Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Sturla Þórðarson, Hákonarkviða 10’ 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. 707.
Stóð ófriðr
af afarmenni
innanlands
öllu fólki,
þá er ynglingr
austr á Láku
sverða seið
of samit hafði,
ok vígálfr
vaxanda lét
úlfa ár
ok ara ferðar.
Valði vetr
til vápnþrimu
of vígskátt
vísa ríki.
Ófriðr stóð af afarmenni öllu fólki innanlands, þá er ynglingr hafði of samit {seið sverða} austr á Láku, ok {vígálfr} lét ár úlfa ok ferðar ara vaxanda. Valði vetr til {vápnþrimu} of vígskátt ríki vísa.
Unrest came from the proud man to all people within the country, when the chieftain had caused {a chant of swords} [BATTLE] east at Låke, and {the battle-elf} [WARRIOR = Skúli] made the prosperity of the wolves and of the company of eagles increase. He chose the winter for {weapon-clash} [BATTLE] throughout the war-worn realm of the ruler.
Mss: E(173v), F(109rb), 42ˣ(157r), 81a(105vb) (ll. 1, 5-16), 8(53r), Flat(177va) (Hák)
Readings: [1] ófriðr: om. 81a [2] afar‑: so all others, ‘amar’ E [5] þá er: om. 81a [7] seið: leið 42ˣ [9] víg‑: so 42ˣ, Flat, ‘vigi‑’ E, ‘viggi‑’ F, ‘viga’ 81a, ‘ragi‑’ 8 [10] vaxanda: vaxandi 81a [13] Valði (‘valdi hann’): so Flat, valðan E, F, 42ˣ, 81a, 8 [14] ‑þrimu: ‑þrumu 42ˣ [15] of: ok 42ˣ, Flat; ‑skátt: ‑skart 42ˣ, ‑skár Flat
Editions: Skj AII, 111-12, Skj BII, 120-1, Skald II, 64-5; E 1916, 593, F 1871, 507, Hák 1910-86, 537, Hák 1977-82, 116-17, Flat 1860-8, III, 140.
Context: The battle of Låke between the forces of Skúli Bárðarson and the Birkibeinar under the leadership of Jarl Knútr, the son of Jarl Hákon galinn ‘the Crazy’, fought on 9 March 1240. Knútr lost the battle and retreated with his men to Tønsberg.
Notes: [All]: For this event, see also Ólhv Hryn 8 and Lv 2. — [6] austr á Láku ‘east at Låke’: Farmstead in Nannestad, Romerike, Norway. — [11] ár ‘the prosperity’: Ár can mean ‘prosperity, good crops, abundance, riches’. ‘The prosperity of the wolves and of the company of eagles’ refers to the carnage left behind after the battle, a deft juxtaposition to the prosperity of the country brought about by Hákon’s rule (cf. sts 4-5 above). — [13] valði (3rd pers. sg. pret. indic.) ‘he chose’: So Flat. The reading of the other mss, valðan (p. p. m. acc. sg.) ‘chosen’ could be taken as another object to lét vaxanda ‘made increase’ (l. 10) (‘made the chosen winter increase’). That makes little sense in the present context but must have entered the ms. transmission at an early point. — [15-16] of vígskátt ríki vísa ‘throughout the war-worn realm of the ruler’: Cf. Anon Nkt 5/3-4.
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