Sturl Hákkv 5^II

Sá hverr maðr,
at höfuðskepnur
fylkis tígn
fagna vildu
göfugláts
gjálfri kringðum
á vindkers
víðum botni.

Hverr maðr sá, at höfuðskepnur vildu fagna tígn göfugláts fylkis á {víðum botni {vindkers}}, kringðum gjálfri.

Every man saw that the chief elements wished to welcome the dignity of the splendid ruler on {the wide bottom {of the wind-vessel}} [SKY/HEAVEN > EARTH], encircled by the surge.

Mss: E(144v), F(87vb), 42ˣ(93r), 81a(70vb), 304ˣ(262r), Flat(166ra) (Hák)

Readings: [1] hverr: ‘huor’ 304ˣ    [2] ‑skepnur: ‑skepnir 304ˣ    [4] fagna: falla F, frama 304ˣ    [5] göfugláts: ‘ok gofvgla’ F, ok göfugláts 81a, 304ˣ, Flat    [6] gjálfri: ‘gial fyrir’ Flat;    kringðum: kringðu all    [7] vind‑: so F, 304ˣ, vín‑ E, 42ˣ, 81a, Flat;    ‑kers: ‘‑kis’ 81a

Editions: Skj AII, 110, Skj BII, 119, Skald II, 64; E 1916, 490, F 1871, 405, Hák 1910-86, 322, Hák 1977-82, 21, Flat 1860-8, III, 23.

Context: As st. 4 above.

Notes: [2] höfuðskepnur ‘the chief elements’: Lit. ‘the main creations’, i.e. earth, air, fire and water. This term occurs as early as in the ON Elucidarius (c. 1200) and it is also used in SnE (Fritzner: höfuðskepna 2.; see also Clunies Ross 1987, 134-7, 155-73 on the knowledge of encyclopedic literature in the Scandinavian Middle Ages). — [6] kringðum (m. dat. sg.) ‘encircled’: The reading of the mss, kringðu (n. dat. sg.), is ungrammatical (the adj. qualifies botni (m. dat. sg.) ‘bottom’ (l. 8)). The whole kenning echoes Mark Eirdr 32/2, 4. — [7-8]: The ll. echo Egill Arkv 18/7-8^V. — [7] vindkers ‘of the wind-vessel’: So F, 304ˣ. Vínkers ‘of the wine-vessel’ (so E, 42ˣ, 81a, Flat) makes no sense in the context.

References

1. Bibliography
2. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
3. Clunies Ross, Margaret. 1987. Skáldskaparmál: Snorri Sturluson’s ars poetica and Medieval Theories of Language. VC 4. [Odense]: Odense University Press.
4. 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.
5. F 1871 = Unger, C. R., ed. 1871. Fríssbók: Codex Frisianus. En samling af norske konge-sagaer. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
6. E 1916 = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1916. Eirspennill: AM 47 fol. Nóregs konunga sǫgur: Magnús góði – Hákon gamli. Kristiania (Oslo): Den norske historiske kildeskriftskommission.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Internal references
10. Edith Marold 2017, ‘Snorra Edda (Prologue, Gylfaginning, Skáldskaparmál)’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols [check printed volume for citation].
11. Not published: do not cite (Run^VI)
12. Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2022, ‘Egils saga Skalla-Grímssonar 114 (Egill Skallagrímsson, Arinbjarnarkviða 18)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross, Kari Ellen Gade and Tarrin Wills (eds), Poetry in Sagas of Icelanders. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 5. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 356.
13. Jayne Carroll (ed.) 2009, ‘Markús Skeggjason, Eiríksdrápa 32’ 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. 460.