ÞjóðA Sex 2II
Diana Whaley (ed.) 2009, ‘Þjóðólfr Arnórsson, Sexstefja 2’ 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. 113-14.
má ‘can’
(not checked:)
mega (verb): may, might
[1] má: so 39, F, H, Hr, Flat, mátt Kˣ, papp18ˣ, J2ˣ, FskAˣ, ‘mat’ E, FskBˣ
notes
[1] má ‘one can’: The alternative 2nd pers. sg. reading mátt ‘you can’ is less credible in the absence of an addressee.
segja ‘say’
(not checked:)
segja (verb): say, tell
tand ‘of the flame’
(not checked:)
tandr (noun m.): [flame] < tandrauðr (adj.)
kennings
—ungr hǫtuðr tandrauðs ormtorgs‘—the young hater of the flame-red dragon-square ’
= RULER
the flame-red dragon-square → GOLD
—the young hater of the GOLD → RULER
tand ‘of the flame’
(not checked:)
tandr (noun m.): [flame] < tandrauðr (adj.)
kennings
—ungr hǫtuðr tandrauðs ormtorgs‘—the young hater of the flame-red dragon-square ’
= RULER
the flame-red dragon-square → GOLD
—the young hater of the GOLD → RULER
rauðs ‘red’
(not checked:)
rauðr (adj.; °compar. -ari): red < tandrauðr (adj.)
kennings
—ungr hǫtuðr tandrauðs ormtorgs‘—the young hater of the flame-red dragon-square ’
= RULER
the flame-red dragon-square → GOLD
—the young hater of the GOLD → RULER
rauðs ‘red’
(not checked:)
rauðr (adj.; °compar. -ari): red < tandrauðr (adj.)
kennings
—ungr hǫtuðr tandrauðs ormtorgs‘—the young hater of the flame-red dragon-square ’
= RULER
the flame-red dragon-square → GOLD
—the young hater of the GOLD → RULER
á ‘in’
(not checked:)
3. á (prep.): on, at
notes
[2] á Serklandi ‘in the land of the Saracens (Serkland)’: Serkland is somewhat elusive, but has been equated with Asia Minor, where the Væringjar (mainly Norse mercenaries) are known to have fought in the mid-1030s (Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson, ÍF 28, 75 n.); if this is correct the reference to Africa in the prose Context may be erroneous, influenced by st. 3. The eds of Hkr 1991 (III, 261, 491), on the other hand, place Serkland in North Africa. See also Þfisk Lv 3/5 and Þstf Lv 3/6.
Serklandi ‘the land of the Saracens (Serkland)’
(not checked:)
Serkland (noun n.): shirt-land, land of Saracens, Serkland
notes
[2] á Serklandi ‘in the land of the Saracens (Serkland)’: Serkland is somewhat elusive, but has been equated with Asia Minor, where the Væringjar (mainly Norse mercenaries) are known to have fought in the mid-1030s (Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson, ÍF 28, 75 n.); if this is correct the reference to Africa in the prose Context may be erroneous, influenced by st. 3. The eds of Hkr 1991 (III, 261, 491), on the other hand, place Serkland in North Africa. See also Þfisk Lv 3/5 and Þstf Lv 3/6.
kennings
—ungr hǫtuðr tandrauðs ormtorgs‘—the young hater of the flame-red dragon-square ’
= RULER
the flame-red dragon-square → GOLD
—the young hater of the GOLD → RULER
hætti ‘in danger’
(not checked:)
1. háttr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. hætti; hættir, acc. háttu): behaviour, measure, verse-form
[3] hætti: heiti FskBˣ, ‘hæitti’ FskAˣ
sér ‘himself’
(not checked:)
sik (pron.; °gen. sín, dat. sér): (refl. pron.)
átta ‘eigh’
(not checked:)
átta (num. cardinal): eight
orm ‘dragon’
(not checked:)
ormr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): serpent < ormtorg (noun n.)
[4] orm‑: ‘æin‑’ J2ˣ
kennings
—ungr hǫtuðr tandrauðs ormtorgs‘—the young hater of the flame-red dragon-square ’
= RULER
the flame-red dragon-square → GOLD
—the young hater of the GOLD → RULER
orm ‘dragon’
(not checked:)
ormr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): serpent < ormtorg (noun n.)
[4] orm‑: ‘æin‑’ J2ˣ
kennings
—ungr hǫtuðr tandrauðs ormtorgs‘—the young hater of the flame-red dragon-square ’
= RULER
the flame-red dragon-square → GOLD
—the young hater of the GOLD → RULER
torgs ‘square’
(not checked:)
2. torg (noun n.; °-s): market-place < ormtorg (noun n.)
[4] ‑torgs: togs FskBˣ
kennings
—ungr hǫtuðr tandrauðs ormtorgs‘—the young hater of the flame-red dragon-square ’
= RULER
the flame-red dragon-square → GOLD
—the young hater of the GOLD → RULER
torgs ‘square’
(not checked:)
2. torg (noun n.; °-s): market-place < ormtorg (noun n.)
[4] ‑torgs: togs FskBˣ
kennings
—ungr hǫtuðr tandrauðs ormtorgs‘—the young hater of the flame-red dragon-square ’
= RULER
the flame-red dragon-square → GOLD
—the young hater of the GOLD → RULER
kennings
—ungr hǫtuðr tandrauðs ormtorgs‘—the young hater of the flame-red dragon-square ’
= RULER
the flame-red dragon-square → GOLD
—the young hater of the GOLD → RULER
borga ‘strongholds’
(not checked:)
borg (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -; -ir): city, stronghold
áðr ‘before’
(not checked:)
áðr (adv.; °//): before
her ‘the troop’
(not checked:)
herr (noun m.; °-s/-jar, dat. -; -jar, gen. -ja/herra): army, host < herskorðuðr (noun m.)
kennings
herskorðuðr,‘the troop-supporter, ’
= WARRIOR
the troop-supporter, → WARRIOR
notes
[5] herskorðuðr ‘the troop-supporter’: I.e. ‘supporter of (his own) troops’, from skorða ‘to prop’. This is the majority reading; cf. the synonymous herskorðandi Ótt Hfl 17/6I. The 39 reading, and possibly some of the <o> spellings in other mss, could point to an alternative herskǫrðuðr ‘troop-depleter’, the one who cuts a skarð or cleft in (enemy) troops (cf. herskerðir Hfr ErfÓl 6/1I), and this reading is favoured in Hkr 1893-1901 and ÍF 28, 75, but not Hkr 1991. Kennings referring to rulers as leaders of their own troops or destroyers of enemy troops are both common (Meissner 358-9 and 359-60 respectively).
skorðuðr ‘supporter’
(not checked:)
skorðuðr (noun m.): [supporter] < herskorðuðr (noun m.)
[5] ‑skorðuðr: so F, E, J2ˣ, FskBˣ, H, Hr, ‑skorðaðr Kˣ, papp18ˣ, FskAˣ, ‘scaurþvþvr’ 39, ‘skodudr’ Flat
kennings
herskorðuðr,‘the troop-supporter, ’
= WARRIOR
the troop-supporter, → WARRIOR
notes
[5] herskorðuðr ‘the troop-supporter’: I.e. ‘supporter of (his own) troops’, from skorða ‘to prop’. This is the majority reading; cf. the synonymous herskorðandi Ótt Hfl 17/6I. The 39 reading, and possibly some of the <o> spellings in other mss, could point to an alternative herskǫrðuðr ‘troop-depleter’, the one who cuts a skarð or cleft in (enemy) troops (cf. herskerðir Hfr ErfÓl 6/1I), and this reading is favoured in Hkr 1893-1901 and ÍF 28, 75, but not Hkr 1991. Kennings referring to rulers as leaders of their own troops or destroyers of enemy troops are both common (Meissner 358-9 and 359-60 respectively).
harðan ‘the harsh’
(not checked:)
harðr (adj.; °comp. -ari; superl. -astr): hard, harsh
kennings
harðan leik Hildar‘the harsh sport of Hildr ’
= BATTLE
the harsh sport of Hildr → BATTLE
Hildar ‘of Hildr’
(not checked:)
2. Hildr (noun f.): Hildr
kennings
harðan leik Hildar‘the harsh sport of Hildr ’
= BATTLE
the harsh sport of Hildr → BATTLE
kennings
harðan leik Hildar‘the harsh sport of Hildr ’
= BATTLE
the harsh sport of Hildr → BATTLE
und ‘behind’
(not checked:)
3. und (prep.): under, underneath
skildi ‘shield’
(not checked:)
skjǫldr (noun m.; °skjaldar/skildar, dat. skildi; skildir, acc. skjǫldu): shield
Serkjum ‘to the Saracens (Serkir)’
(not checked:)
2. serkr (noun m.; °; gen. -ja): Saracen
hættr ‘dangerous’
(not checked:)
hættr (adj.; °compar. -ari/-ri, superl. -astr): dangerous
í ‘in’
(not checked:)
í (prep.): in, into
notes
[8] sléttri Sikileyju ‘level Sicily’: Sicily has coastal plains but overall is far from flat, with Mt Etna rising to over 3,300m.
Sikil ‘Sicil’
notes
[8] sléttri Sikileyju ‘level Sicily’: Sicily has coastal plains but overall is far from flat, with Mt Etna rising to over 3,300m.
eyju ‘y’
(not checked:)
1. ey (noun f.; °-jar, dat. -ju/-; -jar): island < Sikiley (noun f.): [Sicily]
[8] ‑eyju: ‑eyja E, ‑ey FskAˣ
notes
[8] sléttri Sikileyju ‘level Sicily’: Sicily has coastal plains but overall is far from flat, with Mt Etna rising to over 3,300m.
gekk ‘advanced’
(not checked:)
2. ganga (verb; geng, gekk, gengu, genginn): walk, go
heyja ‘to wage’
(not checked:)
2. heyja (verb): fight, wage (battle)
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Tøgu má tekna segja |
One can say that eighty strongholds were captured in the land of the Saracens (Serkland)—the young hater of the flame-red dragon-square [GOLD > RULER] put himself in danger—, before the troop-supporter [WARRIOR], dangerous to the Saracens (Serkir), advanced to wage the harsh sport of Hildr <valkyrie> [BATTLE] behind his shield in level Sicily.
The st. is introduced to back up the statement that, in the course of his exploits in the Mediterranean, Haraldr Sigurðarson went to Africa, known as Serkland ‘land of the Saracens’, and conquered eighty strongholds by force or by securing their surrender before proceeding to Sicily. Fsk and Flat claim that the tradition rests on Haraldr’s own account.
For this episode, see also Hharð Gamv 2, Hharð Lv 10, Bǫlv Hardr 4-5 and Valg Har 1. — The linkage and progression between the two helmingar is reinforced by deft echoing of the phrases á Serklandi ‘in the land of the Saracens (Serkland)’ (l. 2) and hætti sér ‘put himself in danger’ (l. 3) in Serkjum hættr ‘dangerous to the Saracens (Serkir)’ (l. 7). See further Whaley 2005, 483-4.
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.