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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Sigv Nesv 3I/2 — Karl ‘Karl’

Þat erumk kunnt, hvé kennir
Karlhǫfða lét jarli
odda frosts fyr austan
Agðir nær of lagðan.

Þat erumk kunnt, hvé kennir frosts odda lét Karlhǫfða of lagðan nær jarli fyr austan Agðir.

It is known to me, how the master of the frost of points [BATTLE > WARRIOR] had Karlhǫfði (‘Man-head’) put in position near the jarl to the east of Agder.

readings

[2] Karl‑: karla‑ papp18ˣ, R686ˣ, Karls‑ 972ˣ, ‘[...]rl‑’ Tóm

notes

[2] Karlhǫfða ‘Karlhǫfði (“Man-head”)’: Viking Age ships were most often named after animals (Jesch 2001a, 136-7). Snorri (ÍF 27, 59) explains Karlhǫfði as being named after a king’s head figurehead carved by King Óláfr himself, which set a fashion for rulers’ ships. Jesch (2001a, 137) inclines instead to the suggestion of Paasche (1914, 13) that the ship-name was influenced by Óláfr’s royal model Charlemagne (ON Karlamagnús).

grammar

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