Sturl Hrafn 3^II

Glumði á gjálfrtömðum
Gestils skeiðhestum
eldr of allvaldi
ægis nafnfrægjum.
Skein af skautvænum
skeiðum brimreiðar
sól of sigdeili
snotrum óþrotlig.

{Eldr ægis} glumði á {gjálfrtömðum {Gestils skeið}hestum} of nafnfrægjum allvaldi. {Óþrotlig sól {brimreiðar}} skein af skautvænum skeiðum of {snotrum sigdeili}.

{The fire of the ocean} [GOLD] resounded on {the surge-tamed horses {of Gestill’s <sea-king’s> track}} [(lit. ‘track-horses of Gestill’) SEA > SHIPS] above the renowned mighty ruler. {The unceasing sun {of the surf-chariot}} [SHIP > SHIELD] shone from the sail-fair warships around {the wise battle-distributor} [WARRIOR].

Mss: F(121vb), Flat(185rb) (Hák)

Readings: [1] ‑tömðum: ‘tonnum’ Flat    [6] brim‑: so Flat, bryn‑ F    [7] of (‘um’): so Flat, af F    [8] snotrum: snotran Flat

Editions: Skj AII, 120, Skj BII, 127, Skald II, 68; F 1871, 571, Flat 1860-8, III, 218-19.

Context: As st. 2 above.

Notes: [1] glumði ‘resounded’: Most likely to refer to weather-vanes and other ornaments moving in the wind. For weather-vanes, see Note to Ív Sig 16/1. — [1] gjálfrtömðum ‘surge-tamed’: Hap. leg. — [3, 4] eldr ægis ‘the fire of the ocean [GOLD]’: Ægir ‘ocean’ could also be taken as the personified Ægir, god of the sea, whose fire was ‘gold’ (see Note to Gísl Magnkv 16/8). — [5] skautvænum ‘sail-fair’: Hap. leg. See also st. 15/6 below. — [6-7] sól brimreiðar ‘the sun of the surf-chariot [SHIP > SHIELD]’: For comparable kennings for ‘ship’ and ‘shield’, see Meissner 168, 221. Skj B and Skald emend to sól brimleiðar ‘the sun of the surf-road’ where ‘surf-road’ is ‘sea’ and its sun is ‘gold’. Brynreiðar ‘of the byrnie-chariot’ (so F) makes no sense in the context. — [8] snotrum (m. dat. sg.) ‘wise’: So F. Skj B and Skald adopt the Flat variant snotran (m. acc. sg.), which is unnecessary (of in the meaning ‘around’ can take both dat. and acc.).

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. Meissner = Meissner, Rudolf. 1921. Die Kenningar der Skalden: Ein Beitrag zur skaldischen Poetik. Rheinische Beiträge und Hülfsbücher zur germanischen Philologie und Volkskunde 1. Bonn and Leipzig: Schroeder. Rpt. 1984. Hildesheim etc.: Olms.
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. F 1871 = Unger, C. R., ed. 1871. Fríssbók: Codex Frisianus. En samling af norske konge-sagaer. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
7. Internal references
8. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Gísl Illugason, Erfikvæði about Magnús berfœttr 16’ 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. 427-8.
9. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Ívarr Ingimundarson, Sigurðarbálkr 16’ 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. 511-12.