TorfE Lv 4^I

Rekit ‘avenged’

(not checked:)
2. reka (verb): drive, force

notes

[1, 4] hefk rekit ... at fjórðungi mínum ‘I have avenged ... for my quarter-share’: The speaker has done his share by killing Hálfdan; the three others have not (yet) done theirs. Three other brothers are named in Lv 1, though the prose evidence on the number and identity of the brothers is less certain (see Note to Lv 1 [All]). For the emphasis on family and kinship in these lausavísur, see Mundal (1993, 257).

tel ‘’

(not checked:)
telja (verb): tell, count

hef ‘I’

(not checked:)
hafa (verb): have < hafa (verb): have

[1] hefk (‘hefi ec’): tel ek 332ˣ, Flat, hefi at 761bˣ;    hef‑ (‘hefi’): hefi with tel in margin FskAˣ

notes

[1] hefk ‘I have’: The minority reading telk (Rǫgnvalds dauða rekit) ‘I declare (Rǫgnvaldr’s death avenged)’ is also possible, though m. acc. sg. rekinn rather than n. nom. sg. rekit might have been expected. — [1, 4] hefk rekit ... at fjórðungi mínum ‘I have avenged ... for my quarter-share’: The speaker has done his share by killing Hálfdan; the three others have not (yet) done theirs. Three other brothers are named in Lv 1, though the prose evidence on the number and identity of the brothers is less certain (see Note to Lv 1 [All]). For the emphasis on family and kinship in these lausavísur, see Mundal (1993, 257).

hef ‘I’

(not checked:)
hafa (verb): have < hafa (verb): have

[1] hefk (‘hefi ec’): tel ek 332ˣ, Flat, hefi at 761bˣ;    hef‑ (‘hefi’): hefi with tel in margin FskAˣ

notes

[1] hefk ‘I have’: The minority reading telk (Rǫgnvalds dauða rekit) ‘I declare (Rǫgnvaldr’s death avenged)’ is also possible, though m. acc. sg. rekinn rather than n. nom. sg. rekit might have been expected. — [1, 4] hefk rekit ... at fjórðungi mínum ‘I have avenged ... for my quarter-share’: The speaker has done his share by killing Hálfdan; the three others have not (yet) done theirs. Three other brothers are named in Lv 1, though the prose evidence on the number and identity of the brothers is less certain (see Note to Lv 1 [All]). For the emphasis on family and kinship in these lausavísur, see Mundal (1993, 257).

k ‘have’

(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me < hafa (verb): have

[1] hefk (‘hefi ec’): tel ek 332ˣ, Flat, hefi at 761bˣ

notes

[1, 4] hefk rekit ... at fjórðungi mínum ‘I have avenged ... for my quarter-share’: The speaker has done his share by killing Hálfdan; the three others have not (yet) done theirs. Three other brothers are named in Lv 1, though the prose evidence on the number and identity of the brothers is less certain (see Note to Lv 1 [All]). For the emphasis on family and kinship in these lausavísur, see Mundal (1993, 257).

Rǫgn ‘Rǫgn’

(not checked:)
rǫgn (noun n.): the gods (in names) < Rǫgnvaldr (noun m.): Rǫgnvaldr

valds ‘valdr’s’

(not checked:)
valdr (noun m.): ruler < Rǫgnvaldr (noun m.): Rǫgnvaldr

enn ‘’

(not checked:)
2. enn (adv.): still, yet, again

dauða ‘death’

(not checked:)
dauði (noun m.; °-a; -ar): death

ruðu ‘’

réðu ‘’

(not checked:)
ráða (verb): advise, rule, interpret, decide

rétt ‘rightly’

(not checked:)
3. réttr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): right, straight, direct

[2] rétt skiptu því nornir: so F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 332ˣ, Flat, 761bˣ, en réðu því nornir Kˣ, R702ˣ, ‘enn roðo þvi nꝍrer’ with rétt skiptu því nornir in margin FskAˣ, ‘enn roðo þvi no᷎rer’ 301ˣ

notes

[2] nornir skiptu því rétt ‘the norns arranged that rightly’: Torf-Einarr’s comment may mean that the norns were right both to appoint him to succeed in vengeance and to decree that Hálfdan should die (cf. Mundal 1993, 255). The reading skiptu rétt ‘arranged rightly’ has stronger support across the stemma, while en réðu ‘but/and ruled’ may have been influenced by rôðum, the majority reading in l. 6.

skiptu ‘arranged’

(not checked:)
skipta (verb): share, divide, exchange

[2] rétt skiptu því nornir: so F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 332ˣ, Flat, 761bˣ, en réðu því nornir Kˣ, R702ˣ, ‘enn roðo þvi nꝍrer’ with rétt skiptu því nornir in margin FskAˣ, ‘enn roðo þvi no᷎rer’ 301ˣ

notes

[2] nornir skiptu því rétt ‘the norns arranged that rightly’: Torf-Einarr’s comment may mean that the norns were right both to appoint him to succeed in vengeance and to decree that Hálfdan should die (cf. Mundal 1993, 255). The reading skiptu rétt ‘arranged rightly’ has stronger support across the stemma, while en réðu ‘but/and ruled’ may have been influenced by rôðum, the majority reading in l. 6.

nœrir ‘’

því ‘that’

(not checked:)
1. sá (pron.; °gen. þess, dat. þeim, acc. þann; f. sú, gen. þeirrar, acc. þá; n. þat, dat. því; pl. m. þeir, f. þǽ---): that (one), those

[2] rétt skiptu því nornir: so F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 332ˣ, Flat, 761bˣ, en réðu því nornir Kˣ, R702ˣ, ‘enn roðo þvi nꝍrer’ with rétt skiptu því nornir in margin FskAˣ, ‘enn roðo þvi no᷎rer’ 301ˣ

notes

[2] nornir skiptu því rétt ‘the norns arranged that rightly’: Torf-Einarr’s comment may mean that the norns were right both to appoint him to succeed in vengeance and to decree that Hálfdan should die (cf. Mundal 1993, 255). The reading skiptu rétt ‘arranged rightly’ has stronger support across the stemma, while en réðu ‘but/and ruled’ may have been influenced by rôðum, the majority reading in l. 6.

nornir ‘the norns’

(not checked:)
norn (noun f.; °; -ir): norn

[2] rétt skiptu því nornir: so F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 332ˣ, Flat, 761bˣ, en réðu því nornir Kˣ, R702ˣ, ‘enn roðo þvi nꝍrer’ with rétt skiptu því nornir in margin FskAˣ, ‘enn roðo þvi no᷎rer’ 301ˣ

notes

[2] nornir ‘the norns’: The conception of the norns as presiding over a person’s death as well as their birth resembles that of Hamð 29 and 30; see also Note to Þjóð Yt 17/2-3. — [2] nornir skiptu því rétt ‘the norns arranged that rightly’: Torf-Einarr’s comment may mean that the norns were right both to appoint him to succeed in vengeance and to decree that Hálfdan should die (cf. Mundal 1993, 255). The reading skiptu rétt ‘arranged rightly’ has stronger support across the stemma, while en réðu ‘but/and ruled’ may have been influenced by rôðum, the majority reading in l. 6.

nornir ‘the norns’

(not checked:)
norn (noun f.; °; -ir): norn

[2] rétt skiptu því nornir: so F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 332ˣ, Flat, 761bˣ, en réðu því nornir Kˣ, R702ˣ, ‘enn roðo þvi nꝍrer’ with rétt skiptu því nornir in margin FskAˣ, ‘enn roðo þvi no᷎rer’ 301ˣ

notes

[2] nornir ‘the norns’: The conception of the norns as presiding over a person’s death as well as their birth resembles that of Hamð 29 and 30; see also Note to Þjóð Yt 17/2-3. — [2] nornir skiptu því rétt ‘the norns arranged that rightly’: Torf-Einarr’s comment may mean that the norns were right both to appoint him to succeed in vengeance and to decree that Hálfdan should die (cf. Mundal 1993, 255). The reading skiptu rétt ‘arranged rightly’ has stronger support across the stemma, while en réðu ‘but/and ruled’ may have been influenced by rôðum, the majority reading in l. 6.

fól ‘’

(not checked:)
fól (noun n.) < fólstuðill (noun m.)

nús ‘now’

(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am

folk ‘the people’s’

(not checked:)
folk (noun n.): people < folkstuðill (noun m.)

[3] folk‑: ‘fol’ 761bˣ

kennings

notes

[3] folkstuðill ‘the people’s support [RULER]’: If not merely conventional, this heiti may refer ironically to Hálfdan’s act of presumption in declaring himself king of the Orkneys and the distress his advent is reported to have caused to the islanders (Orkn, ÍF 34, 12).

stuðill ‘support’

(not checked:)
stuðill (noun m.; °; stuðlar): pillar, prop < folkstuðill (noun m.)stuðill (noun m.; °; stuðlar): pillar, prop < fólstuðill (noun m.)

kennings

notes

[3] folkstuðill ‘the people’s support [RULER]’: If not merely conventional, this heiti may refer ironically to Hálfdan’s act of presumption in declaring himself king of the Orkneys and the distress his advent is reported to have caused to the islanders (Orkn, ÍF 34, 12).

fallinn ‘is fallen’

(not checked:)
falla (verb): fall

fjortungi ‘’

at ‘for’

(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to

[4] at: af F

notes

[1, 4] hefk rekit ... at fjórðungi mínum ‘I have avenged ... for my quarter-share’: The speaker has done his share by killing Hálfdan; the three others have not (yet) done theirs. Three other brothers are named in Lv 1, though the prose evidence on the number and identity of the brothers is less certain (see Note to Lv 1 [All]). For the emphasis on family and kinship in these lausavísur, see Mundal (1993, 257).

fjórðungi ‘quarter-share’

(not checked:)
fjórðungr (noun m.; °-s/-ar, dat. -/i; -ar): [quarter-share]

[4] fjórðungi: ‘fiortungi’ J1ˣ

notes

[1, 4] hefk rekit ... at fjórðungi mínum ‘I have avenged ... for my quarter-share’: The speaker has done his share by killing Hálfdan; the three others have not (yet) done theirs. Three other brothers are named in Lv 1, though the prose evidence on the number and identity of the brothers is less certain (see Note to Lv 1 [All]). For the emphasis on family and kinship in these lausavísur, see Mundal (1993, 257).

hlýði ‘’

(not checked:)
2. hlýða (verb): hear, listen; be able

hlýði ‘’

(not checked:)
2. hlýða (verb): hear, listen; be able

mínum ‘my’

(not checked:)
minn (pron.; °f. mín, n. mitt): my

notes

[1, 4] hefk rekit ... at fjórðungi mínum ‘I have avenged ... for my quarter-share’: The speaker has done his share by killing Hálfdan; the three others have not (yet) done theirs. Three other brothers are named in Lv 1, though the prose evidence on the number and identity of the brothers is less certain (see Note to Lv 1 [All]). For the emphasis on family and kinship in these lausavísur, see Mundal (1993, 257).

snotrir ‘’

(not checked:)
snotr (adj.): wise

snotrir ‘’

(not checked:)
snotr (adj.): wise

Verpið ‘Throw’

(not checked:)
1. verpa (verb): to throw, cast (up)

[5] Verpið snarpir sveinar: hlýði snotrir seggir with verpið snarpir sveinar in margin FskAˣ;    Verpið: ‘hlætet’ J1ˣ, ‘hlæþet’ J2ˣ, 761bˣ, hlýði Flat, 301ˣ

notes

[5, 8] verpið grjóti ‘throw stones’: The exact application of these words is uncertain and perhaps deliberately ambiguous. (a) Stones, rocks and gravel were frequently used for mound burials, cf. kasta haug ‘erect a burial mound’ referring to Hálfdan’s mound in the prose of Orkn (ÍF 34, 15). (b) They might also be used for a rudimentary temporary or dishonorable interment of human beings, designed chiefly to keep animals off the corpse, or for the burial of livestock (cf. Olsen 1942b, 40-1; Genzmer 1943, 516-17). (c) Stoning might be used to put somebody to death, as in Hamð 25, but this is unlikely and it is not how the prose compilers understood the stanza (cf. von See 1960, 38). — [5] verpið, snarpir sveinar ‘throw, brave lads’: The line provides an instance of skothending in an odd line, also seen in Lv 5/7, and of placement of the second of the two rhyming syllables previous to the fifth position in the line (see Introduction), also seen in l. 2 of this stanza. Hlaðið, snotrir seggir ‘pile up, wise warriors’ is apparently the reading that underlies the variants in J1ˣ, J2ˣ, FskAˣ, 301ˣ, Flat and 761bˣ; its effect is to tone down the gloating attitude of the speaker.

Verpið ‘Throw’

(not checked:)
1. verpa (verb): to throw, cast (up)

[5] Verpið snarpir sveinar: hlýði snotrir seggir with verpið snarpir sveinar in margin FskAˣ;    Verpið: ‘hlætet’ J1ˣ, ‘hlæþet’ J2ˣ, 761bˣ, hlýði Flat, 301ˣ

notes

[5, 8] verpið grjóti ‘throw stones’: The exact application of these words is uncertain and perhaps deliberately ambiguous. (a) Stones, rocks and gravel were frequently used for mound burials, cf. kasta haug ‘erect a burial mound’ referring to Hálfdan’s mound in the prose of Orkn (ÍF 34, 15). (b) They might also be used for a rudimentary temporary or dishonorable interment of human beings, designed chiefly to keep animals off the corpse, or for the burial of livestock (cf. Olsen 1942b, 40-1; Genzmer 1943, 516-17). (c) Stoning might be used to put somebody to death, as in Hamð 25, but this is unlikely and it is not how the prose compilers understood the stanza (cf. von See 1960, 38). — [5] verpið, snarpir sveinar ‘throw, brave lads’: The line provides an instance of skothending in an odd line, also seen in Lv 5/7, and of placement of the second of the two rhyming syllables previous to the fifth position in the line (see Introduction), also seen in l. 2 of this stanza. Hlaðið, snotrir seggir ‘pile up, wise warriors’ is apparently the reading that underlies the variants in J1ˣ, J2ˣ, FskAˣ, 301ˣ, Flat and 761bˣ; its effect is to tone down the gloating attitude of the speaker.

seggir ‘’

(not checked:)
seggr (noun m.; °; -ir): man

seggir ‘’

(not checked:)
seggr (noun m.; °; -ir): man

snarpir ‘brave’

(not checked:)
snarpr (adj.): sharp, keen

[5] Verpið snarpir sveinar: hlýði snotrir seggir with verpið snarpir sveinar in margin FskAˣ;    snarpir: snotrir J1ˣ, J2ˣ, Flat, 301ˣ, 761bˣ

notes

[5] verpið, snarpir sveinar ‘throw, brave lads’: The line provides an instance of skothending in an odd line, also seen in Lv 5/7, and of placement of the second of the two rhyming syllables previous to the fifth position in the line (see Introduction), also seen in l. 2 of this stanza. Hlaðið, snotrir seggir ‘pile up, wise warriors’ is apparently the reading that underlies the variants in J1ˣ, J2ˣ, FskAˣ, 301ˣ, Flat and 761bˣ; its effect is to tone down the gloating attitude of the speaker.

þann ‘’

(not checked:)
1. sá (pron.; °gen. þess, dat. þeim, acc. þann; f. sú, gen. þeirrar, acc. þá; n. þat, dat. því; pl. m. þeir, f. þǽ---): that (one), those

sveinar ‘lads’

(not checked:)
sveinn (noun m.; °sveins; sveinar): boy, servant, attendant

[5] Verpið snarpir sveinar: hlýði snotrir seggir with verpið snarpir sveinar in margin FskAˣ;    sveinar: seggir Flat, 301ˣ

notes

[5] verpið, snarpir sveinar ‘throw, brave lads’: The line provides an instance of skothending in an odd line, also seen in Lv 5/7, and of placement of the second of the two rhyming syllables previous to the fifth position in the line (see Introduction), also seen in l. 2 of this stanza. Hlaðið, snotrir seggir ‘pile up, wise warriors’ is apparently the reading that underlies the variants in J1ˣ, J2ˣ, FskAˣ, 301ˣ, Flat and 761bˣ; its effect is to tone down the gloating attitude of the speaker.

sigr ‘’

(not checked:)
sigr (noun m.; °sigrs/sigrar, dat. sigri; sigrar): victory

þvít ‘because’

(not checked:)
þvít (conj.): because, since

[6] þvít: þann J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 761bˣ

hǫfum ‘’

(not checked:)
hafa (verb): have

sigri ‘the victory’

(not checked:)
sigr (noun m.; °sigrs/sigrar, dat. sigri; sigrar): victory

[6] sigri vér rôðum: so, with sigr hǫfum fengit in margin FskAˣ;    sigri: sigr J1ˣ, J2ˣ, R702ˣ, 761bˣ

fengit ‘’

(not checked:)
2. fá (verb; °fǽr; fekk, fengu; fenginn): get, receive

vér ‘we’

(not checked:)
vér (pron.; °gen. vár, dat./acc. oss): we, us, our

[6] sigri vér rôðum: so, with sigr hǫfum fengit in margin FskAˣ;    vér rôðum: hǫfum fengit J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 332ˣ, R702ˣ, 761bˣ

rôðum ‘hold’

(not checked:)
ráða (verb): advise, rule, interpret, decide

[6] sigri vér rôðum: so, with sigr hǫfum fengit in margin FskAˣ;    vér rôðum: hǫfum fengit J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 332ˣ, R702ˣ, 761bˣ

skatt ‘tribute’

(not checked:)
skattr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ar): treasure, wealth

notes

[7] harðan skatt ‘hard tribute’: The sense is ‘I pay him with stones, not treasure or property’, with ironic play on the notion of tribute, perhaps alluding to demands placed by Hálfdan on the Orcadians (von See 1960, 37).

velk ‘I choose’

(not checked:)
velja (verb): choose

hônum ‘for him’

(not checked:)
hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...

af ‘’

(not checked:)
af (prep.): from

harðan ‘hard’

(not checked:)
harðr (adj.; °comp. -ari; superl. -astr): hard, harsh

notes

[7] harðan skatt ‘hard tribute’: The sense is ‘I pay him with stones, not treasure or property’, with ironic play on the notion of tribute, perhaps alluding to demands placed by Hálfdan on the Orcadians (von See 1960, 37).

háfœttu ‘’

at ‘at’

(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to

[8] at: af J1ˣ, J2ˣ, Flat, 761bˣ

Háfœtu ‘Háfœta (‘Long-legs’)’

(not checked:)
háfœta (noun f.): Long-legs

[8] Háfœtu: háfœttu F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, Flat

notes

[8] Háfœtu ‘Háfœta (“Long-legs”)’: Hálfdan háleggr ‘Long-legged’ Haraldsson. This form of the nickname is associated with Hálfdan in some medieval texts, no doubt influenced by the present lausavísa, comparably with þegjandi ‘silent’ applied to Þórir (see Note to Lv 1/7 and Indrebø 1922, 56; cf. Mundal 1993, 255-6). The epithet háfœta is a grammatically f. version of Hálfdan’s nickname háleggr ‘Long-legged’. Olsen (1942b, 43-4) suggests that it implies effeminacy on Hálfdan’s part, as a níð or deadly insult to his surviving kindred.

grjóti ‘stones’

(not checked:)
grjót (noun n.): rock, stone

notes

[5, 8] verpið grjóti ‘throw stones’: The exact application of these words is uncertain and perhaps deliberately ambiguous. (a) Stones, rocks and gravel were frequently used for mound burials, cf. kasta haug ‘erect a burial mound’ referring to Hálfdan’s mound in the prose of Orkn (ÍF 34, 15). (b) They might also be used for a rudimentary temporary or dishonorable interment of human beings, designed chiefly to keep animals off the corpse, or for the burial of livestock (cf. Olsen 1942b, 40-1; Genzmer 1943, 516-17). (c) Stoning might be used to put somebody to death, as in Hamð 25, but this is unlikely and it is not how the prose compilers understood the stanza (cf. von See 1960, 38).