Rolf Stavnem (ed.) 2012, ‘Hallar-Steinn, Rekstefja 5’ 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. 902.
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Óláfr (noun m.): Óláfr
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allr (adj.): all
[1] allra jǫfra ‘of any ruler’: Lit. ‘of all rulers’. Jǫfra does not alliterate in l. 1 (while Óláfr and allra do); this is among the indicators of a date no earlier than the late C12th.
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jǫfurr (noun m.): ruler, prince
[1] allra jǫfra ‘of any ruler’: Lit. ‘of all rulers’. Jǫfra does not alliterate in l. 1 (while Óláfr and allra do); this is among the indicators of a date no earlier than the late C12th.
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ótti (noun m.; °-a): fear < óttlauss (adj.): fearless
[2] óttlaust: allfljótt all others
[2] óttlaust ‘fearlessly’: Allfljótt ‘very fast’ found in the ÓT mss is also feasible.
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lauss (adj.; °compar. lausari): loose, free, without < óttlauss (adj.): fearless
[2] óttlaust: allfljótt all others
[2] óttlaust ‘fearlessly’: Allfljótt ‘very fast’ found in the ÓT mss is also feasible.
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
[2] nam ... brjóta ‘began ... to destroy’: The auxiliary nam, lit. ‘took’, could alternatively be taken as merely a pleonastic auxiliary, hence nam brjóta ‘destroyed’. The same would apply to réð, lit. ‘decided’ in the ÓT tradition.
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brjóta (verb; °brýtr; braut, brutu; brotinn): to break, destroy
[2] brjóta: ‘biota’ 54
[2] nam ... brjóta ‘began ... to destroy’: The auxiliary nam, lit. ‘took’, could alternatively be taken as merely a pleonastic auxiliary, hence nam brjóta ‘destroyed’. The same would apply to réð, lit. ‘decided’ in the ÓT tradition.
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vargr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ar): wolf < varghollr (adj.): wolf-gracious
[3] varg‑: varð‑ Bb(16vb)
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hollr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): loyal < varghollr (adj.): wolf-gracious
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Vinðr (noun m.; °; vinðr/-ir): the Wends
[3] Vinða: so all others, ‘vi(ar)nda’(?) Bb(111va)
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borg (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -; -ir): city, stronghold
[3] borgir: borgar 62, Flat
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2. vestr (adv.): west, in the west
[4] vestr ‘in the west’: Wendland is situated to the west from the perspective of Garðar (Russia). An alternative possibility is that the stanza indicates the range of Óláfr’s campaigns, with vestr referring, as frequently, to the British Isles. However, the use of ok ‘and’ in l. 2 would suggest that the two actions in ll. 1-4 are geographically close rather than distant.
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hernaðr (noun m.): raiding campaign
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2. reka (verb): drive, force
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meiri (adj. comp.; °meiran; superl. mestr): more, most
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hræ (noun n.; °; -): corpse, carrion < hrælinnr (noun m.): corpse-snake
[5] Hrælinns: hrundusk 53, 54, ‘hrunnoz’ Bb(16vb), hrælindr 62, hrænaðrs Flat
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hræ (noun n.; °; -): corpse, carrion < hrælinnr (noun m.): corpse-snake
[5] Hrælinns: hrundusk 53, 54, ‘hrunnoz’ Bb(16vb), hrælindr 62, hrænaðrs Flat
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hræ (noun n.; °; -): corpse, carrion < hrælinnr (noun m.): corpse-snake
[5] Hrælinns: hrundusk 53, 54, ‘hrunnoz’ Bb(16vb), hrælindr 62, hrænaðrs Flat
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linnr (noun m.): snake < hrælinnr (noun m.): corpse-snake
[5] Hrælinns: hrundusk 53, 54, ‘hrunnoz’ Bb(16vb), hrælindr 62, hrænaðrs Flat
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linnr (noun m.): snake < hrælinnr (noun m.): corpse-snake
[5] Hrælinns: hrundusk 53, 54, ‘hrunnoz’ Bb(16vb), hrælindr 62, hrænaðrs Flat
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linnr (noun m.): snake < hrælinnr (noun m.): corpse-snake
[5] Hrælinns: hrundusk 53, 54, ‘hrunnoz’ Bb(16vb), hrælindr 62, hrænaðrs Flat
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2. sinni (noun n.; °-s;): time, occasion; company, following
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hljómr (noun m.; °dat. -i): sound < hljómváttandi (noun m.)
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hljómr (noun m.; °dat. -i): sound < hljómváttandi (noun m.)
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váttandi (noun m.): [witness] < hljómváttandi (noun m.)
[6, 8] -váttandi; dóms ‘witness; of the verdict’: This is the only record of váttandi ‘witness’ in the skaldic corpus, and as the base-word of the warrior-kenning it extends the legal metaphor established by dóms ‘verdict’, base-word of the battle-kenning. Such legal vocabulary is relatively rare, though cf. Hókr Eirfl 6/8 vápneiðr ‘weapon-oath [BATTLE]’, and see Notes to Hfr ErfÓl 8/1, 8/4.
[6, 7] knátti ráða sigri ‘won victory’: Lit. ‘was able to command victory’.
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sókn (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): attack, fight < sóknbráðr (adj.): [attack-swift]
[7] sóknbráðr: sannfróðr all others
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bráðr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): quick(ly) < sóknbráðr (adj.): [attack-swift]
[7] sóknbráðr: sannfróðr all others
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sigr (noun m.; °sigrs/sigrar, dat. sigri; sigrar): victory
[6, 7] knátti ráða sigri ‘won victory’: Lit. ‘was able to command victory’.
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ráða (verb): advise, rule, interpret, decide
[6, 7] knátti ráða sigri ‘won victory’: Lit. ‘was able to command victory’.
[8] í rómu dóms Svǫlnis ‘in the tumult of the verdict of Svǫlnir <= Óðinn> [BATTLE]’: This seems the best solution, though the expression is somewhat overloaded, since róma ‘tumult’ most frequently functions as a heiti for ‘battle’ (LP: róma 2). Editions based on ÓT (Fms 12, 36; Skj B) take it in that sense, and construe sannfróðr ‘truly wise’ with dóms Svǫlnis, hence ‘truly wise or skilled in battle’.
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dómr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): judgement; court; -dom, -ness (suffix)
[8] Svǫlnis dóms: snælinns dóm 53
[6, 8] -váttandi; dóms ‘witness; of the verdict’: This is the only record of váttandi ‘witness’ in the skaldic corpus, and as the base-word of the warrior-kenning it extends the legal metaphor established by dóms ‘verdict’, base-word of the battle-kenning. Such legal vocabulary is relatively rare, though cf. Hókr Eirfl 6/8 vápneiðr ‘weapon-oath [BATTLE]’, and see Notes to Hfr ErfÓl 8/1, 8/4. — [8] í rómu dóms Svǫlnis ‘in the tumult of the verdict of Svǫlnir <= Óðinn> [BATTLE]’: This seems the best solution, though the expression is somewhat overloaded, since róma ‘tumult’ most frequently functions as a heiti for ‘battle’ (LP: róma 2). Editions based on ÓT (Fms 12, 36; Skj B) take it in that sense, and construe sannfróðr ‘truly wise’ with dóms Svǫlnis, hence ‘truly wise or skilled in battle’.
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dómr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): judgement; court; -dom, -ness (suffix)
[8] Svǫlnis dóms: snælinns dóm 53
[6, 8] -váttandi; dóms ‘witness; of the verdict’: This is the only record of váttandi ‘witness’ in the skaldic corpus, and as the base-word of the warrior-kenning it extends the legal metaphor established by dóms ‘verdict’, base-word of the battle-kenning. Such legal vocabulary is relatively rare, though cf. Hókr Eirfl 6/8 vápneiðr ‘weapon-oath [BATTLE]’, and see Notes to Hfr ErfÓl 8/1, 8/4. — [8] í rómu dóms Svǫlnis ‘in the tumult of the verdict of Svǫlnir <= Óðinn> [BATTLE]’: This seems the best solution, though the expression is somewhat overloaded, since róma ‘tumult’ most frequently functions as a heiti for ‘battle’ (LP: róma 2). Editions based on ÓT (Fms 12, 36; Skj B) take it in that sense, and construe sannfróðr ‘truly wise’ with dóms Svǫlnis, hence ‘truly wise or skilled in battle’.
[8] í rómu dóms Svǫlnis ‘in the tumult of the verdict of Svǫlnir <= Óðinn> [BATTLE]’: This seems the best solution, though the expression is somewhat overloaded, since róma ‘tumult’ most frequently functions as a heiti for ‘battle’ (LP: róma 2). Editions based on ÓT (Fms 12, 36; Skj B) take it in that sense, and construe sannfróðr ‘truly wise’ with dóms Svǫlnis, hence ‘truly wise or skilled in battle’.
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róma (noun f.): battle
[8] í rómu dóms Svǫlnis ‘in the tumult of the verdict of Svǫlnir <= Óðinn> [BATTLE]’: This seems the best solution, though the expression is somewhat overloaded, since róma ‘tumult’ most frequently functions as a heiti for ‘battle’ (LP: róma 2). Editions based on ÓT (Fms 12, 36; Skj B) take it in that sense, and construe sannfróðr ‘truly wise’ with dóms Svǫlnis, hence ‘truly wise or skilled in battle’.
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Óláfr allra jǫfra |
Wolf-gracious Óláfr pursued in the west the greatest raiding campaign of any ruler and began fearlessly to destroy the strongholds of the Wends. The attack-swift witness of the noise of the corpse-serpent [(lit. ‘noise-witness of the corpse-serpent’) SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR] won victory every time in the tumult of the verdict of Svǫlnir <= Óðinn> [BATTLE].
The stanza concludes a detailed account of Óláfr harrying a city in Vinðland (Wendland).
The stanza is printed as st. 3 in previous eds following the order in ÓT, and the motivation and sequence of events is uncertain; see Introduction. For Óláfr’s attack on the Wends, see also Hfr Óldr 1/7-8.
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