Þhorn Harkv 14I/1 — Hafnaði ‘rejected’
‘Hafnaði Holmrygjum ok Hǫrða meyjum,
hverri inni heinversku ok Hǫlga ættar
konungr inn kynstóri, es tók konu ina dǫnsku.’
‘Inn kynstóri konungr, es tók ina dǫnsku konu, hafnaði Holmrygjum ok meyjum Hǫrða, hverri inni heinversku ok ættar Hǫlga.’
‘The high-born king [Haraldr] who took the Danish wife rejected the Hólmrygir and the maidens of the Hǫrðar, every single one from Hedmark and of the family of Hǫlgi.’
readings
[1] Hafnaði Holmrygjum: ‘Hafnadí hilmir ruium’ Bb, ‘Hafnnade hunnmo᷎rgum’ Flat(6ra), hafnaði hann Holmrygjum Flat(77ra)
notes
[1] hafnaði ‘rejected’: Snorri’s interpretation of the context in Hkr reveals that he understood the verb to mean ‘parted with’ (so also Magerøy 1963, 84; Jochens 1995, 31), but the meaning of the stanza may well be not that Haraldr parted with so many wives or concubines but that although he could have married a woman from any part of Norway, he chose a Dane instead. See Koht (1927-9, 430-1), in response to Schreiner (1927-9b, 172-3). Following Snorri’s interpretation, to explain the connection between this stanza and st. 13, Lindquist (1929, 7) supposes some lines to have been lost from the beginning of this stanza, to the effect that the women speak ill of Haraldr because of an old grudge. Harris (1985, 97) perceives the tone of this stanza as mocking. For a listing of the numerous women with whom Haraldr is said to have fathered children, see Hkr 1991, III, 135.