Sigv Lv 3I
R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Sigvatr Þórðarson, Lausavísur 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. 702.
Ek ‘I’
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
notes
[1, 3, 4] ek tók við sverði þínu ‘I accepted your sword’: In the ceremony of investiture as a retainer, the king would hold the haft of his sword over his right knee, and the aspiring retainer would grasp the haft with his right hand: see Hirðskrá chs 31, 43 (ed. Meissner 1938; Imsen 2000).
tók ‘accepted’
(not checked:)
2. taka (verb): take
notes
[1, 3, 4] ek tók við sverði þínu ‘I accepted your sword’: In the ceremony of investiture as a retainer, the king would hold the haft of his sword over his right knee, and the aspiring retainer would grasp the haft with his right hand: see Hirðskrá chs 31, 43 (ed. Meissner 1938; Imsen 2000).
né ‘not’
(not checked:)
né (conj.): nor
[1] né lastak (‘ne ek lasta’): ‘ne e[…] asta’ 325VI, mǫrk lasta 78aˣ, ek lasta 61, en ek lasta Flat, til lasta Tóm
lasta ‘find fault’
(not checked:)
lasta (verb): blame, deride < lasta (verb): blame, deride
[1] né lastak (‘ne ek lasta’): ‘ne e[…] asta’ 325VI, mǫrk lasta 78aˣ, ek lasta 61, en ek lasta Flat, til lasta Tóm
k ‘’
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me < lasta (verb): blame, deride
[1] né lastak (‘ne ek lasta’): ‘ne e[…] asta’ 325VI, mǫrk lasta 78aˣ, ek lasta 61, en ek lasta Flat, til lasta Tóm
íð ‘occupation’
(not checked:)
íð (noun f.): task
[2] íð es (‘ið er’): ‘ydri er’ 972ˣ, iðn er J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 325VI, 321ˣ, 68, Holm4, 325V, Bb, Flat, Tóm, iðu 73aˣ, í blank space er 78aˣ, iðn var 61, 325VII
notes
[2] íð ‘occupation’: The reading íðn/iðn in most mss is also possible, and more or less synonymous.
es ‘is’
(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
[2] íð es (‘ið er’): ‘ydri er’ 972ˣ, iðn er J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 325VI, 321ˣ, 68, Holm4, 325V, Bb, Flat, Tóm, iðu 73aˣ, í blank space er 78aˣ, iðn var 61, 325VII
þat ‘it’
notes
[2] þat ‘it’: Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, following Konráð Gíslason 1892 and 1895-7, II, 236) regards this as the object of né lastak ‘I will not find fault with’ (l. 1), but Kock (NN §671) objects that the preceding parenthesis must not end with unstressed es ‘is’.
sóknar ‘of combat’
(not checked:)
sókn (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): attack, fight
[3] sóknar: ‘socuar’ 325XI 2 l
kennings
Njǫrðr sóknar,‘Njǫrðr of combat, and I ’
= WARRIOR
Njǫrðr of combat, and I → WARRIOR
kennings
Njǫrðr sóknar,‘Njǫrðr of combat, and I ’
= WARRIOR
Njǫrðr of combat, and I → WARRIOR
notes
[1, 3, 4] ek tók við sverði þínu ‘I accepted your sword’: In the ceremony of investiture as a retainer, the king would hold the haft of his sword over his right knee, and the aspiring retainer would grasp the haft with his right hand: see Hirðskrá chs 31, 43 (ed. Meissner 1938; Imsen 2000).
notes
[1, 3, 4] ek tók við sverði þínu ‘I accepted your sword’: In the ceremony of investiture as a retainer, the king would hold the haft of his sword over his right knee, and the aspiring retainer would grasp the haft with his right hand: see Hirðskrá chs 31, 43 (ed. Meissner 1938; Imsen 2000).
mínn ‘what I’
(not checked:)
minn (pron.; °f. mín, n. mitt): my
[4] mínn: mín R686ˣ, 972ˣ, 61, 325V, Flat, Tóm
notes
[4] mínn ‘I’: The older form of minn, with long vowel, is required by the aðalhending. Similar forms with shortening (Lv 6/2, 7/7, 13/8, 18/7) and without (Lv 8/6, 19/2) are required by the hendingar in Sigvatr’s lausavísur; see also ‘Normalisation resulting from linguistic changes’ in General Introduction for discussion of short and long variants.
vili ‘wish’
(not checked:)
vili (noun m.; °-ja): will, wish
notes
[1, 3, 4] ek tók við sverði þínu ‘I accepted your sword’: In the ceremony of investiture as a retainer, the king would hold the haft of his sword over his right knee, and the aspiring retainer would grasp the haft with his right hand: see Hirðskrá chs 31, 43 (ed. Meissner 1938; Imsen 2000).
Þollr ‘Fir-tree’
(not checked:)
þollr (noun m.): fir-tree
kennings
Þollr látrs blóða linns,‘Fir-tree of the lair of the serpent’s brother, ’
= MAN
the serpent’s brother, → SERPENT
the lair of the SERPENT → GOLD
Fir-tree of the GOLD → MAN
fekkt ‘you got’
(not checked:)
2. fá (verb; °fǽr; fekk, fengu; fenginn): get, receive
[5] fekkt (‘fek tv’): tóktu R686ˣ, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 325VI, 78aˣ, tók en 321ˣ, gaztu Kˣ
hús ‘’
(not checked:)
hús (noun n.; °-s; -): house < húskarl (noun m.): retainer
[5] húskarl hollan: ‘h[…]’ 325VI, ‘huskarllann’ 325V, ‘huskarll […]ollan’ 325XI 2 l
karl ‘retainer’
(not checked:)
karl (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): (old) man < húskarl (noun m.): retainer
[5] húskarl hollan: ‘h[…]’ 325VI, ‘huskarllann’ 325V, ‘huskarll […]ollan’ 325XI 2 l
hollan ‘a loyal’
(not checked:)
hollr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): loyal
[5] húskarl hollan: ‘h[…]’ 325VI, ‘huskarllann’ 325V, ‘huskarll […]ollan’ 325XI 2 l
hǫfum ‘we have’
(not checked:)
hafa (verb): have
ráðit ‘decided’
(not checked:)
ráða (verb): advise, rule, interpret, decide
vel ‘well’
(not checked:)
vel (adv.): well, very
báðir ‘both’
(not checked:)
báðir (pron.; °gen. beggja (báðra), nom./acc. n. bǽði): both
[6] báðir: ‘baþr’ R686ˣ, ‘báðar’ Flat
látrs ‘of the lair’
(not checked:)
látr (noun n.; °; dat. -um): lair
[7] látrs: ‘Latturs’ 972ˣ, linns 61, ‘laírs’ 325XI 2 l
kennings
Þollr látrs blóða linns,‘Fir-tree of the lair of the serpent’s brother, ’
= MAN
the serpent’s brother, → SERPENT
the lair of the SERPENT → GOLD
Fir-tree of the GOLD → MAN
látrs ‘of the lair’
(not checked:)
látr (noun n.; °; dat. -um): lair
[7] látrs: ‘Latturs’ 972ˣ, linns 61, ‘laírs’ 325XI 2 l
kennings
Þollr látrs blóða linns,‘Fir-tree of the lair of the serpent’s brother, ’
= MAN
the serpent’s brother, → SERPENT
the lair of the SERPENT → GOLD
Fir-tree of the GOLD → MAN
en ‘and’
(not checked:)
2. en (conj.): but, and
lánar ‘liege’
(not checked:)
lán (noun n.; °-s; -): loan, gift < lánardróttinn (noun m.)
dróttin ‘lord’
(not checked:)
dróttinn (noun m.; °dróttins, dat. dróttni (drottini [$1049$]); dróttnar): lord, master < lánardróttinn (noun m.)
[7] ‑dróttin: so J1ˣ, 325VI, 78aˣ, Holm4, 325V, 325VII, 325XI 2 l, ‑dróttinn Holm2, 972ˣ, J2ˣ, 321ˣ, 73aˣ, 61, Bb, Flat, Tóm, Kˣ, ‘drotin’ R686ˣ, ‑drótni 68
linns ‘of the serpent’s’
(not checked:)
linnr (noun m.): snake
[8] linns: ‘Lins’ 972ˣ, lands 61, ‘linn(z)’(?) 325XI 2 l
kennings
Þollr látrs blóða linns,‘Fir-tree of the lair of the serpent’s brother, ’
= MAN
the serpent’s brother, → SERPENT
the lair of the SERPENT → GOLD
Fir-tree of the GOLD → MAN
notes
[8] blóða linns ‘of the serpent’s brother [SERPENT]’: Blóða ‘brother’ adds nothing to the kenning, just as bróðir adds nothing to bróðir gera ‘brother of the wolf/wolves [WOLF]’ (Anon Krm 16/3VIII in AM 6 folˣ), and brœðr adds nothing semantically to brœðr bergrisa ‘giant’s brothers [GIANTS]’ (Grott 9/7, NK 298). The use of ‘brother’ may serve to mark a change of number in some instances including the Grott example, and blóða here could be regarded as gen. pl. In support of that Meissner 239 has several examples of gen. pl. linna ‘of snakes’ as the determinant of gold-kennings, but on the other hand kennings of this type are at least partly motivated by legends of a lone dragon guarding treasure, notably Fáfnir. At all events, linns must not be thought to refer to an earthworm (as by Jón Skaptason 1983, 312-13); linnr alone may refer to a dragon: see LP: 1. linnr.
linns ‘of the serpent’s’
(not checked:)
linnr (noun m.): snake
[8] linns: ‘Lins’ 972ˣ, lands 61, ‘linn(z)’(?) 325XI 2 l
kennings
Þollr látrs blóða linns,‘Fir-tree of the lair of the serpent’s brother, ’
= MAN
the serpent’s brother, → SERPENT
the lair of the SERPENT → GOLD
Fir-tree of the GOLD → MAN
notes
[8] blóða linns ‘of the serpent’s brother [SERPENT]’: Blóða ‘brother’ adds nothing to the kenning, just as bróðir adds nothing to bróðir gera ‘brother of the wolf/wolves [WOLF]’ (Anon Krm 16/3VIII in AM 6 folˣ), and brœðr adds nothing semantically to brœðr bergrisa ‘giant’s brothers [GIANTS]’ (Grott 9/7, NK 298). The use of ‘brother’ may serve to mark a change of number in some instances including the Grott example, and blóða here could be regarded as gen. pl. In support of that Meissner 239 has several examples of gen. pl. linna ‘of snakes’ as the determinant of gold-kennings, but on the other hand kennings of this type are at least partly motivated by legends of a lone dragon guarding treasure, notably Fáfnir. At all events, linns must not be thought to refer to an earthworm (as by Jón Skaptason 1983, 312-13); linnr alone may refer to a dragon: see LP: 1. linnr.
linns ‘of the serpent’s’
(not checked:)
linnr (noun m.): snake
[8] linns: ‘Lins’ 972ˣ, lands 61, ‘linn(z)’(?) 325XI 2 l
kennings
Þollr látrs blóða linns,‘Fir-tree of the lair of the serpent’s brother, ’
= MAN
the serpent’s brother, → SERPENT
the lair of the SERPENT → GOLD
Fir-tree of the GOLD → MAN
notes
[8] blóða linns ‘of the serpent’s brother [SERPENT]’: Blóða ‘brother’ adds nothing to the kenning, just as bróðir adds nothing to bróðir gera ‘brother of the wolf/wolves [WOLF]’ (Anon Krm 16/3VIII in AM 6 folˣ), and brœðr adds nothing semantically to brœðr bergrisa ‘giant’s brothers [GIANTS]’ (Grott 9/7, NK 298). The use of ‘brother’ may serve to mark a change of number in some instances including the Grott example, and blóða here could be regarded as gen. pl. In support of that Meissner 239 has several examples of gen. pl. linna ‘of snakes’ as the determinant of gold-kennings, but on the other hand kennings of this type are at least partly motivated by legends of a lone dragon guarding treasure, notably Fáfnir. At all events, linns must not be thought to refer to an earthworm (as by Jón Skaptason 1983, 312-13); linnr alone may refer to a dragon: see LP: 1. linnr.
kennings
Þollr látrs blóða linns,‘Fir-tree of the lair of the serpent’s brother, ’
= MAN
the serpent’s brother, → SERPENT
the lair of the SERPENT → GOLD
Fir-tree of the GOLD → MAN
notes
[8] blóða linns ‘of the serpent’s brother [SERPENT]’: Blóða ‘brother’ adds nothing to the kenning, just as bróðir adds nothing to bróðir gera ‘brother of the wolf/wolves [WOLF]’ (Anon Krm 16/3VIII in AM 6 folˣ), and brœðr adds nothing semantically to brœðr bergrisa ‘giant’s brothers [GIANTS]’ (Grott 9/7, NK 298). The use of ‘brother’ may serve to mark a change of number in some instances including the Grott example, and blóða here could be regarded as gen. pl. In support of that Meissner 239 has several examples of gen. pl. linna ‘of snakes’ as the determinant of gold-kennings, but on the other hand kennings of this type are at least partly motivated by legends of a lone dragon guarding treasure, notably Fáfnir. At all events, linns must not be thought to refer to an earthworm (as by Jón Skaptason 1983, 312-13); linnr alone may refer to a dragon: see LP: 1. linnr.
kennings
Þollr látrs blóða linns,‘Fir-tree of the lair of the serpent’s brother, ’
= MAN
the serpent’s brother, → SERPENT
the lair of the SERPENT → GOLD
Fir-tree of the GOLD → MAN
notes
[8] blóða linns ‘of the serpent’s brother [SERPENT]’: Blóða ‘brother’ adds nothing to the kenning, just as bróðir adds nothing to bróðir gera ‘brother of the wolf/wolves [WOLF]’ (Anon Krm 16/3VIII in AM 6 folˣ), and brœðr adds nothing semantically to brœðr bergrisa ‘giant’s brothers [GIANTS]’ (Grott 9/7, NK 298). The use of ‘brother’ may serve to mark a change of number in some instances including the Grott example, and blóða here could be regarded as gen. pl. In support of that Meissner 239 has several examples of gen. pl. linna ‘of snakes’ as the determinant of gold-kennings, but on the other hand kennings of this type are at least partly motivated by legends of a lone dragon guarding treasure, notably Fáfnir. At all events, linns must not be thought to refer to an earthworm (as by Jón Skaptason 1983, 312-13); linnr alone may refer to a dragon: see LP: 1. linnr.
kennings
Þollr látrs blóða linns,‘Fir-tree of the lair of the serpent’s brother, ’
= MAN
the serpent’s brother, → SERPENT
the lair of the SERPENT → GOLD
Fir-tree of the GOLD → MAN
notes
[8] blóða linns ‘of the serpent’s brother [SERPENT]’: Blóða ‘brother’ adds nothing to the kenning, just as bróðir adds nothing to bróðir gera ‘brother of the wolf/wolves [WOLF]’ (Anon Krm 16/3VIII in AM 6 folˣ), and brœðr adds nothing semantically to brœðr bergrisa ‘giant’s brothers [GIANTS]’ (Grott 9/7, NK 298). The use of ‘brother’ may serve to mark a change of number in some instances including the Grott example, and blóða here could be regarded as gen. pl. In support of that Meissner 239 has several examples of gen. pl. linna ‘of snakes’ as the determinant of gold-kennings, but on the other hand kennings of this type are at least partly motivated by legends of a lone dragon guarding treasure, notably Fáfnir. At all events, linns must not be thought to refer to an earthworm (as by Jón Skaptason 1983, 312-13); linnr alone may refer to a dragon: see LP: 1. linnr.
góðan ‘a good’
(not checked:)
góðr (adj.): good
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
I accepted, eager, your sword, Njǫrðr <god> of combat [WARRIOR], and I will not find fault with it afterwards; this is what I wish; it is a praiseworthy occupation. Fir-tree of the lair of the serpent’s brother [SERPENT > GOLD > MAN], you got a loyal retainer, and I [got] for myself a good liege lord; we have both decided well.
After accepting reward for the previous stanza, Sigvatr becomes a member of the king’s retinue, and he delivers this.
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