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Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Steinn Nizv 6II

Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Steinn Herdísarson, Nizarvísur 6’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 364-5.

Steinn HerdísarsonNizarvísur
567

Oss dugir hrafns ins hvassa
hungrdeyfi svá leyfa,
linns at lastim annan
látrs sveigjanda eigi.
Aldri kvǫddusk oddum
— annat hverjum manni
táls of tyggja at mæla —
tveir fullhugar meiri.

Oss dugir leyfa {{hungrdeyfi} ins hvassa hrafns} svá, at lastim eigi {annan sveigjanda {látrs linns}}. Aldri kvǫddusk tveir meiri fullhugar oddum; táls hverjum manni at mæla annat of tyggja.

It is fitting for us [me] to praise {{the hunger-appeaser} [FEEDER] of the fierce raven} [WARRIOR = Haraldr] in such a way that we [I] do not belittle {the other bender {of the snake’s lair}} [GOLD > GENEROUS MAN = Sveinn]. Never did two more valiant ones greet each other with spear-points; it is treachery for any man to say something else about the lords.

Mss: (44-46), 20dˣ(19r-v), 873ˣ(18v), 20b I(1r), 180b(33r) (ll. 1-4) (Knýtl)

Readings: [2] ‑deyfi: ‘‑deyinn’ 180b    [3] lastim: lastinn 20dˣ, 180b;    annan: annat 180b    [4] látrs: látr 180b;    sveigjanda: so 873ˣ, ‘svegianda’ JÓ, sveiganda 20dˣ, ‘sueigian’ 20b I, sveigandi 180b    [5] Aldri: so 20b I, ‘alldreigi’ JÓ, 873ˣ, ‘aldreyi’ 20dˣ

Editions: Skj AI, 408-9, Skj BI, 378, Skald I, 188; 1741, 44-7, ÍF 35, 138 (ch. 25).

Context: Sts 6-7 are incorporated into Knýtl after the death of Sveinn Úlfsson of Denmark to illustrate his personal qualities.

Notes: [All]: Skj dates Nizv to 1062, i.e. right after the battle of the Nissan. However, because of the favourable sentiments towards Sveinn Úlfsson that are expressed in this and the next st., it seems more likely that Steinn composed the poem in 1064 after the peace-treaty had been concluded between Haraldr and Sveinn (see also Halli XI Fl). — [1-2] hungrdeyfi ins hvassa hrafns ‘the hunger-appeaser [FEEDER] of the fierce raven [WARRIOR = Haraldr]’: For kennings of this type, see Note to Arn Hryn 7/1, 2. — [5] kvǫddusk oddum ‘greet each other with spear-points’: I.e. they fought. Cf. Þhorn Gldr 4/8I. — [7] of tyggja ‘about the lords’: Could also be taken as the sg. (so 1741, 47: de Rege ‘about the king’). — [8]: The last l. in 20dˣ is in the hand of ÁM.

References

  1. Bibliography
  2. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
  3. ÍF 35 = Danakonunga sǫgur. Ed. Bjarni Guðnason. 1982.
  4. 1741 = Jón Ólafsson, ed. 1741. Æfi dana-konunga eda Knytlinga saga: Historia Cnutidarum regum Daniæ. Copenhagen: [n. p.].
  5. Internal references
  6. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Knýtlinga saga’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=19> (accessed 28 March 2024)
  7. Russell Poole 2009, ‘ Halli stirði, Flokkr’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 337-43. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1244> (accessed 28 March 2024)
  8. Kari Ellen Gade 2009, ‘ Steinn Herdísarson, Nizarvísur’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 359-66. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1389> (accessed 28 March 2024)
  9. Diana Whaley (ed.) 2009, ‘Arnórr jarlaskáld Þórðarson, Hrynhenda, Magnússdrápa 7’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 191-2.
  10. Edith Marold (ed.) 2012, ‘Þorbjǫrn hornklofi, Glymdrápa 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. 83.
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