Hróksv Hrkv 5VIII (Hálf 55)
Hubert Seelow (ed.) 2017, ‘Hálfs saga ok Hálfsrekka 55 (Hrókr inn svarti, Hrókskviða 5)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 348.
text and translation
Hálf sá ek höggva höndum báðum;
hafði ekki hilmir hlífskjöld fyrir sér.
Finnr engi maðr, þóat fari víða,
hæfra hjarta ok hugprúðara.
Ek sá Hálf höggva báðum höndum; hilmir hafði ekki hlífskjöld fyrir sér. Engi maðr finnr hæfra ok hugprúðara hjarta, þóat fari víða.
‘I saw Hálfr strike with both hands; the prince did not have a protecting shield before himself. No man will find a braver and nobler heart, though he travel widely. ’
notes and context
[1-4]: The statement that Hálfr made no use of a shield and struck with both hands indicates his boldness bordering on foolhardiness (cf. the criticism parried in st. 56) in giving up the protection of a shield in order to wield his sword with both hands.
readings
sources
Text is based on reconstruction from the base text and variant apparatus and may contain alternative spellings and other normalisations not visible in the manuscript text. Transcriptions may not have been checked and should not be cited.
-
GKS 2845 4° (2845) — 38r/10 - 38r/12
imagesHálf sá ek höggva
höndum báðum;
hafði ekki hilmir
hlífskjöld fyrir sér.
Finnr engi maðr,
þó fari víða,
hæfra hjarta
ok hugprúðara.Half sa eg hauggua haundum badum hafdi ecki hilmer ǀ hlíf skiolld fyrer ser finur eíngi madur þo fari uida hæfra hiarta ok hug ǀ prudara
(HS)
editions and texts
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.