Hǫrðr Lv 3VIII (HjǪ 42 [a])
Richard L. Harris (ed.) 2017, ‘Hjálmþés saga ok Ǫlvis 42 (Hǫrðr/Hringr, Lausavísur 3)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 533.
The final lausavísur of HjǪ celebrate the coming of the heroes to the court of King Hringr Ptólómeusson, formerly known as Hǫrðr the swineherd in the enchanted disguise placed upon him by his amorous step-mother Lúða when he spurned her advances. Hjálmþér and Ǫlvir also meet the king’s two sisters, the princesses Álfsól and Hildisif, and recognise them as their two enchanted supernatural helpers Vargeisa and Skinnhúfa.
Hvat er þér Hjálmþér? Hefir þú lit brugðit;
stórt er þér í hug, þú starir á mik löngum.
Hvat er þér Hjálmþér? Þú hefir brugðit lit; er þér stórt í hug, þú starir á mik löngum.
What is the matter with you, Hjálmþér? You have changed colour; something weighty is on your mind, you stare at me for a long time.
Mss: 109a IIIˣ(280v), papp6ˣ(59r), ÍBR5ˣ(104) (HjǪ)
Readings: [2] brugðit: ‘[…]did’ ÍBR5ˣ
Editions: Skj AII, 340, Skj BII, 362, Skald II, 196; HjǪ 1720, 73, FSN 3, 512, FSGJ 4, 237, HjǪ 1970, 59, 109, 177.
Context: Hjálmþér recognizes
his old companion Hǫrðr, even in his elevated state, and is disturbed by this
recognition, perhaps by having lost face as the subject of deception regarding Hǫrðr’s
true identity. Hringr looks at Hjálmþér and asks him what is wrong.
Notes: [All]: Like some other instances in fornaldarsögur (Keth Lv 2 and Gusi Lv 1 (Ket 3a and 3b), Rloð Lv 2 and KrákÁsl Lv 2 (Ragn 3a and 3b)) this helmingr and the one following form a single dialogue stanza between two protagonists, in this case Hringr/Hǫrðr and Hjálmþér. In each of these cases the split stanza expresses the strength of a close encounter between rivals (Ket), lovers (Ragn) or heroes (HjǪ). Skj A and B and Skald present sts 42a and 42b as a single stanza. — [1-2]: Exactly the same two lines, with the exception of the pers. n. Hjálmarr, occur in ǪrvOdd Lv 5 (Ǫrv 13), the opening stanza of Hjálmarr’s death-song, in which Ǫrvar-Oddr comments on how pale and near to death his wounded companion looks.
References
- Bibliography
- Skj A = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1912-15a. Den norsk-islandske skjaldedigtning. A: Tekst efter håndskrifterne. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Villadsen & Christensen. Rpt. 1967. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde & Bagger.
- FSN = Rafn, Carl Christian, ed. 1829-30. Fornaldar sögur nordrlanda. 3 vols. Copenhagen: Popp.
- Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
- FSGJ = Guðni Jónsson, ed. 1954. Fornaldar sögur norðurlanda. 4 vols. [Reykjavík]: Íslendingasagnaútgáfan.
- HjǪ 1720 = Peringskiöld, Johann, ed. 1720. Hialmters och Olvers saga, Handlande om trenne Konungar i Manahem eller Sverige, Inge, Hialmter, och Inge, samt Olver Jarl och om theras uthresor til Grekeland och Arabien. Stockholm: Horn.
- HjǪ 1970 = Harris, Richard L., ed. 1970. ‘Hjálmþérs saga: A Scientific Edition’. Ph.D. thesis. University of Iowa.
- Internal references
- 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Hjálmþés saga ok Ǫlvis’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 488. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=49> (accessed 6 May 2024)
- 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Ketils saga hœngs’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 548. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=71> (accessed 6 May 2024)
- 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Ragnars saga loðbrókar’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 616. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=81> (accessed 6 May 2024)
- Beatrice La Farge (ed.) 2017, ‘Ketils saga hœngs 3 (Ketill hœngr, Lausavísur 2)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 553.
- Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2017, ‘Ǫrvar-Odds saga 13 (Ǫrvar-Oddr, Lausavísur 5)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 826.
- Rory McTurk (ed.) 2017, ‘Ragnars saga loðbrókar 3 (Ragnarr loðbrók, Lausavísur 2)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 630.
- Rory McTurk (ed.) 2017, ‘Ragnars saga loðbrókar 3 (Kráka/Áslaug Sigurðardóttir, Lausavísur 2)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 631.
- Beatrice La Farge (ed.) 2017, ‘Ketils saga hœngs 3 (Gusi finnakonungr, Lausavísur 1)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 554.
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