Sturl Hrafn 15II
Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Sturla Þórðarson, Hrafnsmál 15’ 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. 740.
Mætti ‘encountered’
(not checked:)
mœta (verb): meet
margfréttinn ‘The very inquisitive’
(not checked:)
margfréttinn (adj./verb p.p.): [very inquisitive]
kennings
Margfréttinn framstiklir auðar‘The very inquisitive dispenser of wealth ’
= GENEROUS MAN
The very inquisitive dispenser of wealth → GENEROUS MAN
notes
[1] margfréttinn ‘very inquisitive’: Hap. leg.
miklum ‘the mighty’
(not checked:)
(non-lexical)
notes
[2, 3-4] miklum gjörningum inga óþjóða ‘the mighty sorceries of the king of evildoers [= Alexander]’: This can hardly be construed differently. Skj B has megen trolddom fra røverfolkets fyrste ‘much sorcery from the prince of robbers’. Most likely Sturla is making an allusion to the famous battle of Hjǫrungavágr between the Norw. Hákon jarl and the Dan. Jómsvíkingar. During that battle, Hákon sacrificed to pagan deities who caused a terrible hailstorm that brought Hákon victory (see ÓT 1958-2000, I, 190-3; Bjbp Jóms 30, 32I). Ingi is a pers. n. but it can also be used as a heiti for ‘king’ (see LP: ingi). See also Anon (HSig) 3/6.
fram ‘dispenser’
(not checked:)
fram (adv.): out, forth, forwards, away < framstiklir (noun m.)
kennings
Margfréttinn framstiklir auðar‘The very inquisitive dispenser of wealth ’
= GENEROUS MAN
The very inquisitive dispenser of wealth → GENEROUS MAN
notes
[2] framstiklir ‘dispenser’: Lit. ‘forwards-thrower’. Hap. leg.
stiklir ‘’
(not checked:)
stiklir (noun m.): thrower, dispenser < framstiklir (noun m.)
[2] ‑stiklir: stikla Flat
kennings
Margfréttinn framstiklir auðar‘The very inquisitive dispenser of wealth ’
= GENEROUS MAN
The very inquisitive dispenser of wealth → GENEROUS MAN
notes
[2] framstiklir ‘dispenser’: Lit. ‘forwards-thrower’. Hap. leg.
auðar ‘of wealth’
(not checked:)
1. auðr (noun m.; °-s/-ar, dat. -i/-): wealth
[3] auðar (‘ovdar’): so 325X, óðrar F, óðar 304ˣ, æði Flat
kennings
Margfréttinn framstiklir auðar‘The very inquisitive dispenser of wealth ’
= GENEROUS MAN
The very inquisitive dispenser of wealth → GENEROUS MAN
óþjóða ‘of evildoers [Alexander]’
(not checked:)
óþjóð (noun f.): evildoer, evil tribe
notes
[2, 3-4] miklum gjörningum inga óþjóða ‘the mighty sorceries of the king of evildoers [= Alexander]’: This can hardly be construed differently. Skj B has megen trolddom fra røverfolkets fyrste ‘much sorcery from the prince of robbers’. Most likely Sturla is making an allusion to the famous battle of Hjǫrungavágr between the Norw. Hákon jarl and the Dan. Jómsvíkingar. During that battle, Hákon sacrificed to pagan deities who caused a terrible hailstorm that brought Hákon victory (see ÓT 1958-2000, I, 190-3; Bjbp Jóms 30, 32I). Ingi is a pers. n. but it can also be used as a heiti for ‘king’ (see LP: ingi). See also Anon (HSig) 3/6.
inga ‘of the king’
(not checked:)
Ingi (noun m.): king, Ingi
notes
[2, 3-4] miklum gjörningum inga óþjóða ‘the mighty sorceries of the king of evildoers [= Alexander]’: This can hardly be construed differently. Skj B has megen trolddom fra røverfolkets fyrste ‘much sorcery from the prince of robbers’. Most likely Sturla is making an allusion to the famous battle of Hjǫrungavágr between the Norw. Hákon jarl and the Dan. Jómsvíkingar. During that battle, Hákon sacrificed to pagan deities who caused a terrible hailstorm that brought Hákon victory (see ÓT 1958-2000, I, 190-3; Bjbp Jóms 30, 32I). Ingi is a pers. n. but it can also be used as a heiti for ‘king’ (see LP: ingi). See also Anon (HSig) 3/6.
gjörningum ‘sorceries’
(not checked:)
gjǫrningr (noun m.): [sorceries]
notes
[2, 3-4] miklum gjörningum inga óþjóða ‘the mighty sorceries of the king of evildoers [= Alexander]’: This can hardly be construed differently. Skj B has megen trolddom fra røverfolkets fyrste ‘much sorcery from the prince of robbers’. Most likely Sturla is making an allusion to the famous battle of Hjǫrungavágr between the Norw. Hákon jarl and the Dan. Jómsvíkingar. During that battle, Hákon sacrificed to pagan deities who caused a terrible hailstorm that brought Hákon victory (see ÓT 1958-2000, I, 190-3; Bjbp Jóms 30, 32I). Ingi is a pers. n. but it can also be used as a heiti for ‘king’ (see LP: ingi). See also Anon (HSig) 3/6.
Leysti ‘loosened’
(not checked:)
leysa (verb): release, loosen, redeem
lábrostinn ‘The wave-bursting’
(not checked:)
lábrostinn (adj./verb p.p.): [wave-bursting]
notes
[5] lábrostinn ‘wave-bursting’: Hap. leg.
lögr ‘sea’
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lǫgr (noun m.; °lagar, dat. legi): sea
in ‘the’
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2. inn (art.): the
notes
[6] in skautfögru ‘the sail-fair’: Hap. leg. See also st. 3/5 above.
skaut ‘sail’
(not checked:)
skaut (noun n.; °; -): sail < skautfagr (adj.)
notes
[6] in skautfögru ‘the sail-fair’: Hap. leg. See also st. 3/5 above.
fögru ‘fair’
(not checked:)
fagr (adj.; °fagran; compar. fegri, superl. fegrstr): fair, beautiful < skautfagr (adj.)
[6] ‑fögru: fögrum Flat
notes
[6] in skautfögru ‘the sail-fair’: Hap. leg. See also st. 3/5 above.
flaust ‘ships’
(not checked:)
flaust (noun n.): ship
notes
[7-8] ór frónlæstum festum ‘from the land-secured moorings’: Must refer to the anchors which had secured the ships to the bottom of the sea. According to the prose, the anchors became loose and Hákon’s ship was adrift until they finally caught hold. Frónlæstum ‘land-secured’ (l. 7) is a hap. leg.
frónlæstum ‘the land-secured’
(not checked:)
frónlæstr (adj.): [land-secured]
[7] frónlæstum: ‘from Læstumm’ 304ˣ, farnestum Flat
notes
[7-8] ór frónlæstum festum ‘from the land-secured moorings’: Must refer to the anchors which had secured the ships to the bottom of the sea. According to the prose, the anchors became loose and Hákon’s ship was adrift until they finally caught hold. Frónlæstum ‘land-secured’ (l. 7) is a hap. leg.
festum ‘moorings’
(not checked:)
festr (noun f.; °dat. & acc. -i; -ar/-ir): mooring, betrothal
[8] festum: so 304ˣ, 325X, flestum F, Flat
notes
[7-8] ór frónlæstum festum ‘from the land-secured moorings’: Must refer to the anchors which had secured the ships to the bottom of the sea. According to the prose, the anchors became loose and Hákon’s ship was adrift until they finally caught hold. Frónlæstum ‘land-secured’ (l. 7) is a hap. leg.
baug ‘of the ring’
(not checked:)
baugr (noun m.; °dat. -i/-; -ar): ring < bauglestir (noun m.)
kennings
bauglestis‘of the ring-wounder ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the ring-wounder → GENEROUS MAN
lestis ‘wounder’
(not checked:)
lestir (noun m.): damager, destroyer < bauglestir (noun m.)
[8] ‑lestis: so all others, ‑estis F
kennings
bauglestis‘of the ring-wounder ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the ring-wounder → GENEROUS MAN
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
On 1 October, a strong storm with rain and hail hit the Norw. main fleet which was anchored near the Cumbraes in the Firth of Clyde. The royal ship drifted into the sound along with other vessels, and the crew had to use all eight anchors to secure it. Some believed that the storm had been caused by sorcery.
The violent storm is also mentioned in insular sources, where it is attributed to divine intervention (see Anderson 1922, II, 607).
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