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Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Sturl Hrafn 18II

Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Sturla Þórðarson, Hrafnsmál 18’ 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. 743.

Sturla ÞórðarsonHrafnsmál
171819

Hlóðu hugprúðir
hrings at brynþingi
várir vegstórum
virðar baug-Nirði.
Fylduz fjörseldum
frammi valgammar
— hverr man hringþverris
hefna — auðstefni.

Várir hugprúðir virðar hrings hlóðu {vegstórum baug-Nirði} at {brynþingi}. {Valgammar} fylduz frammi {fjörseldum auðstefni}; hverr man hefna {hringþverris}?

Our gallant men of the sword killed {the honourable ring-Njǫrðr <god>} [MAN = Perus] at {the byrnie-assembly} [BATTLE]. {The corpse-buzzards} [RAVENS/EAGLES] stuffed themselves in the vanguard {with the lifeless wealth-dispenser} [GENEROUS MAN]; who will avenge {the ring-diminisher} [GENEROUS MAN]?

Mss: F(123rb), 8(79v), Flat(185vb) (Hák)

Readings: [2] at: í Flat    [3] ‑stórum: so 8, Flat, ‑stórir F    [4] Nirði: so 8, Flat, nirðir F    [5] fjör‑: so Flat, so Flat, fjöl‑ F, 8

Editions: Skj AII, 123-4, Skj BII, 131, Skald II, 70, NN §1362; F 1871, 578Hák 1977-82, 204, Flat 1860-8, III, 226.

Context: The next morning, Hákon and a contingent of Norwegians went ashore and were surprised by a large Scottish army. Hákon was sent back to the ships, and the remaining Norwegians engaged in battle. Many fell, but a Scottish knight, Perus (so Flat, 8; ‘Ferus’ F), was killed by Andrés Nikulásson.

Notes: [All]: This was the battle of Largs, fought on 2 October 1263. That battle ended in Norw. defeat and marked the end of Hákon’s activities in Scotland. — [3, 4] vegstórum baug-Nirði (m. dat. sg.) ‘the honourable ring-Njǫrðr <god> [MAN = Perus]’: So 8, Flat. Vegstórir baug-Nirðir (m. nom. pl.; so F), is ungrammatical because this kenning is not the subject of the cl. For this kenning, see also ÞTref Hrafn 1/7V (variant reading). — [5] fjörseldum ‘lifeless’: Lit. ‘life-sold’. Hap. leg. — [6] frammi ‘in the vanguard’: I.e. ‘ahead [of the Norw. ranks]’ (so Konráð Gíslason 1895-7, I, 103; NN §1362). Perus was killed among his own men by Andrés, who had penetrated the ranks of the Scots. Skj B takes the adv. with the second cl. and translates it as ‘in the future’ (i fremtiden). However, frammi is otherwise not attested with a temporal meaning (see Fritzner: frammi). The adv. is awkward and appears to be a metrical filler.

References

  1. Bibliography
  2. Skj B = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1912-15b. Den norsk-islandske skjaldedigtning. B: Rettet tekst. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Villadsen & Christensen. Rpt. 1973. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde & Bagger.
  3. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
  4. NN = Kock, Ernst Albin. 1923-44. Notationes Norrœnæ: Anteckningar till Edda och skaldediktning. Lunds Universitets årsskrift new ser. 1. 28 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
  5. Flat 1860-8 = Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and C. R. Unger, eds. 1860-8. Flateyjarbók. En samling af norske konge-sagaer med indskudte mindre fortællinger om begivenheder i og udenfor Norge samt annaler. 3 vols. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
  6. Fritzner = Fritzner, Johan. 1883-96. Ordbog over det gamle norske sprog. 3 vols. Kristiania (Oslo): Den norske forlagsforening. 4th edn. Rpt. 1973. Oslo etc.: Universitetsforlaget.
  7. F 1871 = Unger, C. R., ed. 1871. Fríssbók: Codex Frisianus. En samling af norske konge-sagaer. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
  8. Hák 1977-82 = Mundt, Marina, ed. 1977. Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar etter Sth. 8 fol., AM 325VIII, 4° og AM 304, 4°. Oslo: Forlagsentralen. Suppl. by James E. Knirk, Rettelser til Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar etter Sth. 8 fol., AM 325VIII, 4° og AM 304, 4°. Norrøne tekster 2. Oslo: Norsk historisk kjeldeskrift-institutt, 1982.
  9. Konráð Gíslason. 1895-7. Efterladte skrifter. 2 vols. I: Forelæsninger over oldnordiske skjaldekvad. II: Forelæsninger og videnskablige afhandlinger. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
  10. Internal references
  11. Judy Quinn (ed.) 2022, ‘Eyrbyggja saga 20 (Þormóðr Trefilsson, Hrafnsmál 1)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross, Kari Ellen Gade and Tarrin Wills (eds), Poetry in Sagas of Icelanders. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 5. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 443.
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