HSt Rst 29I/2 — dolg ‘of the strife’
Dáðstyrk dýrðar merki
dolgminnigs skalk inna
skýbjóðs skelfihríðar
Skǫglar borðs in fjorðu.
Harðleygs hrinda frôgum
hvatlyndum Þorkatli
styrlund* stirðra branda
storms fyr borð af Ormi.
Skalk inna in fjorðu dáðstyrk merki dýrðar dolgminnigs Skǫglar borðs skelfihríðar skýbjóðs. Frôgum stirðra branda storms harðleygs styrlund* hrinda hvatlyndum Þorkatli fyr borð af Ormi.
I will present the fourth deed-strong sign of glory of the strife-mindful offerer of the cloud of the terrifying storm of the board of Skǫgul <valkyrie> [(lit. ‘cloud-offerer of the terrifying storm of the board of Skǫgul’) SHIELD > BATTLE > SHIELD > WARRIOR]. We [I] have heard that the tree of the tumult of the hard flame of the storm of rigid blades [(lit. ‘tumult-tree of the hard flame of the storm of rigid blades’) BATTLE > SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR] threw the bold-minded Þorkell overboard from Ormr (‘the Serpent’).
readings
[2] dolg‑: so all others, dáð‑ Bb(112rb)
notes
[1, 2] dáðstyrk ... dolgminnigs ‘deed-strong ... strife-mindful’: (a) The ÓT reading adj. dáðstyrk ‘deed-strong’ in l. 1 qualifies merki ‘sign(s)’, and styrk : merki produce a regular skothending. The ÓT reading adj. dolgminnigs ‘strife-mindful’ in l. 2 qualifies the warrior-kenning. (b) The readings of the continuous Bb text, dreyrserks ‘of the blood-shirt, mail-shirt’ and dáðminnigs ‘deed-mindful’, could possibly make sense if taken together as ‘deed-mindful of the blood-shirt’, i.e. intent on great deeds in battle, with ‘mail-shirt’ as a metonym for battle. However, this is stylistically improbable. The reading ‑serks produces an aðalhending on merki, which is less regular in an odd line, though also possible.