Þfagr Frag 3^III

This couplet (Þfagr Frag 3) has also been assigned by earlier editors to Þfagr Sveinn^II (see Introduction above). It is transmitted in mss R (main ms.), Tˣ, W, U, A and C of Skm (SnE), and the poet’s name is given as Þorleikr (Tˣ: Þorleifr).

Hirð viðr grams með gerðum
gollvǫrpuðr sér holla.

{Gollvǫrpuðr} viðr hirð grams holla sér með gerðum.

{The gold-flinger} [GENEROUS MAN] obtains the loyalty of the lord’s retinue with [gifts of] war-gear.

Mss: R(33r), Tˣ(34v), W(76), U(31v), A(10r), C(4r) (SnE)

Readings: [1] viðr: ‘uirdr’ Tˣ, vinnr A;    með: und C;    gerðum: ‘gorðvm’ W    [2] sér holla: ‘[…]lla’ U

Editions: Skj AI, 399, Skj BI, 368, Skald I, 184, NN §878; SnE 1848-87, I, 406-7, II, 323, 434, 583, III, 71, SnE 1931, 145, SnE 1998, I, 62.

Context: In Skm the couplet is given among the examples that illustrate kennings for ‘generous man’, here, gollvǫrpuðr ‘gold-flinger’.

Notes: [1, 2] viðr hirð grams holla sér ‘obtains the loyalty of the lord’s retinue’: Lit. ‘makes the lord’s retinue loyal to himself’. — [1] grams ‘the lord’s’: Skj B assigns this word to a preceding, missing line, which is unnecessary (see NN §878). It is not clear who this ruler (gramr) is, but it is possible that the couplet refers to Haraldr harðráði ‘Hard-rule’ Sigurðarson’s men defecting to Sveinn Úlfsson of Denmark prior to the battle of the river Nissan (Niz) in 1062 (see ÞjóðA Sex 12^II). — [1] með gerðum ‘with [gifts of] war-gear’: This refers to the gifts which a ruler or magnate bestows on his men; in addition to gold and silver (see Frag 2 above), such gifts could consist of weapons and even of ships (see Steinn Óldr 13-16^II). Gerð can also mean ‘deed, activity’ or ‘girdle’.

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. SnE 1848-87 = Snorri Sturluson. 1848-87. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar: Edda Snorronis Sturlaei. Ed. Jón Sigurðsson et al. 3 vols. Copenhagen: Legatum Arnamagnaeanum. Rpt. Osnabrück: Zeller, 1966.
4. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
5. NN = Kock, Ernst Albin. 1923-44. Notationes Norrœnæ: Anteckningar till Edda och skaldediktning. Lunds Universitets årsskrift new ser. 1. 28 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
6. SnE 1931 = Snorri Sturluson. 1931. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar. Ed. Finnur Jónsson. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
7. SnE 1998 = Snorri Sturluson. 1998. Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2 vols. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
8. Internal references
9. Edith Marold 2017, ‘Snorra Edda (Prologue, Gylfaginning, Skáldskaparmál)’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols [check printed volume for citation].
10. (forthcoming), ‘ Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=112> (accessed 3 May 2024)
11. Kari Ellen Gade 2009, ‘ Þorleikr fagri, Flokkr about Sveinn Úlfsson’ 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. 313-22. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1430> (accessed 3 May 2024)
12. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Steinn Herdísarson, Óláfsdrápa 13’ 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. 378-9.
13. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Þorleikr fagri, Fragments 3’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 486.
14. Diana Whaley (ed.) 2009, ‘Þjóðólfr Arnórsson, Sexstefja 12’ 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. 124-5.