Sigv Austv 13I/6 — fǫng ‘baggage’
Átt hafa sér, þeirs sóttu,
sendimenn fyr hendi
Sygna grams, með sagnir
siklinga, fǫr mikla.
Spǫrðumk fæst, en fyrða
fǫng eru stór við gǫngu;
vǫrðr réð nýtr, þvís norðan,
Nóregs, þinig fórum.
Sendimenn grams Sygna, þeirs sóttu siklinga með sagnir, hafa átt sér mikla fǫr fyr hendi. Spǫrðumk fæst, en fǫng fyrða eru stór við gǫngu; nýtr vǫrðr Nóregs réð, þvís fórum norðan þinig.
The messengers of the lord of the Sygnir [NORWEGIAN KING = Óláfr], who sought out lords with messages, have had a big journey on their hands. I spared myself very little, but men’s baggage is large along the way; the able guardian of Norway [= Óláfr] determined that we went from the north in that direction.
readings
notes
[6] fǫng ‘baggage’: Alternative semantic interpretations are possible here. (a) The analysis of Noreen (1923, 40), followed here, is that Sigvatr means to say that although he pampered himself little, and thus he brought along few provisions, the baggage nonetheless was a source of difficulty. Thus, stór ‘large’ in l. 6 would imply ‘heavy’: so Jón Skaptason (1983, 94); Hkr 1991. This interpretation is in keeping with the comedic elements of some of the preceding stanzas. (b) Finnur Jónsson (LP: 2. fang 4) takes this to mean ‘difficulties’, and though Noreen is right that the word is not otherwise attested in this sense, it does commonly mean ‘grappling, wrestling’, which seems close enough in meaning to Finnur’s intent.