Snáks berr fald of frœknu
folkvǫrðr — konungs Hǫrða
frama telr greppr fyr gumnum —
geðsnjallr skarar fjalli.
Geðsnjallr folkvǫrðr berr fald snáks of frœknu fjalli skarar; greppr telr frama konungs Hǫrða fyr gumnum.
The quick-witted guardian of the people [RULER] wears the headdress of the serpent [HELMET] on his heroic mountain of hair [HEAD]; the poet recounts the prowess of the king of the Hǫrðar [NORWEGIAN KING] before men.
[1] fald snáks ‘the headdress of the serpent [HELMET]’: This refers to the helmet of terror (œgishjálmr) worn by the dragon Fáfnir (see Fáfn 16-19 and end prose, NK 188; see also Marold 1998a, 13-17 as well as Notes to Sturl Hákkv 14/2II and Eskál Vell 25/5, 6I). Here ‘wear a helmet of terror’ must mean ‘rule firmly’.