Rv Lv 27^II

Ek hef lagða lykkju
(leiðar þvengs) of heiði
(snotr minnisk þess svanni
sút) fyr Jórðán útan.
En hykk, at þó þykki
þangat langt at ganga
— blóð fell varmt á víðan
vǫll — heimdrǫgum ǫllum.

Ek hef lagða lykkju of heiði fyr útan Jórðán; snotr svanni minnisk þess {sút {þvengs leiðar}}. En hykk, at þó þykki ǫllum heimdrǫgum langt at ganga þangat; varmt blóð fell á víðan vǫll.

I have placed a knot on the heath beyond the Jordan; the wise lady will remember this {during the sorrow {of the thong of the path}} [SNAKE > WINTER]. And I think that nevertheless it will seem to all stay-at-homes a long way to go there; warm blood fell onto the broad field.

Mss: Flat(140vb), R702ˣ(50r) (Orkn)

Readings: [2] of (‘um’): ok R702ˣ;    heiði: heiðar R702ˣ

Editions: Skj AI, 511, Skj BI, 485, Skald I, 238, NN §§980, 2990E; Flat 1860-8, II, 487, Orkn 1887, 176, Orkn 1913-16, 255, ÍF 34, 231-2 (ch. 88), Bibire 1988, 237.

Context: Rǫgnvaldr’s troop arrives in Jerusalem and visits all the most sacred sites there (Orkn ch. 88, ÍF 34, 231). When they go to bathe in the Jordan, Rǫgnvaldr and Sigmundr swim across the river and tie large knots in some brushwood.

Notes: [All]: This episode took place on 10 August 1152 (see Note to st. 28/4). See also Sigm Lv 2. For this practice of tying a knot on the far side of the Jordan, to taunt or challenge a competitor, see also MsonaHkr ch. 21. For other Scandinavian rulers swimming in the Jordan, see Ív Sig 9, Þstf Stuttdr 5 and ESk Sigdr I 4. — [2, 4] sút þvengs leiðar ‘during the sorrow of the thong of the path [SNAKE > WINTER]’: Kock (NN §980) prefers to take this adverbial phrase as modifying the poet’s action described in ll. 1, 2, 4. However, this would contradict st. 28/4 (see Note there). — [3] snotr svanni ‘the wise lady’: This is presumably a reference to Ermingerðr, whom Rǫgnvaldr calls konan svinna ‘wise lady’ in st. 15/4, and whom he envisages hearing about his exploits in st. 25, rather than someone back in Orkney, as in Sigm Lv 1. — [8] heimdrǫgum ‘stay-at-homes’: This relatively uncommon term is also used in Sigurðr jórsalafari’s boasting to Eysteinn Magnússon about his adventures in MsonaHkr ch. 21 (ÍF 28, 261).

References

1. Bibliography
2. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
3. NN = Kock, Ernst Albin. 1923-44. Notationes Norrœnæ: Anteckningar till Edda och skaldediktning. Lunds Universitets årsskrift new ser. 1. 28 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
4. Flat 1860-8 = Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and C. R. Unger, eds. 1860-8. Flateyjarbók. En samling af norske konge-sagaer med indskudte mindre fortællinger om begivenheder i og udenfor Norge samt annaler. 3 vols. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
5. ÍF 34 = Orkneyinga saga. Ed. Finnbogi Guðmundsson. 1965.
6. ÍF 26-8 = Heimskringla. Ed. Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson. 1941-51.
7. Orkn 1913-16 = Sigurður Nordal, ed. 1913-16. Orkneyinga saga. SUGNL 40. Copenhagen: Møller.
8. Bibire, Paul. 1988. ‘The Poetry of Earl Rǫgnvaldr’s Court’. In Crawford 1988, 208-40.
9. Orkn 1887 = Gudbrand Vigfusson 1887-94, I.
10. Internal references
11. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Orkneyinga saga’ 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. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=47> (accessed 19 April 2024)
12. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Sigurðardrápa I 4’ 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. 540-1.
13. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Ívarr Ingimundarson, Sigurðarbálkr 9’ 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. 506-7.
14. Judith Jesch (ed.) 2009, ‘Sigmundr ǫngull, Lausavísur 1’ 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. 626-7.
15. Judith Jesch (ed.) 2009, ‘Sigmundr ǫngull, Lausavísur 2’ 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. 627-8.
16. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Þórarinn stuttfeldr, Stuttfeldardrápa 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. 477.