HSt Rst 28^I

Hilding hvasst frák ganga
— hann réð prútt ept manni —
— ráðvandr ræsir hendi
ríp — í bratta gnípu.
Þrekleyfðr þengill hafði
— þat vas endr — und hendi
— sigrþoll svá barg stillir —
sinn dreng ok gekk lengra.

Frák hilding ganga hvasst í bratta gnípu; hann réð prútt ept manni; ráðvandr ræsir hendi ríp. Þrekleyfðr þengill hafði dreng sinn und hendi ok gekk lengra; þat vas endr; stillir barg svá {sigrþoll}.

I have heard that the war-leader went vigorously up the steep peak; he went bravely after the man; the upright ruler grasped the crag. The prince praised for his strength held his follower under his arm and went on further; that was long ago; thus the leader saved {the victory-fir} [WARRIOR].

Mss: Bb(112rb); 61(64ra), 53(61va), 54(58vb), Bb(94va), Flat(62ra) (ÓT)

Readings: [1] hvasst: hart 61, 53, 54, Bb(94va), hvort Flat    [2] prútt: framt Flat    [3] ræsir hendi: hilmir renndi all others    [4] ríp: so 61, 53, 54, Flat, rípr Bb(112rb), í ríp Bb(94va)    [5] ‑leyfðr: ‑reyfdr 54, Bb(94va)    [7] ‑þoll: ‑þollr 53, 54, Bb(94va);    svá barg: bar svá 61, svá bar 53, 54, Bb(94va), Flat    [8] ok: er Flat

Editions: Skj AI, 550, Skj BI, 532, Skald I, 259; ÓT 1958-2000, II, 231 (ch. 237), Flat 1860-8, I, 465; SHI 3, 262-3, CPB II, 299, Wisén 1886-9, I, 49, Finnur Jónsson 1893b, 164, Konráð Gíslason 1895-7, I, 273-4.

Context: See sts 26 and 27. King Óláfr challenges his men to rescue their crag-fast companion, but none dares, so he climbs up with astonishing ease and carries the man to safety. 

Notes: [3] ræsir hendi ‘ruler grasped’: This reading is also preferred in Skj B and Skald. The image evoked in the ÓT reading, hilmir renndi ‘the ruler ran’, makes the king’s feat even more impressive. — [7] barg ‘saved’: The ÓT reading bar ‘carried’ is also possible, though less pointed.

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. CPB = Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and F. York Powell, eds. 1883. Corpus poeticum boreale: The Poetry of the Old Northern Tongue from the Earliest Times to the Thirteenth Century. 2 vols. Oxford: Clarendon. Rpt. 1965, New York: Russell & Russell.
5. Wisén, Theodor, ed. 1886-9. Carmina Norrœnæ: Ex reliquiis vetustioris norrœnæ poësis selecta, recognita, commentariis et glossario instructa. 2 vols. Lund: Ohlsson.
6. Finnur Jónsson. 1893b. Carmina Norrœna: Rettet Tekst. Copenhagen: Nielsen & Lydiche.
7. Flat 1860-8 = Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and C. R. Unger, eds. 1860-8. Flateyjarbók. En samling af norske konge-sagaer med indskudte mindre fortællinger om begivenheder i og udenfor Norge samt annaler. 3 vols. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
8. Konráð Gíslason. 1895-7. Efterladte skrifter. 2 vols. I: Forelæsninger over oldnordiske skjaldekvad. II: Forelæsninger og videnskablige afhandlinger. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
9. ÓT 1958-2000 = Ólafur Halldórsson, ed. 1958-2000. Saga Óláfs Tryggvasonar en mesta. 3 vols. EA A 1-3. Copenhagen: Munksgaard (Reitzel).
10. SHI = Sveinbjörn Egilsson, ed. 1828-46. Scripta historica islandorum de rebus gestis veterum borealium, latine reddita et apparatu critico instructa, curante Societate regia antiquariorum septentrionalium. 12 vols. Copenhagen: Popp etc. and London: John & Arthur Arch.
11. Internal references
12. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta’ 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. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=60> (accessed 23 April 2024)