Anon (FoGT) 23III/5 — dróttar ‘of the people’
Ólafr kunni blóthús brenna,
Bráðan hitti Magnús váða,
Harald frágum vier hjörleiks mildan,
Hans arfi tók nú við starfa,
dróttar vinr fekk helverk hættan.
hníga riett á enskri sliettu.
sóttum píndr, þá er örlög enduz.
ágætt fall sá er hlaut til vallar.
Ólafr, sá er hlaut ágætt fall til vallar, kunni brenna blóthús. Magnús hitti bráðan váða, píndr sóttum, þá er örlög enduz. Vier frágum Harald, mildan hjörleiks, hníga riett á enskri sliettu. Arfi hans tók nú við starfa; vinr dróttar fekk hættan helverk.
Óláfr, who got a famous fall to the ground [death], burnt sacrificial buildings. Magnús encountered sudden danger, tormented by illness, when his fortunes came to an end. We [I] have heard that Haraldr, generous with sword-play [BATTLE], certainly fell on an English field. His heir now took on the business [of government]; the friend of the people [RULER = Magnús or Óláfr Haraldsson] contracted a dangerous mortal illness.
notes
[4, 5] arfi hans; vinr dróttar ‘his heir; the friend of the people [RULER = Magnús or Óláfr Haraldssynir]’: These expressions may refer to either Magnús or Óláfr kyrri ‘the Quiet’ Haraldsson, and it may be that the latter is the more likely referent as he was the more prominent of the two brothers and ruled Norway from 1067-93, while Magnús ruled briefly on his own in 1066 while Haraldr and Óláfr were in England, and jointly with his brother from 1067-9. He died in 1069 (see Note to l. 5).
kennings
- vinr dróttar — the friend of the people [RULER = Magnús or Óláfr Haraldsson]