Sigv ErfÓl 13I
Judith Jesch (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Erfidrápa Óláfs helga 13’ 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. 679.
notes
[1, 4] geirhvassar sjónir ‘the spear-sharp eyes’: The majority reading geirs, lit. ‘of the spear’, is problematic, being not essential to the sense or syntax of the stanza. (a) The 321ˣ reading geir is adopted here, and the assumption made that it (or possibly geirs) is the first element of a cpd adj. geir(s)hvass ‘spear-sharp’, with tmesis. The cpd is thus parallel with ormfrôn ‘snake-bright’ in l. 8, also describing Óláfr’s eyes; cf. also compounds such as egghvass ‘blade-sharp’, eitrhvass ‘poison-sharp’. (b) The majority form geirs could be taken, as in ÍF 27, as a descriptive gen. (cf. NS §127, though the examples do not extend to the use of gen. as a compressed simile as would be assumed here). (c) Finnur Jónsson (Hkr 1893-1901; Skj B), followed by Kock (Skald), emends gunn- ‘battle’ (l. 2) to gný- ‘tumult’ to produce gnýreifum geirs ‘glad in the tumult of the spear [BATTLE]’.
grimm ‘fear’
(not checked:)
grimmr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): fierce < grimmligr (adj.): terrible, fierce
gunn ‘of battle’
(not checked:)
gunnr (noun f.): battle < gunnreifr (adj.): battle-glad
reifum ‘glad’
(not checked:)
2. reifr (adj.): happy < gunnreifr (adj.): battle-glad
[2] ‑reifum: ‑reipum 321ˣ
Ôleifi ‘Óláfr’
(not checked:)
Óláfr (noun m.): Óláfr
log ‘of the flame’
(not checked:)
log (noun n.; °; -): flame < loghreytandi (noun m.)
[3] log‑: lof‑ Holm2, 321ˣ, 61, 325V, 325VII, Flat, Tóm
kennings
lóns loghreytǫndum‘flame-distributors of the lagoon’
= GENEROUS MEN
the flame of the lagoon → GOLD
for the distributors of the GOLD → GENEROUS MEN
log ‘of the flame’
(not checked:)
log (noun n.; °; -): flame < loghreytandi (noun m.)
[3] log‑: lof‑ Holm2, 321ˣ, 61, 325V, 325VII, Flat, Tóm
kennings
lóns loghreytǫndum‘flame-distributors of the lagoon’
= GENEROUS MEN
the flame of the lagoon → GOLD
for the distributors of the GOLD → GENEROUS MEN
hreytǫndum ‘for the distributors’
(not checked:)
hreytandi (noun m.): distributor < loghreytandi (noun m.)
[3] ‑hreytǫndum: ‘‑røtondum’ Holm2, ‑hreytendum J2ˣ, ‘‑reitundum’ Holm4, ‘‑rækindvm’ 61, ‑rennundum 325V, ‘‑hrækundum’ with ‘rekiondom’ in the margin 325VII, ‘‑rækendum’ Flat, Tóm
kennings
lóns loghreytǫndum‘flame-distributors of the lagoon’
= GENEROUS MEN
the flame of the lagoon → GOLD
for the distributors of the GOLD → GENEROUS MEN
líta ‘to look’
(not checked:)
líta (verb): look, see; appear
lóns ‘of the lagoon’
(not checked:)
2. lón (noun n.; °-s; -): lagoon
[4] lóns: léons 321ˣ, 61, 325V, 325VII, Flat, Tóm
kennings
lóns loghreytǫndum‘flame-distributors of the lagoon’
= GENEROUS MEN
the flame of the lagoon → GOLD
for the distributors of the GOLD → GENEROUS MEN
lóns ‘of the lagoon’
(not checked:)
2. lón (noun n.; °-s; -): lagoon
[4] lóns: léons 321ˣ, 61, 325V, 325VII, Flat, Tóm
kennings
lóns loghreytǫndum‘flame-distributors of the lagoon’
= GENEROUS MEN
the flame of the lagoon → GOLD
for the distributors of the GOLD → GENEROUS MEN
hvassar ‘sharp’
(not checked:)
hvass (adj.; °-an; -ari, -astr): keen, sharp
notes
[1, 4] geirhvassar sjónir ‘the spear-sharp eyes’: The majority reading geirs, lit. ‘of the spear’, is problematic, being not essential to the sense or syntax of the stanza. (a) The 321ˣ reading geir is adopted here, and the assumption made that it (or possibly geirs) is the first element of a cpd adj. geir(s)hvass ‘spear-sharp’, with tmesis. The cpd is thus parallel with ormfrôn ‘snake-bright’ in l. 8, also describing Óláfr’s eyes; cf. also compounds such as egghvass ‘blade-sharp’, eitrhvass ‘poison-sharp’. (b) The majority form geirs could be taken, as in ÍF 27, as a descriptive gen. (cf. NS §127, though the examples do not extend to the use of gen. as a compressed simile as would be assumed here). (c) Finnur Jónsson (Hkr 1893-1901; Skj B), followed by Kock (Skald), emends gunn- ‘battle’ (l. 2) to gný- ‘tumult’ to produce gnýreifum geirs ‘glad in the tumult of the spear [BATTLE]’.
sjónir ‘eyes’
(not checked:)
sjón (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): eyes, sight
notes
[1, 4] geirhvassar sjónir ‘the spear-sharp eyes’: The majority reading geirs, lit. ‘of the spear’, is problematic, being not essential to the sense or syntax of the stanza. (a) The 321ˣ reading geir is adopted here, and the assumption made that it (or possibly geirs) is the first element of a cpd adj. geir(s)hvass ‘spear-sharp’, with tmesis. The cpd is thus parallel with ormfrôn ‘snake-bright’ in l. 8, also describing Óláfr’s eyes; cf. also compounds such as egghvass ‘blade-sharp’, eitrhvass ‘poison-sharp’. (b) The majority form geirs could be taken, as in ÍF 27, as a descriptive gen. (cf. NS §127, though the examples do not extend to the use of gen. as a compressed simile as would be assumed here). (c) Finnur Jónsson (Hkr 1893-1901; Skj B), followed by Kock (Skald), emends gunn- ‘battle’ (l. 2) to gný- ‘tumult’ to produce gnýreifum geirs ‘glad in the tumult of the spear [BATTLE]’.
þrœnzkir ‘ from Trøndelag’
(not checked:)
þrœnzkr (adj.): from Trøndelag
[5] þrœnzkir: Þrœndr 325V, Þrœndir Tóm
fyrðar ‘The men’
(not checked:)
2. fyrðr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -): man
[5] fyrðar: virðar Holm2, J2ˣ, 321ˣ, Holm4, 61, 325V, 325VII, Flat, Tóm
notes
[5] fyrðar ‘the men’: The variant reading virðar is synonymous, and equally satisfactory.
þótti ‘seemed’
(not checked:)
2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
hersa ‘of hersar’
(not checked:)
hersir (noun m.; °-is; -ar): cheiftan
kennings
dróttinn hersa‘the lord of hersar ’
= KING = Óláfr
the lord of hersar → KING = Óláfr
notes
[6] hersa ‘of hersar’: Hersir (nom. sg.) refers to a Norwegian district chieftain, i.e. a nobleman of lesser rank than a jarl. The term is also used in sts 20/2, 28/3.
dróttinn ‘the lord’
(not checked:)
dróttinn (noun m.; °dróttins, dat. dróttni (drottini [$1049$]); dróttnar): lord, master
kennings
dróttinn hersa‘the lord of hersar ’
= KING = Óláfr
the lord of hersar → KING = Óláfr
ógur ‘terri’
[7] ógur‑: œgi‑ Holm2, J2ˣ, Holm4, 325V
ligr ‘fying’
(not checked:)
-ligr (adj.): -ly < ógurligr (adj.): horrible
í ‘into’
(not checked:)
í (prep.): in, into
orm ‘snake’
(not checked:)
ormr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): serpent < ormfránn (adj.)
[8] orm‑: orms 61
frôn ‘bright’
(not checked:)
2. fránn (adj.): bright, shining < ormfránn (adj.)
[8] ‑frôn: ‘prans’ 321ˣ, frôns 61, 325V
hônum ‘his’
(not checked:)
hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
[8] séa hônum: hônum séa Tóm
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Geir- hykk grimmligt vôru |
I think it was fearful for the distributors of the flame of the lagoon [(lit. ‘flame-distributors of the lagoon’) GOLD > GENEROUS MEN] to look into the spear-sharp eyes of battle-glad Óláfr. The men from Trøndelag did not dare to look into his snake-bright eyes; the lord of hersar [KING = Óláfr] seemed terrifying.
Óláfr breaks forward from his own shield-wall and the farmers are frightened at the sight of his face.
On the literary topos of the terrifying glance of the ruler, see Marold (1998a). As noted by Finnur Jónsson (Hkr 1893-1901, IV), Snorri Sturluson may well have used this stanza when describing Óláfr as having exceptional eyes: beautiful and so piercing as to be terrifying to look at when he was angry (ÍF 27, 4).
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