Russell Poole (ed.) 2012, ‘Guthormr sindri, Hákonardrápa 4’ 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. 162.
Skattgilda vann skyldir
skautjalfaðar Gauta;
gollskýflir vann gjǫflastr
geirveðr í fǫr þeiri.
{Skyldir {skautjalfaðar}} vann Gauta skattgilda; {gjǫflastr gollskýflir} vann {geirveðr} í þeiri fǫr.
{The requisitioner {of the sail-bear}} [SHIP > SEAFARER] made the Gautar tribute-paying; {the most generous gold-destroyer} [GENEROUS MAN] made {spear-storms} [BATTLES] on that expedition.
Mss: Kˣ(87r), F(15rb), J1ˣ(52r), J2ˣ(49r) (Hkr); 61(4rb), Bb(5va), Flat(7rb) (ÓT)
Readings: [2] Gauta: Gauti Flat [3] ‑skýflir: so F, 61, Bb, ‑skýft Kˣ, ‑skylfir J1ˣ, J2ˣ, Flat; vann: fann Flat [4] geirveðr: om. J1ˣ
Editions: Skj AI, 62, Skj BI, 55, Skald I, 34; Hkr 1893-1901, I, 178, IV, 47-8, ÍF 26, 160, Hkr 1991, I, 101 (HákGóð ch. 8), F 1871, 69; Fms 1, 28, Fms 12, 27, ÓT 1958-2000, I, 27 (ch. 18), Flat 1860-8, I, 53 .
Context: See Context to st. 3. Hákon raids and exacts tribute as far east as Gautland (Götaland). Following the stanza, it is told that he overwinters in Vík (Viken), as a precaution against attacks from the Danes and Gautar.
Notes: [1] skyldir ‘the requisitioner’: The agentive skyldir, from skylda ‘to require, exact, oblige’, has few attestations, and emendation to skildir ‘equipper with shields’ has been suggested, as being a natural collocation with expressions for ‘ship’ (Meissner 301). Previous eds have retained skyldir, assuming the general sense ‘controller, steerer’ (Skj B; ÍF 26; Hkr 1991), but a more specific reference is possible, to a naval levy by which the ruler required building or provision of ships as a form of tribute; this would fit with saga evidence that Hákon organised such a levy (Krag 2003b, 189). — [2] skautjalfaðar ‘of the sail-bear [SHIP]’: Skaut n. refers to the corner of a sail or piece of cloth, hence probably ‘sail’, or else ‘sheet’, a rope attached to the corner (Jesch 2001a, 163-4). The heiti jalfaðr/jǫlfuðr can mean ‘bear’ as here, or refer to Óðinn as in st. 1/6 (and see Note); compare Guthormr’s use of val- in different senses in sts 2/7 and 3/3. — [3] -skýflir ‘destroyer’: This sense is assumed on the basis of an etymology from skýfa ‘shove’ (cf. Meissner 289; Note to Rv Lv 14/7II). An alternative possibility is that it may derive from a distinct verb skyfla ‘to plunder, rob’ which is frequent in OEN (Fritzner: skyflir; AEW: -skyflt; cf. Meissner 301; ÍF 26), though not directly attested in OWN. The short vowel would be supported by the ModIcel. form -skylm- cited in LP: skýflir. The notion of the active pursuit of treasure would be paralleled in kennings with base-words such as beiðir or sœkir, both ‘pursuer’ (Meissner 290, 305).
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