Sturl Hrafn 20^II

Beit at brynmóti
brún í rauðtúnum
egg of ódyggvar
aldar gunntjalda,
áðr en egghríðar
undan víglundum
skyndu ský-Þundar
skoskir alþroskins.

Brún egg beit í {rauðtúnum {gunntjalda}} of ódyggvar aldar at {brynmóti}, áðr en skoskir {{{egghríðar} ský-}Þundar} skyndu undan {víglundum} alþroskins.

The shining sword-edge bit in {the red enclosures {of battle-tents}} [SHIELDS > SHIELD-WALLS] around unfaithful men at {the byrnie-meeting} [BATTLE], before the Scottish {Þundar <= Óðinn’s> {of the cloud {of the edge-storm}}} [(lit. ‘cloud-Þundar of the edge-storm’) BATTLE > SHIELD > WARRIORS] hastened away {from the slaughter-trees} [WARRIORS] of the very manly one.

Mss: F(123rb), 8(79v), Flat(186ra) (Hák)

Readings: [1] bryn‑: om. 8    [2] brún í rauðtúnum: brunn í rauð tunnum Flat;    rauð‑: rand‑ 8    [3] ‑dyggvar: ‑dyggar 8    [4] aldar: aldir 8, Flat    [6] undan: so 8, Flat, unda F    [7] skyndu: skundu Flat;    Þundar: ‘‑dundar’ Flat

Editions: Skj AII, 124, Skj BII, 131, Skald II, 70-1, NN §1363; F 1871, 578, Hák 1977-82, 205, Flat 1860-8, III, 226.

Context: As st. 19 above.

Notes: [1-4]: The present edn follows NN §1363. Skj B construes the helmingr as follows: Brún egg of beit at brynmóti í rauðtúnum gunntjalda ódyggrar aldar translated as Den brune sværdsæg bed i kampen i de slette mænds røde skjoldgærder ‘The brown sword-edge bit in battle in the despicable men’s red shield-fences’. That interpretation is not possible, because the expletive of (l. 3) is never separated from the verb (here: beit ‘bit’ (l. 1)). — [2] rauðtúnum ‘the red enclosures’: Hap. leg. — [3-4] ódyggvar aldar ‘unfaithful men’: This must refer to the Scots opposing Hákon in the battle, but it is not quite clear why they are called ‘unfaithful’. It could be that Sturla alludes to Alexander’s postponement of the proposed peace negotations until the Norw. fleet was at a disadvantage because of the autumn storms (see st. 12 above). — [8] skoskir ‘Scottish’: For the medial consonant cluster [sk], see ANG §303.2.

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. ANG = Noreen, Adolf. 1923. Altnordische Grammatik I: Altisländische und altnorwegische Grammatik (Laut- und Flexionslehre) unter Berücksichtigung des Urnordischen. 4th edn. Halle: Niemeyer. 1st edn. 1884. 5th unrev. edn. 1970. Tübingen: Niemeyer.
6. 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.
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.