Kirsten Wolf (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Heilagra meyja drápa 35’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 913.
Greifinn setti guðs mey ljúfa
grið bannandi í myrkvaranni;
drákons kom þar djöfull í líki,
deyddi hun hann en fleingdi annan.
Meina fjöld og þrautir mildust
mærin tók á líkam skæran;
Malkus einn af mönnum fylkis
mey óverða hjó með sverði.
Greifinn setti {ljúfa mey guðs} í myrkvaranni bannandi grið; djöfull kom þar í líki drákons; hun deyddi hann en fleingdi annan. Mildust mærin tók fjöld meina og þrautir á skæran líkam; Malkus, einn af fylkis mönnum, hjó óverða mey með sverði.
The count placed {the beloved maiden of God} [HOLY WOMAN] in a dungeon, prohibiting a truce; the devil came there in the shape of a dragon; she killed him and whipped another. The mildest maiden suffered a multitude of torments and tortures on her shining body; Malchus, one of the king’s men, slew the undeserving maiden with a sword.
Mss: 721(9r), 713(26)
Readings: [2] myrkvaranni: myrku ranni 713 [3] djöfull: djöfuls 721, ‘d[...]ull’ 713 [5] og þrautir mildust: og þrautir 721, og margar pínur 713 [6] skæran: skærum 713 [8] mey óverða: meyju verða 713
Editions: Skj AII, 533, Skj BII, 590-1, Skald II, 327.
Notes: [5] mildust ‘mildest’: Emendation proposed by Finnur Jónsson in Skj B. Something has clearly been omitted from the exemplars of both 721 and 713 at this point.
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