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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Sigv ErfÓl 16I

Judith Jesch (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Erfidrápa Óláfs helga 16’ 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. 683.

Sigvatr ÞórðarsonErfidrápa Óláfs helga
151617

fann ‘discovered’

(not checked:)
2. finna (verb): find, meet

[1] fann: veit J2ˣ

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gǫrst ‘most clearly’

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1. gǫrr (adj.): ample, perfect

[1] gǫrst: mest Tóm

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hvé ‘how’

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hvé (conj.): how

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galdrar ‘spells’

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galdr (noun m.): chant, incantation

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gramr ‘prince’

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1. gramr (noun m.): ruler

[2] gramr: grams Flat

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sjalfr ‘himself’

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sjalfr (adj.): self

[2] sjalfr: ‘siafr’ Holm2, silfurs Flat, silfr‑ Tóm

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rammir ‘strong’

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rammr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): mighty < meginrammr (adj.)

[2] ‑rammir: ‑rammar 61, Tóm

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Finna ‘Saami’

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Finnr (noun m.): Saami (person)

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fullstórum ‘the very powerful’

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fullstórr (adj.): [very powerful]

notes

[4, 5] fullstórum Þóri; Hundi ‘the very powerful Þórir; Hundr (“Dog”)’: Þórir hundr (‘Dog’) Þórisson, originally a lendr maðr ‘landed man, district chieftain’ of Óláfr, became a follower of King Knútr, who gave him the Finnferð, the job of travelling to collect tax from the Saami (ÍF 27, 306). While on one of these expeditions, he acquired twelve reindeer skins which were impervious to weapons and soon after led a naval expedition from the north to defend the country from Óláfr, coming from the east (ÍF 27, 345). Þórir is one of two or three attackers accused of having been directly responsible for Óláfr’s death (ÍF 27, 385; Fidjestøl 1987). It is not clear whether fullstórum ‘very powerful’ refers to Þórir’s size or his significance, though the latter is more likely as Snorri calls him ríkastr maðr ‘the most powerful man’ in northern Norway (ÍF 27, 177). Kock (NN §663) accepts that fullstórum could be an adj. referring to Þórir, but notes the possibility that it could rather be an adv. modifying barg ‘saved’, meaning ‘fully’ or ‘strongly’.

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barg ‘saved’

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1. bjarga (verb; °bergr (biærgr Alk619 77⁹; biargr ÓH619 119¹‡); barg, burgu; borginn): to save, preserve

notes

[4] barg ‘saved’: The fact that this sg. verb is predicated to a pl. subject galdrar ‘spells’ in l. 1 is probably explained by the distance between the two (Hkr 1893-1901, IV; cf. NS §66 Anm. 3).

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Þóri ‘Þórir’

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Þórir (noun m.): Þórir

notes

[4, 5] fullstórum Þóri; Hundi ‘the very powerful Þórir; Hundr (“Dog”)’: Þórir hundr (‘Dog’) Þórisson, originally a lendr maðr ‘landed man, district chieftain’ of Óláfr, became a follower of King Knútr, who gave him the Finnferð, the job of travelling to collect tax from the Saami (ÍF 27, 306). While on one of these expeditions, he acquired twelve reindeer skins which were impervious to weapons and soon after led a naval expedition from the north to defend the country from Óláfr, coming from the east (ÍF 27, 345). Þórir is one of two or three attackers accused of having been directly responsible for Óláfr’s death (ÍF 27, 385; Fidjestøl 1987). It is not clear whether fullstórum ‘very powerful’ refers to Þórir’s size or his significance, though the latter is more likely as Snorri calls him ríkastr maðr ‘the most powerful man’ in northern Norway (ÍF 27, 177). Kock (NN §663) accepts that fullstórum could be an adj. referring to Þórir, but notes the possibility that it could rather be an adv. modifying barg ‘saved’, meaning ‘fully’ or ‘strongly’.

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þás ‘when’

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þás (conj.): when

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hyr ‘of the fire’

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hyrr (noun m.): fire < hyrsendir (noun m.)

[5] hyrsendir Hundi: með Hundi harðar 321ˣ

kennings

húna hyrsendir
‘fire-sender of the mast-tops’
   = GENEROUS MAN = Óláfr

the fire of the mast-tops → GOLD
the sender of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN = Óláfr
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hyr ‘of the fire’

(not checked:)
hyrr (noun m.): fire < hyrsendir (noun m.)

[5] hyrsendir Hundi: með Hundi harðar 321ˣ

kennings

húna hyrsendir
‘fire-sender of the mast-tops’
   = GENEROUS MAN = Óláfr

the fire of the mast-tops → GOLD
the sender of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN = Óláfr
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sendir ‘the sender’

(not checked:)
sendir (noun m.): sender, distributor < hyrsendir (noun m.)

[5] hyrsendir Hundi: með Hundi harðar 321ˣ;    ‑sendir: ‑sendi Flat

kennings

húna hyrsendir
‘fire-sender of the mast-tops’
   = GENEROUS MAN = Óláfr

the fire of the mast-tops → GOLD
the sender of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN = Óláfr
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Hundi ‘of Hundr (‘Dog’)’

(not checked:)
hundr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): hound, dog

[5] hyrsendir Hundi: með Hundi harðar 321ˣ

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húna ‘of the mast-tops’

(not checked:)
1. húnn (noun m.; °; húnar): knob

kennings

húna hyrsendir
‘fire-sender of the mast-tops’
   = GENEROUS MAN = Óláfr

the fire of the mast-tops → GOLD
the sender of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN = Óláfr

notes

[6] húna ‘of the mast-tops’: The húnn was a strengthened area at the top of the mast through which the halyards passed and on which the shrouds could rest. As Finnur Jónsson points out (Hkr 1893-1901, IV), the kenning is unusual and rather depends on the assumption that such mast-tops were gilded. This stanza seems to be the only definite evidence that these were gilded, however; there is a possible but not certain instance in Arn Hryn 10/7-8II (see Note and Jesch 2001a, 160-2).

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húna ‘of the mast-tops’

(not checked:)
1. húnn (noun m.; °; húnar): knob

kennings

húna hyrsendir
‘fire-sender of the mast-tops’
   = GENEROUS MAN = Óláfr

the fire of the mast-tops → GOLD
the sender of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN = Óláfr

notes

[6] húna ‘of the mast-tops’: The húnn was a strengthened area at the top of the mast through which the halyards passed and on which the shrouds could rest. As Finnur Jónsson points out (Hkr 1893-1901, IV), the kenning is unusual and rather depends on the assumption that such mast-tops were gilded. This stanza seems to be the only definite evidence that these were gilded, however; there is a possible but not certain instance in Arn Hryn 10/7-8II (see Note and Jesch 2001a, 160-2).

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golli ‘with gold’

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gull (noun n.): gold

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slætt ‘the blunt one’

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2. slœgr (adj.): skilful

notes

[7] slætt ‘the blunt one’: The king’s magnificent sword has presumably been blunted by the Saami magic.

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réð ‘succeeded’

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ráða (verb): advise, rule, interpret, decide

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sízt ‘least’

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2. síðr (adv.): less, hardly

notes

[7] sízt ‘least’: This is doubtless an instance of litotes: the sword did not bite at all.

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at ‘in’

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5. at (nota): to (with infinitive)

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sverði ‘the sword’

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sverð (noun n.; °-s; -): sword

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laust ‘struck’

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2. ljósta (verb): strike

[8] laust: ‘luzt’ 73aˣ

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of ‘across’

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3. of (prep.): around, from; too

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herðar ‘the shoulders’

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herðr (noun f.; °-ar(Thom² 447¹³); -ar): shoulder

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Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses

Óláfr strikes Þórir hundr (‘Dog’; see Note to l. 4 below) on the shoulders but his sword does not ‘bite’, and it seems as if dust rises from the reindeer skin he is wearing.

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