Hókr Eirfl 4I
Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2012, ‘Halldórr ókristni, Eiríksflokkr 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. 477.
Gerðis ‘’
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gerði (noun n.)
Gerðisk ‘took place’
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1. gera (verb): do, make
[1] Gerðisk: ‘[…]ðiz’ 325VIII 1, Gerðis 310
snarpra ‘of sharp’
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snarpr (adj.): sharp, keen
sverða ‘swords’
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sverð (noun n.; °-s; -): sword
slitu ‘demolished’
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slíta (verb): to tear
drengir ‘warriors’
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drengr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ir, gen. -ja): man, warrior
frið ‘the peace’
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friðr (noun m.): peace
lengi ‘for a long time’
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lengi (adv.): for a long time
notes
[2] lengi ‘for a long time’: This adv. could alternatively go with the first clause of the helmingr (so Skald; NN §2988A; ÍF 26). Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) takes it with the second intercalary clause, hence þars gollin spjǫr gullu lengi ‘where golden spears resounded for a long time’, which is less likely.
þá ‘’
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2. þá (adv.): then
þars ‘where’
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þars (conj.): where
[3] þars (‘þar er’): ‘þar[…]’ 325VIII 1, ‘þarer er’ Flat, þá er FskAˣ, 4‑7
gyllin ‘’
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gyllinn (adj.)
golli ‘’
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gull (noun n.): gold
gullin ‘’
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gullinn (adj.): golden
gollin ‘golden’
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gullinn (adj.): golden
[3] gollin: so 54, Flat, gullin Kˣ, F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, FskAˣ, Holm18, 310, ‘[…]ín’ 325VIII 1, golli‑ Bb, ‘gyllín’ 4‑7
notes
[3] gollin spjǫr ‘golden spears’: Spearheads and spear sockets could be inlaid or decorated with gold and silver (see Falk 1914b, 88-9). The 54 variant gollin has been adopted here rather than gullin (so the majority of the ms. witnesses), because [u] is not attested in internal rhyme until the C12th (see LP: goll, gull).
spjǫr ‘spears’
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spjǫr (noun n.): spear
notes
[3] gollin spjǫr ‘golden spears’: Spearheads and spear sockets could be inlaid or decorated with gold and silver (see Falk 1914b, 88-9). The 54 variant gollin has been adopted here rather than gullin (so the majority of the ms. witnesses), because [u] is not attested in internal rhyme until the C12th (see LP: goll, gull).
gullu ‘resounded’
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gjalla (verb): to scream, shriek; to repay, return, pay for
gangr ‘A tumult’
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gangr (noun m.): going, walking; course; success
á ‘’
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3. á (prep.): on, at
ormin ‘’
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ormr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): serpent
Orm ‘Ormr’
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ormr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): serpent
[4] Orm inn: ‘ormin’ FskAˣ, Holm18
notes
[4] Orm inn langa ‘Ormr inn langi (“the Long Serpent”)’: See Note to st. 3/4 above. The line is echoed in HSt Rst 19/4 (see also Rst 22/4).
notes
[4] Orm inn langa ‘Ormr inn langi (“the Long Serpent”)’: See Note to st. 3/4 above. The line is echoed in HSt Rst 19/4 (see also Rst 22/4).
langa ‘langi (‘the Long Serpent’)’
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langr (adj.; °compar. lengri, superl. lengstr): long
notes
[4] Orm inn langa ‘Ormr inn langi (“the Long Serpent”)’: See Note to st. 3/4 above. The line is echoed in HSt Rst 19/4 (see also Rst 22/4).
duerks ‘’
Dolgs ‘of battle’
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dolgr (noun m.; °dat. -; -ar): enemy, battle
[5] Dolgs: ‘d[…]’ 325VIII 1, ‘duerks’ Flat
kennings
danska runna dolgs‘Danish bushes of battle ’
= WARRIORS
Danish bushes of battle → WARRIORS
kuðu ‘’
kuþu ‘’
kvôðu ‘They said’
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2. kveðja (verb; kvaddi): (dd) request, address, greet
[5] kvôðu: ‘kuþu’ J1ˣ, ‘kuðu’ J2ˣ, ‘kuað[...]’ 4‑7
notes
[5] kvôðu ‘they said’: Construed with the inf. fylgja ‘follow’ (l. 5). The use of the verb shows that Halldórr, just like Hallfreðr, was not present at the battle but is basing his account on hearsay.
fljúga ‘’
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fljúga (verb): fly
fróns ‘’
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2. frón (noun n.): earth, land
frán ‘’
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1. fránn (noun m.): snake(?)
fráns ‘of the glittering’
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2. fránn (adj.): bright, shining
[6] fráns: frán F, Holm18, 310, ‘frons’ 4‑7
kennings
sennu fráns leggbita.‘the flyting of the glittering leg-biter. ’
= BATTLE
the glittering leg-biter. → SWORD
the flyting of the SWORD → BATTLE
fráns ‘of the glittering’
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2. fránn (adj.): bright, shining
[6] fráns: frán F, Holm18, 310, ‘frons’ 4‑7
kennings
sennu fráns leggbita.‘the flyting of the glittering leg-biter. ’
= BATTLE
the glittering leg-biter. → SWORD
the flyting of the SWORD → BATTLE
leygs ‘’
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1. leygr (noun m.): flame
leg ‘’
leggs ‘’
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leggr (noun m.; °-jar, dat. -; -ir): limb
legg ‘leg’
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leggr (noun m.; °-jar, dat. -; -ir): limb < leggbiti (noun m.): [leg-biter]
[6] leggbita: leggs víta F, legbita J1ˣ, leygs boða Holm18
kennings
sennu fráns leggbita.‘the flyting of the glittering leg-biter. ’
= BATTLE
the glittering leg-biter. → SWORD
the flyting of the SWORD → BATTLE
notes
[6] leggbita ‘leg-biter [SWORD]’: Leggbiti (or Leggbítr) was the name of the sword of King Magnús berfœttr ‘Barelegs’ Óláfsson (d. 1103), but the word must be used here as a kenning belonging to a rare type in which a sword is personified (see Meissner 163-4 and Note to Þul Sverða 2/5III).
legg ‘leg’
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leggr (noun m.; °-jar, dat. -; -ir): limb < leggbiti (noun m.): [leg-biter]
[6] leggbita: leggs víta F, legbita J1ˣ, leygs boða Holm18
kennings
sennu fráns leggbita.‘the flyting of the glittering leg-biter. ’
= BATTLE
the glittering leg-biter. → SWORD
the flyting of the SWORD → BATTLE
notes
[6] leggbita ‘leg-biter [SWORD]’: Leggbiti (or Leggbítr) was the name of the sword of King Magnús berfœttr ‘Barelegs’ Óláfsson (d. 1103), but the word must be used here as a kenning belonging to a rare type in which a sword is personified (see Meissner 163-4 and Note to Þul Sverða 2/5III).
boða ‘’
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boði (noun m.; °-a; -ar): messenger, breaker
víta ‘’
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viti (noun m.; °-a; -ar): beacon, marker
bita ‘biter’
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biti (noun m.; °-a; -ar): mouthful, bite < leggbiti (noun m.): [leg-biter]biti (noun m.; °-a; -ar): mouthful, bite
[6] leggbita: leggs víta F, legbita J1ˣ, leygs boða Holm18
kennings
sennu fráns leggbita.‘the flyting of the glittering leg-biter. ’
= BATTLE
the glittering leg-biter. → SWORD
the flyting of the SWORD → BATTLE
notes
[6] leggbita ‘leg-biter [SWORD]’: Leggbiti (or Leggbítr) was the name of the sword of King Magnús berfœttr ‘Barelegs’ Óláfsson (d. 1103), but the word must be used here as a kenning belonging to a rare type in which a sword is personified (see Meissner 163-4 and Note to Þul Sverða 2/5III).
bita ‘biter’
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biti (noun m.; °-a; -ar): mouthful, bite < leggbiti (noun m.): [leg-biter]biti (noun m.; °-a; -ar): mouthful, bite
[6] leggbita: leggs víta F, legbita J1ˣ, leygs boða Holm18
kennings
sennu fráns leggbita.‘the flyting of the glittering leg-biter. ’
= BATTLE
the glittering leg-biter. → SWORD
the flyting of the SWORD → BATTLE
notes
[6] leggbita ‘leg-biter [SWORD]’: Leggbiti (or Leggbítr) was the name of the sword of King Magnús berfœttr ‘Barelegs’ Óláfsson (d. 1103), but the word must be used here as a kenning belonging to a rare type in which a sword is personified (see Meissner 163-4 and Note to Þul Sverða 2/5III).
hônum ‘him’
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
senska ‘’
svænska ‘’
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svenskr (adj.)
sœnska ‘that Swedish’
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sœnskr (adj.): Swedish
[7] sœnska: ‘[…]ka’ 325VIII 1, svænska 54, Bb, FskAˣ, 310, ‘senska’ Holm18
menn ‘men’
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maðr (noun m.): man, person
í ‘’
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í (prep.): in, into
ok ‘’
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
sunnu ‘’
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sunna (noun f.): sun
kennings
sennu fráns leggbita.‘the flyting of the glittering leg-biter. ’
= BATTLE
the glittering leg-biter. → SWORD
the flyting of the SWORD → BATTLE
sunz ‘’
suðr ‘’
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2. suðr (adv.): south, in the south
í ‘’
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í (prep.): in, into
danskra ‘’
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danskr (adj.): Danish
kennings
danska runna dolgs‘Danish bushes of battle ’
= WARRIORS
Danish bushes of battle → WARRIORS
runna ‘bushes’
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runnr (noun m.; °dat. -i/-; -ar): bush, tree
kennings
danska runna dolgs‘Danish bushes of battle ’
= WARRIORS
Danish bushes of battle → WARRIORS
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
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Gerðisk snarpra sverða |
A tumult of sharp swords took place on Ormr inn langi (‘the Long Serpent’); warriors demolished the peace for a long time where golden spears resounded. They said that Swedish men and Danish bushes of battle [WARRIORS] followed him [Eiríkr] forward in the south at the flyting of the glittering leg-biter [SWORD > BATTLE].
In Fsk and ÓTOdd this stanza follows immediately after st. 3, whereas in Hkr and ÓT it describes the preamble to the final battle on Ormr inn langi and precedes st. 3 (see Introduction above). According to that version, the Swedish and Danish troops attack Óláfr’s ships, while Eiríkr is always fighting alongside the ships, engaging in hand to hand battle. When men fall on his ship, they are immediately replaced by Swedish and Danish warriors.
[1]: With this line, compare Bjbp Jóms 28/5 grimmr var snarpra sverða and Hfr ErfÓl 17/3 snǫrp varð at þat sverða. — [2]: The rhyme words dreng- and leng- also occur in Hfr ErfÓl 10/8. — [7]: The rhyme words menn and sennu are also used in Hfr ErfÓl 10/8. — [8]: The line is reminiscent of Eskál Vell 25/4 sunnr Danmarkar runnu; see Introduction on the relationship of Eirfl to Vell.
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