Hregg Lv 2^VIII (GHr 2)

Glez Hreggviðr         af Gríms dauða,
Þórðar ok þar með         þrjóta lífstundir.
Mun flokkr sjá         fjanda minna
fyrir Hrólfi         hníga verða.

Hreggviðr glez af dauða Gríms, ok lífstundir Þórðar þrjóta þar með. Sjá flokkr fjanda minna mun verða hníga fyrir Hrólfi.

Hreggviðr rejoices in the death of Grímr, and the hours of Þórðr’s life are diminishing as well. That group of my enemies will come to fall before Hrólfr.

Mss: 589f(31v), 152(111rb), 567XI α(1v) (GHr)

Readings: [1] Hreggviðr: so 152, 567XI α, ‘h[…]’ 589f    [2] af Gríms dauða: af Gríms af dauða 567XI α    [3] Þórðar ok þar með: þeim munu 567XI α    [4] þrjóta: þrotnar 567XI α    [5] Mun flokkr sjá: vera mun flokkr sjá 567XI α    [6] minna: so 152, 567XI α, ‘m[…]’ 589f    [7] Hrólfi: ‘[…]’ 567XI α    [8] hníga: ‘[…]ga’ 567XI α

Editions: Skj AII, 332-3, Skj BII, 353, Skald II, 190; FSN 3, 334, FSGJ 3, 253 (GHr).

Notes: [All]: Both Skj B and Skald prefer here a version of this stanza based in part on 591eˣ for l. 3, Þórðar ok Brynjólfs, and in part on 567XI α for l. 4 þrotnar lífstundir. They use 591eˣ again for l. 6 falla hrǫnnum. They regularise the metre of l. 7 by inserting an ok before fyr Hrólfi. Their text reads: Glezk Hreggviðr | Gríms af dauða, | Þórðar ok Brynjólfs | þrotnar lífstundir; | mun flokkr sjá | falla hrǫnnum | ok fyr Hrólfi | hníga verða, which Skj B translates as Hreggvid glæder sig over Grims død. Tords og Brynjolfs levetid er sluttet; den skare vil falde flokkevis og segne for Hrolf ‘Hreggviðr rejoices over Grímr’s death. Þórðr’s and Brynjólfr’s lives are finished; that troop will fall in flocks and sink before Hrólfr’. This composite text corresponds to no single ms. version, whereas that adopted by FSN and FSGJ at least has the merit of following two medieval mss, 589f and 152. — [2] Gríms ‘of Grímr’: According to ch. 2 of GHr (FSGJ 3, 166-7), Grímr, nicknamed ægir, was Eiríkr the viking’s closest confidant. The saga narrator associates his nickname with that of the mythical Ægir, a sea-god or giant. Grímr was the foster-brother of Þórðr (see Note to l. 3) a completely evil figure, of unknown parentage, the practitioner of sorcery, shape-shifting and malicious deeds. — [3] Þórðar ‘of Þórðr’: A kinsman of Eiríkr the viking, from Hlésey (Læsø) in Denmark (FSGJ 3, 167). The Brynjólfr, mentioned in some versions of this stanza, such as 591eˣ (see Note to [All] above), is the name of another of Eiríkr’s henchmen. — [5] flokkr ‘group’: This must be desyllabified to flokkur to produce a metrical line (Type B).

References

1. Bibliography
2. Skj B = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1912-15b. Den norsk-islandske skjaldedigtning. B: Rettet tekst. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Villadsen & Christensen. Rpt. 1973. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde & Bagger.
3. FSN = Rafn, Carl Christian, ed. 1829-30. Fornaldar sögur nordrlanda. 3 vols. Copenhagen: Popp.
4. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
5. FSGJ = Guðni Jónsson, ed. 1954. Fornaldar sögur norðurlanda. 4 vols. [Reykjavík]: Íslendingasagnaútgáfan.
6. Internal references
7. 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Gǫngu-Hrólfs saga’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 298. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=89> (accessed 16 April 2024)