Hvar viti ǫld und einum
jarðbyggvi svá liggja
— þat skyli herr of hugsa —
hjarl sextían jarla?
Þess ríðr fúrs með fjórum
folkleikr Heðins reikar
logskundaðar lindar
lofkenndr himins endum.
Hvar viti ǫld hjarl sextían jarla liggja svá und einum jarðbyggvi? Herr skyli of hugsa þat. Lofkenndr folkleikr fúrs reikar Heðins þess lindar logskundaðar ríðr með fjórum endum himins.
Where would people know of the territory of sixteen jarls lying in such a way under one land-owner [RULER]? The army ought to consider that. The renowned army-game [BATTLE] of the fire of the hair-parting of Heðinn <legendary hero> [SWORD] of that impeller of the fire of the spring [(lit. ‘fire-impeller of the spring’) GOLD > GENEROUS MAN] spreads along the four ends of the sky.
[4] hjarl: so F, J1ˣ, hjarl ok Kˣ, J2ˣ, ‘hjall’ 39, hjarli 61, 54, Bb, ‘harli’ Flat
[4] hjarl sextían jarla ‘of the territory of sixteen jarls’: It is uncertain whether the territory of a jarl corresponds to a fylki (see Note to st. 13/1). Snorri seems to have understood it this way (see Context). Historians’ opinions on the issue vary, not least because Hákon jarl is reported to have ruled seventeen fylki (eleven in Þrœndalǫg, six in Gulaþingslǫg); on this see Koht (1921b, 97-8 n. 2; Indrebø 1931, 44; Olsen 1962a, 50).