Jór Send 5^I

Hróðr vann hringa stríðir
Haralds framm kveðinn ramman;
Goðþormr hlaut af gæti
góð laun kveðins óðar.
Raunframra brá rimmu
runnr skjǫldunga gunnar;
áðr bjósk herr til hjǫrva
hreggs dǫglinga tveggja.

{Stríðir hringa} vann framm kveðinn ramman hróðr Haralds; Goðþormr hlaut góð laun kveðins óðar af gæti. {Runnr gunnar} brá rimmu raunframra skjǫldunga; áðr bjósk herr tveggja dǫglinga til {hreggs hjǫrva}.

{The enemy of rings} [GENEROUS MAN] performed a powerful panegyric for Haraldr; Guthormr got good reward for the recited poem from the sovereign. {The tree of battle} [WARRIOR] ended the clash between the truly successful rulers; previously the army of [each of] the two princes had prepared for {a storm of swords} [BATTLE].

Mss: 75c(1r) (ÓH)

Readings: [1] stríðir: stríðis 75c    [2] Haralds: ‘har̄’ 75c;    framm kveðinn: framkveðins 75c    [3] hlaut: laut 75c;    gæti: ‘geti’ 75c

Editions: Skj AI, 61, Skj BI, 54, Skald I, 34, NN §§1051, 1819; ÓH 1941, I, 12 (ch. 3).

Context: As for sts 2 and 3.

Notes: [1] stríðir hringa ‘the enemy of rings [GENEROUS MAN]’: This type of kenning would most often refer to a ruler, but it is here used of the poet Guthormr, who expects only the reconciliation of the kings as his reward for the poem (see st. 4/8 and Introduction above). The ms. reading, implying a hróðr stríðis hringa ‘poem of the generous man’, cannot be made to make sense as it leaves the clause without a subject. — [3] Goðþormr ‘Guthormr’: Given the uncertainties about the etymology of this name (see the Biography of Guthormr sindri), and about the dating of Send, the authentic form for this stanza cannot be determined with any certainty. — [3] gæti ‘the sovereign’: More lit., ‘guardian, protector’. Such an agent noun would normally be followed by a determinant in the gen. (cf. Meissner 294), but here it appears to be used as a half-kenning. — [7-8]: As Kock (NN §1051) points out, ‘the army had previously prepared for the battle of the two princes’ is equally possible. — [8]: This line echoes Þhorn Gldr 3/8, with a similar battle context, but, as de Vries (1964-7, I, 151) notes, they mean quite different things. — [8] tveggja dǫglinga ‘of the two princes’: Haraldr hárfagri and his son Hálfdan svarti; see Introduction.

References

1. Bibliography
2. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
3. NN = Kock, Ernst Albin. 1923-44. Notationes Norrœnæ: Anteckningar till Edda och skaldediktning. Lunds Universitets årsskrift new ser. 1. 28 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
4. 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.
5. Vries, Jan de. 1964-7. Altnordische Literaturgeschichte. 2 vols. 2nd edn. Grundriss der germanischen Philologie 15-16. Berlin: de Gruyter.
6. ÓH 1941 = Johnsen, Oscar Albert and Jón Helgason, eds. 1941. Saga Óláfs konungs hins helga: Den store saga om Olav den hellige efter pergamenthåndskrift i Kungliga biblioteket i Stockholm nr. 2 4^to med varianter fra andre håndskrifter. 2 vols. Det norske historiske kildeskriftfond skrifter 53. Oslo: Dybwad.
7. Internal references
8. Russell Poole 2012, ‘(Biography of) Guthormr sindri’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 154.
9. Judith Jesch 2012, ‘ Jórunn skáldmær, Sendibítr’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 143. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1286> (accessed 23 April 2024)
10. Edith Marold (ed.) 2012, ‘Þorbjǫrn hornklofi, Glymdrápa 3’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 81.