Gestumbl Heiðr 6VIII (Heiðr 53)
Hannah Burrows (ed.) 2017, ‘Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks 53 (Gestumblindi, Heiðreks gátur 6)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 415.
text and translation
Hverr er sá inn mikli, er mörgu ræðr,
ok horfir til heljar hálfr?
*Öldum bergr en við jörð sakaz,
ef hann hefir sér vel traustan vin.
Heiðrekr konungr, hyggðu at gátu.
Hverr er sá inn mikli, er ræðr mörgu, ok horfir hálfr til heljar? Bergr *öldum en sakaz við jörð, ef hann hefir sér vel traustan vin. Heiðrekr konungr, hyggðu at gátu.
‘Who is that, the great one, who governs much, and half [of him] turns to Hel? He protects men but contends with the earth, if he has for himself a well-trusted friend. King Heiðrekr, think about the riddle. ’
notes and context
Heiðrekr’s response is (Heiðr 1960, 42): þat er akkeri með góðum streng; ef fleinn hans er í grunni, þá bergr þat ‘that is an anchor with a good rope; if his fluke is in the bed [of the sea etc.], then it is safe’. The H redaction has a longer explanation and adds (Heiðr 1924, 62): En mjǫk undrumz ek orðfimi þína ok vitrleik ‘But I wonder greatly at your word-skill and wisdom’.
readings
- [1] sá: om. R715ˣ
- [3] ok: om. 203ˣ
- [3] horfir: horfir corrected from hverfir in the margin in another hand 597bˣ
- [4] *Öldum: hölðum 2845, 281ˣ, 597bˣ, 203ˣ, ýtum R715ˣ
- [4] bergr: heitir bergr R715ˣ, hann bergr 281ˣ, 597bˣ, 203ˣ
- [5] en: so all others, ok 2845
- [5] við: so all others, om. 2845
- [5] jörð: jörðu R715ˣ, hjörð 281ˣ, 597bˣ, ‘suo᷎rd’ 203ˣ
- [5] sakaz: ‘salast’ R715ˣ
- [6] hann: om. R715ˣ
- [6] sér: ‘[…]’ R715ˣ
- [7-8] abbrev. as ‘h k̄’ 2845, abbrev. as ‘heidr: k: higg ad’ 281ˣ, abbrev. as ‘h: Kongur h: þu ad etc’ corrected from ‘h: Kongur h: þu etc’ in the margin in another hand 597bˣ, abbrev. as ‘h. k. h. þ. a. Gatu’ 203ˣ
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) — 72r/10 - 72r/11
imagesHverr er sá inn mikli,
er mörgu ræðr,
ok horfir til heljar hálfr?
hölðum bergr
ok jörð sakaz,
ef hann hefir sér vel traustan vin.
,
.huerr er sa iɴn mikli er mỏrgu ræ̋dr ok horfir til helíar ha⸜l⸝fr hꜹldum bergr | ok iord sakaz ef hann hefir ser uel trꜹstan uín heidrekr konungr
(HB)
-
UppsUB R 715x (R715x) — 28v/15 - 28v/17 [1-6]
imagesHverr er inn mikli,
er mörgu ræðr,
ok horfir til heljar hálfr?
ýtum heitir bergr
en við jörðu †salast†,
ef hefir †[…]† vel traustan vin.
Heiðrekr konungr,
hyggðu at gátu.huor er hinn miklj er morgu rædr | og horfir til heliar halfur tum heitir | Bergur enn vid jordu salast ef hefur […] | veltraustan vin
(HB)
-
AM 281 4°x (281x) — 99r/24 - 99r/26
imagesHverr er sá inn mikli,
er mörgu ræðr,
ok horfir til heljar hálfr?
hölðum hann bergr
en við hjörð sakaz,
ef hann hefir sér vel traustan vin.
,
.hver er sa hinn mikle | er mørgu rœdur⸝ og horfir til heliar hlfur⸝ høldum hann Bergur enn vid hiord | sakast ef hann hefir sier vel traustann vin. heidrekur kongur higg ad.
(HB)
-
AM 597 b 4°x (597bx) — 49v/3 - 49v/5
imagesHverr er sá inn mikli,
er mörgu ræðr,
ok horfir til heljar hálfr?
hölðum hann bergr
en við hjörð sakaz,
ef hann hefir sér vel traustan vin.
,
.hver er s hinn mikle er mørgu rædur og (horfer) til heliar hlfur⸝ hold | um hann bergur enn vid hiørd sakast ef hann hefur sier vel traustann vin | heidrekur Kongur hygg þu (ad) etc
(HB)
-
AM 203 folx (203x) — 106ra/1 - 106ra/7
imagesHverr er sá inn mikli,
er mörgu ræðr,
horfir til heljar hálfr?
hölðum hann bergr
en við †suo᷎rd† sakaz,
ef hann hefir sér vel traustan vin.
,
.huor er | sa hinn mykli er mǫrgu rædur | horfir til heliar hlffur. | holdumm hann bergur ⸝ enn | vid suỏrd sakast ⸝ ef hann | heffer sier veltraustann | win . h. k. h. þ. a. Gatu.
(HB)
editions and texts
Skj: Anonyme digte og vers [XIII], D. 5. Heiðreks gátur 23: AII, 225-6, BII, 244, Skald II, 127, NN §2361; Heiðr 1672, 148, FSN 1, 480, Heiðr 1873, 239-40, 341, Heiðr 1924, 61-2, 78, 136, FSGJ 2, 47, Heiðr 1960, 41-2; Edd. Min. 108.
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.