GizGrý Lv 1^VIII (Heiðr 99)

Hannah Burrows (ed.) 2017, ‘Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks 99 (Gizurr Grýtingaliði, Lausavísur 1)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 471.

text and translation

notes and context

According to the saga prose, Heiðrekr’s elderly foster-father Gizurr Grýtingaliði ‘Retainer of the Grýtingar’ thinks the offer is too generous, and speaks the stanza (but see Note to l. 1 below).

[2-3]: Tolkien (Heiðr 1960, 51 n. 2) highlights the ‘emphatic repetition’ and draws comparison to Sigsk 17/6-7; Jón Helgason (1967, 230) notes also the example of Ásm 5/2-3. Gizurr’s claim is insulting, and alludes to the fact that Hlǫðr’s mother, Sifka, the daughter of the Hunnish king Humli, was captured in a raid by Heiðrekr and returned pregnant to her father. — [5-6]: As shepherds are associated with the practice of sitting on mounds (e.g. Vsp 42/1-4, Skí 11/1-2), some have interpreted Gizurr’s remark as insulting to Hlǫðr (e.g. Jón Helgason 1967, 231; ÍF Edd.; cf. Heiðr 1960, 51 n. 3). However, the concept most likely relates to inheritance or succession; by implication, the mound would be that of Hlǫðr’s (and Angantýr’s) father, Heiðrekr. In the Flat redaction of ÓH, for example, a certain Bjǫrn, son of a deceased king Óláfr, sits on his father’s mound when he reaches the age of twelve before claiming the kingdom from his uncle, acting as regent (Flat 1860-8, II, 70). The practice of sitting on royal burial mounds may also have been a more abstract symbol of kingship: in HHárf in Hkr (ch. 8, ÍF 26, 99-100), King Hrollaugr of Namdalen goes upp á haug þann, er konungar váru vanir at sitja á ‘up onto that mound which kings were accustomed to sit on’, and rolls down from the kings’ seat to the jarls’, as a sign of his subjection to Haraldr hárfagri. Ellis (1943, 105-11) provides examples and discussion of these and other incidents, including further connections to kingship and inheritance of other kinds. The implication seems to be that Hlǫðr’s actions were an attempt at symbolic validation of his claim.

readings

• [1] þiggjanda: þiggjandi R715ˣ
• [2] barni: barmi R715ˣ
• [3] barni: barmi R715ˣ
• [3] þýjar: þýja 203ˣ, R715ˣ
• [4] konungi: konungr 203ˣ, ‘k:’ R715ˣ
• [5] hornungr: hornung R715ˣ
• [6] haugi: ‘haag’ R715ˣ
• [7] öðlingr: ‘odligar’ R715ˣ

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.

• AM 203 folx (203x) — 110v/7 - 110v/9

  Þetta er þiggjanda
  þýjar barni,
  barni þýja,
  þótt sé borinn konungr.
  Þá hornungr
  á haugi sat,
  er öðlingr
  arfi skipti.

  þetta er | þiggianda þyar Barnne. Barne þya og þott sie borinn kongur | þa hornungur a hauge sat er ødlingur arffe skipti

  (HB)

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• UppsUB R 715x (R715x) — 32r/19 - 32r/22

  Þetta er þiggjandi
  þýjar barmi,
  barmi þýja,
  þótt sé borinn †k:†.
  Þá hornung
  á †haag† sat,
  er †odligar†
  arfi skipti.

  þetta er þiggian | di þyr barmj barmi þia og þott sie | borinn kongur þa hornung a haag sat er od | ligar arfi skipta

  (HB)

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