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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Sigv Nesv 4I

Russell Poole (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Nesjavísur 4’ 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. 562.

Sigvatr ÞórðarsonNesjavísur
345

text and translation

Vasa sigmána Sveini
sverða gnýs at frýja,
gjóðs né góðrar hríðar
gunnreifum Ôleifi,
þvít kvistingar kosta
— koma herr í stað verra —
ôttu sín, þars sóttusk
seggir, hvárirtveggja.

Vasa at frýja Sveini {gnýs sverða} né gunnreifum Ôleifi {góðrar hríðar {gjóðs {sigmána}}}, þvít hvárirtveggja ôttu kosta kvistingar sín, þars seggir sóttusk; herr koma í verra stað.
 
‘There was no cause [lit. it was not] to reproach Sveinn for the din of swords [BATTLE], nor the battle-glad Óláfr for the good storm of the osprey of the battle-moon [SHIELD > RAVEN/EAGLE > BATTLE], because both parties had to strive for the maiming of each other, where men attacked; the army never came into a worse place.

notes and context

The battle is extremely fierce, with many killed or wounded on both sides, and the outcome is in the balance for a long time.

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.

editions and texts

Skj: Sigvatr Þórðarson, 2. Nesjavísur 5: AI, 229, BI, 218, Skald I, 113, NN §619; Hkr 1893-1901, II, 70, IV, 120-1, ÍF 27, 61-2 (ÓHHkr ch. 49); Fms 4, 98, Fms 12, 78-9, ÓH 1941, I, 92 (ch. 40), Flat 1860-8, II, 44; CPB II, 127, Poole 2005d, 173.

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