Eskál Vell 27^I

Vasat í gǫgn, þótt gerði
garð-Rǫgnir styr harðan,
gengiligt at ganga,
geirrásar, her þeira,
þás með fylki Frísa
fór gunn-Viðurr sunnan
(kvaddi vígs) ok Vinða
(vágs blakkriði) Frakka.

Vasat gengiligt at ganga í gǫgn her þeira, þótt {{{geirrásar} garð}-Rǫgnir} gerði harðan styr, þás {gunn-Viðurr} fór sunnan með fylki Frísa, Frakka ok Vinða; {{vágs blakk}riði} kvaddi vígs.

It was not easy to go against their army, although {the Rǫgnir <= Óðinn> {of the fence {of the spear-onslaught}}} [(lit. ‘fence-Rǫgnir of the spear-onslaught’) BATTLE > SHIELD > WARRIOR = Hákon jarl] made a hard attack, when {the battle-Viðurr <= Óðinn>} [WARRIOR = Otto II] came from the south with a host of Frisians, Franks and Wends; {the rider {of the horse of the wave}} [(lit. ‘horse-rider of the wave’) SHIP > SEAFARER = Hákon jarl] called for battle.

Mss: Kˣ(147v), F(24va), J1ˣ(87r), J2ˣ(81v) (Hkr); 61(14va), 54(9rb), Bb(19va) (ÓT)

Readings: [1] gǫgn: gegn F, J1ˣ, 61, 54, Bb    [2] Rǫgnir: ‘rǫknir’ 61, ‘raknir’ 54, Bb    [4] geirrásar: ‘geírra sár’ Bb;    her: lið 61, ok Bb    [5] fylki Frísa: Frísa fylki all    [6] Viðurr: ‘viðuiður’ J1ˣ, undr 54, Bb    [7] ok: of J1ˣ;    Vinða: víða F

Editions: Skj AI, 129, Skj BI, 122, Skald I, 68, NN §§1370 Anm. 1, 1886, 2240A; Hkr 1893-1901, I, 300, IV, 81-2, ÍF 26, 257-8, Hkr 1991, I, 172-3 (ÓTHkr ch. 26), F 1871, 112; Fms 1, 123-4, Fms 12, 37, ÓT 1958-2000, I, 137 (ch. 69).

Context: Emperor Otto II and his forces arrive at the great defensive wall of the Danavirki (Danevirke), and a mighty battle ensues.

Notes: [2, 4] geirrásar garð-Rǫgnir ‘the Rǫgnir <= Óðinn> of the fence of the spear-onslaught [(lit. ‘fence-Rǫgnir of the spear-onslaught’) BATTLE > SHIELD > WARRIOR = Hákon jarl]’: That the kenning refers to Hákon jarl is suggested by her þeira ‘their host’, which probably refers to the army of Otto II; see Note to l. 4. — [4] þeira ‘their’: Otto II’s force, possibly the warriors mentioned in st. 26/7-8 (Hkr 1893-1901, IV; Konráð Gíslason 1895-7, I, 161; ÍF 26; Hkr 1991). — [5] fylki Frísa ‘a host of Frisians’: Although all mss give Frísa fylki, the word order must be reversed to achieve the hending on the third lift.

References

1. Bibliography
2. Fms = Sveinbjörn Egilsson et al., eds. 1825-37. Fornmanna sögur eptir gömlum handritum útgefnar að tilhlutun hins norræna fornfræða fèlags. 12 vols. Copenhagen: Popp.
3. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
4. NN = Kock, Ernst Albin. 1923-44. Notationes Norrœnæ: Anteckningar till Edda och skaldediktning. Lunds Universitets årsskrift new ser. 1. 28 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
5. ÍF 26-8 = Heimskringla. Ed. Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson. 1941-51.
6. Hkr 1893-1901 = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1893-1901. Heimskringla: Nóregs konunga sǫgur af Snorri Sturluson. 4 vols. SUGNL 23. Copenhagen: Møller.
7. Hkr 1991 = Bergljót S. Kristjánsdóttir et al., eds. 1991. Heimskringla. 3 vols. Reykjavík: Mál og menning.
8. F 1871 = Unger, C. R., ed. 1871. Fríssbók: Codex Frisianus. En samling af norske konge-sagaer. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
9. Konráð Gíslason. 1895-7. Efterladte skrifter. 2 vols. I: Forelæsninger over oldnordiske skjaldekvad. II: Forelæsninger og videnskablige afhandlinger. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
10. ÓT 1958-2000 = Ólafur Halldórsson, ed. 1958-2000. Saga Óláfs Tryggvasonar en mesta. 3 vols. EA A 1-3. Copenhagen: Munksgaard (Reitzel).