Sturl Hryn 2^II

Austan sendi gulli glæsta
Gauta stýrir megindýrum,
seima þollr, með sæmðum öllum
sína dóttur arfa þínum.
Völdugr tóktu af mestri mildi,
málma skerðir, Svía ferðar
— aldir dýrka yðvart veldi
eirarsamt — við brúðför þeiri.

{Stýrir Gauta} sendi austan megindýrum arfa þínum dóttur sína, glæsta gulli, með öllum sæmðum, {þollr seima}. {Völdugr skerðir málma}, tóktu af mestri mildi við þeiri brúðför ferðar Svía; aldir dýrka eirarsamt veldi yðvart.

{The commander of the Gautar} [= Birgir Magnússon] sent from the east to your most noble heir his daughter, adorned with gold, with all honours, {fir-tree of gold} [MAN]. {Powerful diminisher of weapons} [WARRIOR], you received with the greatest generosity the bridal train of the Swedes’ troop; people glorify your peaceful empire.

Mss: F(116rb), E(186v), 81a(116rb), 8(65v), Flat(181vb) (Hák)

Readings: [2] stýrir: stýris 8    [5] tóktu: tók 81a    [6] ferðar: so all others, ferðir F    [7] aldir: allir E, 81a;    dýrka: dýrki Flat    [8] eirar‑: eittár E;    við: með 81a;    þeiri: þeira Flat

Editions: Skj AII, 102, Skj BII, 113-14, Skald II, 60; F 1871, 542, E 1916, 635-6, Hák 1910-86, 627, Hák 1977-82, 154, Flat 1860-8, III, 183.

Context: Jarl Birgir sent his daughter Ríkiza from Sweden in 1251 to marry King Hákon’s son Hákon ungi ‘the Young’.

Notes: [All]: There were political reasons for the marriage of Ríkiza and Hákon ungi. In 1225 King Hákon invaded Värmland, as Sturla mentions in Hákkv 7-8, and Jarl Birgir was anxious to avoid further conflict with the Norw. king. At a meeting in 1249, they promised not to support each other’s enemies. In addition, Hákon gained the support of the jarl in his aggressive policy towards the Danes and could focus on expanding his state to the south (Helle 1974, 128-9).

References

1. Bibliography
2. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
3. 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.
4. F 1871 = Unger, C. R., ed. 1871. Fríssbók: Codex Frisianus. En samling af norske konge-sagaer. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
5. E 1916 = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1916. Eirspennill: AM 47 fol. Nóregs konunga sǫgur: Magnús góði – Hákon gamli. Kristiania (Oslo): Den norske historiske kildeskriftskommission.
6. 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.
7. Helle, Knut. 1974. Norge blir en stat 1130-1319. Handbok i Norges historie 3. Bergen, Oslo, Tromsø: Universitetsforlaget.
8. Hák 1910-86 = Kjær, Albert and Ludvig Holm-Olsen, eds. 1910-86. Det Arnamagnæanske haandskrift 81a fol. (Skálholtsbók yngsta) indeholdende Sverris saga, Bǫglungasǫgur, Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar. Oslo: Den norske historiske kildeskriftkommission and Kjeldeskriftfondet.
9. Internal references
10. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Sturla Þórðarson, Hákonarkviða 7’ 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. 704-5.