Mark Frag 1^III

This helmingr (Mark Frag 1) is transmitted in Skm (SnE; mss R (main ms.), Tˣ, W, U, A) and it is attributed to Markús in all mss. It was also copied in the Y version of LaufE (see LaufE 1979, 285, 364) and (from LaufE Y) in RE 1665(Hh). Neither redaction has been considered in the present edition. The religious content suggests that the half-stanza could have been part of a poem about God or Christ, and Jón Sigurðsson (SnE 1848-87, III, 350) assigns it to a drápa about Christ (Kristdrápa; a title adopted in Skald and, tentatively, in Skj). Fidjestøl (1982, 153), however, argues that both Mark Frag 1 and 2 could have been belonged to Markús Skeggjason’s poem honouring Knútr inn helgi Sveinsson of Denmark (see Introduction to Mark Knútr) above. That cannot be ascertained, and the half-stanza and the couplet are edited as separate fragments here.

Gramr skóp grund ok himna
glyggranns sem her dyggvan;
einn stillir má ǫllu
aldar Kristr of valda.

{Gramr {glyggranns}} skóp grund ok himna sem dyggvan her; {einn stillir aldar}, Kristr, má of valda ǫllu.

{The ruler {of the storm-house}} [SKY/HEAVEN > = God] created the earth and the heavens as well as faithful men; {the one controller of people} [= God (= Christ)], Christ, can govern everything.

Mss: R(35v), Tˣ(37r), W(80), U(34v), A(12r) (SnE)

Readings: [2] dyggvan: so all others, dyggjan R

Editions: Skj AI, 452, Skj BI, 420, Skald I, 208; SnE 1848-87, I, 448-9, II, 333, 445, III, 90, SnE 1931, 158, SnE 1998, I, 77.

Context: The half-stanza is cited in Skm to illustrate such Christ-kennings as konungr himna ‘king of the heavens’.

Notes: [1, 2] gramr glyggranns ‘the ruler of the storm-house [SKY/HEAVEN > = God]’: In the prose of LaufE X, which does not cite the helmingr, this is given as a kenning for ‘Christ’ (see LaufE 1979, 285 and Note to l. 4 below). — [2] dyggvan ‘faithful’: So Tˣ, W, U, A. The R reading, dyggjan, is also possible but requires that the adj. is inflected as a ja-stem rather than as a wa-stem (cf. ANG §430 Anm. 4). — [3]: The line echoes Sigv Berv 7/3^II. — [4] aldar ... Kristr ‘of people ... Christ’: In LaufE X (and in RE 1665), Kristr aldar ‘Christ of people’ is construed as a kenning for ‘Christ’ (see Note to ll. 1, 2 above).

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. LaufE 1979 = Faulkes, Anthony, ed. 1979. Edda Magnúsar Ólafssonar (Laufás Edda). RSÁM 13. Vol. I of Two Versions of Snorra Edda from the 17th Century. Reykjavík: Stofnun Árna Magnússonar, 1977-9.
5. Fidjestøl, Bjarne. 1982. Det norrøne fyrstediktet. Universitet i Bergen Nordisk institutts skriftserie 11. Øvre Ervik: Alvheim & Eide.
6. ANG = Noreen, Adolf. 1923. Altnordische Grammatik I: Altisländische und altnorwegische Grammatik (Laut- und Flexionslehre) unter Berücksichtigung des Urnordischen. 4th edn. Halle: Niemeyer. 1st edn. 1884. 5th unrev. edn. 1970. Tübingen: Niemeyer.
7. SnE 1931 = Snorri Sturluson. 1931. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar. Ed. Finnur Jónsson. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
8. SnE 1998 = Snorri Sturluson. 1998. Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2 vols. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
9. Internal references
10. 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].
11. (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 17 April 2024)
12. Jayne Carroll 2017, ‘(Biography of) Markús Skeggjason’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 292.
13. Kari Ellen Gade 2017, ‘ Markús Skeggjason, Poem on Knútr Sveinsson’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 292. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1302> (accessed 17 April 2024)
14. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Markús Skeggjason, Fragments 1’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 293.
15. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Bersǫglisvísur 7’ 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. 18-19.
16. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Laufás Edda’ 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=10928> (accessed 17 April 2024)