Mark Eirdr 32^II

Fjarri hefr at fœðisk dýrri
flotna vǫrðr á élkers botni
— hôva leyfir hverr maðr ævi
hringvarpaðar — gjalfri kringðum.

Fjarri hefr at {dýrri vǫrðr flotna} fœðisk á {gjalfri kringðum botni {élkers}}; hverr maðr leyfir hôva ævi {hringvarpaðar}.

It is unlikely that {a more precious guardian of sea-warriors} [RULER] might be born on {the surge-encircled bottom {of the storm-vessel}} [SKY/HEAVEN > EARTH]; each person praises the noble life {of the ring-thrower} [GENEROUS RULER].

Mss: R(26r/14), R(26r/29) (l. 1), Tˣ(26v), W(56), B(5r/6), 744ˣ(29r), B(5r/19) (l. 1) (SnE)

Readings: [1] fœðisk: finnisk B(5r/6), B(5r/19)    [3] hverr: ‘[…]verr’ B(5r/6), hverr 744ˣ    [4] ‑varpaðar: ‑varpaðan B(5r/6)

Editions: Skj AI, 445, Skj BI, 414, Skald I, 204; SnE 1848-87, I, 318-19, 322-3, II, 527, 528, SnE 1931, 114, 115, SnE 1998, I, 34, 36.

Context: This helmingr is cited in SnE (Skm) in a section illustrating kennings for ‘sky’. The first l. is repeated in the following section, on kennings for ‘earth’. In B, the half-st. is recorded in a section with kennings for ‘the world’ and l. 1 is repeated in the subsequent section with kennings for ‘earth’.

Notes: [All]: The content of the helmingr contains formulas characteristic of the conclusions of royal encomia (see Fidjestøl 1982, 153). — [1] fœðisk ‘might be born’: Finnisk (subj.) ‘might be found’, the reading of B, provides an acceptable alternative reading. — [2, 4] á gjalfri kringðum botni élkers ‘on the surge-encircled bottom of the storm-vessel [SKY/HEAVEN > EARTH]’: Cf. Sturl Hákkv 5/6-8 á víðum botni vindkers, kringðum gjálfri ‘on the wide bottom of the wind-vessel [SKY/HEAVEN > EARTH], encircled by the surge’.

References

1. Bibliography
2. SnE 1848-87 = Snorri Sturluson. 1848-87. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar: Edda Snorronis Sturlaei. Ed. Jón Sigurðsson et al. 3 vols. Copenhagen: Legatum Arnamagnaeanum. Rpt. Osnabrück: Zeller, 1966.
3. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
4. Fidjestøl, Bjarne. 1982. Det norrøne fyrstediktet. Universitet i Bergen Nordisk institutts skriftserie 11. Øvre Ervik: Alvheim & Eide.
5. SnE 1931 = Snorri Sturluson. 1931. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar. Ed. Finnur Jónsson. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
6. SnE 1998 = Snorri Sturluson. 1998. Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2 vols. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
7. Internal references
8. Edith Marold 2017, ‘Snorra Edda (Prologue, Gylfaginning, Skáldskaparmál)’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols [check printed volume for citation].
9. (forthcoming), ‘ Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=112> (accessed 23 April 2024)
10. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Sturla Þórðarson, Hákonarkviða 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, p. 703.