Flugþverrir nam fyrri
frægr aldrigi vægja;
heldr lét hauka skyldir
hugrekki sér þekkja.
Frægr flugþverrir nam aldrigi vægja fyrri; heldr lét skyldir hauka hugrekki þekkja sér.
The famous flight-diminisher [WARRIOR] never yielded first; rather the commander of hawks [RULER] made courage dear to him.
[3] skyldir: ‘bæítir’ Flat
[3] skyldir hauka ‘the commander of hawks [RULER]’: Hauka, the reading of the main ms., is both the lectio difficilior and supported by the stemmatically distant Flat, although it is unparalleled as a determinant in a ruler- or man-kenning. If skyldir hauka is a ruler-kenning, the reference must be to the king as director of his warriors; cf. Arn Magndr 18/8II herskyldir ‘troop-commander’, and for haukr meaning ‘man’, see Arn Hryn 3/5II and Note; also ÞjóðA Lv 10/7II. Alternatively, this could be a man-kenning referring to hunting with hawks.
case: nom.