Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Anon (Hák) 2II

Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Anonymous Lausavísur, Lausavísur from Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar 2’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 849.

Anonymous LausavísurLausavísur from Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar


The st. (Anon (Hák) 2) is transmitted in mss E, F, 42ˣ, 81a, 304ˣ (8 has a lacuna), 3252VIII 5 b and Flat. The metre is málaháttr and E is the main ms.

text and translation

Eina kannk vísu:         ari sat á steini;
ok ina aðra:         ari sat á steini;
ǫlls, sem ein sé:         ari sat á steini.

Kannk eina vísu: ari sat á steini; ok ina aðra: ari sat á steini; ǫlls, sem ein sé: ari sat á steini.
‘I know one verse: an eagle sat on a rock; and this second one: an eagle sat on a rock; everything is, as if it were one: an eagle sat on a rock.

notes and context

This st. forms the opening of a speech made by Jarl Skúli Bárðarson in 1233 in response to a barrage of accusations levelled against him by Hákon Hákonarson and many of the district chieftains.

For this event, see also Ólhv Hryn 3. — The st. is difficult to reconstruct, and it looks as though it has been abbreviated in E, 81a and 325VIII 5 b. The full st. is preserved with the ll. given in the order presented above (with some variations) in 42ˣ, 304ˣ and Flat. Ms. F follows E and 325VIII 5 b, but adds ll. 3-4 in the present edn as ll. 5-6. Ms. 81a gives ll. 1-4 in the present edn, but omits ll. 5-6. Skj B prints the st. as given in E and F, whereas Kock (Skald; NN §3158) gives ll. 1-4 from Flat, but omits that version’s ll. 5-6.




editions and texts

Skj: Anonyme digte og vers [XIII], B. Anonyme løse vers angående bestemte historiske begivenheder 24: AII, 143, BII, 152, Skald II, 81, NN §3158; E 1916, 562, F 1871, 482, Hák 1910-86, 476, Hák 1977-82, 90, Flat 1860-8, III, 108.


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