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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Þflekk Lv 1II

Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Þorgeirr flekkr, Lausavísa 1’ 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. 9-10.

Þorgeirr flekkrLausavísa1

text and translation

Mæl þú við mik,        Magnús konungr!
Ek vas í fylgju        með fǫður þínum.
Þá bark hǫggvinn        haus minn þaðan,
es þeir of dauðan        dǫgling stigu.
Þú elskar        þá arma þjóð
dróttinssvika,        es djǫful hlœgðu.

Mæl þú við mik, Magnús konungr! Ek vas í fylgju með fǫður þínum. Þá bark hǫggvinn haus minn þaðan, es þeir stigu of dauðan dǫgling. Þú elskar þá arma þjóð, dróttinssvika, es hlœgðu djǫful.
 
‘Speak to me, King Magnús! I was in the following with your father. Then I carried my cleft skull away, when they stepped over the dead king. You love that wretched crowd, traitors to their liege-lord, who gratified the devil.’

notes and context

Þorgeirr approaches King Magnús inn góði Óláfsson and wishes to speak to him about an important matter. The king pays scant attention to what he is saying and is more concerned with listening to those who stand closer. After Þorgeirr has recited this st., Magnús summons him, settles Þorgeirr’s case to his satisfaction and promises his friendship.

This event took place c. 1038 (see also Sigv Berv, Kolgr Ól and BjHall Kálffl 7I). — [12] es hlœgðu djǫful ‘who gratified the devil’: The earliest attested occurrence of djǫfull ‘devil’ in ON poetry. The word seems to be used here in a Christian sense: those who fought against Óláfr and betrayed the one who had been appointed king of Norway by divine grace, joined the forces of hell, which gladdened the devil. The same topos is expressed in abundance in Sv, especially in the speeches (see ÍF 30, xxxv), which does cast some doubt on the authenticity of the present st. See also Notes to ESk Eystdr 2/3 and Rv Lv 32/2.

readings

sources

Text is based on reconstruction from the base text and variant apparatus and may contain alternative spellings and other normalisations not visible in the manuscript text. Transcriptions may not have been checked and should not be cited.

editions and texts

Skj: Þórgeirr flekkr, Lausavísa: AI, 331, BI, 305, Skald I, 155, NN §3081; ÍF 28, 23 (Mgóð ch. 13), F 1871, 175, E 1916, 15; ÓH 1941, I, 621-2 (ch. 258).

401
Hkr 402 (III 23)
403
22
MGóð 23 (III 23)
24
201
ÓH 202 (197)
203
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