Egla, 56: Difference between revisions

From WikiSaga
Jump to navigationJump to search
Line 26: Line 26:
Screen'd in his cloak his head.'<ref>'''head''': "With a bit of generalization, we would have a 'Minnedichter' [i.e. medieval German love-poet] complaint: a strophe about devouring love anguish and the necessity to remain silent and to avoid direct contact with the loved [lit. chosen] one." [[Gutenbrunner, Siegfried. Skaldischer Vorfrühling des Minnessangs]] (p. 388) </ref><br>
Screen'd in his cloak his head.'<ref>'''head''': "With a bit of generalization, we would have a 'Minnedichter' [i.e. medieval German love-poet] complaint: a strophe about devouring love anguish and the necessity to remain silent and to avoid direct contact with the loved [lit. chosen] one." [[Gutenbrunner, Siegfried. Skaldischer Vorfrühling des Minnessangs]] (p. 388) </ref><br>


Arinbjorn asked who was the woman about whom he composed such love-song.<ref> '''love-song''': "... there are nevertheless two strophes that Egil utters in relation to his love issue - the 23th and 24th strophes of the saga, the first of which Arinbjörn names "love song" (mansöngur), but their description of love-passion is very moderate." [[Bjarni Einarsson. Über Art und Herkunft einer Gruppe von Skaldensagas]] (p. 354) </ref> 'Have you hidden her name in this stave?'<ref>'''Have you hidden her name in this stave?''': "When Egill secretes his lady's name in a stanza, it is not a ''senhal'', and when Þormóðr rededicates a love poem, it is not a ''chanson de change''. Indeed, one could argue that the similarities between Norse and Provençal love poetry are no greater than the similarities between the Norse ''níðvísa'' and the Provençal ''sirventès'' or the Norse ''erfidrápa'' and the Provençal ''planh''. The chief difficulty involved in Bjarni Einarsson's equation is therefore the absence of really significant correspondences between the conventions of love poetry in medieval Iceland and Provence." [[Andersson, Theodore M.. Skalds and Troubadours.]] (p. 17).</ref><ref> '''Have you hidden her name in this stave?''': "I have, of course, never contended that there were "really significant correspondences between the conventions of love poetry in medieval Iceland and Provence", and I entirely agree with Andersson that "the differences are much more apparent". But when that has been stated, I still maintain that there are really significant signs of some influence, and I am not the first who has been struck by the resemblance between the Old Icelandic love poetry and certain characteristic traits of the love poetry fashionable on the continent in the twelfth century and later... It is only in the Sagas of the Skalds that the love-stanzas appear to be inconsistent with the above-named Provençal conventions, and no wonder! How should they be - or purport to be - other than "extemporaneous" and "specific" and pertaining "to a particular moment" ([Andersson 1969] p. 22), when they are part of a context in a saga?" [[Bjarni Einarsson. The Lovesick Skald]] (p. 36-7) </ref>
Arinbjorn asked who was the woman about whom he composed such love-song.<ref> '''love-song''': "... there are nevertheless two strophes that Egil utters in relation to his love issue - the 23th and 24th strophes of the saga, the first of which Arinbjörn names "love song" (''mansöngur''), but their description of love-passion is very moderate." [[Bjarni Einarsson. Über Art und Herkunft einer Gruppe von Skaldensagas]] (p. 354) </ref> 'Have you hidden her name in this stave?'<ref>'''Have you hidden her name in this stave?''': "When Egill secretes his lady's name in a stanza, it is not a ''senhal'', and when Þormóðr rededicates a love poem, it is not a ''chanson de change''. Indeed, one could argue that the similarities between Norse and Provençal love poetry are no greater than the similarities between the Norse ''níðvísa'' and the Provençal ''sirventès'' or the Norse ''erfidrápa'' and the Provençal ''planh''. The chief difficulty involved in Bjarni Einarsson's equation is therefore the absence of really significant correspondences between the conventions of love poetry in medieval Iceland and Provence." [[Andersson, Theodore M.. Skalds and Troubadours.]] (p. 17).</ref><ref> '''Have you hidden her name in this stave?''': "I have, of course, never contended that there were "really significant correspondences between the conventions of love poetry in medieval Iceland and Provence", and I entirely agree with Andersson that "the differences are much more apparent". But when that has been stated, I still maintain that there are really significant signs of some influence, and I am not the first who has been struck by the resemblance between the Old Icelandic love poetry and certain characteristic traits of the love poetry fashionable on the continent in the twelfth century and later... It is only in the Sagas of the Skalds that the love-stanzas appear to be inconsistent with the above-named Provençal conventions, and no wonder! How should they be - or purport to be - other than "extemporaneous" and "specific" and pertaining "to a particular moment" ([Andersson 1969] p. 22), when they are part of a context in a saga?" [[Bjarni Einarsson. The Lovesick Skald]] (p. 36-7) </ref>




Revision as of 17:44, 12 July 2016


Chapter 56

Marriage of Egil

Bergonund son of Thorgeir Thornfoot had then married Gunnhilda daughter of Bjorn Yeoman. She had come to keep house with him at Askr. But Asgerdr, whom Thorolf Skallagrimsson had had to wife, was then with Arinbjorn, her kinsman. Thorolf and she had a daughter named Thordis, and the girl was there with her mother. Egil told Asgerdr of Thorolf's death, and offered her his guardianship. Asgerdr was much grieved at the tidings; she answered Egil's words well, saying however but little one way or the other.

But, at autumn wore on, Egil began to be very gloomy and drank little, and often say with his head drooping in his cloak. One time Arinbjorn went to him and asked what meant his gloom.

'Though now you have had a great loss in your brother, yet 'tis manly to bear up well; man must overlive man.[1] Come, what verse are you now repeating?[2] Let me hear.'

Egil said he had just made this verse:

'Unfriendly, who was friend,
Fair goddess seems. Of old
Bold with uplifted brow
Beheld I woman's face[3].
Now one (whose name I veil)
No sooner to the skald
Occurs, than shyly sinks
Screen'd in his cloak his head.'[4]

Arinbjorn asked who was the woman about whom he composed such love-song.[5] 'Have you hidden her name in this stave?'[6][7]


Then Egil recited:

'Sorrow shows not, but hides[8]
The saddening thought within.[9]
Names in my poesy
Not oft I use to veil.
For Odin's warrior wights
Will surely searching find
In war-god's wine of song
What poet deep hath plunged.'

'Here,' said Egil, 'will the old saw be found true. All should be told to a friend. I will tell you that which you ask, about what woman I compose verse.[10] Tis Asgerdr your kinswoman; and I would fain have your furtherance to secure this match.'

Arinbjorn said that he deemed it well thought of.[11] 'I will,' said he, 'surely give my good word that this match may be made.'

Then Egil laid this matter before Asgerdr, but she referred it to the decision of her father and her kinsman Arinbjorn. Arinbjorn talked with Asgerdr, and she made the same answer. Arinbjorn was desirous of this match. After this Arinbjorn and Egil went together to Bjorn, and then Egil made his suit and asked to wife Asgerdr Bjorn's daughter. Bjorn took this matter well, and said that Arinbjorn should chiefly decide this. Arinbjorn greatly desired it; and the end of the matter was that Egil and Asgerdr were betrothed, and the wedding was to be at Arinbjorn's.

And when the appointed time came, there was a very grand feast at Egil's marriage. He was then very cheerful for the remaining part of the winter.

References

  1. ↑ man must overlive man: "Auðkennda setningin á sér hliðstæður í tveim fornritum. Í Örvar-Odds sögu missir kempan hvern fóstbróður sinn á fætur öðrum, og kemur því ekki á óvart játning hans þegar líða tekur á ævi: „Mér þykir víðast dauflegt eftir mannamissi þann er eg hefi fengið.“ „Vorkunn er það,“ segir Hárekur. „Þó verður maður eftir mann að lifa. [...] Hitt ritið er Karlamagnús saga. Þegar Gvitalín hefur yppt þeirri harmfregn fyrir keisara og köppum hans að allir hinir bestu riddarar úr liði þeirra séu fallnir, þá tekst Nemes á hendur að hugga Karlamagnús: „Ver eigi óglaður,“ segir hann, „því ekki tjár að syrgja eftir dauðan. Maður skal eftir mann lifa og rækja sjálfan sig mest“.“ Hermann Pálsson. Ættarmót með Eglu og öðrum skrám (p. 3).
  2. ↑ what verse are you now repeating: "Most of non-strictly commemorative poetry stems from anger, sadness or regret. It is enough that Egil turns silent, absents and isolates himself by hiding underneath the cloak for his friend Arinbjörn to preoccupy and ask him: "what verse are you now repeating?"" Koch, Ludovica. Il corvo della memoria e il corvo del pensiero (p. 43).
  3. ↑ woman's face: "Rangt var það og, er sami fróðleiksmaðr í þessari vísu vildi gera „þó" að sagnarorði (= þvoði) í stað ins einfalda vanalega samtengingarorðs og komst svo að þeirri niðrstöðu, að Egill hefði svo talað hér um bil: „Nú venst ég ókynni, enn áðr var annað, konan þvoði mér um höfuðið", o. s. frv." Gísli Brynjúlfsson. Tvær vísur eftir höfuðskáld (p. 9).
  4. ↑ head: "With a bit of generalization, we would have a 'Minnedichter' [i.e. medieval German love-poet] complaint: a strophe about devouring love anguish and the necessity to remain silent and to avoid direct contact with the loved [lit. chosen] one." Gutenbrunner, Siegfried. Skaldischer Vorfrühling des Minnessangs (p. 388)
  5. ↑ love-song: "... there are nevertheless two strophes that Egil utters in relation to his love issue - the 23th and 24th strophes of the saga, the first of which Arinbjörn names "love song" (mansöngur), but their description of love-passion is very moderate." Bjarni Einarsson. Über Art und Herkunft einer Gruppe von Skaldensagas (p. 354)
  6. ↑ Have you hidden her name in this stave?: "When Egill secretes his lady's name in a stanza, it is not a senhal, and when Þormóðr rededicates a love poem, it is not a chanson de change. Indeed, one could argue that the similarities between Norse and Provençal love poetry are no greater than the similarities between the Norse níðvísa and the Provençal sirventès or the Norse erfidrápa and the Provençal planh. The chief difficulty involved in Bjarni Einarsson's equation is therefore the absence of really significant correspondences between the conventions of love poetry in medieval Iceland and Provence." Andersson, Theodore M.. Skalds and Troubadours. (p. 17).
  7. ↑ Have you hidden her name in this stave?: "I have, of course, never contended that there were "really significant correspondences between the conventions of love poetry in medieval Iceland and Provence", and I entirely agree with Andersson that "the differences are much more apparent". But when that has been stated, I still maintain that there are really significant signs of some influence, and I am not the first who has been struck by the resemblance between the Old Icelandic love poetry and certain characteristic traits of the love poetry fashionable on the continent in the twelfth century and later... It is only in the Sagas of the Skalds that the love-stanzas appear to be inconsistent with the above-named Provençal conventions, and no wonder! How should they be - or purport to be - other than "extemporaneous" and "specific" and pertaining "to a particular moment" ([Andersson 1969] p. 22), when they are part of a context in a saga?" Bjarni Einarsson. The Lovesick Skald (p. 36-7)
  8. ↑ but hides: “Love and sexual passion are only weakly represented in [Egill’s] repertoire, however, and in that respect one may say that one of the main defining characteristics of the skald saga is vestigial here.”. Clunies Ross, Margaret. The Skald Sagas as a Genre (p. 38).
  9. ↑ The saddening thought within: "Another consistent feature of Norse love poetry is the tendency to work from the immediate situation to an emotional expression. The poet will often fix the circumstances in the first helming and then express his love or dismay or longing in the second helming." Andersson, Theodore M.. Skalds and Troubadours. (p. 22).
  10. ↑ what woman I compose verse: "It is significant that Egill’s two verses about his relationship with Ásgerðr suggest more emotion than is implied by the prose narrative, in which his marriage to her seems to be partly a commercial transaction, partly a stage in the process of healing the grief at his brother’s death". Finlay, Alison. Egils saga and other poets’ sagas (s. 34).
  11. ↑ he deemed it well thought of: "Auðkennda setningin á sér hliðstæður í tveim fornritum. Í Örvar-Odds sögu missir kempan hvern fóstbróður sinn á fætur öðrum, og kemur því ekki á óvart játning hans þegar líða tekur á ævi: „Mér þykir víðast dauflegt eftir mannamissi þann er eg hefi fengið.“ „Vorkunn er það,“ segir Hárekur. „Þó verður maður eftir mann að lifa. [...] Hitt ritið er Karlamagnús saga. Þegar Gvitalín hefur yppt þeirri harmfregn fyrir keisara og köppum hans að allir hinir bestu riddarar úr liði þeirra séu fallnir, þá tekst Nemes á hendur að hugga Karlamagnús: „Ver eigi óglaður,“ segir hann, „því ekki tjár að syrgja eftir dauðan. Maður skal eftir mann lifa og rækja sjálfan sig mest“.“ Torfi H. Tulinius. Guðs lög í ævi og verkum Snorra Sturlusonar (p. 35).

Kafli 56

Kvonfang Egils

Berg-Önundur son Þorgeirs þyrnifótar hafði þá fengið Gunnhildar dóttur Bjarnar hölds. Var hún komin til bús með honum á Aski. En Ásgerður er átt hafði Þórólfur Skalla-Grímsson var þá með Arinbirni frænda sínum. Þau Þórólfur áttu dóttur eina unga er Þórdís hét og var mærin þar með móður sinni. Egill sagði Ásgerði lát Þórólfs og bauð henni sína umsjá. Ásgerður varð mjög ókát við þá sögu en svaraði vel ræðum Egils og tók lítið af öllu.

Og er á leið haustið tók Egill ógleði mikla, sat oft og drap höfðinu niður í feld sinn.

Eitthvert sinn gekk Arinbjörn til hans og spurði hvað ógleði hans ylli „nú þó að þú hafir fengið skaða mikinn um bróður þinn þá er það karlmannlegt að bera það vel. Skal maður eftir mann lifa[1] eða hvað kveður þú nú?[2] Láttu mig nú heyra.“

Egill sagði að hann hefði þetta fyrir skemmstu kveðið:

Ókynni venst, ennis,
ungr þorði eg vel forðum,
hauka klifs, að hefja,
Hlín, þvergnípur[3] mínar.
Verð í feld, þá er foldar
faldr kemr í hug skaldi
berg-Óneris, brúna
brátt miðstalli hváta.[4]

Arinbjörn spurði hver kona sú væri er hann orti mansöng[5] um „hefir þú fólgið nafn hennar í vísu þessi.“[6][7]

Þá kvað Egill:

Sef, Skuldar fel eg sjaldan,[8]
sorg eyvita borgar,[9]
í niðerfi Narfa
nafn aurmýils, drafnar
því að geir-Rótu Gautar
gnýþings bragar fingrum
rógs að ræsis veigum
reifendr munu þreifa.

„Hér mun vera,“ segir Egill, „sem oft er mælt að segjanda er allt sínum vin. Eg mun segja þér það er þú spyrð, um hverja konu eg yrki.[10] Þar er Ásgerður frændkona þín og þar til vildi eg hafa fullting þitt að eg næði því ráði.“

Arinbjörn segir að honum þykir það vel fundið[11] „skal eg víst leggja þar orð til að þau ráð takist.“

Síðan bar Egill það mál fyrir Ásgerði en hún skaut til ráða föður síns og Arinbjarnar frænda síns. Síðan ræðir Arinbjörn við Ásgerði og hafði hún hin sömu svör fyrir sér. Arinbjörn fýsti þessa ráðs. Síðan fara þeir Arinbjörn og Egill á fund Bjarnar og hefur Egill þá bónorð og bað Ásgerðar dóttur Bjarnar. Björn tók því máli vel og sagði að Arinbjörn mundi því mjög ráða. Arinbjörn fýsti mjög og lauk því máli svo að Egill festi Ásgerði og skyldi brullaup vera að Arinbjarnar. En er að þeirri stefnu kemur þá var þar veisla allvegleg er Egill kvongaðist. Var hann þá allkátur það er eftir var vetrarins.

Tilvísanir

  1. ↑ Skal maður eftir mann lifa: "Auðkennda setningin á sér hliðstæður í tveim fornritum. Í Örvar-Odds sögu missir kempan hvern fóstbróður sinn á fætur öðrum, og kemur því ekki á óvart játning hans þegar líða tekur á ævi: „Mér þykir víðast dauflegt eftir mannamissi þann er eg hefi fengið.“ „Vorkunn er það,“ segir Hárekur. „Þó verður maður eftir mann að lifa. [...] Hitt ritið er Karlamagnús saga. Þegar Gvitalín hefur yppt þeirri harmfregn fyrir keisara og köppum hans að allir hinir bestu riddarar úr liði þeirra séu fallnir, þá tekst Nemes á hendur að hugga Karlamagnús: „Ver eigi óglaður,“ segir hann, „því ekki tjár að syrgja eftir dauðan. Maður skal eftir mann lifa og rækja sjálfan sig mest“.“ Hermann Pálsson. Ættarmót með Eglu og öðrum skrám (s. 3).
  2. ↑ hvað kveður þú nú?: "Most of non-strictly commemorative poetry stems from anger, sadness or regret. It is enough that Egil turns silent, absents and isolates himself by hiding underneath the cloak for his friend Arinbjörn to preoccupy and ask him: "what verse are you now repeating?"" Koch, Ludovica. Il corvo della memoria e il corvo del pensiero (s. 43).
  3. ↑ hlín, þvergnípur: "Rangt var það og, er sami fróðleiksmaðr í þessari vísu vildi gera „þó" að sagnarorði (= þvoði) í stað ins einfalda vanalega samtengingarorðs og komst svo að þeirri niðrstöðu, að Egill hefði svo talað hér um bil: „Nú venst ég ókynni, enn áðr var annað, konan þvoði mér um höfuðið", o. s. frv." Gísli Brynjúlfsson. Tvær vísur eftir höfuðskáld (s. 9).
  4. ↑ hváta: "With a bit of generalization, we would have a 'Minnedichter' [i.e. medieval German love-poet] complaint: a strophe about devouring love anguish and the necessity to remain silent and to avoid direct contact with the loved [lit. chosen] one." Gutenbrunner, Siegfried. Skaldischer Vorfrühling des Minnessangs (s. 388)
  5. ↑ mansöng: "... there are nevertheless two strophes that Egil utters in relation to his love issue - the 23th and 24th strophes of the saga, the first of which Arinbjörn names "love song" (mansöngur), but their description of love-passion is very moderate." Bjarni Einarsson. Über Art und Herkunft einer Gruppe von Skaldensagas (s. 354)
  6. ↑ hefir þú fólgið nafn hennar í vísu þessi: "When Egill secretes his lady's name in a stanza, it is not a senhal, and when Þormóðr rededicates a love poem, it is not a chanson de change. Indeed, one could argue that the similarities between Norse and Provençal love poetry are no greater than the similarities between the Norse níðvísa and the Provençal sirventès or the Norse erfidrápa and the Provençal planh. The chief difficulty involved in Bjarni Einarsson's equation is therefore the absence of really significant correspondences between the conventions of love poetry in medieval Iceland and Provence." Andersson, Theodore M.. Skalds and Troubadours. (s. 17).
  7. ↑ hefir þú fólgið nafn hennar í vísu þessi: "I have, of course, never contended that there were "really significant correspondences between the conventions of love poetry in medieval Iceland and Provence", and I entirely agree with Andersson that "the differences are much more apparent". But when that has been stated, I still maintain that there are really significant signs of some influence, and I am not the first who has been struck by the resemblance between the Old Icelandic love poetry and certain characteristic traits of the love poetry fashionable on the continent in the twelfth century and later... It is only in the Sagas of the Skalds that the love-stanzas appear to be inconsistent with the above-named Provençal conventions, and no wonder! How should they be - or purport to be - other than "extemporaneous" and "specific" and pertaining "to a particular moment" ([Andersson 1969] p. 22), when they are part of a context in a saga?" Bjarni Einarsson. The Lovesick Skald (s. 36-7)
  8. ↑ fel eg sjaldan: “Love and sexual passion are only weakly represented in [Egill’s] repertoire, however, and in that respect one may say that one of the main defining characteristics of the skald saga is vestigial here.”. Clunies Ross, Margaret. The Skald Sagas as a Genre (s. 38).
  9. ↑ sorg eyvita borgar: "Another consistent feature of Norse love poetry is the tendency to work from the immediate situation to an emotional expression. The poet will often fix the circumstances in the first helming and then express his love or dismay or longing in the second helming." Andersson, Theodore M.. Skalds and Troubadours. (s. 22).
  10. ↑ hverja konu eg yrki: "It is significant that Egill’s two verses about his relationship with Ásgerðr suggest more emotion than is implied by the prose narrative, in which his marriage to her seems to be partly a commercial transaction, partly a stage in the process of healing the grief at his brother’s death". Finlay, Alison. Egils saga and other poets’ sagas (s. 34).
  11. ↑ honum þykir það vel fundið: "Auðkennda setningin á sér hliðstæður í tveim fornritum. Í Örvar-Odds sögu missir kempan hvern fóstbróður sinn á fætur öðrum, og kemur því ekki á óvart játning hans þegar líða tekur á ævi: „Mér þykir víðast dauflegt eftir mannamissi þann er eg hefi fengið.“ „Vorkunn er það,“ segir Hárekur. „Þó verður maður eftir mann að lifa. [...] Hitt ritið er Karlamagnús saga. Þegar Gvitalín hefur yppt þeirri harmfregn fyrir keisara og köppum hans að allir hinir bestu riddarar úr liði þeirra séu fallnir, þá tekst Nemes á hendur að hugga Karlamagnús: „Ver eigi óglaður,“ segir hann, „því ekki tjár að syrgja eftir dauðan. Maður skal eftir mann lifa og rækja sjálfan sig mest“.“ Torfi H. Tulinius. Guðs lög í ævi og verkum Snorra Sturlusonar (s. 35).

Links

Retrieved from "https://wikisaga.hi.is/index.php?title=Egla,_56&oldid=6347"