Rv Lv 33^III

Hvat munk yðr eða ǫðrum
ulfbrynnǫndum kynna
— heiðs lofak hilmi blíðan
háranns — nema goð sannan?

Hvat munk kynna yðr eða {ǫðrum ulfbrynnǫndum} nema sannan goð? Lofak {blíðan hilmi {heiðs háranns}}.

What will I make known to you and {other wolf-waterers} [WARRIORS] except the true God? I praise {the gracious ruler {of the bright high hall}} [SKY/HEAVEN > = God].

Mss: W(168) (SnE); papp10ˣ(47v), 1494ˣ(60r), 2368ˣ(112), 743ˣ(86r) (LaufE)

Readings: [2] ‑brynnǫndum: ‘‑bryníndum’ W, ‑brynjuðum papp10ˣ, 1494ˣ, 2368ˣ, 743ˣ    [3] hilmi: hjalmi W, papp10ˣ, 743ˣ, hjalma 1494ˣ, hjalms 2368ˣ

Editions: Skj AI, 512, Skj BI, 487, Skald I, 239; SnE 1848-87, II, 498, III, 177; LaufE 1979, 290, 370; Bibire 1988, 239.

Context: Along with Arn Hryn 6/1-4^II, this quatrain is quoted as an example of kennings in which a man is said to be the fattener or feeder of carrion birds or wolves.

Notes: [All]: Despite his pilgrimage to the Holy Land (see his Biography in SkP II), Rǫgnvaldr is not particularly noted for piety in his surviving poetry. However, this stanza would fit well with Rv Lv 29^II, in which Rǫgnvaldr encourages his men to approach the holy places with humble devotion as they near Jerusalem on their return from the Jordan. — [2] ulfbrynnǫndum ‘wolf-waterers [WARRIORS]’: This emendation is adopted from Skj B. Although such a kenning would be unique, there are close parallels in which a wolf-term is compounded with a participial agent noun referring to its feeding, e.g. ulfnistandi ‘wolf-feeder’ (ESk Hardr I 1/6^II) and vargseðjandi ‘wolf-sater’ (Anon (Orkn) 1/6^II); see also Meissner 346. In this particular case, ‘wolf-waterers’ are warriors quenching the thirst of wolves with blood. Despite the prose context (see Context, above), which suggests that this emendation is correct, LaufE X, faced with the reading ulfbrynjuðum (m. dat. pl.) lit. ‘wolf-armoured ones’, goes on to explain the kenning as hier er madurinn kiendur, ulfbriniadur, so sem væri hann ofan j ulfin komin ‘here the man is said to be “wolf-armoured,” as if he had entered the wolf’ (LaufE 1979, 290). The Y branch (LaufE 1979, 370) only has hier er madur kalladur ulfbryniadur ‘here the man is called “wolf-armoured”’.

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. Bibire, Paul. 1988. ‘The Poetry of Earl Rǫgnvaldr’s Court’. In Crawford 1988, 208-40.
8. SkP II = Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Ed. Kari Ellen Gade. 2009.
9. Internal references
10. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Orkneyinga saga’ 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. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=47> (accessed 25 April 2024)
11. Diana Whaley (ed.) 2009, ‘Arnórr jarlaskáld Þórðarson, Hrynhenda, Magnússdrápa 6’ 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. 190-1.
12. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Haraldsdrápa I 1’ 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. 542-3.
13. Judith Jesch (ed.) 2009, ‘Rǫgnvaldr jarl Kali Kolsson, Lausavísur 29’ 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. 605-6.
14. (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 25 April 2024)