ÞjóðA Sex 2II/5 — skorðuðr ‘supporter’
Tøgu má tekna segja
(tandrauðs) á Serklandi
(ungr hætti sér) átta
(ormtorgs hǫtuðr) borga,
áðr herskorðuðr harðan
Hildar leik und skildi
Serkjum hættr í sléttri
Sikileyju gekk heyja.
Má segja átta tøgu borga tekna á Serklandi—ungr hǫtuðr tandrauðs ormtorgs hætti sér—, áðr herskorðuðr, hættr Serkjum, gekk heyja harðan leik Hildar und skildi í sléttri Sikileyju.
One can say that eighty strongholds were captured in the land of the Saracens (Serkland)—the young hater of the flame-red dragon-square [GOLD > RULER] put himself in danger—, before the troop-supporter [WARRIOR], dangerous to the Saracens (Serkir), advanced to wage the harsh sport of Hildr <valkyrie> [BATTLE] behind his shield in level Sicily.
readings
[5] ‑skorðuðr: so F, E, J2ˣ, FskBˣ, H, Hr, ‑skorðaðr Kˣ, papp18ˣ, FskAˣ, ‘scaurþvþvr’ 39, ‘skodudr’ Flat
notes
[5] herskorðuðr ‘the troop-supporter’: I.e. ‘supporter of (his own) troops’, from skorða ‘to prop’. This is the majority reading; cf. the synonymous herskorðandi Ótt Hfl 17/6I. The 39 reading, and possibly some of the <o> spellings in other mss, could point to an alternative herskǫrðuðr ‘troop-depleter’, the one who cuts a skarð or cleft in (enemy) troops (cf. herskerðir Hfr ErfÓl 6/1I), and this reading is favoured in Hkr 1893-1901 and ÍF 28, 75, but not Hkr 1991. Kennings referring to rulers as leaders of their own troops or destroyers of enemy troops are both common (Meissner 358-9 and 359-60 respectively).
kennings
- herskorðuðr, — the troop-supporter, [WARRIOR]
grammar
case: nom.