Sigv Lv 27I
R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Lausavísur 27’ 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. 733.
Munu ‘will’
(not checked:)
munu (verb): will, must
þeirs ‘Those who’
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
mestar ‘the greatest’
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meiri (adj. comp.; °meiran; superl. mestr): more, most
[1] mestar skynjar: so Tóm, mest um skynja Flat, mest of skynja 73aˣ, 71ˣ, 76aˣ
skynjar ‘knowledge’
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1. skyn (noun f.; °-jar; -jar): [reason]
[1] mestar skynjar: so Tóm, mest um skynja Flat, mest of skynja 73aˣ, 71ˣ, 76aˣ
mun ‘of the delightful’
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munr (noun m.; °-ar/-s, dat. -/-i; -ir, acc. -i): mind, pleasure < munvágr (noun m.)
[2] mun‑: so Tóm, munn Flat, menn 73aˣ, 71ˣ, 76aˣ
kennings
munvágs Dáins,‘of the delightful wave of Dáinn ’
= POETRY
the delightful wave of Dáinn → POETRY
notes
[2] munvágs ‘of the delightful wave’: The cpd could also mean ‘soul-wave, mind-wave’ (so LP (1913-16), but cf. Meissner 60); or the Flat reading munn- , which could plausibly also underlie mun- and menn-, would give ‘mouth-wave’. The mss read vígs and vigrs for -vágs (the emendation first suggested in Nj 1875-8, II, 399), and Kock (NN §2295) takes them instead as corruptions of viggs (so, tentatively, Jón Skaptason 1983, 328), which, according to a þula (Þul Skipa 4III), may mean ‘ship’. But the normal meaning of vigg is ‘horse’ and poetry is called a dwarf’s ship rather than a dwarf’s horse (SnE 1998, I, 11). On poetry-kennings alluding to the myth of the mead of poetry, see Note to Eskál Vell 1 [All].
vágs ‘wave’
(not checked:)
vágr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-; -ar): sea, wave < munvágr (noun m.)
[2] ‑vágs Dáins: ‘uígurs dáins’ Flat, ‘vígs daínns’ Tóm, Óláfs vígs 73aˣ, 71ˣ, 76aˣ
kennings
munvágs Dáins,‘of the delightful wave of Dáinn ’
= POETRY
the delightful wave of Dáinn → POETRY
notes
[2] munvágs ‘of the delightful wave’: The cpd could also mean ‘soul-wave, mind-wave’ (so LP (1913-16), but cf. Meissner 60); or the Flat reading munn- , which could plausibly also underlie mun- and menn-, would give ‘mouth-wave’. The mss read vígs and vigrs for -vágs (the emendation first suggested in Nj 1875-8, II, 399), and Kock (NN §2295) takes them instead as corruptions of viggs (so, tentatively, Jón Skaptason 1983, 328), which, according to a þula (Þul Skipa 4III), may mean ‘ship’. But the normal meaning of vigg is ‘horse’ and poetry is called a dwarf’s ship rather than a dwarf’s horse (SnE 1998, I, 11). On poetry-kennings alluding to the myth of the mead of poetry, see Note to Eskál Vell 1 [All].
Dáins ‘of Dáinn’
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Dáinn (noun m.): Dáinn, deceased one
[2] ‑vágs Dáins: ‘uígurs dáins’ Flat, ‘vígs daínns’ Tóm, Óláfs vígs 73aˣ, 71ˣ, 76aˣ
kennings
munvágs Dáins,‘of the delightful wave of Dáinn ’
= POETRY
the delightful wave of Dáinn → POETRY
síðr ‘hardly’
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2. síðr (adv.): less, hardly
[3] síðr at: síðr á Tóm, síð á 73aˣ, 71ˣ, 76aˣ
Sighvats ‘Sigvatr’
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Sigvatr (noun m.): Sigvatr
svinns ‘of judicious’
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2. svinnr (adj.): wise
[4] svinns: ‘suinzst’ Flat, ‘suínnz’ Tóm, sinn 73aˣ, 71ˣ, 76aˣ
notes
[4] svinns ‘of judicious’: A minimal emendation, required to secure a gen. sg. adj. qualifying Sighvats ‘of Sigvatr’.
brag ‘verse’
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bragr (noun m.; °-ar): poem, poetry < braglǫstr (noun m.)
lǫstu ‘flaws’
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lǫstr (noun m.; °lastar, dat. lesti/lǫst; lestir, acc. lǫstu/lasta(Mar655XXXII 462)): fault, sin < braglǫstr (noun m.)
[4] ‑lǫstu: ‑lǫstinn 73aˣ, 76aˣ, ‑lǫstum 71ˣ
finna ‘find’
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2. finna (verb): find, meet
vill ‘will’
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vilja (verb): want, intend
hverr ‘Every’
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2. hverr (pron.): who, whom, each, every
kennings
Hverr haldorðr boði éls skjaldar,‘Every word-holding announcer of the storm of the shield ’
= WARRIOR
the storm of the shield → BATTLE
Every word-holding announcer of the BATTLE → WARRIOR
es ‘who’
(not checked:)
2. er (conj.): who, which, when
[5] es (‘er’): so Tóm, 73aˣ, 71ˣ, 76aˣ, at Flat
haldorðr ‘word-holding’
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haldorðr (adj.): [word-holding]
kennings
Hverr haldorðr boði éls skjaldar,‘Every word-holding announcer of the storm of the shield ’
= WARRIOR
the storm of the shield → BATTLE
Every word-holding announcer of the BATTLE → WARRIOR
notes
[6] haldorðr ‘word-holding’: The word can be used in a positive sense, ‘faithful’, i.e. ‘keeping one’s word’ (as in Hharð Lv 14/4II, Anon Krm 18/2VIII (Ragn)), or a negative one, ‘obstinate’, i.e. ‘holding stubbornly to one’s opinions’, as here: see LP: haldorðr.
boði ‘announcer’
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boði (noun m.; °-a; -ar): messenger, breaker
kennings
Hverr haldorðr boði éls skjaldar,‘Every word-holding announcer of the storm of the shield ’
= WARRIOR
the storm of the shield → BATTLE
Every word-holding announcer of the BATTLE → WARRIOR
skjaldar ‘of the shield’
(not checked:)
skjǫldr (noun m.; °skjaldar/skildar, dat. skildi; skildir, acc. skjǫldu): shield
[6] skjaldar: skorðar Tóm
kennings
Hverr haldorðr boði éls skjaldar,‘Every word-holding announcer of the storm of the shield ’
= WARRIOR
the storm of the shield → BATTLE
Every word-holding announcer of the BATTLE → WARRIOR
skjaldar ‘of the shield’
(not checked:)
skjǫldr (noun m.; °skjaldar/skildar, dat. skildi; skildir, acc. skjǫldu): shield
[6] skjaldar: skorðar Tóm
kennings
Hverr haldorðr boði éls skjaldar,‘Every word-holding announcer of the storm of the shield ’
= WARRIOR
the storm of the shield → BATTLE
Every word-holding announcer of the BATTLE → WARRIOR
kennings
Hverr haldorðr boði éls skjaldar,‘Every word-holding announcer of the storm of the shield ’
= WARRIOR
the storm of the shield → BATTLE
Every word-holding announcer of the BATTLE → WARRIOR
kennings
Hverr haldorðr boði éls skjaldar,‘Every word-holding announcer of the storm of the shield ’
= WARRIOR
the storm of the shield → BATTLE
Every word-holding announcer of the BATTLE → WARRIOR
þvís ‘what’
[7] þvís (‘þui er’): so Tóm, því at Flat, 73aˣ, 71ˣ, 76aˣ
allir ‘all’
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allr (adj.): all
mæla ‘say’
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1. mæla (verb): speak, say
fifli ‘a fool’
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fífl (noun n.): [a fool, giant]
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Munu, þeirs mestar skynjar |
Those who comprehend the greatest knowledge of the delightful wave of Dáinn <dwarf> [POETRY] will hardly [lit. less] find verse-flaws in the encomium of judicious Sigvatr. Every word-holding announcer of the storm of the shield [BATTLE > WARRIOR] who rejects what all say will doubtless make himself a fool.
Sigvatr travels incognito in Denmark because of King Knútr’s enmity to those who had been friends of King Óláfr. He stays at a farm where the people are discussing poetry, and they find fault with Sigvatr’s verses (not knowing he is present). He delivers this stanza, revealing his identity and necessitating a rapid escape.
The import of this vísa is that if critics find fault with Sigvatr’s poetry, it is because their knowledge of versecraft is faulty, and their criticisms only expose their ignorance. For a discussion of some unusual formal features of Sigvatr’s verse, see Finnur Jónsson LH I, 597-8.
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