Sigvatr Þórðarson, Poem about Queen Ástríðr 1

Judith Jesch

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Sigv Ást 1^I

Judith Jesch (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Poem about Queen Ástríðr 1’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 646.

Sigvatr Þórðarson Poem about Queen Ástríðr

1 2

text and translation

Hrein getum hôla launa
hnossfjǫlð lofi ossu
Ôleifs dœtr, es átti
jǫfurr sigrhvatastr digri.
Þings beið herr á Hǫngrum
hundmargr Svía grundar
austr, es Ástríðr lýsti
Ôleifs sonar môlum.

Getum hôla launa lofi ossu {dœtr Ôleifs}, es sigrhvatastr, digri jǫfurr átti, hrein hnossfjǫlð. Hundmargr herr grundar Svía beið þings á Hǫngrum austr, es Ástríðr lýsti môlum {sonar Ôleifs}.

‘We [I] will repay splendidly with our [my] praise Óláfr’s daughter [= Ástríðr], to whom the most victorious stout prince [Óláfr Haraldsson] was married, for an abundance of bright treasures. A massive army from the land of the Swedes attended the assembly at Hangrar in the east, when Ástríðr proclaimed the cause of Óláfr’s son [= Magnús]. ’

notes and context

At an assembly in Sweden, the dowager Queen Ástríðr makes a speech to persuade the Swedes to help Magnús Óláfsson gain his kingdom. The three stanzas of Ást are cited without a break.

[1-2]: The two branches of the Hkr stemma diverge here. (a) The readings of Kˣ, 39 and F, hrein and ossu, are chosen here as in other modern eds, both because they are the reading of the main ms., and because it is most natural for the poss. adj. ossu (n. dat. sg.) ‘our’ to agree with the immediately preceding noun lofi ‘praise’, and for hrein ‘bright, pure’ to be n. acc. pl. agreeing with hnossfjǫlð ‘abundance of treasures’. While the simplex fjǫlð ‘abundance, multitude’ is normally f. sg., Finnur Jónsson assumed a unique instance of a n. pl. form in this cpd (LP: fjǫlð, hnossfjǫlð), and such a form fits the common pattern of alternation between f. sg. and n. pl. in a collective noun (Beito 1954, 95, 180; Janzén 1965, 359). (b) It appears that the scribes of J2^x and E (or of their archetype) made the lines grammatically ‘correct’ with two minor emendations, producing a question, Hveim getum hôla launa hnossfjǫlð ossa lofi? ‘Whom do we splendidly repay for our abundance of treasures with praise?’ This would be answered in the second couplet. However, although Sigvatr occasionally uses rhetorical questions beginning with an interrog. pron. (Sigv Berv 11/1-3^II, 13/1-4^II, both beginning a stanza, and Sigv ErfÓl 17/3), he is never so unsubtle as to answer them.

readings

sources

Text is based on reconstruction from the base text and variant apparatus and may contain alternative spellings and other normalisations not visible in the manuscript text. Transcriptions may not have been checked and should not be cited.

AM 63 folx (Kx) — 495r/11 - 495r/18
Hrein getum hôla launa
hnossfjǫlð lofi ossu
Ôleifs dœtr, sú er átti
jǫfurr sigrhvatastr digri.
Þings beið herr á Hǫngrum
hundmargr Svía grundar
austr, es Ástríðr lýsti
Ôleifs sonar môlum.
Hrein getum hála lꜹna | hnos fiold lofi osso | olafs dǫtr su er átti | jofurr sigrhvatastr digri | þings beið herr a hꜹngrum | hund margr svia grundar | ꜹstr er astrið lysti | Olafs sonar málom
(KS)
images

AM 39 fol (39) — 12rb/26 - 12rb/30
Hrein getum hôla †lꜹ†
hnossfjǫlð lofi ossu
Ôleifs dœtr, sú er átti
jǫfurr sig-hvatastr digri.
Þings beið herr á hungrum
hundmargr Svía grundar
austr, es Ástríðr lýsti
Ôleifs sonar môlum.
Hræin getom hala lꜹ | hnossfiolþ lvfi osso olafs dætr su er atti iof | vʀ sighvataztr digri. þings bæið herr ahvngrom | hundmargr svia grvnndar austr er astriþ lys | ti olafs sonar málum.
(KS)
images

AM 45 fol (F) — 37rb/13 - 37rb/16
Hrein getum hôla launat
hnossfjǫlð liði †osu†
Ôleifs dœtr, sú er átti
jǫfurr sig-hvatastr digri.
Þings beið herr á hungrum
hundmargr Svía grundar
austr, es Ástríðr lýsti
Ôleifs sonar môlum.
hrein getom hála lꜹnat hnos | fiolþ liði osu olafs dǫtr sv er atti iofvʀ sighvataztr digri. | þings beið herr a hvngrom hvndmargr svia grvɴdar ꜹstr er astriþ | lysti olafs sonar málum.
(KS)
images

AM 38 folx (J2x) — 239v/6 - 239v/9 [1-4]
hveim getum hôla launa
hnossfjǫlð lofi ossa
Ôleifs dœtr, es átti
jǫfurr sigrhvatastr digri.
Þings beið herr á Hǫngrum
hundmargr Svía grundar
austr, es Ástríðr lýsti
Ôleifs sonar môlum.
Hveim getum hala lꜹna | hnos fiold lofi ossa | olafs dætr er atti jofuʀ | sigr hvataztr digri
(KS)
images

AM 47 fol (E) — 3r/21 - 3r/23
hveim getum hôla launa
hnossfjǫlð lofi ossa
Ôleifs dœtr, es átti
jǫfurr sigrhvatastr digri.
þing beið herr á †haumgrom†
hundmargr Svía grundar
austr, es †astri† lýsti
Ôleifs sonar môlum.
Hueim getom hala launa hnosfiǫlð lofi ossa O | lafs dǫttr er atti iǫfuʀ sigr huatastr digri þing beið herr á haumgrom hundmargr svia grun | dar auster er astri lysti. Olafs sonar malum.
(KS)
images

AM 761 b 4°x (761bx) — 297r/13 - 297r/16
images

AM 761 b 4°x (761bx) — 297r/20 - 297r/23
images

Holm papp 18 folx (papp18x) — 203v - 203v
images

editions and texts

Skj: Sigvatr Þórðarson, 9. Et digt om dronning Astrid 1: AI, 248, BI, 231, Skald I, 120, NN §2775; Hkr 1893-1901, III, 6, IV, 179, ÍF 28, 5-6, Hkr 1991, II, 558-9 (MGóð ch. 1), F 1871, 169, E 1916, 8; Jón Skaptason 1983, 124, 275-6.

381

Hkr 382 (III 3)

383

MGóð 3 (III 3)

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Sigv Ást 1^I

text and translation

notes and context

readings

sources

AM 63 folx (Kx) — 495r/11 - 495r/18

AM 39 fol (39) — 12rb/26 - 12rb/30

AM 45 fol (F) — 37rb/13 - 37rb/16

AM 38 folx (J2x) — 239v/6 - 239v/9 [1-4]

AM 47 fol (E) — 3r/21 - 3r/23

AM 761 b 4°x (761bx) — 297r/13 - 297r/16

AM 761 b 4°x (761bx) — 297r/20 - 297r/23

Holm papp 18 folx (papp18x) — 203v - 203v

editions and texts

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Sigv Ást 1I

text and translation

notes and context

readings

sources

AM 63 folx (Kx) — 495r/11 - 495r/18

AM 39 fol (39) — 12rb/26 - 12rb/30

AM 45 fol (F) — 37rb/13 - 37rb/16

AM 38 folx (J2x) — 239v/6 - 239v/9 [1-4]

AM 47 fol (E) — 3r/21 - 3r/23

AM 761 b 4°x (761bx) — 297r/13 - 297r/16

AM 761 b 4°x (761bx) — 297r/20 - 297r/23

Holm papp 18 folx (papp18x) — 203v - 203v

editions and texts

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Stanza/chapter/text segment

Information tab

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Chapter/text segment

Sigv Ást 1^I