Máni Lv 2^II

Slœgr ferr gaurr með gígju
— ginns hér komit inni —
— meiðr hefr skjaldar skóða
skrípalôt — ok pípu.
Rekkr lætr rauða bikkju
— rækið skvaldr — fyr aldir
— skulut hlýða því þjóðir —
— þats skaup — of staf hlaupa.

Slœgr gaurr ferr með gígju ok pípu; hérs ginn komit inni; {meiðr {skóða skjaldar}} hefr skrípalôt. Rekkr lætr rauða bikkju hlaupa of staf fyr aldir; rækið skvaldr; þjóðir skulut hlýða því; þats skaup.

The sly rascal has a fiddle and a flute; falsehood has come inside here; {the tree {of the shield’s dangerous tools}} [SWORDS > WARRIOR] has strange gestures. The fine fellow lets a red bitch leap over a staff before the people; chase away the stupid racket; men must not listen to that; it is mockery.

Mss: 327(44v) (Sv)

Readings: [6] rækið: ‘reckit’ 327    [7] hlýða: ‘lyði’ 327

Editions: Skj AI, 539, Skj BI, 520, Skald I, 254; ÍF 30, 131 (ch. 85), Sv 1920, 91.

Context: Máni arrives at Magnús’s court in Tønsberg, where the people are being entertained by two minstrels who make small dogs jump over staffs in front of Magnús’s retainers: the higher the rank of the spectator, the higher the dogs jump. At Magnús’s behest, Máni composes two sts about the spectacle.

Notes: [All]: For the status of minstrels in the Scandinavian Middle Ages, see Note to ESk Lv 5 [All]. — [1] gígju ‘a fiddle’: Gígja ‘fiddle’ was a stringed instrument played with a bow, most likely a rebec (see Panum 1934, 56-7). — [4] pípu (f. acc. or dat. sg.) ‘a flute’: Both Skj B and Skald have pípur (f. acc. pl.) ‘flutes’, which is not supported by the ms. reading. For this instrument, see Note to ESk Lv 3/6, 8. — [5] rauða bikkju ‘a red bitch’: For dogs entertaining at a royal court, see also Þhorn Harkv 23^I. Minstrels with dogs and a bagpipe are also depicted in a painting from c. 1450 in the Husby-Sjutolfts church in Sweden (see Panum 1934, 67). — [6] rækið ‘chase away’: 2nd pers. pl. imp. of the weak verb rækja ‘chase away’ (so Skj B and Skald). ÍF 30 supplies the form rekit, which can only be n. nom. or acc. sg. of the p. p. of the strong verb reka ‘chase, reject’. As such, it could only modify skvaldr (n. nom. or acc. sg.) ‘stupid racket’, but the translation given (Burt með trúðslætin ‘Away with the magic noise’) suggests that rekit could be an error. — [7] hlýða (inf.) ‘listen’: The ms. reading ‘lyði’ (lýði ‘to the people’ (?)) makes little sense and has been emended in accordance with earlier eds.

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. Sv 1920 = Indrebø, Gustav, ed. 1920. Sverris saga etter Cod. AM 327 4°. Christiania (Oslo): Dybwad. Rpt. 1981. Oslo: Norsk historisk kjeldeskrift-institutt.
5. ÍF 30 = Sverris saga. Ed. Þorleifur Hauksson. 2007.
6. Panum, Hortense. 1934. ‘Middelalderens musikinstrumenter’. In Andersson 1934, 50-69.
7. Internal references
8. Not published: do not cite (Run^VI)
9. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Lausavísur 3’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 570-1.
10. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Lausavísur 5’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 572-3.
11. R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Þorbjǫrn hornklofi, Haraldskvæði (Hrafnsmál) 23’ 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. 116.