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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Sigv Lv 14I

R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Lausavísur 14’ 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. 716.

Sigvatr ÞórðarsonLausavísur
131415

text and translation

Kaup varð daprt, þars djúpan,
dróttinrækt, of sóttu,
þeir es, heim, á himnum,
hás elds, svikum belldu.

Dróttinrækt kaup varð daprt á himnum, þars of sóttu {djúpan heim hás elds}, þeir es belldu svikum.
 
‘The lord-rejecting bargain was dismal in the heavens, when they sought the deep world of towering flame [HELL], those who committed treason.

notes and context

As for Lv 13.

The word (or words) dróttinrækt has clearly presented problems to scribes and eds alike, and there are several interpretations. (a) An otherwise unattested adj. dróttinrækr ‘lord-rejecting’ is assumed here, comparable with hjarðrækr ‘herd-driving, able to drive a herd’, and qualifying kaup ‘bargain’. (b) Rœkt could alternatively be taken as n. adj. ‘rejected, abominable, abhorrent’, used adverbially, and acc. sg. dróttin ‘lord’ construed as object of belldu ‘dealt with’; this approach is essentially that of Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson (ÍF 27, followed by Jón Skaptason 1983, 199 and Hkr 1991). However, bella normally takes a dat. object or a construction with við. (c) Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) reads dróttinrœkð (though this has no ms. support), which he takes to mean ‘fidelity to one’s lord’. This he construes with the initial clause, and he takes the overall meaning to be ‘The reward for fidelity to their lord grew sad in heaven, since those who dealt in treason sought the deep-lying world of high-flaming fire’. (d) For acc. heim ‘world’ in l. 3, Kock (NN §2218D) reads ‘instrumental’ heimi (a reading unsupported by the mss). He would also read dróttinrétt (NN §2262), interpreted to mean ‘power’, giving the overall meaning ‘The exchange grew sad where they who practised treason against the world from out of heaven went to the high flame’s deep power’. Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson takes the helmingr to refer to the Fall of the rebellious angels, as do the eds of Hkr 1991, who also equate dróttin with God.

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, 13. Lausavísur 17: AI, 270, BI, 250, Skald I, 129, NN §§2218D, 2262; Fms 4, 377, Fms 12, 91-2, ÓH 1941, I, 457 (ch. 153), Flat 1860-8, II, 291; Hkr 1777-1826, II, 285, VI, 98, Hkr 1868, 431 (ÓH ch. 171), Hkr 1893-1901, II, 382, IV, 149, ÍF 27, 295, Hkr 1991, II, 468 (ÓH ch. 161); Jón Skaptason 1983, 199, 323.

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