Eyv Hál 11I/8 — eyðǫndum ‘the ravagers’
Þar varð minnstr
meinvinnǫndum
Yngvi-Freys
ǫndverðan dag
fagnafundr,
es flota þeystu
jarðráðendr
at eyðǫndum,
þás sverðalfr
sunnan kníði
lagar stóð
at liði þeira.
Þar varð minnstr fagnafundr Yngvi-Freys meinvinnǫndum ǫndverðan dag, es jarðráðendr þeystu flota at eyðǫndum, þás sverðalfr kníði stóð lagar sunnan at liði þeira.
There the least welcome meeting came about for the workers of the harm of Yngvi-Freyr <god> [(lit. ‘harm-workers of Yngvi-Freyr’) BATTLE > WARRIORS] at the break of day, as the rulers of the land [RULERS] impelled their fleet against the ravagers, when the sword-elf [WARRIOR] drove his stud-horses of the sea [SHIPS] from the south against their army.
readings
[8] eyðǫndum: ‘eyrinndom’ 39, F, ‘eyðænndvm’ J1ˣ
notes
[7, 8] jarðráðendr … eyðǫndum ‘the rulers of the land … the ravagers’: The wording here presents difficulties. (a) In this edn the reading of Kˣ and J1ˣ is retained. Normally in skaldic usage the agentive eyðǫndum ‘ravagers’ would be associated with an object, expressed via an objective gen. or prefixed flexionless noun, but it may be that jarð- ‘land’ in the previous line has a dual role, also providing such an object in a kind of apo koinou (cf. NN §3209; ÍF 26). (b) Against this, Sveinbjörn Egilsson’s emendation Eydǫnum (LP: eyða; cf. Jón Þorkelsson 1884, 55; Hkr 1893-1901; Skj B) is supported by œgir Eydana ‘intimidator of the Island-Danes’, denoting Hákon jarl, in Eyv Hák 3/7. Although Eydanir normally refers to the Danes (LP: ey-Danir), it is possible that the Jómsvíkingar could be thought of as ‘Island-Danes’, especially if, as Finnur Jónsson suggested, they had affiliations with Bornholm (Hkr 1893-1901, IV; but contrast NN §3209).