Finnur’s assumption that þat orð would refer to the speaker’s reputation for courage.
borða ‘of shields’
(not checked:)
borð (noun n.; °-s; -): side, plank, board; table
[2] borða: forðum 972ˣ, skorða DG8
kennings
þingi borða —,‘the assembly of shields —, ’
= BATTLE
the assembly of shields —, → BATTLE
búumk ‘we are preparing’
[3] búumk: ‘buniz’ 321ˣ, búisk 61
við ‘for a’
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2. við (prep.): with, against
þrǫng ‘crush’
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þrǫng (noun f.; °dat. -u/-; -var): crush, oppression
á ‘in’
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3. á (prep.): on, at
þingi ‘the assembly’
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þing (noun n.; °-s; -): meeting, assembly
kennings
þingi borða —,‘the assembly of shields —, ’
= BATTLE
the assembly of shields —, → BATTLE
þegns ‘The retainer’s’
(not checked:)
þegn (noun m.; °dat. -/-i; -ar): thane, man, franklin
[4] þegns: þegn 321ˣ
notes
[4] dóttir þegns ‘the retainer’s daughter’: The identity of this woman is unknown, and the allusion may be merely conventional (cf. Frank 1990a).
dóttir ‘daughter’
(not checked:)
dóttir (noun f.; °dóttur, dat. dóttur/dǿtr/dóttir, acc. dóttur/dóttir, nom. dóttir/dóttur; dǿtr, gen. dǿtra (cf. [$1592$])): daughter
[4] dóttir: dróttir Tóm
notes
[4] dóttir þegns ‘the retainer’s daughter’: The identity of this woman is unknown, and the allusion may be merely conventional (cf. Frank 1990a).
mik ‘that I am’
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
[4] mik: vel 972ˣ, corrected from þat 325VII, mun Bb, megi Flat
fregna ‘hear’
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1. fregna (verb): hear of
þótt ‘though’
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þótt (conj.): although
sig ‘battle’
(not checked:)
sigr (noun m.; °sigrs/sigrar, dat. sigri; sigrar): victory < sigrunnr (noun m.): victory-tree
[5] sig‑: so Holm2, J2ˣ, 321ˣ, Bæb, 68, Bb, DG8, sigr‑ Kˣ, Holm4, 61, 325V, 325VII, Flat, Tóm, 141ˣ
kennings
svinnir sigrunnar‘prudent battle-trees ’
= WARRIORS
prudent battle-trees → WARRIORS
notes
[5] sigrunnar ‘battle-trees [WARRIORS]’: Terms for ‘battle’ are common as determinants of warrior-kennings. The reading sigrrunnar ‘victory-trees’ in Kˣ and other mss is also possible. The etymological and semantic relationship between sig n. ‘battle’ and sigr ‘victory’ is somewhat uncertain (see LP: sig, sigr; AEW: sig 2, sigr), and it is particularly difficult to distinguish between the two in compounds (cf. CVC: sig n. [sigr], and see Note to Sigv Ást 1/4 sigrhvatastr).
runnar ‘trees’
(not checked:)
runnr (noun m.; °dat. -i/-; -ar): bush, tree < sigrunnr (noun m.): victory-tree
kennings
svinnir sigrunnar‘prudent battle-trees ’
= WARRIORS
prudent battle-trees → WARRIORS
notes
[5] sigrunnar ‘battle-trees [WARRIORS]’: Terms for ‘battle’ are common as determinants of warrior-kennings. The reading sigrrunnar ‘victory-trees’ in Kˣ and other mss is also possible. The etymological and semantic relationship between sig n. ‘battle’ and sigr ‘victory’ is somewhat uncertain (see LP: sig, sigr; AEW: sig 2, sigr), and it is particularly difficult to distinguish between the two in compounds (cf. CVC: sig n. [sigr], and see Note to Sigv Ást 1/4 sigrhvatastr).
kennings
svinnir sigrunnar‘prudent battle-trees ’
= WARRIORS
prudent battle-trees → WARRIORS
segi ‘say there is’
(not checked:)
segja (verb): say, tell
[6] segi: ‘sægit’ 325VII, seggi Tóm, segi ek DG8
vôn ‘prospect’
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ván (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -/-u; -ir): hope, expectation
[6] vôn: vann Tóm
Heðins ‘of Heðinn’
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2. Heðinn (noun m.): [Heðinn, champions]
[6] Heðins: ‘hednis’ 972ˣ, heðin 68, heðan‑ 325VII, heiðins Bb
kennings
kvánar Heðins;‘of the woman of Heðinn; ’
= Hildr
the woman of Heðinn; → Hildr
notes
[6] kvánar Heðins ‘of the woman of Heðinn [= Hildr (hildr “battle”)]’: On Heðinn and the valkyrie Hildr, whose name means ‘battle’, see Note to Hfr ErfÓl 24/4.
kennings
kvánar Heðins;‘of the woman of Heðinn; ’
= Hildr
the woman of Heðinn; → Hildr
notes
[6] kvánar Heðins ‘of the woman of Heðinn [= Hildr (hildr “battle”)]’: On Heðinn and the valkyrie Hildr, whose name means ‘battle’, see Note to Hfr ErfÓl 24/4.
verum ‘let us be’
(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
[7] verum: verim 321ˣ, ‘værr’ 325VII
í ‘in’
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í (prep.): in, into
kennings
éli Ála‘the blizzard of Áli ’
= BATTLE
the blizzard of Áli → BATTLE
notes
[7] éli Ála ‘the blizzard of Áli <legendary king> [BATTLE]’: The same kenning appears in Þorm Lv 19/1, attributed to the same occasion.
éli ‘the blizzard’
(not checked:)
él (noun n.; °; dat. -um): storm
kennings
éli Ála‘the blizzard of Áli ’
= BATTLE
the blizzard of Áli → BATTLE
notes
[7] éli Ála ‘the blizzard of Áli <legendary king> [BATTLE]’: The same kenning appears in Þorm Lv 19/1, attributed to the same occasion.
austr ‘east’
(not checked:)
3. austr (adv.; °compar. -ar, superl. -ast): east, in the east
[8] austr: aust Tóm
notes
[8] austr ‘east’: In Norway, viewed from an Icelandic perspective (so Finnur Jónsson in Hkr 1893-1901, IV).
bragningi ‘the king’
(not checked:)
bragningr (noun m.; °; -ar): prince, ruler
[8] bragningi: bragninga 61, Tóm, ‘brangninga’ 325VII, Tóm
trausti ‘loyal support of’
(not checked:)
traust (noun n.; °-s/-): support, protection
[8] trausti: gagni 68, traustir Flat, DG8, 141ˣ
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Skala óglaðan æva |
The retainer’s daughter shall not hear that I am ever [lit. never] unhappy — may she hear of that word; we are preparing for a crush in the assembly of shields [BATTLE] —, though prudent battle-trees [WARRIORS] say there is prospect of the woman of Heðinn <legendary hero> [= Hildr (hildr ‘battle’)]; let us be east in the blizzard of Áli <legendary king> [BATTLE] in loyal support of the king.
ÓH-Hkr: Drawing up troops before the battle of Stiklastaðir (Stiklestad), Óláfr Haraldsson allocates places in the shield-wall to his skalds, telling them to compose about what they see. Þormóðr Kolbrúnarskáld has a bitter exchange with the king about the absence of Sigvatr Þórðarson, then the skalds decide they are better off composing verse. Gizurr svarti/Gullbrárskáld, Þorfinnr munnr and Þormóðr utter a stanza each (see Þorf Lv; Þorm Lv 19), which men learn straight away. In ÓHLeg too the context is the prelude to Stiklastaðir but otherwise it differs, and the stanza is spoken by Þormóðr.
For the battle of Stiklastaðir and other skaldic poetry associated with it, see the entry on Óláfr Haraldsson’ in ‘Ruler biographies’ in Introduction to this volume.
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