Þorm Lv 15I
R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Þormóðr Kolbrúnarskáld, Lausavísur 15’ 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. 826.
Hafa ‘that I had’
(not checked:)
hafa (verb): have
notes
[1, 4] ek þóttumk hafa þegit hvert land ‘I would think that I had received every land’: I.e. ‘I would feel I had been given the whole world’.
notes
[1, 4] ek þóttumk hafa þegit hvert land ‘I would think that I had received every land’: I.e. ‘I would feel I had been given the whole world’.
ek ‘I’
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
notes
[All]: The present arrangement of Lv 15 is that of ÓHÆ, from the end of the C12th, followed in ÓHLeg. In Fbr, ll. 1-4 are missing and ll. 5-8 follow, and form a stanza with, Lv 20/1-4. In turn Lv 20/5-8 replaces Lv 19/5-8 in these same mss, which thus omit that helmingr. This alternative arrangement (adopted by Gaertner 1907, see Note to Lv 19 [All]) produces satisfactory logic. However, there are weighty reasons to think that it is incorrect, some of which are explained in the Notes to Lv 15/6 and Lv 20/5-8. In addition, Lv 19 makes better sense as presently composed, the prescription that ‘heroes should not waver’ in the first helmingr being tied to the sentiment in the second that men about to engage in battle should shun words of cowardice. Further, Fbr would have to be dated even earlier, or be known to contain an earlier tradition, than ÓHÆ if the alternative arrangement were to be credited, and it requires fewer ad hoc assumptions to suppose that the present arrangement is more original (see Introduction to Þorm ÞorgdrV on the dating of Fbr). — [1, 4] ek þóttumk hafa þegit hvert land ‘I would think that I had received every land’: I.e. ‘I would feel I had been given the whole world’.
ek ‘I’
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
notes
[All]: The present arrangement of Lv 15 is that of ÓHÆ, from the end of the C12th, followed in ÓHLeg. In Fbr, ll. 1-4 are missing and ll. 5-8 follow, and form a stanza with, Lv 20/1-4. In turn Lv 20/5-8 replaces Lv 19/5-8 in these same mss, which thus omit that helmingr. This alternative arrangement (adopted by Gaertner 1907, see Note to Lv 19 [All]) produces satisfactory logic. However, there are weighty reasons to think that it is incorrect, some of which are explained in the Notes to Lv 15/6 and Lv 20/5-8. In addition, Lv 19 makes better sense as presently composed, the prescription that ‘heroes should not waver’ in the first helmingr being tied to the sentiment in the second that men about to engage in battle should shun words of cowardice. Further, Fbr would have to be dated even earlier, or be known to contain an earlier tradition, than ÓHÆ if the alternative arrangement were to be credited, and it requires fewer ad hoc assumptions to suppose that the present arrangement is more original (see Introduction to Þorm ÞorgdrV on the dating of Fbr). — [1, 4] ek þóttumk hafa þegit hvert land ‘I would think that I had received every land’: I.e. ‘I would feel I had been given the whole world’.
hættinn ‘venturesome’
(not checked:)
1. hættinn (adj.): virtuous
[1] hættinn: hættins Flat, 761bˣmarg, hættin Tóm
kennings
hættinn happsœkjandi hreins branda,‘venturesome, fortunate attacker of the reindeer of stems, ’
= SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr
the reindeer of stems, → SHIP
venturesome, fortunate attacker of the SHIP → SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr
notes
[1] hættinn ‘venturesome’: Or ‘disposed to take risks’. Finnur Jónsson (1932-3, 68) points out that the word could instead modify ek, since Þormóðr has just put his life in danger.
happ ‘fortunate’
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happ (noun n.; °-s; *-): fortune, luck < happsœkjandi (noun m.): fortunate attacker
[2] happ‑ (‘hap’): hafs or ‘haps’ Flat, hyrs Tóm, happs 761bˣmarg
kennings
hættinn happsœkjandi hreins branda,‘venturesome, fortunate attacker of the reindeer of stems, ’
= SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr
the reindeer of stems, → SHIP
venturesome, fortunate attacker of the SHIP → SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr
notes
[2] happ- ‘fortunate’: The noun happ n. ‘luck’ appears to be descriptive here, and not integral to the structure of the kenning. Gaertner (1907, 330-1) reads hafs ‘ocean’s’ (which is probably the reading of Flat, though ‘haps’ is also possible), and he perceives a kenning sœkjandi hreins hafs ‘seeker of the reindeer of the ocean [SHIP > SEAFARER]’.
sœkjandi ‘attacker’
(not checked:)
sœkjandi (noun m.; °-a; -endr): [attacker] < happsœkjandi (noun m.): fortunate attacker
kennings
hættinn happsœkjandi hreins branda,‘venturesome, fortunate attacker of the reindeer of stems, ’
= SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr
the reindeer of stems, → SHIP
venturesome, fortunate attacker of the SHIP → SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr
ef ‘if’
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3. ef (conj.): if
tœkir ‘you would accept’
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2. taka (verb): take
hreins ‘of the reindeer’
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1. hreinn (noun m.; °; hreinar): reindeer
kennings
hættinn happsœkjandi hreins branda,‘venturesome, fortunate attacker of the reindeer of stems, ’
= SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr
the reindeer of stems, → SHIP
venturesome, fortunate attacker of the SHIP → SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr
hreins ‘of the reindeer’
(not checked:)
1. hreinn (noun m.; °; hreinar): reindeer
kennings
hættinn happsœkjandi hreins branda,‘venturesome, fortunate attacker of the reindeer of stems, ’
= SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr
the reindeer of stems, → SHIP
venturesome, fortunate attacker of the SHIP → SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr
við ‘’
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2. við (prep.): with, against
haldi ‘support’
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hald (noun n.; °-s; *-): support
mínu ‘my’
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minn (pron.; °f. mín, n. mitt): my
hvert ‘every’
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2. hverr (pron.): who, whom, each, every
notes
[1, 4] ek þóttumk hafa þegit hvert land ‘I would think that I had received every land’: I.e. ‘I would feel I had been given the whole world’.
land ‘land’
(not checked:)
land (noun n.; °-s; *-): land
notes
[All]: Line 1 is verbally close to Sigv Berv 7/5, and the helmingar in which they are set express similar sentiments; ll. 5-8 also resemble Berv 15/6, 8. — [1, 4] ek þóttumk hafa þegit hvert land ‘I would think that I had received every land’: I.e. ‘I would feel I had been given the whole world’.
land ‘land’
(not checked:)
land (noun n.; °-s; *-): land
notes
[All]: Line 1 is verbally close to Sigv Berv 7/5, and the helmingar in which they are set express similar sentiments; ll. 5-8 also resemble Berv 15/6, 8. — [1, 4] ek þóttumk hafa þegit hvert land ‘I would think that I had received every land’: I.e. ‘I would feel I had been given the whole world’.
þegit ‘received’
(not checked:)
þegja (verb): be silent
notes
[1, 4] ek þóttumk hafa þegit hvert land ‘I would think that I had received every land’: I.e. ‘I would feel I had been given the whole world’.
branda ‘of stems’
(not checked:)
brandr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): sword, prow; fire
kennings
hættinn happsœkjandi hreins branda,‘venturesome, fortunate attacker of the reindeer of stems, ’
= SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr
the reindeer of stems, → SHIP
venturesome, fortunate attacker of the SHIP → SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr
branda ‘of stems’
(not checked:)
brandr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): sword, prow; fire
kennings
hættinn happsœkjandi hreins branda,‘venturesome, fortunate attacker of the reindeer of stems, ’
= SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr
the reindeer of stems, → SHIP
venturesome, fortunate attacker of the SHIP → SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr
Ríkr ‘mighty’
(not checked:)
ríkr (adj.): mighty, powerful, rich
kennings
ríkr rœkir linns randar;‘mighty keeper of the serpent of the shield; ’
= WARRIOR = Óláfr
the serpent of the shield; → SWORD
mighty keeper of the SWORD → WARRIOR = Óláfr
vilk ‘I wish’
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vilja (verb): want, intend
með ‘with’
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með (prep.): with
þér ‘you’
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þú (pron.; °gen. þín, dat. þér, acc. þik): you
kennings
ríkr rœkir linns randar;‘mighty keeper of the serpent of the shield; ’
= WARRIOR = Óláfr
the serpent of the shield; → SWORD
mighty keeper of the SWORD → WARRIOR = Óláfr
randar ‘of the shield’
(not checked:)
rǫnd (noun f.; °dat. -/-u; rendr/randir): shield, shield-rim
[6] randar: so DG8, Hb, 142ˣ, 566aˣ, randa NRA52, papp4ˣ, Flat, 761bˣmarg, rann‑ Tóm
kennings
ríkr rœkir linns randar;‘mighty keeper of the serpent of the shield; ’
= WARRIOR = Óláfr
the serpent of the shield; → SWORD
mighty keeper of the SWORD → WARRIOR = Óláfr
randar ‘of the shield’
(not checked:)
rǫnd (noun f.; °dat. -/-u; rendr/randir): shield, shield-rim
[6] randar: so DG8, Hb, 142ˣ, 566aˣ, randa NRA52, papp4ˣ, Flat, 761bˣmarg, rann‑ Tóm
kennings
ríkr rœkir linns randar;‘mighty keeper of the serpent of the shield; ’
= WARRIOR = Óláfr
the serpent of the shield; → SWORD
mighty keeper of the SWORD → WARRIOR = Óláfr
linns ‘of the serpent’
(not checked:)
linnr (noun m.): snake
[6] linns: so papp4ˣ, ‘linnz’ NRA52, 142ˣ, 566aˣ, 761bˣmarg, ‘linz’ DG8, ‘lindz’ Hb, Flat, ‑lings Tóm
kennings
ríkr rœkir linns randar;‘mighty keeper of the serpent of the shield; ’
= WARRIOR = Óláfr
the serpent of the shield; → SWORD
mighty keeper of the SWORD → WARRIOR = Óláfr
linns ‘of the serpent’
(not checked:)
linnr (noun m.): snake
[6] linns: so papp4ˣ, ‘linnz’ NRA52, 142ˣ, 566aˣ, 761bˣmarg, ‘linz’ DG8, ‘lindz’ Hb, Flat, ‑lings Tóm
kennings
ríkr rœkir linns randar;‘mighty keeper of the serpent of the shield; ’
= WARRIOR = Óláfr
the serpent of the shield; → SWORD
mighty keeper of the SWORD → WARRIOR = Óláfr
ok ‘and’
(not checked:)
3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
[6] ok Finni: inn svinni Hb, Flat, Tóm, at sinni 142ˣ, 566aˣ, í vinni papp4ˣ, hinn svinni and at sinni 761bˣmarg
notes
[6] ok Finni ‘and Finnr’: This, the reading of two early sagas of Óláfr helgi, is advocated by Finnur Jónsson (1932-3, 68), in reference to Finnr Árnason (see the Context above). Earlier (Skj B) he had adopted the reading inn svinni ‘the wise’ of Hb, Flat and Tóm (so also Skald, ÍF 6, 265, 286 and ÍS, since these are not eds of the Óláfr sagas), but he observes that the original reading probably became incomprehensible when the second helmingr was removed from its proper context. It is indeed difficult to see why an innocuous and plausible reading like inn svinni, if it were original, would have been altered to the potentially bathetic ok Finni in ÓHÆ and ÓHLeg. This analysis of the variants is clearly superior to Gaertner’s (1907, 331-2).
Finni ‘Finnr’
(not checked:)
2. Finnr (noun m.): Finnr, Fiðr
[6] ok Finni: inn svinni Hb, Flat, Tóm, at sinni 142ˣ, 566aˣ, í vinni papp4ˣ, hinn svinni and at sinni 761bˣmarg
notes
[6] ok Finni ‘and Finnr’: This, the reading of two early sagas of Óláfr helgi, is advocated by Finnur Jónsson (1932-3, 68), in reference to Finnr Árnason (see the Context above). Earlier (Skj B) he had adopted the reading inn svinni ‘the wise’ of Hb, Flat and Tóm (so also Skald, ÍF 6, 265, 286 and ÍS, since these are not eds of the Óláfr sagas), but he observes that the original reading probably became incomprehensible when the second helmingr was removed from its proper context. It is indeed difficult to see why an innocuous and plausible reading like inn svinni, if it were original, would have been altered to the potentially bathetic ok Finni in ÓHÆ and ÓHLeg. This analysis of the variants is clearly superior to Gaertner’s (1907, 331-2).
rǫnd ‘the shield’
(not checked:)
rǫnd (noun f.; °dat. -/-u; rendr/randir): shield, shield-rim
[7] rǫnd berum út: stǫndum ár Hb, stundum ár 142ˣ, papp4ˣ, rand stundum ár 761bˣmarg
notes
[7] rǫnd berum út á andra ‘let’s bear the shield out onto the skis’: The same line is found earlier in Eskál Lv 2/7. For this line, ÍF 6, 265 and ÍS II, 841 read stǫndum ár á ǫndrum, which is very nearly the reading of Hb, except that á is missing. Taken together with eybaugs ‘of the island-ring’, this is interpreted to mean ‘Let’s stand early on the skis of the island-ring [SEA > SHIPS]’, i.e. either ‘Let’s be prepared to board the ships’ or ‘Let’s go aboard’.
berum ‘let’s bear’
(not checked:)
3. bera (verb; °berr; bar, báru; borinn): bear, carry
[7] rǫnd berum út: stǫndum ár Hb, stundum ár 142ˣ, papp4ˣ, rand stundum ár 761bˣmarg
notes
[7] rǫnd berum út á andra ‘let’s bear the shield out onto the skis’: The same line is found earlier in Eskál Lv 2/7. For this line, ÍF 6, 265 and ÍS II, 841 read stǫndum ár á ǫndrum, which is very nearly the reading of Hb, except that á is missing. Taken together with eybaugs ‘of the island-ring’, this is interpreted to mean ‘Let’s stand early on the skis of the island-ring [SEA > SHIPS]’, i.e. either ‘Let’s be prepared to board the ships’ or ‘Let’s go aboard’.
út ‘out’
(not checked:)
út (adv.): out(side)
[7] rǫnd berum út: stǫndum ár Hb, stundum ár 142ˣ, papp4ˣ, rand stundum ár 761bˣmarg
notes
[7] rǫnd berum út á andra ‘let’s bear the shield out onto the skis’: The same line is found earlier in Eskál Lv 2/7. For this line, ÍF 6, 265 and ÍS II, 841 read stǫndum ár á ǫndrum, which is very nearly the reading of Hb, except that á is missing. Taken together with eybaugs ‘of the island-ring’, this is interpreted to mean ‘Let’s stand early on the skis of the island-ring [SEA > SHIPS]’, i.e. either ‘Let’s be prepared to board the ships’ or ‘Let’s go aboard’.
notes
[7] rǫnd berum út á andra ‘let’s bear the shield out onto the skis’: The same line is found earlier in Eskál Lv 2/7. For this line, ÍF 6, 265 and ÍS II, 841 read stǫndum ár á ǫndrum, which is very nearly the reading of Hb, except that á is missing. Taken together with eybaugs ‘of the island-ring’, this is interpreted to mean ‘Let’s stand early on the skis of the island-ring [SEA > SHIPS]’, i.e. either ‘Let’s be prepared to board the ships’ or ‘Let’s go aboard’.
kennings
andra eybaugs.‘the skis of the island-ring.’
= SHIPS
the island-ring. → SEA
the skis of the SEA → SHIPS
notes
[7] rǫnd berum út á andra ‘let’s bear the shield out onto the skis’: The same line is found earlier in Eskál Lv 2/7. For this line, ÍF 6, 265 and ÍS II, 841 read stǫndum ár á ǫndrum, which is very nearly the reading of Hb, except that á is missing. Taken together with eybaugs ‘of the island-ring’, this is interpreted to mean ‘Let’s stand early on the skis of the island-ring [SEA > SHIPS]’, i.e. either ‘Let’s be prepared to board the ships’ or ‘Let’s go aboard’.
ey ‘of the island’
(not checked:)
1. ey (noun f.; °-jar, dat. -ju/-; -jar): island < eybaugr (noun m.): island-ring
[8] eybaugs: ‘ebaugs’ DG8, ‘eybeygs’ Hb
kennings
andra eybaugs.‘the skis of the island-ring.’
= SHIPS
the island-ring. → SEA
the skis of the SEA → SHIPS
ey ‘of the island’
(not checked:)
1. ey (noun f.; °-jar, dat. -ju/-; -jar): island < eybaugr (noun m.): island-ring
[8] eybaugs: ‘ebaugs’ DG8, ‘eybeygs’ Hb
kennings
andra eybaugs.‘the skis of the island-ring.’
= SHIPS
the island-ring. → SEA
the skis of the SEA → SHIPS
baugs ‘ring’
(not checked:)
baugr (noun m.; °dat. -i/-; -ar): ring < eybaugr (noun m.): island-ring
[8] eybaugs: ‘ebaugs’ DG8, ‘eybeygs’ Hb
kennings
andra eybaugs.‘the skis of the island-ring.’
= SHIPS
the island-ring. → SEA
the skis of the SEA → SHIPS
baugs ‘ring’
(not checked:)
baugr (noun m.; °dat. -i/-; -ar): ring < eybaugr (noun m.): island-ring
[8] eybaugs: ‘ebaugs’ DG8, ‘eybeygs’ Hb
kennings
andra eybaugs.‘the skis of the island-ring.’
= SHIPS
the island-ring. → SEA
the skis of the SEA → SHIPS
lifa ‘to live’
(not checked:)
lifa (verb): live
ok ‘and’
(not checked:)
3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
deyja ‘die’
(not checked:)
1. deyja (verb; °deyr; dó, dó(u); dá(i)nn): die
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Hafa þóttumk ek, hættinn |
I would think that I had received every land, venturesome, fortunate attacker of the reindeer of stems [SHIP > SEA-WARRIOR = Óláfr], if you would accept my support. I wish to live and die with you and Finnr, mighty keeper of the serpent of the shield [SWORD > WARRIOR = Óláfr]; let’s bear the shield out onto the skis of the island-ring [SEA > SHIPS].
In all texts but Fbr, after killing King Óláfr’s forecastle-man, Þormóðr jumps aboard the king’s ship and, once captured, is to be put to death. When the king’s staunch supporter Finnr Árnason discovers that it is Þormóðr who has been captured, he and Óláfr’s bishop Sigurðr successfully intercede with the king for Þormóðr’s life. The king then asks Þormóðr why he has thus put himself into his power, and Þormóðr replies with a stanza (Lv 15/5-8 + 20/1-4 in Fbr).
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