Þjóð Yt 23I
Edith Marold (ed.) 2012, ‘Þjóðólfr ór Hvini, Ynglingatal 23’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 50.
En ‘And’
(not checked:)
2. en (conj.): but, and
Eysteinn ‘Eysteinn’
(not checked:)
Eysteinn (noun m.): Eysteinn
ási ‘the sail-yard’
(not checked:)
1. áss (noun m.; °ásar/áss, dat. ǽsi/ás; ǽsir/ǽsar, gen. ása/ǽsa, dat. ásum/ǽsum, acc. ásu/ǽsi/ása): rafter, ridge
fór ‘went’
(not checked:)
fara (verb; ferr, fór, fóru, farinn): go, travel
til ‘to’
(not checked:)
til (prep.): to
býlests ‘’
blýlests ‘’
býleistis ‘’
Býleists ‘of Býleistr’
(not checked:)
Býleistr (noun m.): Býleistr
[3] Býleists: so F, ‘byleistiz’ Kˣ, papp18ˣ, 521ˣ, 761aˣ, ‘blylestz’ J1ˣ, R685ˣ, ‘bylestz’ J2ˣ
kennings
meyjar bróður Býleists.‘the maiden of the brother of Býleistr. ’
= Hel
the brother of Býleistr. → Loki
the maiden of LOKI → Hel
notes
[3] Býleists ‘of Býleistr <mythological being>’: Because the reading ‘byleistiz’ of the Kringla transcripts is metrically unacceptable, the reading of F, which corresponds to most other attested forms of the name, is chosen. Býleistr is recorded only within periphrases referring to Loki as his brother, as in Vsp 51/8, Hyndl 40/8 and Grett Ævkv I 2/5V, and in Gylf (SnE 2005, 26) and Skm (SnE 1998, I, 19). Neither the form of the name nor its origin has been clarified fully, since the ms. spellings in the Poetic Edda and SnE point to either Býleistr or Býleiptr; see Wadstein (1895a, 77-8) and Hkr 1893-1901, IV for discussion of which of the two forms is the original. Etymological derivations of the word are assembled in S-G I, 66.
Býleists ‘of Býleistr’
(not checked:)
Býleistr (noun m.): Býleistr
[3] Býleists: so F, ‘byleistiz’ Kˣ, papp18ˣ, 521ˣ, 761aˣ, ‘blylestz’ J1ˣ, R685ˣ, ‘bylestz’ J2ˣ
kennings
meyjar bróður Býleists.‘the maiden of the brother of Býleistr. ’
= Hel
the brother of Býleistr. → Loki
the maiden of LOKI → Hel
notes
[3] Býleists ‘of Býleistr <mythological being>’: Because the reading ‘byleistiz’ of the Kringla transcripts is metrically unacceptable, the reading of F, which corresponds to most other attested forms of the name, is chosen. Býleistr is recorded only within periphrases referring to Loki as his brother, as in Vsp 51/8, Hyndl 40/8 and Grett Ævkv I 2/5V, and in Gylf (SnE 2005, 26) and Skm (SnE 1998, I, 19). Neither the form of the name nor its origin has been clarified fully, since the ms. spellings in the Poetic Edda and SnE point to either Býleistr or Býleiptr; see Wadstein (1895a, 77-8) and Hkr 1893-1901, IV for discussion of which of the two forms is the original. Etymological derivations of the word are assembled in S-G I, 66.
bróður ‘of the brother’
kennings
meyjar bróður Býleists.‘the maiden of the brother of Býleistr. ’
= Hel
the brother of Býleistr. → Loki
the maiden of LOKI → Hel
bróður ‘of the brother’
kennings
meyjar bróður Býleists.‘the maiden of the brother of Býleistr. ’
= Hel
the brother of Býleistr. → Loki
the maiden of LOKI → Hel
meyir ‘’
meyjar ‘the maiden’
(not checked:)
mær (noun f.; °meyjar, dat. meyju; meyjar): maiden
[4] meyjar: ‘meyir’ J1ˣ, J2ˣ, R685ˣ
kennings
meyjar bróður Býleists.‘the maiden of the brother of Býleistr. ’
= Hel
the brother of Býleistr. → Loki
the maiden of LOKI → Hel
en ‘’
(not checked:)
4. en (conj.): than
ný ‘’
(not checked:)
nýr (adj.; °nýjan; compar. nýrri, superl. nýjastr): new
liggr ‘lies’
(not checked:)
liggja (verb): lie
und ‘under’
(not checked:)
3. und (prep.): under, underneath
notes
[6] und beinum lagar ‘under the bones of the sea [STONES]’: The stone-kenning refers here to a burial mound.
lagar ‘of the sea’
(not checked:)
lǫgr (noun m.; °lagar, dat. legi): sea
kennings
beinum lagar‘the bones of the sea ’
= STONES
the bones of the sea → STONES
notes
[6] und beinum lagar ‘under the bones of the sea [STONES]’: The stone-kenning refers here to a burial mound.
beinum ‘the bones’
(not checked:)
bein (noun n.; °-s; -): bone
[6] beinum: beinum corrected from benjum J2ˣ
kennings
beinum lagar‘the bones of the sea ’
= STONES
the bones of the sea → STONES
notes
[6] und beinum lagar ‘under the bones of the sea [STONES]’: The stone-kenning refers here to a burial mound.
reiks ‘’
(not checked:)
2. reik (noun n.): °flakken, vaklen
rekks ‘of the warrior’
(not checked:)
rekkr (noun m.; °; -ar): man, champion
[7] rekks: so J1ˣ, J2ˣ, R685ˣ, reiks Kˣ, papp18ˣ, 521ˣ, F, 761aˣ
kennings
lǫðuðr rekks‘the inviter of the warrior ’
= RULER
the inviter of the warrior → RULER
lǫðuðr ‘the inviter’
(not checked:)
lǫðuðr (noun m.): [inviter]
kennings
lǫðuðr rekks‘the inviter of the warrior ’
= RULER
the inviter of the warrior → RULER
á ‘at’
(not checked:)
3. á (prep.): on, at
notes
[8] á braddi ‘at the edge’: The mss offer two possibilities: broddi ‘point’ (Kˣ) and braddi (J1ˣ, J2ˣ, R685ˣ). *Bradd n. ‘edge’ is a word not attested in OIcel., but it is still found in Swed. and Norw. dialects, and it has cognates in OE brerd, breord ‘brim, margin’ and OHG brart ‘bent-back edge’; see Bugge (1894, 143 n. 2) and Yt 1925. This reading, which can be designated the lectio difficilior, is chosen by Yt 1925, ÍF 26, Åkerlund (1939, 113) and by this edn. The variants ‘broddi’ in Kˣ and ‘brandi’ in F should be regarded as attempts to improve the unknown word. — [8] á braddi raðar ‘at the edge of the ridge’: Rǫð (gen. raðar) is the long glacial moraine running along the coast south-west of Borre towards Brunlanes, today called ra’et (Bugge 1894, 144; Storm 1899, 114-15; ÍF 26; on Borre, see Note to st. 24/10). Snorri locates Eysteinn’s burial mound in Borre, eptir á rǫðinni út við sjá við Vǫðlu ‘along the ridge out by the sea by the Vaðla’. But there is no river near Borre that could correspond to the Vaðla. Storm (1899, 116) suggests therefore that the mound lay at the southern end of the moraine because a river running between Farrisvannet and Larvik empties into the sea there, which could correspond to the stanza’s Vaðla (see Note to l. 11).
á ‘at’
(not checked:)
3. á (prep.): on, at
notes
[8] á braddi ‘at the edge’: The mss offer two possibilities: broddi ‘point’ (Kˣ) and braddi (J1ˣ, J2ˣ, R685ˣ). *Bradd n. ‘edge’ is a word not attested in OIcel., but it is still found in Swed. and Norw. dialects, and it has cognates in OE brerd, breord ‘brim, margin’ and OHG brart ‘bent-back edge’; see Bugge (1894, 143 n. 2) and Yt 1925. This reading, which can be designated the lectio difficilior, is chosen by Yt 1925, ÍF 26, Åkerlund (1939, 113) and by this edn. The variants ‘broddi’ in Kˣ and ‘brandi’ in F should be regarded as attempts to improve the unknown word. — [8] á braddi raðar ‘at the edge of the ridge’: Rǫð (gen. raðar) is the long glacial moraine running along the coast south-west of Borre towards Brunlanes, today called ra’et (Bugge 1894, 144; Storm 1899, 114-15; ÍF 26; on Borre, see Note to st. 24/10). Snorri locates Eysteinn’s burial mound in Borre, eptir á rǫðinni út við sjá við Vǫðlu ‘along the ridge out by the sea by the Vaðla’. But there is no river near Borre that could correspond to the Vaðla. Storm (1899, 116) suggests therefore that the mound lay at the southern end of the moraine because a river running between Farrisvannet and Larvik empties into the sea there, which could correspond to the stanza’s Vaðla (see Note to l. 11).
raðar ‘of the ridge’
(not checked:)
rǫð (noun f.; °; -ir): ridge
notes
[8] á braddi raðar ‘at the edge of the ridge’: Rǫð (gen. raðar) is the long glacial moraine running along the coast south-west of Borre towards Brunlanes, today called ra’et (Bugge 1894, 144; Storm 1899, 114-15; ÍF 26; on Borre, see Note to st. 24/10). Snorri locates Eysteinn’s burial mound in Borre, eptir á rǫðinni út við sjá við Vǫðlu ‘along the ridge out by the sea by the Vaðla’. But there is no river near Borre that could correspond to the Vaðla. Storm (1899, 116) suggests therefore that the mound lay at the southern end of the moraine because a river running between Farrisvannet and Larvik empties into the sea there, which could correspond to the stanza’s Vaðla (see Note to l. 11).
broddi ‘’
(not checked:)
broddr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ar): point of spear or arrow
brandi ‘’
(not checked:)
brandr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): sword, prow; fire
braddi ‘the edge’
(not checked:)
broddr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ar): point of spear or arrow
[8] braddi: so J1ˣ, J2ˣ, R685ˣ, broddi Kˣ, papp18ˣ, 521ˣ, 761aˣ, brandi F
notes
[8] á braddi ‘at the edge’: The mss offer two possibilities: broddi ‘point’ (Kˣ) and braddi (J1ˣ, J2ˣ, R685ˣ). *Bradd n. ‘edge’ is a word not attested in OIcel., but it is still found in Swed. and Norw. dialects, and it has cognates in OE brerd, breord ‘brim, margin’ and OHG brart ‘bent-back edge’; see Bugge (1894, 143 n. 2) and Yt 1925. This reading, which can be designated the lectio difficilior, is chosen by Yt 1925, ÍF 26, Åkerlund (1939, 113) and by this edn. The variants ‘broddi’ in Kˣ and ‘brandi’ in F should be regarded as attempts to improve the unknown word. — [8] á braddi raðar ‘at the edge of the ridge’: Rǫð (gen. raðar) is the long glacial moraine running along the coast south-west of Borre towards Brunlanes, today called ra’et (Bugge 1894, 144; Storm 1899, 114-15; ÍF 26; on Borre, see Note to st. 24/10). Snorri locates Eysteinn’s burial mound in Borre, eptir á rǫðinni út við sjá við Vǫðlu ‘along the ridge out by the sea by the Vaðla’. But there is no river near Borre that could correspond to the Vaðla. Storm (1899, 116) suggests therefore that the mound lay at the southern end of the moraine because a river running between Farrisvannet and Larvik empties into the sea there, which could correspond to the stanza’s Vaðla (see Note to l. 11).
braddi ‘the edge’
(not checked:)
broddr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ar): point of spear or arrow
[8] braddi: so J1ˣ, J2ˣ, R685ˣ, broddi Kˣ, papp18ˣ, 521ˣ, 761aˣ, brandi F
notes
[8] á braddi ‘at the edge’: The mss offer two possibilities: broddi ‘point’ (Kˣ) and braddi (J1ˣ, J2ˣ, R685ˣ). *Bradd n. ‘edge’ is a word not attested in OIcel., but it is still found in Swed. and Norw. dialects, and it has cognates in OE brerd, breord ‘brim, margin’ and OHG brart ‘bent-back edge’; see Bugge (1894, 143 n. 2) and Yt 1925. This reading, which can be designated the lectio difficilior, is chosen by Yt 1925, ÍF 26, Åkerlund (1939, 113) and by this edn. The variants ‘broddi’ in Kˣ and ‘brandi’ in F should be regarded as attempts to improve the unknown word. — [8] á braddi raðar ‘at the edge of the ridge’: Rǫð (gen. raðar) is the long glacial moraine running along the coast south-west of Borre towards Brunlanes, today called ra’et (Bugge 1894, 144; Storm 1899, 114-15; ÍF 26; on Borre, see Note to st. 24/10). Snorri locates Eysteinn’s burial mound in Borre, eptir á rǫðinni út við sjá við Vǫðlu ‘along the ridge out by the sea by the Vaðla’. But there is no river near Borre that could correspond to the Vaðla. Storm (1899, 116) suggests therefore that the mound lay at the southern end of the moraine because a river running between Farrisvannet and Larvik empties into the sea there, which could correspond to the stanza’s Vaðla (see Note to l. 11).
þá ‘’
(not checked:)
2. þá (adv.): then
él ‘the blizzard’
(not checked:)
él (noun n.; °; dat. -um): storm < élkaldr (adj.)
kaldr ‘cold’
(not checked:)
kaldr (adj.; °compar. -ari): cold < élkaldr (adj.)
hjá ‘near’
(not checked:)
hjá (prep.): beside, with
notes
[10] hjá gauzkum jǫfur ‘near the Gautish prince’: Gauzkum has been combined either with jǫfur ‘prince’ or with at vági ‘into the bay’ (see overview in Åkerlund 1939, 113-14). (a) The combination with at vági is contra-indicated both by Yt’s characteristic style of maintaining maximally unitary lines and by the fact that any body of water which might have been called the ‘Gautish Sea’ would be unlikely to be located elsewhere than off Sweden’s west coast, perhaps near the mouth of the Götaälv. (b) Gauzkum must therefore qualify jǫfur, despite difficulties. The prep. hjá ‘near’ governs the dat. case (Fritzner: hjá), which would normally be jǫfri (attested several times in Þjóðólfr’s poetry). It has therefore been suggested (Åkerlund 1939, 114) that this is an alternative dat. form with no ending (see ANG §358.3). As Åkerlund notes, this also fits the metrical scheme better, since jǫfur makes for a flawless Type C2-line. It is unclear why the poet calls the king ‘Gautish’.
jǫfur ‘prince’
(not checked:)
jǫfurr (noun m.): ruler, prince
notes
[10] hjá gauzkum jǫfur ‘near the Gautish prince’: Gauzkum has been combined either with jǫfur ‘prince’ or with at vági ‘into the bay’ (see overview in Åkerlund 1939, 113-14). (a) The combination with at vági is contra-indicated both by Yt’s characteristic style of maintaining maximally unitary lines and by the fact that any body of water which might have been called the ‘Gautish Sea’ would be unlikely to be located elsewhere than off Sweden’s west coast, perhaps near the mouth of the Götaälv. (b) Gauzkum must therefore qualify jǫfur, despite difficulties. The prep. hjá ‘near’ governs the dat. case (Fritzner: hjá), which would normally be jǫfri (attested several times in Þjóðólfr’s poetry). It has therefore been suggested (Åkerlund 1939, 114) that this is an alternative dat. form with no ending (see ANG §358.3). As Åkerlund notes, this also fits the metrical scheme better, since jǫfur makes for a flawless Type C2-line. It is unclear why the poet calls the king ‘Gautish’.
gauzkum ‘the Gautish’
(not checked:)
gauzkr (adj.): Gautish
notes
[10] hjá gauzkum jǫfur ‘near the Gautish prince’: Gauzkum has been combined either with jǫfur ‘prince’ or with at vági ‘into the bay’ (see overview in Åkerlund 1939, 113-14). (a) The combination with at vági is contra-indicated both by Yt’s characteristic style of maintaining maximally unitary lines and by the fact that any body of water which might have been called the ‘Gautish Sea’ would be unlikely to be located elsewhere than off Sweden’s west coast, perhaps near the mouth of the Götaälv. (b) Gauzkum must therefore qualify jǫfur, despite difficulties. The prep. hjá ‘near’ governs the dat. case (Fritzner: hjá), which would normally be jǫfri (attested several times in Þjóðólfr’s poetry). It has therefore been suggested (Åkerlund 1939, 114) that this is an alternative dat. form with no ending (see ANG §358.3). As Åkerlund notes, this also fits the metrical scheme better, since jǫfur makes for a flawless Type C2-line. It is unclear why the poet calls the king ‘Gautish’.
Vǫðlu ‘of the Vaðla’
(not checked:)
Vaðla (noun f.): Vaðla
notes
[11] Vǫðlu ‘of the Vaðla’: Several suggestions have been made about the identity of the Vaðla. Most likely it is the name of a river running from Farrisvannet to the coast at Larvik (Storm 1899, 116). It could alternatively be the name of the sea current in Oslofjorden between Borre and the island Bastøy (Brøgger 1924-6, 94), or a noun meaning ‘ford’ (cf. OIcel. vaðill) (Johnsen 1928, 132‑3).
straumr ‘stream’
(not checked:)
straumr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-; -ar): stream, current
at ‘into’
(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to
vági ‘the bay’
(not checked:)
vág (noun f.; °-ar; -ir/vǽgr): scales, balance
kømr ‘empties’
(not checked:)
koma (verb; kem, kom/kvam, kominn): come
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
En Eysteinn |
And Eysteinn went because of the sail-yard to the maiden of the brother of Býleistr <mythological being> [= Loki > = Hel]. And now the inviter of the warrior [RULER] lies under the bones of the sea [STONES] at the edge of the ridge where the blizzard-cold stream of the Vaðla empties into the bay near the Gautish prince.
Eysteinn, son of Haraldr hvítbeinn, is the ruler of Vestfold. On the return journey from a plundering expedition to Varna (in Østfold), he is killed when Skjǫldr, the ruler of the region he has just plundered, uses magic to stir up heavy seas. While seated at the helm, Eysteinn is struck by the sail-yard of another ship and knocked overboard. He is buried in a mound near the mouth of the Vaðla in Borró (Borre).
This death by vengeful magic, presumably a local legend, is recorded only in Yng; the other prose sources know nothing of it (Beyschlag 1950, 87-8).
Stanza/chapter/text segment
Use the buttons at the top of the page to navigate between stanzas in a poem.
Information tab
- text: if the stanza has been published, the edited text of the stanza and translation are here; if it hasn't been published an old edition (usually Skj) is given for reference
- sources: a list of the manuscripts or inscriptions containing this stanza, with page and line references and links (eye button) to images where available, and transcription where available
- readings: a list of variant manuscript readings of words in the main text
- editions and texts: a list of editions of the stanza with links to the bibliography; and a list of prose works in which the stanza occurs, allowing you to navigate within the prose context
- notes and context: notes not linked to individual words are given here, along with the account of the prose context for the stanza, where relevant
Interactive tab
The text and translation are given here, with buttons to toggle whether the text is shown in the verse order or prose word order. Clicking on indiviudal words gives dictionary links, variant readings, kennings and notes, where relevant.
Full text tab
This is the text of the edition in a similar format to how the edition appears in the printed volumes.
Chapter/text segment
This view is also used for chapters and other text segments. Not all the headings shown are relevant to such sections.