Ólhv Hryn 6^II

Fláræði kom framm of síðir;
friðbann hóf þá ǫfund manna;
eigi má við ørlǫg bægjask
jǫfra sveit, þótt ráðug heiti.
Stórr vas harmr, þars stríddu harrar
stála hregg, þvít æ mun beggja
rausnarkapp ok ríki uppi,
ramri þjóð, meðan jǫrð heldr flóði.

Fláræði kom framm of síðir; ǫfund manna hóf þá friðbann; eigi má sveit jǫfra bægjask við ørlǫg, þótt heiti ráðug. Vas stórr harmr ramri þjóð, þars harrar stríddu {hregg stála}, þvít æ mun rausnarkapp ok ríki beggja uppi, meðan jǫrð heldr flóði.

Treachery emerged at last; the malice of men then led to a peace-ban; a host of princes cannot contend against fate, though it is called wise. It was a great sorrow to the mighty people when the lords fought {a storm of weapons} [BATTLE], because the eagerness for glory and the power of both will always be remembered, as long as the earth adheres to the sea.

Mss: E(169r), F(106vb), 42ˣ(149v), 81a(101ra-b), 8(47v), Flat(176ra-b) (Hák)

Readings: [2] hóf þá: hófsk þá F, Flat, var þat 42ˣ, 8;    ǫfund: ríkra F, om. 42ˣ, 8, ǫfund ok Flat    [3] eigi: ‘æi’ 42ˣ;    bægjask: ‘bæiaz’ 42ˣ    [5] harmr: om. 81a;    þars (‘þar er’): þá er F, 81a, þá 8;    harrar: so F, 42ˣ, 8, herrar E, 81a, Flat    [6] hregg: hegg 81a, hreggs Flat;    þvít æ (‘því at æ’): er eigi 8    [7] ‑kapp: so all others, ‘knáp’ E;    ok ríki: so F, 42ˣ, 8, Flat, þvít æ mun E, í ríki 81a;    uppi: om. 42ˣ    [8] flóði: blóði Flat

Editions: Skj AII, 94-5, Skj BII, 106, Skald II, 56; 104, E 1916, 578, F 1871, 495, Hák 1910-86, 508, Hák 1977-82, 104, Flat 1860-8, III, 125.

Context: On 6 November 1239, Skúli laid claim to the kingship of Norway in the presence of his adherents at Øretinget in Trondheim.

Notes: [All]: For Skúli’s claim to the Norwegian throne, see also Sturl Hákkv 9. — [4] sveit jǫfra ‘a host of princes’: This construction refers to princes in general. — [8] meðan jǫrð heldr flóði ‘as long as the earth adheres to the sea’: This statement is likely proverbial or semi-proverbial and means ‘forever more’. Cf. ll. 6-8 þvít æ mun rausnarkapp ok ríki beggja uppi, meðan jǫrð heldr flóði ‘because the eagerness for glory and the power of both will always be remembered, as long as the earth adheres to the sea’ and Þstf Stuttdr 5/1-4 fǫr Endils svǫrgœðis mun ey uppi, meðan salr sólborgar stendr ‘the journey of the fattener of Endill’s <sea-king’s> bird will always be remembered as long as the the hall of the sun’s stronghold [SKY/HEAVEN > EARTH] remains’.

References

1. Bibliography
2. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
3. Flat 1860-8 = Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and C. R. Unger, eds. 1860-8. Flateyjarbók. En samling af norske konge-sagaer med indskudte mindre fortællinger om begivenheder i og udenfor Norge samt annaler. 3 vols. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
4. F 1871 = Unger, C. R., ed. 1871. Fríssbók: Codex Frisianus. En samling af norske konge-sagaer. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
5. E 1916 = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1916. Eirspennill: AM 47 fol. Nóregs konunga sǫgur: Magnús góði – Hákon gamli. Kristiania (Oslo): Den norske historiske kildeskriftskommission.
6. Hák 1977-82 = Mundt, Marina, ed. 1977. Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar etter Sth. 8 fol., AM 325VIII, 4° og AM 304, 4°. Oslo: Forlagsentralen. Suppl. by James E. Knirk, Rettelser til Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar etter Sth. 8 fol., AM 325VIII, 4° og AM 304, 4°. Norrøne tekster 2. Oslo: Norsk historisk kjeldeskrift-institutt, 1982.
7. Hák 1910-86 = Kjær, Albert and Ludvig Holm-Olsen, eds. 1910-86. Det Arnamagnæanske haandskrift 81a fol. (Skálholtsbók yngsta) indeholdende Sverris saga, Bǫglungasǫgur, Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar. Oslo: Den norske historiske kildeskriftkommission and Kjeldeskriftfondet.
8. Internal references
9. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Sturla Þórðarson, Hákonarkviða 9’ 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, p. 706.
10. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Þórarinn stuttfeldr, Stuttfeldardrápa 5’ 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, p. 477.