Eskál Vell 37I/2 — Bestlu ‘of Bestla’
Þvít fjǫlkostigr flestu
flestr ræðr við son Bestlu
— tekit hefk morðs til mærðar —
mæringr an þú færa.
Þvít flestr fjǫlkostigr mæringr ræðr flestu færa an þú við son Bestlu; hefk tekit til mærðar morðs.
For most many-virtued famous men control much less than you with the son of Bestla <giantess> [= Óðinn]; I have begun the praise of the battle.
readings
[2] Bestlu: ‘bezlo’ U, ‘beslu’ B
notes
[2] Bestlu ‘of Bestla <giantess>’: See Note to Þul Kvenna II 1/5III. — [2] við son Bestlu ‘with the son of Bestla <giantess> [= Óðinn]’: The helmingr is one of the few attestations of the notion of a ruler having an obviously close, confidential relationship to Óðinn. It is reminiscent of the motif of the fulltrúi ‘one in whom one puts full confidence, patron deity’, on which see Halvorsen (1960) and Zernack (1998). The sagas of Icelanders contain several reports of people from the heathen period enjoying a special relationship with a god, e.g. the relationship of Hrafnkell or Þorkell inn hávi ‘the Tall’ to Freyr (Hrafnkels saga, ÍF 11, 99; Víga-Glúms saga, ÍF 9, 34). Whether such beliefs belonged to the religion of the late heathen period is controversial, and this stanza is relevant to the debate (as is Egill St 22-24V). Further comparisons can be made with legendary accounts of kings who are consecrated to Óðinn, who provides them special protection, e.g. Haraldr hilditǫnn ‘War-tooth’ Hræreksson in several C13th sources. The most elaborate account is in Saxo (2005, I, 7, 10, 3, pp. 492-5 and 2005, I, 7, 10, 6, pp. 494-7; cf. Höfler 1952b).
kennings
- son Bestlu; — the son of Bestla <giantess>; [= Óðinn]