Rǫgnvaldr jarl Kali Kolsson, Lausavísur 18

Judith Jesch

[1] ólum: ‘ǫlumz’ R702ˣ

notes

[1] ólum ‘we entertained’: While Kock NN §1155 maintains that there is no expression ala jól (and prefers the R702ˣ variant), Finnbogi Guðmundsson (ÍF 34) claims that it means ‘to feed a person during Christmas’. Contrary to Kock’s idea that Rǫgnvaldr is remembering the Christmases when he enjoyed his kinsman’s hospitality, an active verb seems to be required both by the prep. með ‘with’ (l. 4) and the parallelism with the second helmingr (cf. enn ‘once again’ in l. 5). The idea is that once Rǫgnvaldr and Sǫlmundr used to provide food for Christmas together (note that the saga says that the two men were jafnaldrar ‘of a similar age’, ÍF 34, 130). Now, by contrast, Rǫgnvaldr is providing food for the beasts of battle, an idea which is implicit in this st. but explicit in the closely-related st. 19 below. The full rhyme in an odd l. is the more acceptable given that it also occurs in l. 7.

Close

austr ‘in the east’

(not checked:)
3. austr (adv.; °compar. -ar, superl. -ast): east, in the east

notes

[2, 3] austr at Egða fjǫllum; gjaldkera ‘in the east beside Agder’s mountains; steward’: Ch. 58 of Orkn notes that, in his youth, Kali spent time with his kinsman Sǫlmundr, who was the gjaldkeri in Tønsberg and a chieftain with a large following and an estate in Aust-Agder. Fritzner: gjaldkeri defines the term as Kongens Ombudsmand i Kjøbstaden, som der havde at opkræve hans Indtægter, holde tilbørlig Orden og sørge for Retspleien ‘the king’s official in the trading-centre, who was there to collect his income, keep appropriate order and administer justice’.

Close

gjaldkera ‘steward’

(not checked:)
gjaldkeri (noun m.): [steward]

notes

[2, 3] austr at Egða fjǫllum; gjaldkera ‘in the east beside Agder’s mountains; steward’: Ch. 58 of Orkn notes that, in his youth, Kali spent time with his kinsman Sǫlmundr, who was the gjaldkeri in Tønsberg and a chieftain with a large following and an estate in Aust-Agder. Fritzner: gjaldkeri defines the term as Kongens Ombudsmand i Kjøbstaden, som der havde at opkræve hans Indtægter, holde tilbørlig Orden og sørge for Retspleien ‘the king’s official in the trading-centre, who was there to collect his income, keep appropriate order and administer justice’.

Close

hraustum ‘the valorous’

(not checked:)
hraustr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): strong, valiant

Close

Ullr ‘Ullr’

(not checked:)
Ullr (noun m.): Ullr

kennings

Ullr undleygs,
‘Ullr of the wound-flame, ’
= WARRIOR
the wound-flame, → SWORD
Ullr of the SWORD → WARRIOR

Close

at ‘beside’

(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to

notes

[2, 3] austr at Egða fjǫllum; gjaldkera ‘in the east beside Agder’s mountains; steward’: Ch. 58 of Orkn notes that, in his youth, Kali spent time with his kinsman Sǫlmundr, who was the gjaldkeri in Tønsberg and a chieftain with a large following and an estate in Aust-Agder. Fritzner: gjaldkeri defines the term as Kongens Ombudsmand i Kjøbstaden, som der havde at opkræve hans Indtægter, holde tilbørlig Orden og sørge for Retspleien ‘the king’s official in the trading-centre, who was there to collect his income, keep appropriate order and administer justice’. — [3] at Egða fjǫllum ‘beside Agder’s mountains’: Lit. ‘beside the mountains of the Egðir (the people of Agder)’.

Close

at ‘beside’

(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to

notes

[2, 3] austr at Egða fjǫllum; gjaldkera ‘in the east beside Agder’s mountains; steward’: Ch. 58 of Orkn notes that, in his youth, Kali spent time with his kinsman Sǫlmundr, who was the gjaldkeri in Tønsberg and a chieftain with a large following and an estate in Aust-Agder. Fritzner: gjaldkeri defines the term as Kongens Ombudsmand i Kjøbstaden, som der havde at opkræve hans Indtægter, holde tilbørlig Orden og sørge for Retspleien ‘the king’s official in the trading-centre, who was there to collect his income, keep appropriate order and administer justice’. — [3] at Egða fjǫllum ‘beside Agder’s mountains’: Lit. ‘beside the mountains of the Egðir (the people of Agder)’.

Close

Egða ‘Agder’s’

(not checked:)
Egðir (noun m.): the Egðir

notes

[2, 3] austr at Egða fjǫllum; gjaldkera ‘in the east beside Agder’s mountains; steward’: Ch. 58 of Orkn notes that, in his youth, Kali spent time with his kinsman Sǫlmundr, who was the gjaldkeri in Tønsberg and a chieftain with a large following and an estate in Aust-Agder. Fritzner: gjaldkeri defines the term as Kongens Ombudsmand i Kjøbstaden, som der havde at opkræve hans Indtægter, holde tilbørlig Orden og sørge for Retspleien ‘the king’s official in the trading-centre, who was there to collect his income, keep appropriate order and administer justice’. — [3] at Egða fjǫllum ‘beside Agder’s mountains’: Lit. ‘beside the mountains of the Egðir (the people of Agder)’.

Close

Egða ‘Agder’s’

(not checked:)
Egðir (noun m.): the Egðir

notes

[2, 3] austr at Egða fjǫllum; gjaldkera ‘in the east beside Agder’s mountains; steward’: Ch. 58 of Orkn notes that, in his youth, Kali spent time with his kinsman Sǫlmundr, who was the gjaldkeri in Tønsberg and a chieftain with a large following and an estate in Aust-Agder. Fritzner: gjaldkeri defines the term as Kongens Ombudsmand i Kjøbstaden, som der havde at opkræve hans Indtægter, holde tilbørlig Orden og sørge for Retspleien ‘the king’s official in the trading-centre, who was there to collect his income, keep appropriate order and administer justice’. — [3] at Egða fjǫllum ‘beside Agder’s mountains’: Lit. ‘beside the mountains of the Egðir (the people of Agder)’.

Close

fjǫllum ‘mountains’

(not checked:)
1. fjall (noun n.): mountain

notes

[2, 3] austr at Egða fjǫllum; gjaldkera ‘in the east beside Agder’s mountains; steward’: Ch. 58 of Orkn notes that, in his youth, Kali spent time with his kinsman Sǫlmundr, who was the gjaldkeri in Tønsberg and a chieftain with a large following and an estate in Aust-Agder. Fritzner: gjaldkeri defines the term as Kongens Ombudsmand i Kjøbstaden, som der havde at opkræve hans Indtægter, holde tilbørlig Orden og sørge for Retspleien ‘the king’s official in the trading-centre, who was there to collect his income, keep appropriate order and administer justice’. — [3] at Egða fjǫllum ‘beside Agder’s mountains’: Lit. ‘beside the mountains of the Egðir (the people of Agder)’.

Close

fjǫllum ‘mountains’

(not checked:)
1. fjall (noun n.): mountain

notes

[2, 3] austr at Egða fjǫllum; gjaldkera ‘in the east beside Agder’s mountains; steward’: Ch. 58 of Orkn notes that, in his youth, Kali spent time with his kinsman Sǫlmundr, who was the gjaldkeri in Tønsberg and a chieftain with a large following and an estate in Aust-Agder. Fritzner: gjaldkeri defines the term as Kongens Ombudsmand i Kjøbstaden, som der havde at opkræve hans Indtægter, holde tilbørlig Orden og sørge for Retspleien ‘the king’s official in the trading-centre, who was there to collect his income, keep appropriate order and administer justice’. — [3] at Egða fjǫllum ‘beside Agder’s mountains’: Lit. ‘beside the mountains of the Egðir (the people of Agder)’.

Close

und ‘of the wound’

(not checked:)
1. und (noun f.; °; -ir): wound < undleygr (noun m.): [wound-flame]

[4] undleygs: ‘vnnlógs’ R702ˣ

kennings

Ullr undleygs,
‘Ullr of the wound-flame, ’
= WARRIOR
the wound-flame, → SWORD
Ullr of the SWORD → WARRIOR

notes

[4] undleygs ‘of the wound-flame’: The Flat. variant undleygjar, though chosen by most eds, is unmetrical. As the m. noun undleygr could have a gen. sg. in either -s or -jar (LP), the emendation is an obvious one, supported by the variant in R702ˣ, which could easily be a scribal error for this form.

Close

und ‘of the wound’

(not checked:)
1. und (noun f.; °; -ir): wound < undleygr (noun m.): [wound-flame]

[4] undleygs: ‘vnnlógs’ R702ˣ

kennings

Ullr undleygs,
‘Ullr of the wound-flame, ’
= WARRIOR
the wound-flame, → SWORD
Ullr of the SWORD → WARRIOR

notes

[4] undleygs ‘of the wound-flame’: The Flat. variant undleygjar, though chosen by most eds, is unmetrical. As the m. noun undleygr could have a gen. sg. in either -s or -jar (LP), the emendation is an obvious one, supported by the variant in R702ˣ, which could easily be a scribal error for this form.

Close

leygs ‘flame’

(not checked:)
1. leygr (noun m.): flame < undleygr (noun m.): [wound-flame]

[4] undleygs: ‘vnnlógs’ R702ˣ; ‑leygs: ‘ley⸜r⸝giar’ Flat

kennings

Ullr undleygs,
‘Ullr of the wound-flame, ’
= WARRIOR
the wound-flame, → SWORD
Ullr of the SWORD → WARRIOR

notes

[4] undleygs ‘of the wound-flame’: The Flat. variant undleygjar, though chosen by most eds, is unmetrical. As the m. noun undleygr could have a gen. sg. in either -s or -jar (LP), the emendation is an obvious one, supported by the variant in R702ˣ, which could easily be a scribal error for this form.

Close

leygs ‘flame’

(not checked:)
1. leygr (noun m.): flame < undleygr (noun m.): [wound-flame]

[4] undleygs: ‘vnnlógs’ R702ˣ; ‑leygs: ‘ley⸜r⸝giar’ Flat

kennings

Ullr undleygs,
‘Ullr of the wound-flame, ’
= WARRIOR
the wound-flame, → SWORD
Ullr of the SWORD → WARRIOR

notes

[4] undleygs ‘of the wound-flame’: The Flat. variant undleygjar, though chosen by most eds, is unmetrical. As the m. noun undleygr could have a gen. sg. in either -s or -jar (LP), the emendation is an obvious one, supported by the variant in R702ˣ, which could easily be a scribal error for this form.

Close