Sigv Víkv 3I
Judith Jesch (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Víkingarvísur 3’ 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. 537.
Hríð ‘storm’
(not checked:)
hríð (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): time, storm
kennings
In þriðja strǫng hríð stáls‘The third powerful storm of steel ’
= BATTLE
The third powerful storm of steel → BATTLE
var ‘’
(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
staðs ‘’
(not checked:)
1. staðr (noun m.; °-ar/-s; -ir): place
kennings
In þriðja strǫng hríð stáls‘The third powerful storm of steel ’
= BATTLE
The third powerful storm of steel → BATTLE
á ‘’
(not checked:)
3. á (prep.): on, at
stirðri ‘’
(not checked:)
stirðr (adj.): stiff
stríði ‘’
(not checked:)
stríðr (adj.): harsh
strǫng ‘powerful’
(not checked:)
strangr (adj.): strong
kennings
In þriðja strǫng hríð stáls‘The third powerful storm of steel ’
= BATTLE
The third powerful storm of steel → BATTLE
Herdala ‘to Herdalar’
(not checked:)
Herdalar (noun m.): [to Herdalar]
gǫngu ‘journey’
(not checked:)
1. ganga (noun f.): way
lendingar ‘’
(not checked:)
lendingr (noun m.): landsman < finnlendingr (noun m.)
lendinga ‘Finns’
(not checked:)
lendingr (noun m.): landsman < finnlendingr (noun m.)
[3] ‑lendinga at: ‑lendingar Flat
fylkis ‘of the ruler’
(not checked:)
fylkir (noun m.): leader
kennings
niðs fylkis‘of the descendant of the ruler ’
= Óláfr
the descendant of the ruler → Óláfr
nið ‘’
(not checked:)
1. niðr (noun m.; °-s; niðjar/niðir, acc. niði): son, kinsman, relative
móz ‘’
niðr ‘’
(not checked:)
1. niðr (noun m.; °-s; niðjar/niðir, acc. niði): son, kinsman, relative
niðs ‘of the descendant’
(not checked:)
1. niðr (noun m.; °-s; niðjar/niðir, acc. niði): son, kinsman, relative
[4] niðs: niðr Holm2, J2ˣ, 78aˣ, 325V, Tóm, nið R686ˣ, ‘móz’ 73aˣ
kennings
niðs fylkis‘of the descendant of the ruler ’
= Óláfr
the descendant of the ruler → Óláfr
ein ‘’
(not checked:)
2. einn (pron.; °decl. cf. einn num.): one, alone
enn ‘’
(not checked:)
2. enn (adv.): still, yet, again
inn ‘’
(not checked:)
2. inn (art.): the
hins ‘’
(not checked:)
2. inn (art.): the
hina ‘’
(not checked:)
2. inn (art.): the
in ‘The’
(not checked:)
2. inn (art.): the
[4] in: inn J2ˣ, 78aˣ, hins 68, 61, enn 325V, ein Bb, hina Flat, Tóm
kennings
In þriðja strǫng hríð stáls‘The third powerful storm of steel ’
= BATTLE
The third powerful storm of steel → BATTLE
þriðju ‘’
(not checked:)
þriði (num. ordinal): third
kennings
In þriðja strǫng hríð stáls‘The third powerful storm of steel ’
= BATTLE
The third powerful storm of steel → BATTLE
En ‘And’
(not checked:)
2. en (conj.): but, and
ęstr ‘’
(not checked:)
œðri (adj. comp.): nobler, higher
austr ‘east’
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3. austr (adv.; °compar. -ar, superl. -ast): east, in the east
[5] austr: ‘ęstr’ Tóm
við ‘by’
(not checked:)
2. við (prep.): with, against
lô ‘the breakers’
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1. lá (noun f.; °; -r): surf
notes
[5] lô ‘the breakers’: This word occurs in Þul Sjóvar 4/2III, where the context suggests breaking waves, and in Blakkr Lv 2/6II the lô ‘sea’ is said to reiða ‘toss’.
lesti ‘’
(not checked:)
lesta (verb): destroy, damage
breið ‘’
(not checked:)
breiðr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): broad, wide
lið ‘’
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lið (noun n.; °-s; -): retinue, troop
leið ‘the sea’
(not checked:)
leið (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -u/-; -ir/-ar): path, way
[6] leið: lið 61, Tóm, breið Bb
víkinga ‘of the vikings’
(not checked:)
víkingr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): viking
notes
[6] víkinga ‘of the vikings’: The m. noun víkingr can have both positive and negative connotations in C11th and C12th poetry (see Note to Hskv Útdr 1/1, 4II), and the occurrences here and in st. 6/6 (see Note) are ambiguous in their reference and connotions, while in st. 10/6 the víkingar are clearly Óláfr’s enemies, but their identity is not certain. The skeiðar víkinga ‘warships of the vikings’ are taken here to be those of Óláfr and his followers and so víkingar refers to them. See Note to ll. 5-6 above for an alternative proposed by Kock. For a further ambiguous instance of víkingar, see Ótt Knútdr 5/4 and Note.
skeiðir ‘’
(not checked:)
1. skeið (noun f.; °-ar; -r/-ar/-ir): ship
síðu ‘’
(not checked:)
1. síða (noun f.; °-u; -ur): side
skeiða ‘’
(not checked:)
1. skeið (noun f.; °-ar; -r/-ar/-ir): ship
skeiðir ‘’
(not checked:)
1. skeið (noun f.; °-ar; -r/-ar/-ir): ship
skeiðar ‘the warships’
(not checked:)
1. skeið (noun f.; °-ar; -r/-ar/-ir): ship
[6] skeiðar: so 325VI, 73aˣ, 78aˣ, 68, skeiða Kˣ, skeiðir Holm2, J2ˣ, 325V, Bb, Flat, Tóm, skeiðir corrected from skeiðar R686ˣ, síðu 61
notes
[6] skeiðar (acc. pl.) ‘the warships’: This reading is adopted by previous eds; Kˣ’s reading skeiða can be explained as resulting from the simple loss of an abbreviation mark. Jón Helgason (1935-6) preferred the reading skeiðir, which occurs in several unrelated mss. In fact, this word is of a class which varied enormously in its pl. forms (ANG §416.3, 4).
balagarst ‘’
Bálagarðs ‘Bálagarðs’
(not checked:)
(non-lexical) < Bálagarðssíða (noun f.)
[7] Bálagarðs‑: ‘balagarst’ R686ˣ
á ‘’
(not checked:)
3. á (prep.): on, at
notes
[7] at borði ‘alongside’: Only Kˣ has this reading (though it is confirmed in papp18ˣ), while all the ÓH mss have barði, which is adopted by previous eds. Both barð ‘fore-stem’ (or a part of it, see Note to Sigv Vestv 1/3) and borð ‘plank’ refer to a part of a ship and can be used either specifically or as a pars pro toto for ‘ship’. Here, borði is selected, as the reading of the main ms. and since it supplies skothending (borð- : garð-), which would be expected in an odd line, although an aðalhending (barð- : garð-) would be paralleled in l. 1 (hríð : stríð-).
notes
[7] at borði ‘alongside’: Only Kˣ has this reading (though it is confirmed in papp18ˣ), while all the ÓH mss have barði, which is adopted by previous eds. Both barð ‘fore-stem’ (or a part of it, see Note to Sigv Vestv 1/3) and borð ‘plank’ refer to a part of a ship and can be used either specifically or as a pars pro toto for ‘ship’. Here, borði is selected, as the reading of the main ms. and since it supplies skothending (borð- : garð-), which would be expected in an odd line, although an aðalhending (barð- : garð-) would be paralleled in l. 1 (hríð : stríð-).
bauð ‘’
(not checked:)
bjóða (verb; °býðr; bauð, buðu; boðinn (buð- Thom¹ 5²n.)): offer, order, invite
bí ‘’
(not checked:)
bí (noun n.; °; bý): bee < brimskíð (noun n.): surf-ski
brim ‘the surf’
(not checked:)
brim (noun n.): surf < brimskíð (noun n.): surf-ski
[8] brimskíðum: ‘ba(u)ð vidum’(?) R686ˣ, ‘biskiðum’ 78aˣ
kennings
brimskíðum.‘the surf-skis. ’
= SHIPS
the surf-skis. → SHIPS
notes
[8] brimskíðum ‘the surf-skis [SHIPS]’: Cf. Note to st. 1/4 above.
víðum ‘’
(not checked:)
víðr (adj.): far
skíðum ‘skis’
(not checked:)
skíð (noun n.; °; -): ski < brimskíð (noun n.): surf-skiskíð (noun n.; °; -): ski < brimskíð (noun n.): surf-ski
[8] brimskíðum: ‘ba(u)ð vidum’(?) R686ˣ, ‘biskiðum’ 78aˣ
kennings
brimskíðum.‘the surf-skis. ’
= SHIPS
the surf-skis. → SHIPS
notes
[8] brimskíðum ‘the surf-skis [SHIPS]’: Cf. Note to st. 1/4 above.
þá ‘’
(not checked:)
2. þá (adv.): then
síðu ‘’
(not checked:)
1. síða (noun f.; °-u; -ur): side
síðan ‘’
(not checked:)
síðan (adv.): later, then
síða ‘síða’
(not checked:)
1. síða (noun f.; °-u; -ur): side < Bálagarðssíða (noun f.)
[8] ‑síða: ‘síð(u)’(?) 325VI, síðan 61, 325V, Bb, Flat
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Óláfr has a difficult fight against some forest-dwelling Finns, in which he loses many men. The Finns use magic to raise a storm, but Óláfr escapes by beating along the coast and sailing out to sea.
The reference to Finnlendingar ‘Finns’ in this stanza locates Herdalar (l. 2) and Bálagarðssíða (ll. 7, 8) in Finland, and previous eds assume Bálagarðssíða is on the south-west coast of Finland, which fits the Baltic context of the previous stanza. Snorri’s prose (see Context) also locates these events in Finnland, though the reference to magic suggests confusion with the more usual meaning of ON Finnar, ‘Saami’. The prose of ÓHLeg (1982, 42) assumes two separate events, first the third battle a Finnlande austr ‘in the east in Finland’ and then a raid in Bálagarðssíða, which it locates a Siolande ‘in Zealand’, consistent with this text’s interest in events in Denmark (see Introduction to this poem). — [5-6]: The detailed interpretation is problematic. (a) Here, it is assumed that leið is a heiti for ‘sea’ (cf. SnE 1998, I, 92, citing Anon (SnE) 11III; also SnSt Ht 34/3III) and is the subject of the sentence. Leysti ‘loosened, set loose’ with flota ‘fleet’ as its object is found as a variant in ESk IngdrII 4/6 (see Note), and with lábrostinn lögr ‘wave-bursting sea’ as its subject and flaust ‘ships’ as its object in Sturl Hrafn 15/5II, though in the latter there is an adverbial phrase to explain what the ships were loosened from. The use of lô ‘breakers’ in this sentence and brim- ‘surf’ in l. 8, though conventional diction, might suggest a turbulent sea which could have set the ships loose from their moorings. (b) Indeed, Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) takes lô as the subject of the sentence, and reads við austrleið ‘from the east coast’, though this is precluded by the syntax, since prep. við must modify lô, which follows it (cf. Kuhn 1983, 120-2 on the placing of prepositions). (c) Kock (NN §612) takes the king as the implied subject of the clause, but his interpretation requires an otherwise unknown word leiðvíkinga, in which he regards leið as equivalent to leiðangr, a seaborne expedition (cf. Note to Hár Lv 1/1-4). (d) Jón Helgason (1935-6, 263) preferred to take leið víkinga ‘path of vikings’ as a kenning for the sea. This would be an attractive solution, which avoids attaching the label víkingar to Óláfr’s troop (see Note to l. 6 below), but close parallels are lacking.
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