Jayne Carroll (ed.) 2009, ‘Markús Skeggjason, Eiríksdrápa 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. 435-6.
(not checked:)
fœðir (noun m.): feeder, nourisher
[1] fœðir fremðarráða ‘the nourisher of outstanding actions [RULER]’: This kenning is a good example of Markús’s adaptation of traditional skaldic vocabulary. Fœðir, lit. ‘feeder’, is a common base-word in early poetry, usually coupled with a beast-of-battle determinant (see LP: fœðir). Here, the base-word, qualified by the unexpected fremðarráða ‘of outstanding actions’ has a transferred sense of ‘promoter, fosterer’. In general, Markús is fond of using longer, unique compounds in his poetry.
(not checked:)
sœkja (verb): seek, attack
(not checked:)
fremð (noun f.): honour
[1] fœðir fremðarráða ‘the nourisher of outstanding actions [RULER]’: This kenning is a good example of Markús’s adaptation of traditional skaldic vocabulary. Fœðir, lit. ‘feeder’, is a common base-word in early poetry, usually coupled with a beast-of-battle determinant (see LP: fœðir). Here, the base-word, qualified by the unexpected fremðarráða ‘of outstanding actions’ has a transferred sense of ‘promoter, fosterer’. In general, Markús is fond of using longer, unique compounds in his poetry.
(not checked:)
ráð (noun n.; °-s; -): advice, plan, control, power
[1] fœðir fremðarráða ‘the nourisher of outstanding actions [RULER]’: This kenning is a good example of Markús’s adaptation of traditional skaldic vocabulary. Fœðir, lit. ‘feeder’, is a common base-word in early poetry, usually coupled with a beast-of-battle determinant (see LP: fœðir). Here, the base-word, qualified by the unexpected fremðarráða ‘of outstanding actions’ has a transferred sense of ‘promoter, fosterer’. In general, Markús is fond of using longer, unique compounds in his poetry.
(not checked:)
fold (noun f.): land
(not checked:)
vǫrðr (noun m.; °varðar, dat. verði/vǫrð; verðir, acc. vǫrðu): guardian, defender
(not checked:)
2. austr (noun n.; °-s): the east
(not checked:)
í (prep.): in, into
[2] Garða ‘Russia’: The area known as Garðar or Garðaríki encompassed a different area from that of the modern Russian state. It extended south from the Arctic to the Black Sea, and east from Poland to the Ural mountains. Noonan (1997) uses the phrase ‘European Russia’ to denote the areas where Viking Age Scandinavians were active. See also Note to Hharð Gamv 1/7.
(not checked:)
1. auðr (noun m.; °-s/-ar, dat. -i/-): wealth
(not checked:)
gœða (verb): endow
(not checked:)
allvaldr (noun m.; °-s; -ar): mighty ruler
(not checked:)
prúðr (adj.; °superl. -astr): magnificent, proud
(not checked:)
ítr (adj.): glorious
(not checked:)
maðr (noun m.): man, person
[4] þeirs (‘þeir er’): er 180b
[4] þeirs slíta hnøggvi ‘who destroy stinginess’: I.e. they give lavishly. See also Steinn Óldr 13/3, 4.
[4] þeirs slíta hnøggvi ‘who destroy stinginess’: I.e. they give lavishly. See also Steinn Óldr 13/3, 4.
(not checked:)
hnøggvi (noun f.): stinginess, parsimony
[4] hnøggvi: ‘hroggui’ 873ˣ, hneyki 180b
[4] hnøggvi ‘stinginess’: Hneyki (m. acc. sg.) ‘oppressor’, the reading of 180b, offers a metrically acceptable but contextually unlikely alternative. — [4] þeirs slíta hnøggvi ‘who destroy stinginess’: I.e. they give lavishly. See also Steinn Óldr 13/3, 4.
(not checked:)
hnøggvi (noun f.): stinginess, parsimony
[4] hnøggvi: ‘hroggui’ 873ˣ, hneyki 180b
[4] hnøggvi ‘stinginess’: Hneyki (m. acc. sg.) ‘oppressor’, the reading of 180b, offers a metrically acceptable but contextually unlikely alternative. — [4] þeirs slíta hnøggvi ‘who destroy stinginess’: I.e. they give lavishly. See also Steinn Óldr 13/3, 4.
(not checked:)
slíta (verb): to tear
[4] þeirs slíta hnøggvi ‘who destroy stinginess’: I.e. they give lavishly. See also Steinn Óldr 13/3, 4.
(not checked:)
3. of (prep.): around, from; too
(not checked:)
austrvegr (noun m.; °dat. -i/-; acc. -a/-u): the East (e.g. the Baltic, Russia), the way east
[5] austrveg ‘eastern regions’: Lit. ‘eastern way’. In ON literature, this encompassed two areas, namely, the coastal section (from Denmark along the southern and south-eastern coast of the Baltic) and the river section, i.e. the Eastern European river routes to Byzantium (see Melnikova 1996, 13, 27, 29 and Map 2; Sverrir Jakobsson 2006). In this particular case, it is likely that the term was applied in the first and narrow sense (but including north-western Russia).
(not checked:)
allr (adj.): all
(not checked:)
einkar (adv.): extremely
(not checked:)
2. tíðr (adj.; °compar. tíðari, superl. tíðastr): popular
[6] tíðr: tíðum 180b
(not checked:)
2. inn (art.): the
(not checked:)
mærð (noun f.): praise
[6] mærðarblíði ‘praise-pleased’: Skj B translates this as veltalende ‘eloquent’ and LP: mærð gives blid, venlig i (folks) omtale, berömmet for sin venlighed ‘mild, kind in (people’s) opinion, praised for his friendliness’. NN §2788, pointing out that blíði is the ‘base’ adj. qualifying stillir, offers som kan glädja sig åt berömmelse ‘who can be made happy by praise’, therefore berömd ‘renowned’. ‘Praise-pleased’ conveys this sense, and also the structure of the ON cpd. See also Note to l. 1 above.
(not checked:)
blíðr (adj.; °n. sg. nom. & acc. blítt/blíðt; compar. -ari, superl. -astr): gentle, happy
[6] mærðarblíði ‘praise-pleased’: Skj B translates this as veltalende ‘eloquent’ and LP: mærð gives blid, venlig i (folks) omtale, berömmet for sin venlighed ‘mild, kind in (people’s) opinion, praised for his friendliness’. NN §2788, pointing out that blíði is the ‘base’ adj. qualifying stillir, offers som kan glädja sig åt berömmelse ‘who can be made happy by praise’, therefore berömd ‘renowned’. ‘Praise-pleased’ conveys this sense, and also the structure of the ON cpd. See also Note to l. 1 above.
(not checked:)
2. er (conj.): who, which, when
(not checked:)
hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
[7] hans: so 180b, hann JÓ, 873ˣ, 20b I
(not checked:)
nafn (noun n.; °-s; *-): name
(not checked:)
kunna (verb): know, can, be able
[7] kunnit: so 20b I, kynnit JÓ, 873ˣ, ‘kunnegt’ 180b
(not checked:)
maðr (noun m.): man, person
(not checked:)
í (prep.): in, into
(not checked:)
lof (noun n.; °-s; -): praise, leave, permission
(not checked:)
2. reiða (verb): carry
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
The nourisher of outstanding actions [RULER] visited the guardians of the earth [RULERS] east in Russia; glorious men, who destroy stinginess, endowed the magnificent mighty ruler with wealth. The praise-pleased prince came to be very popular throughout all the eastern regions; there was no person who was not able to proclaim his name, the man of honour’s, in praise.
Eiríkr’s journey to and reception in Russia (Garðaríki).
No other sources mention Eiríkr’s journey to Russia, which, according to the chronology of Knýtl, must have taken place prior to the death of his brother, Óláfr (r. 1086-95). The prose of Knýtl is clearly derived from the content of the poetry here. According to Saxo (2005, II, 12, 1, 1, pp. 62-3), Eiríkr and his wife, Bóthildr (Botilda), went into voluntary exile in Sweden in 1086 when Óláfr returned to Denmark from captivity in Flanders.
Use the buttons at the top of the page to navigate between stanzas in a poem.
The text and translation are given here, with buttons to toggle whether the text is shown in the verse order or prose word order. Clicking on indiviudal words gives dictionary links, variant readings, kennings and notes, where relevant.
This is the text of the edition in a similar format to how the edition appears in the printed volumes.
This view is also used for chapters and other text segments. Not all the headings shown are relevant to such sections.