Mark Eirdr 23II/8 — borði ‘with wood’
Víða setti vísdóms grœðir
virki skrýddar hǫfuðkirkjur;
gørva lét þar hollvinr herjar
hrein musteri fimm af steini.
Vôru þau með tryggðar tíri
tíða flaust, es gramr lét smíða
bǫðvar snjallr ok beztr at ǫllu,
borði merkð, fyr Saxland norðan.
Grœðir vísdóms setti víða hǫfuðkirkjur skrýddar virki; hollvinr herjar lét gørva fimm hrein musteri af steini þar. Þau flaust tíða, es gramr, snjallr bǫðvar ok beztr at ǫllu, lét smíða með tíri tryggðar fyr norðan Saxland, vôru merkð borði.
The nourisher of wisdom [JUST RULER] established far and wide principal churches adorned with artwork; the loyal friend of the people [JUST RULER] had five shining minsters built from stone there. Those ships of services [CHURCHES], which the king, skilled in warfare and best in everything, caused to be crafted with the fame of security north of Saxony, were adorned with wood.
notes
[8] merkð borði ‘adorned with wood’: Lit. ‘marked with wood’. LP: merkja 1 translates this as mærkede ved tømmer, opførte af tømmer ‘marked by timber, constructed from timber’, which makes little sense because the churches were made of stone. The wood (or timber) could refer to the materials from which the holy images were carved (see Notes to ll. 2 and 5 above). But if the churches referred to in the second helmingr were different from the five of the first helmingr, ‘constructed from timber’ could be possible.