ESk Øxfl 9^III

Ráðvǫndum þák rauðra
randa ís at vísa;
grand berum hjalms í hendi
hvarmþey drifin Freyju.

Þák {ís rauðra randa} at ráðvǫndum vísa; berum {grand hjalms}, drifin {{hvarmþey} Freyju}, í hendi.

I received {an icicle of red shields} [SWORD] from the righteous ruler; we [I] carry {the harm of the helmet} [AXE/SWORD], covered {{with the eyelid-thaw} [TEARS] of Freyja <goddess>} [GOLD], in my hand.

Mss: R(34r), Tˣ(35v), W(78), U(33v), A(11v) (SnE); 2368ˣ(128), 743ˣ(96r) (LaufE)

Readings: [1] rauðra: so W, A, 2368ˣ, 743ˣ, ‘raþra’ R, randa Tˣ, rauðar U    [2] randa: rauðra Tˣ, randar U;    vísa: ‘[…]ísa’ U    [3] grand berum: ‘grandbern’ 743ˣ;    berum: ‘be[…]’ U;    hjalms: ‘h[…]ms’ U    [4] hvarm‑: ‘hram’ U, hvern A;    Freyju: meyju U

Editions: Skj AI, 479, Skj BI, 451, Skald I, 222; SnE 1848-87, I, 430-1, II, 330, 441, III, 82, SnE 1931, 153, SnE 1998, I, 71; LaufE 1979, 391.

Context: Íss randa ‘icicle of shields’ and grand hjalms ‘harm of the helmet’ are both given as examples of sword-kennings in Skm and LaufE.

Notes: [All]: The poet is identified as ‘Einarr’ in all mss, but no patronymic is given for him. Because of the gold-kenning, whose imagery is consistent with that of sts 1-3 (see Introduction above), the attribution to Einarr Skúlason seems likely. — [1-2] rauðra randa ‘of red shields’: For shields painted red, see Falk (1914b, 128-32) and Note to Sjórs Lv 3/1^II. — [1-2, 3] ís rauðra randa; grand hjalms ‘an icicle of red shields [SWORD]; the harm of the helmet [AXE/SWORD]’: Finnur Jónsson takes the first as a kenning for ‘axe’ (Skj B) or ‘sword’ (LP: íss) and the second as a kenning for ‘axe’ (Skj B; LP: grand). Snorri gives both as kennings for ‘sword’ (see Meissner 149), however. Because the second kenning could conceivably denote ‘axe’, that option is left open in the present edn. See also Note to st. 3/4 above. — [8] hvarmþey Freyju ‘with the eyelid-thaw [TEARS] of Freyja <goddess> [GOLD]’: For Freyja weeping tears of gold, see Note to st. 1/1, 4 above.

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. SnE 1848-87 = Snorri Sturluson. 1848-87. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar: Edda Snorronis Sturlaei. Ed. Jón Sigurðsson et al. 3 vols. Copenhagen: Legatum Arnamagnaeanum. Rpt. Osnabrück: Zeller, 1966.
4. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
5. LaufE 1979 = Faulkes, Anthony, ed. 1979. Edda Magnúsar Ólafssonar (Laufás Edda). RSÁM 13. Vol. I of Two Versions of Snorra Edda from the 17th Century. Reykjavík: Stofnun Árna Magnússonar, 1977-9.
6. Meissner = Meissner, Rudolf. 1921. Die Kenningar der Skalden: Ein Beitrag zur skaldischen Poetik. Rheinische Beiträge und Hülfsbücher zur germanischen Philologie und Volkskunde 1. Bonn and Leipzig: Schroeder. Rpt. 1984. Hildesheim etc.: Olms.
7. LP = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1931. Lexicon poeticum antiquæ linguæ septentrionalis: Ordbog over det norsk-islandske skjaldesprog oprindelig forfattet af Sveinbjörn Egilsson. 2nd edn. Copenhagen: Møller.
8. Falk, Hjalmar. 1914b. Altnordische Waffenkunde. Videnskapsselskapets skrifter, II. Hist.-filos. kl. 1914, 6. Kristiania (Oslo): Dybwad.
9. SnE 1931 = Snorri Sturluson. 1931. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar. Ed. Finnur Jónsson. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
10. SnE 1998 = Snorri Sturluson. 1998. Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2 vols. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
11. Internal references
12. Kari Ellen Gade 2017, ‘(Biography of) Einarr Skúlason’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 140.
13. (forthcoming), ‘ Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=112> (accessed 24 April 2024)
14. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Sigurðr jórsalafari Magnússon, Lausavísur 3’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 468-9.
15. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Laufás Edda’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=10928> (accessed 24 April 2024)