Editions used.
Egils saga Skalla-Grímssonar. Sigurður Nordal
gaf út. Íslenzk fornrit. II. Reykjavík, 1933. Egils
saga SkallaGrímssonar. Herausgegeben von Finnur Jónsson. Altnordische
Saga-Bibliothek 3. Halle a. S., 1894.
Others.
Translations used. Egil's
saga, tr. Bernard Scudder, The Complete Sagas of Icelanders, ed.
Viðar Hreinsson. Reykjavík, 1997. 5 vols. Vol. I, pp. 33-177.
Others. Egil's
saga, tr. E. R. Eddison. Cambridge, 1930. Egil's saga,
tr. Hermann Pálsson and Paul Edwards. Harmondsworth, 1976.
Editorial comment. The text contains a little over 65, 200 words.
ÍF II. 18. 4. Þórólfr varð vel við skaða sinn, sagði svá, at hann myndi ekki fé skorta; "er gott félag1at eiga við konung." 1Orðið er haft hér í hinni upphaflegustu merkingu: sameign fjár (smbr. 1. kap.: áttu einn sjóð báðir): er gott að eiga fé sitt í konungssjóði.
CSI I. 18. 52. Thorolf took his loss well, saying that he would not go short of money: "It's good to have a king to share your money with."
Ed. note: I am grateful to Dale Kedwards, M.A. candidate in Norse and Viking Studies, Institute for Medieval Research, the University of Nottingham, for bringing this text to my attention in May 2010. It is possible that Thorolf is composing a proverb here on the spur of the moment, for obviously ironic purposes--the phrase itself, suggesting the advantage of sharing property in common with a king, would seem good advice in more amiable circumastances. For linguistically informed consideration of proverbs and their recognizable structure, see Shirley Arora, "The Perception of Proverbiality," Proverbium 1 (1984) 1-38, repr. Wise Words. Essays on the Proverb, ed. Wolfgang Mieder N.Y. & London, 1994, 3-29, and in brief form at http://www.deproverbio.com/display.php?a=3&r=12.
ÍF II. 21. 51. "ok veit ek, at
þit munuð fœra mér höfuð hand, er þit komið
aptr, ok með marga dýrgripi; en þó geta þess sumir
menn," segir konungr, "ef þit siglið norðr, at
þit munuð bæði sigla ok róa norðan."3 3Konungur
gefur í skyn, at ef þeir bræður fari á hendur
Þórólfi, muni þeir flýja sem harðast af
þeim fundi.
CSI I. 21.
54. This time he gave them his permission to kill Thorolf, "and
I know that you will bring me back his head, with many valuables. But some people
claim," the king added, "that if you sail north, you'll need
to use your oars and sails as well on the way back."
ÍF II. 22. 52-3. Þórólfr
svarar: “Enga vil ek nauðungarsætt taka af konungi; bið
þú konung gefa oss útgöngu; látum þá
skeika at sköpuðu.”
CSI I. 22.
55. Thorolf replied, “I will not accept any settlement that the
king tries to force on me. Ask him to allow us to leave, and we shall
let fate take its own course.”
ASB 3. 22. 65. 12. 8. skeika, “schwanken”,
“gehen”. 9. at sköpuðu, s. c. 19, 18.
FJ Proverb word 361. Page 185. skapa – . . . látum
þá skeika at sköpuðu Eg. 63. ‘Lad det da gå
som det er bestemt’.
ÍF II. 22. 54. Þá mælti
Þórólfr: "Nú gekk ek þremr fótum
til skammt."
CSI I. 22.
56. Thorolf said, "Now I took three steps too few."
ÍF II. 24. 61. Þá svarar Kveld-Úlfr:
"Vel hefir þú sagt, því at þat hafa gamlir
menn mælt, at þess manns myndi hefnt verða, ef hann
felli á grúfu, ok þeim nær koma hefndin,
er fyrir yrði, er hinn felli; en ólíkligt er, at oss verði
þeirar hamingju auðit."
CSI I. 24.
59 . Kveldulf said, "You have spoken well, because old men have
spoken that a man's death would be avenged if he fell forwards,
and vengeance taken on the man at whose feet he fell; but it is unlikely that
we shall enjoy the good fortune to do so."
ÍF II. 24. 61. Þá svarar Kveld-Úlfr:
"Vel hefir þú sagt, því at þat hafa gamlir
menn mælt, at þess manns myndi hefnt verða, ef hann felli á
grúfu, ok þeim nær koma hefndin, er fyrir yrði,
er hinn felli; en ólíkligt er, at oss verði þeirar
hamingju auðit."
CSI I. 24.
59. Kveldulf said, "You have spoken well, because old men have
spoken that a man's death would be avenged if he fell forwards, and
vengeance taken on the man at whose feet he fell; but it is unlikely
that we shall enjoy the good fortune to do so."
ÍF II. 38. 96. Skalla-Grímr latti
hann, sagði, at þá var gott heilum vagni heim at aka;
“hefir þú,” sagði hann, “farit fremðarför
mikla, en þat er mælt, er ýmsar verðr, ef margar ferr;3
tak þú nú hér við fjárhlut svá
miklum, at þú þykkisk verða mega gildr maðr af.”
3verða: hljóta;
sá hlýtur misjafnar ferðir, er margar fer.
CSI I. 38.
76. Skallagrim tried to discourage him, reminding him that “‘it
is better to ride a whole wagon home.’ Certainly you have made
an illustrious journey," he said, “but there’s a saying, ‘the
more journeys you make, the more directions they take.’ You can take over
as much wealth here as you think you need to show your stature.”
ASB 3. 38. 112. 7. 6. at
þá var gott heilum usw., “es sei schön, dass er
mit unverletztem wagen zurückgekehrt wäre”, ein sprichwort,
welches das gute resultat der reise Þórólfs andeutet. þá
ist hier stark zu betonen.
FJ Proverb word 428. Page 196. vagn – gott (bezt)
heilum vagni heim at aka Eg 119, Icels I 219, Flat II 282, Fas II 115,
Karl. 388. ‘Det er godt (bedst) at køre hjem med en hel vogn’
(hel = ubeskadiget).
TPMA 12. 311. WAGEN (Subst.)/voiture/waggon 2.
Fahren mit dem Wagen 2.1. Es ist gut, mit ganzem Wagen heimzufahren Mlat.
24 . . . utile referens, rebus integris incolumni redire curru Indem
er darlegte, es sei von Nutzen, dann zurückzukehren, wenn die Verhältnisse
noch gut stünden und der Wagen noch unbeschädigt sei SAXO GRAMM. 141,
16. Nord. 25-27 Ok er gott heilum vagni heim at aka Und
es ist gut, mit unbeschädigtem Wagen heimzufahren SVERRIS SAGA 76 (→FMS
VIII, 186). SNORRI, ÓLÁFS SAGA HELGA 147 (→FMS IV,
364). SNORRI, HEIMSKRINGLA 345, 29 (Óláfs saga helga
151). 28 Ok er nú gott heilum vagni heim at aka Und es ist nun
gut . . . HARALDS SAGA HARÐRÁÐA 8 (→FMS VI, 151). 29
Er nu gott heilum vagni heim at aka Es ist nun gut .. . . ORKNEYINGA SAGA
106. S. 318, 19. 30 Þá var gott heilum vagni heim at
aka Damals sei es gut gewesen, dass er mit unbeschädigtem Wagen heimgefahren
sei EGILS SAGA 38, 7 (=JÓNSSON, ARKIV 428. JÓNSSON 173). 31
Þvíat betra er heilum vagne heim at aka . . . Denn es ist
besser, mit unbeschädigtem Wagen heimzufahren ALEXANDERS SAGA 61. 32
Ok kvað gott heilum vagni heim at aka Und er sagte, es sei gut . .
. KETILS SAGA HÆNGS 2 (→FAS II, 115 [=JÓNSSON, ARKIV 428]).
ÍF II. 38. 96. Skalla-Grímr latti
hann, sagði, at þá var gott heilum vagni heim at aka; “hefir
þú,” sagði hann, “farit fremðarför mikla,
en þat er mælt, er ýmsar verðr, ef margar ferr;3
tak þú nú hér við fjárhlut svá
miklum, at þú þykkisk verða mega gildr maðr af.”
3verða: hljóta;
sá hlýtur misjafnar ferðir, er margar fer.
CSI I. 38.
76. Skallagrim tried to discourage him, reminding him that “‘it
is better to ride a whole wagon home.’ Certainly you have made an illustrious
journey,” he said, “but there’s a saying, ‘the
more journeys you make, the more directions they take.’ You can
take over as much wealth here as you think you need to show your stature.”
ASB 3. 38. 112. 7. 8 ýmsar
(scil. farar) verðr usw., auch ein sprichwort: “reisen
von ungleichem erfolg wird der machen müssen, der viele reisen macht”;
verðr, eig. “trifft, bekommt”.
FJ Proverb word 469. Page 202. ýmiss – . . . ýmsar
verðr ef margar ferr Eg 119. ‘Rejser bliver forskellige, når
man foretager mange’. (snart er de gode, snart uheldige). = GJ (verða
farir).
ÍF II. 56. 148. Eitt hvert sinn gekk Arinbjörn
til hans ok spurði, hvat ógleði hans ylli, – “nú
þó at þú hafir fengit skaða mikinn um bróður
þinn, þá er þat karlmannligt, at bera þat vel;
skal maðr eptir mann lifa, eða hvat kveðr þú
nú? Láttu mik nú heyra.”
CSI I. 56.
102. Once, Arinbjorn went to him and asked what was causing his melancholy
– “Even though you have suffered a great loss with your brother's
death, the manly thing to do is bear it well. One man lives after another’s
death. What poetry have you been composing? Let me hear some.”
ASB 3. 56. 165. 3. 12. skal maðr,
“ein mann soll” d.h. “das ist die schicksalsbestimmung”.
13. kveðr þú nú, kveðr bedeutet natürlich
nur: “dichtest”; “welch ein lied singst du nun”; diese
frage ist zugleich eine direkte aufforderung zu dichten. Und dann folgt auch
Egils strophe.
FJ Proverb word 269. Page 170. maðr – maðr
skal (æ) eptir mann lifa Karl. 384. 528, Egilss
181. ‘Det ene menneske skal leve efter det andet’. Jfr GJ, der udelader
æ, men tilföjer det sikkert sekundære egoistiske:
ok rækja sjálfan sig mest. I det oprindeligie ordsprog
er tankegangen en anden, hvad Egilss. oplyser.
TPMA 7. 318. LEBEN/vie, vivre/life, to live 6.
Ein Mensch überlebt den andern Nord. 347 Skal maðr
epitr mann lifa Ein Mensch soll den (andern) Menschen überleben EGILS
SAGA 56, 3 (=JÓNSSON, ARKIV 269. JÓNSSON 114). 348 Verðr
maðr eptir mann lifa Ein Mensch muss . . . ÖRVAR-ODDS SAGA 41,
8.
ÍF II. 56. 150. “Hér mun vera,”
segir Egill, “sem opt er mælt, at segjanda er allt sínum
vin; ek mun segja þér þat, er þú spyrr,
um hverja konu ek yrki; þar er Ásgerðr, frændkona þín,
ok þar til vilda ek hafa fullting þitt, at ek næða því
ráði.”
CSI I. 56.
103. “This is a case where the saying applies that you
can tell anything to a friend,” said Egil. “I shall answer
your question who the woman is that I make poems about. It is your kinswoman
Asgerd, and I would like your support in arranging the marriage.”
ASB 3. 56. 167. 7.
FJ Proverb word 458. Page 200. vinr – . . . segjanda
er alt sínum vin Eg. 182. ‘Alt kan man sige sin ven’.
ÍF II. 68. 214. Arinbjörn segir: “Ekki
ætla ek þat fjarri lands lögum, at þú eignaðisk
fé þat, en þó þykki mér nú fét
fastliga komit; er konungsgarðr rúmr inngangs, en þröngr
brottfarar. Hafa oss orðit margar torsóttar fjárheimtur
við ofreflismennina, ok sátu vér þá í
meira trausti við konung en nú er, því at vinátta
okkur Hákonar konungs stendr grunnt, þó at ek verða
svá at gera sem fornkveðit orð er, at þá verðr
eik at fága, er undir skal búa.”
CSI I. 69.
134. “I don’t think there’s a law in this country
that prevents you from acquiring that property,” said Arinbjorn, “but
it seems to have been put in very secure hands. The king’s palace
is an easy place to enter but hard to leave. I have had a lot of trouble
claiming debts from those overbearing characters, even when I enjoyed a much
closer confidence with the king, because my friendship with King Hakon is only
recent. But I must do as the old saying has it: ‘Tend the oak if you want
to live under it.’”1 1fága:
hlúa að, leggja rækt við. Málshátturinn er
frá fornum tíma og lýtur að þeim sið, að
gera sér hús undir helgum trjám, svo sem þeir gerðu
Völsungar (Völs. s. 2. Kap.).
ASB 3. 68. 224. 4. 14. er konungsgarðr
usw., eine sprichwörtliche redensart.
FJ Proverb word 218. Page 104. konungr (jfr karl) . . . Konungs
garðr er rúmr inngangs en þröngr brotfarar Egilss
249. ‘Kongens gård er rummelig at komme ind i, men snæver
at komme ud af (igen)’. Det er muligt at dette ikke er et alml. ordsprog,
men det ser dog ud til at være det. GJ har det (var.: inngöngu
. . útgöngu) som sådant.
TPMA 6. 146. HOF/cour/court 14.
Verschiedenes Nord. 90 Er konungsgarðr rúmr inngangs,
en þröngr brottfarar Der Königshof ist beim Eingang weit,
aber bei der Ausfahrt eng EGILS SAGA 68, 4 (=JÓNSSON, ARKIV 218. JÓNSSON
96).
ÍF II. 68. 214. Arinbjörn segir: “Ekki
ætla ek þat fjarri lands lögum, at þú eignaðisk
fé þat, en þó þykki mér nú fét
fastliga komit; er konungsgarðr rúmr inngangs, en þröngr
brottfarar. Hafa oss orðit margar torsóttar fjárheimtur við
ofreflismennina, ok sátu vér þá í meira trausti
við konung en nú er, því at vinátta okkur Hákonar
konungs stendr grunnt, þó at ek verða svá at gera sem
fornkveðit orð er, at þá verðr eik at fága,
er undir skal búa.”1 1fága:
hlúa að, leggja rækt við. Málshátturinn er
frá fornum tíma og lýtur að þeim sið, að
gera sér hús undir helgum trjám, svo sem þeir gerðu
Völsungar (Völs. s. 2. Kap.).
CSI I. 69.
134. “I don’t think there’s a law in this country
that prevents you from acquiring that property,” said Arinbjorn, “but
it seems to have been put in very secure hands. The king’s palace is an
easy place to enter but hard to leave. I have had a lot of trouble claiming
debts from those overbearing characters, even when I enjoyed a much closer confidence
with the king, because my friendship with King Hakon is only recent. But I must
do as the old saying has it: ‘Tend the oak if you want to live
under it.’”
ASB 3. 68. 225. 5. 3. 4. verðr eik at fága,
er undir skal búa, ein uraltes sprichwort, aus der zeit herstammend,
als die wohnungen (hütten) noch unter einem grossen baume oder rings um
ihn herum aufgeführt waren; vgl. Völsungas. c. 3.
FJ Proverb word 85. Page 78. eik – . . . þá
verðr eik at fága er undir skal búa Eg 249. ‘Den
eg skal plejes (holdes ren), hvorunder man skal bo’. Beror på ældgamle
kulturforhold, hvor gården (bygningen) var opført under eller omkring
et træ (der naturligvis blev et helligt familjetræ; jfr Völsungas.
kap. 3 ok træet i Odyssevs’ hal).
TPMA 2. 382. Eiche/chêne/oak 8.
Verschiedenes Nord. 22 Verðr eik at fága er undir
skal búa Der Eiche, unter der man bauen soll, muss man pflegen EGILS
SAGA 68, 5 (=JÓNSSON, ARKIV 85. JÓNSSON 34).
ÍF II. 72. 230. 48. Skalat maðr rúnar rísta,/nema ráða vel kunni,/þat verðr mörgum manni,/es of myrkvan staf villisk;/sák á telgðu talkni/tíu launstafi ristna,/þat hefr lauka lindi/langs ofrtrega fengit. 48. vísa. es: að; – lauka lind (linditré): kvenkenning; – ofrtregi: mikill harmur, þungt mein.
CSI I. 72. 143. 48. No man should carve runes/unless he can read them well;/many a man goes astray/around those dark letters./On the whalebone I saw/ten secret letters carved,/from them the linden tree/took her long harm. linden tree: woman
Ed. note: I am grateful to Dale Kedwards, M.A. candidate in Norse and Viking Studies, Institute for Medieval Research, the University of Nottingham, for bringing this text to my attention in May 2010. As he has kindly pointed out to me, this text is treated by Paul Cavill, Maxims in Old English Poetry (Cambridge, 1999) 34-5. Cavill, in turn, cites an article by James Knirk, "Runes from Trondheim and a Stanza by Egill Skalla-Grímsson," in Studien zum Altgermansichen: Festschrift für Heinrich Beck (Berlin, 1994) 411-20, to which he, in turn, was referred by Judith Jesch – a rather complex long line of communication in scholarship! The advice itself has an Eddic quality about it, reminding one immediately of Hávamál. If at one point it had existed in some form in that poem's pre-literate tradition, this would explain its odd analogous presence in the two written texts.
ÍF II. 78. 252. Sonartorrek. Str. 17. Þat’s
ok mælt,/at engi geti/sonar iðgjöld/nema sjalfr ali/enn
þann nið,/es öðrum sé/borinn maðr/í bróður
stað. 17. vísa. ok: vegna áherzlu þeirrar,
sem hér liggur á þessu orði, væri ef til vill
rétt að rita auk, sem er eldri mynd orðsins (smbr. auka)
og kemur ósjaldan fyrir í elztu kvæðum; – ali
enn: alitune hdr. (ali túni?), en það
virðist hljóta að vera afbakað; enn er leiðr.
Ivars Lindquists; efni vísunnar: engin fær son sinn bættan,
nema hann geti aftur son, sem sé fyrir aðra maður fæddur
í stað bróður síns, ?: sé metinn jafngildur
bróður sínum (hinum látna syni).
CSI I. 79.
154. Verse 17. It is also said/that no one regains/his son’s
worth/without bearing/another offspring/that other men/hold in esteem/as
his brother’s match.
ASB 3. [78.] 306. Str. 17. Þats ok mælt,/at
mange getr/sonar iðgjöld,/nema sjalfr ale,/né þann
enn,/es öþrom sée/borenn maþr/í bróþor
staþ. Str. 17. “Es wird auch gesagt, dass niemand ersatz
für den sohn erlangt, wenn er selber nicht (einen zweiten) erzeugt, und
dass man auch einen solchen mann nicht findet, der einem anderen an stelle des
bruders wie geboren sei (der wie ein echter bruder sich benimmt)”.
FJ Proverb word 379. Page 187. sonr – mangi getr
sonar iðgjöld nema sjalfr ali Egill St. 17. ‘Ingen får
erstatning for en sön medmindre han avler en selv’. Her foreligger
vist et ordsprog, hvis pros. form er ukendt.
Ed. note. See Beowulf, 'The Lament of the Father
for his Hanged Son.'
ÍF II. 78. 265. Arinbjarnarkviða. Str. 20. Þat hann viðr,/es þjóta mun/flesta menn,/þótt fé eigi;/kveðka skammt/meðal skata húsa/né auðskept/almanna spjör. 20. vísa. viðr: vinnur; efni vísunnar: Arinbjörn gerir það, sem flestum væri um megn, þótt vel sé efnum búnir, því að örlátir menn eru ekki á hverju strái og það er erfitt að leysa hvers manns vandræði (eiginl. skefta spjót hvers manns), ?: af því að slíkir menn eru fágætir, hvílir svo mikið á hverjum þeirra.
CSI I. 80.
161. Verse 20. His deeds will/outlast most men's/even those who are/blessed with wealth;/givers' houses are/few and far between,/a legion's spears/need many shafts.
Ed. note. The Icelandic translator himself uses a proverbial phrase in rendering the original.
ÍF II. 78. 265. Arinbjarnarkviða. Str. 20. Þat hann viðr,/es þjóta mun/flesta menn,/þótt fé eigi;/kveðka skammt/meðal skata húsa/né auðskept/almanna spjör. 20. vísa. viðr: vinnur; efni vísunnar: Arinbjörn gerir það, sem flestum væri um megn, þótt vel sé efnum búnir, því að örlátir menn eru ekki á hverju strái og það er erfitt að leysa hvers manns vandræði (eiginl. skefta spjót hvers manns), ?: af því að slíkir menn eru fágætir, hvílir svo mikið á hverjum þeirra.
CSI I. 80.
161. Verse 20. His deeds will/outlast most men's/even those who are/blessed with wealth;/givers' houses are/few and far between,/a legion's spears/need many shafts.
Ed. note. I am grateful to Dale Kedwards, M.A. candidate in Norse and Viking Studies, Institute for Medieval Research, the University of Nottingham, for bringing this text to my attention in May 2010.
ÍF II. 78. 272. Einar beið hans þrjár
nætr, en þat var engi siðr, at sitja
lengr en þrjár nætr at kynni.1 1Smbr.
orð Hávamála (35. v.): Ganga skal,/skala gestr
vesa/ey í einum stað;/ljúfr verðr leiðr,/ef lengi
sitr/annars fletjum á.
CSI I. 81.
163. Einar stayed there three nights waiting for him; it was
not the custom to stay more than three nights on a visit.
ASB 3. 78. 265. 59. 6. þat
var engi siðr usw., schon die Hávamál (str. 35) warnen
davor, die gastfreundschaft allzu lange in auspruch zu nehmen: Ganga skal,/skala
gestr vesa/ey í einom staþ;/ljúfr verþr leiþr,/ef
lenge sitr/annars fletjom á.
TPMA 1. 446. BESUCH/visite/visit 2.
Verschiedenes Nord. 2 En þat var engi siðr, at sitja
lengr en þrjár nætr at kynni Und dies war nicht Sitte,
länger als drei Nächte zu Besuch zu weilen EGILS SAGA 78, 59 (vgl.
GAST 2.1.2., WILLKOMMEN1).
Ed. note. While the compilers of TPMA include this passage, it is, like the verse quoted from Hávamál by both editors of the saga, an allusion to the communal wisdom expressed in a proverb perhaps similar to one found in GJ, p. 410: "Þrínættr gestur þykir ve[r]str (þakkar stundum verst.)" Guðmundur also records a related but more expanded text: "Þrínættr gestr þykir nízkum ve[r]str, og þaðan af því leiðari, sem lengr dvelr." The antiquarian interest of the composer of Egils saga,apparent throughout the text, and one might well find among other such observations
ground for including further such allusions.
ÍF II. 81. 280. Þrándr
segir: "Miklu ertu, Þorsteinn, óvitrari maðr en ek hugða,
ef þú vill eiga náttból undir øxi
minni ok hætta til þess virðingu þinni. Mér
sýnisk, at ætla til, sem ek muna hafa tvau öfl þín,
en mik skortir eigi hug; ek em ok vápnaðr betr en þú."
CSI I. 84.
167. "You're more stupid than I thought, Thorstein, if you want
to risk your honour by seeking a place to sleep for the night under
my axe," said Thrand. "I'd guess I have twice your strength,
and I don't lack courage either. And I'm better armed than you."
Ed. note. See Fóstbrœðra saga, 3. 128, 12. 180 and 24. 267-8, where this proverbial phrase or one similar to it is used on these several occasions.
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