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Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Sigmundr ǫngull (Sigm)

12th century; volume 2; ed. Judith Jesch;

Lausavísur (Lv) - 2

Skj info: Sigmundr ǫngull, Orknøsk skjald, 12. årh. (AI, 532, BI, 512-13).

Skj poems:

Sigmundr ǫngull Andrésson (Sigm) is said in Orkn (ÍF 34, 179-80, 216) to have been the stepson of Sveinn Ásleifarson, the anti-hero of the latter part of the saga and opponent of Rǫgnvaldr jarl. Sigmundr’s father was based in the Isle of Man, so possibly a Manxman, while his mother had the ON name of Ingiríðr, but after Sveinn married her, Sigmundr was brought up in Orkney. His nickname means ‘(fish-)hook’ but no explanation is given of this; his Irish Sea origins might suggest a link with Ǫngulsey ‘Anglesey’, but the name is common enough both as a given name and a nickname (Lind 1905-15, 1251; Lind 1920-1, 413; Lind 1931, 899-900). Both the saga prose and the way in which Sigmundr’s sts are cited suggest a close relationship between him and Rǫgnvaldr jarl.

Lausavísur — Sigm LvII

Judith Jesch 2009, ‘(Introduction to) Sigmundr ǫngull, Lausavísur’ 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, pp. 626-8.

 1   2 

Skj: Sigmundr ǫngull: Lausavísur, 1152 (AI, 532, BI, 512-13)

SkP info: II, 626-7

old edition introduction edition manuscripts transcriptions concordance search files

1 — Sigm Lv 1II

edition interactive full text transcriptions old edition references concordance


Cite as: Judith Jesch (ed.) 2009, ‘Sigmundr ǫngull, Lausavísur 1’ 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, pp. 626-7.

Ér berið aptr, es várar,
orð þau Skǫgul borða
fjallrifs fægiþellu
fleyvangs til Orkneyja,
at engr, þars slǫg sungu,
seggr und kastals veggi,
ár, þótt ellri væri,
ítr drengr framar gengi.

Berið ér aptr, es várar, {fleyvangs} til Orkneyja, þau orð {Skǫgul borða}, {fægiþellu {fjallrifs}}, at engr seggr, ítr drengr, þótt væri ellri, gengi framar und veggi kastals, þars slǫg sungu ár.

Carry back, when it is spring, across {the ship-plain} [SEA] to the Orkneys, these words {to the Skǫgul <valkyrie> of the trimming} [WOMAN], {the polishing fir-tree {of the mountain rib}} [STONE > WOMAN], that no man, splendid fellow, even if he were older, went further forward under the wall of the castle where weapons sang early.

texts: Flat 706, Orkn 62

editions: Skj Sigmundr ǫngull: Lausavísur 1 (AI, 532; BI, 512-13); Skald I, 251, NN §§492, 806, 988, 1853A, 1853H, 2088; Flat 1860-8, II, 482, Orkn 1887, 166, Orkn 1913-16, 241-2, ÍF 34, 217-18 (ch. 87), Bibire 1988, 234.


UppsUB R 702x (R702x) 47v, 10 - 47v, 13 (Orkn)  transcr.  image  
GKS 1005 fol (Flat) 140rb, 23 - 140rb, 25 (Orkn)  transcr.  image  image  image  
AM 762 4°x (762x) 26r, 15 - 26r, 22 (Orkn)  