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.
[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]’.
(not checked:)
grimmr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): fierce < grimmligr (adj.): terrible, fierce
(not checked:)
gunnr (noun f.): battle < gunnreifr (adj.): battle-glad
(not checked:)
2. reifr (adj.): happy < gunnreifr (adj.): battle-glad
[2] ‑reifum: ‑reipum 321ˣ
(not checked:)
Óláfr (noun m.): Óláfr
(not checked:)
log (noun n.; °; -): flame < loghreytandi (noun m.)
[3] log‑: lof‑ Holm2, 321ˣ, 61, 325V, 325VII, Flat, Tóm
(not checked:)
log (noun n.; °; -): flame < loghreytandi (noun m.)
[3] log‑: lof‑ Holm2, 321ˣ, 61, 325V, 325VII, Flat, Tóm
(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
(not checked:)
líta (verb): look, see; appear
(not checked:)
2. lón (noun n.; °-s; -): lagoon
[4] lóns: léons 321ˣ, 61, 325V, 325VII, Flat, Tóm
(not checked:)
2. lón (noun n.; °-s; -): lagoon
[4] lóns: léons 321ˣ, 61, 325V, 325VII, Flat, Tóm
(not checked:)
hvass (adj.; °-an; -ari, -astr): keen, sharp
[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]’.
(not checked:)
sjón (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): eyes, sight
[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]’.
(not checked:)
þrœnzkr (adj.): from Trøndelag
[5] þrœnzkir: Þrœndr 325V, Þrœndir Tóm
(not checked:)
2. fyrðr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -): man
[5] fyrðar: virðar Holm2, J2ˣ, 321ˣ, Holm4, 61, 325V, 325VII, Flat, Tóm
[5] fyrðar ‘the men’: The variant reading virðar is synonymous, and equally satisfactory.
(not checked:)
2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
(not checked:)
hersir (noun m.; °-is; -ar): cheiftan
[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.
(not checked:)
dróttinn (noun m.; °dróttins, dat. dróttni (drottini [$1049$]); dróttnar): lord, master
[7] ógur‑: œgi‑ Holm2, J2ˣ, Holm4, 325V
(not checked:)
-ligr (adj.): -ly < ógurligr (adj.): horrible
(not checked:)
í (prep.): in, into
(not checked:)
ormr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): serpent < ormfránn (adj.)
[8] orm‑: orms 61
(not checked:)
2. fránn (adj.): bright, shining < ormfránn (adj.)
[8] ‑frôn: ‘prans’ 321ˣ, frôns 61, 325V
(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).
Use the buttons at the top of the page to navigate between stanzas in a poem.
The text and translation are given here, with buttons to toggle whether the text is shown in the verse order or prose word order. Clicking on indiviudal words gives dictionary links, variant readings, kennings and notes, where relevant.
This is the text of the edition in a similar format to how the edition appears in the printed volumes.
This view is also used for chapters and other text segments. Not all the headings shown are relevant to such sections.