Sigv ErfÓl 12^I

Mest frák merkjum næstan
mínn dróttin framm sínum
— stǫng óð fyr gram — gingu
— gnógr styrr vas þar — fyrri.

Frák dróttin mínn gingu mest framm fyrri, næstan merkjum sínum; stǫng óð fyr gram; vas gnógr styrr þar.

I heard that my lord went most forcefully in front, next to his banners; the standard-pole advanced before the prince; there was plentiful fighting there.

Mss: Kˣ(469r) (Hkr); Holm2(67v), J2ˣ(225v-226r), 321ˣ(254), Holm4(63rb), 61(125rb), 325V(80va), 325VII(38r), Flat(124va), Tóm(155v) (ÓH)

Readings: [1] merkjum: þar 325VII;    næstan: næstum 321ˣ, vestan 61    [2] framm: framan Tóm    [3] óð fyr gram: ein var gram 61, Tóm, varð gyllt at Flat;    gingu: ganga 61, Flat, Tóm, gengum 325V    [4] vas (‘var’): óx Flat, Tóm

Editions: Skj AI, 260, Skj BI, 241-2, Skald I, 125, NN §1115; Hkr 1893-1901, II, 489, IV, 167, ÍF 27, 380, Hkr 1991, II, 530 (ÓHHkr ch. 226); ÓH 1941, I, 570 (ch. 224), Flat 1860-8, II, 355; Jón Skaptason 1983, 167.

Context: Many of the troops in front of Óláfr are killed, and he asks his standard-bearer Þórðr Fólason to press forward with the standard, following it closely with his chosen warriors.

Notes: [All]: The content of this helmingr makes it likely that it was in fact the second helmingr of st. 11, even though they are separated in the prose sources. — [3] stǫng ‘the standard-pole’: See Note to st. 7/5, above. — [4] fyrri ‘in front’: This could modify either óð ‘advanced’ (so Skj B; ÍF 27; Jón Skaptason 1983; Hkr 1991) or gingu ‘went’ (so Kock, NN §1115, and this edn), although both clauses already express the idea of being in front, ahead of others.

References

1. Bibliography
2. Skj B = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1912-15b. Den norsk-islandske skjaldedigtning. B: Rettet tekst. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Villadsen & Christensen. Rpt. 1973. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde & Bagger.
3. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
4. NN = Kock, Ernst Albin. 1923-44. Notationes Norrœnæ: Anteckningar till Edda och skaldediktning. Lunds Universitets årsskrift new ser. 1. 28 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
5. 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.
6. ÓH 1941 = Johnsen, Oscar Albert and Jón Helgason, eds. 1941. Saga Óláfs konungs hins helga: Den store saga om Olav den hellige efter pergamenthåndskrift i Kungliga biblioteket i Stockholm nr. 2 4^to med varianter fra andre håndskrifter. 2 vols. Det norske historiske kildeskriftfond skrifter 53. Oslo: Dybwad.
7. ÍF 26-8 = Heimskringla. Ed. Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson. 1941-51.
8. Hkr 1893-1901 = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1893-1901. Heimskringla: Nóregs konunga sǫgur af Snorri Sturluson. 4 vols. SUGNL 23. Copenhagen: Møller.
9. Hkr 1991 = Bergljót S. Kristjánsdóttir et al., eds. 1991. Heimskringla. 3 vols. Reykjavík: Mál og menning.
10. Jón Skaptason. 1983. ‘Material for an Edition and Translation of the Poems of Sigvat Þórðarson, skáld’. Ph.D. thesis. State University of New York at Stony Brook. DAI 44: 3681A.
11. Internal references
12. (forthcoming), ‘ Heimskringla, Óláfs saga helga (in Heimskringla)’ 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. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=152> (accessed 26 April 2024)