Rimur Rima (plural rimur) is a traditional form of narrative Icelandic epic song chanted or intoned in a specific manner called "ad kveda." The inner...
Rimur
Rima (plural rimur) is a traditional form of narrative
Icelandic epic song chanted or intoned in a specific manner called "ad kveda."
The inner structure and content can partially be traced to Eddic and Skaldic
poetry of the Viking Age. The
rimur rely on the complex metaphors called "kenningar" (singular kenning) and
the poetic synonyms called "heiti."
The Skaldic poetic stanza was an extremely intricate
construct with a unique poetic vocabulary and syntax, frequently employing
metaphors within metaphors in a manner reminiscent of the cryptic crossword.
In the 14th century, the rima started to supplant the
earlier forms of poetry - its attraction being a simple metric style with end
rhymes, usually divided into three types: ferskeytt, braghent and afhent. While
internal rhyme was a central feature of old poetry, end rhyme first appears in
the poem "Hofudlausn" (Head Ransom) in the Saga of warrior-poet Egill
Skallagrimsson (10th century), where he manages to reprieve his head by heaping
praise on his captor, the king of England. End rhyme was then popular in the
British Isles and it has been surmised that Egill introduced it to the
Icelanders. The form of the rima also shows influences from other European
traditions of the 13th and 14th century:
the short lyric
introduction to each rima-section called "Mansongur"
(maiden-song) has been traced to Germany, and the style called "blomadur" has a
counterpart in the flowery and ornate mode of early French romantic poetry.
The early rimur are primarily based on pre-existing
narratives in prose, heroic tales, and mythical or purely fictitious Sagas
being those most frequently selected for adaptation into this metrical form.
The poet usually begins with a certain number of introductory stanzas, the
maiden-song, where he laments his lack of poetic skills and success in the
affairs of the heart. He then starts converting the prose narrative into rime.
After building to a climax, he breaks off and the first rima is finished. Then, usually in a different metre, he begins
a new maiden song, followed by a different portion of the tale. This process is
repeated until the whole narrative has been worked into metrical form. The
subject and the length of the tale can vary in length and scope, and the number
of rimur can stretch from two up to a few dozen. Single rimur are less common,
but the less formal "lausavisa"
(single stanza) introduced a shorter and simpler form into the tradition. As
time went on, the poets took pride in inventing new metrical forms and rhyme
structures, and in the 19th century these were counted in the the thousands.
While the literary tradition of the rimur is well documented
from the 14th century, there is scant evidence of their actual performance. In
"Sorlarimur," one of the earliest examples of the genre, the poet refers to the
dancing that accompanies his recital, and in the 17th century the term "dans"
or dance was synonymous with poetry. An essay called "Qualiscunque Descriptio
Islandiae," which was probably written by Bishop Oddur Einarsson in Copenhagen
in 1588, describes a
performance which may refer to a performance analogous to a
rimur recital: "They select one who has mastered the art of kvedskapur (istam
cantillandi artem). He recites for a while some sort of introduction with a trembling
voice and in a hesitant fashion (tremula ac titubante quodammado voces)."
It is well documented that the Icelanders enjoyed a special
form of communal story-telling and poetry recitals from the earliest times, and
these seem to have developed into the institution of "kvoldvaka" (night-vigil),
of which the chanting of rimur was an integral part.
In 1589, Gudbrandur Borlaksson wrote in the preface to his
book of hymns a pious diatribe against this practice, and said that his aim
with the publication was "lastly in order to have thrown out the undesirable
poems of giants and heros, rimur, love songs, amorous songs, lustful songs,
mocking and satirical songs and other evil and wicked recitation...which are
used and loved by the peasantry of this land to the sorrow
of God and his angels, but to the delight of Satan and all his spawn, a
practice more widespread than in any other Christian land and more suited to
the practice of heathens than Christian folk at their night-vigils and other
gatherings."
In 1634, the Reverend Sigurdur Oddsson wrote a letter to his
bishop complaining that the sacred writ was faring badly in competition with
the impromptu secular entertainment that was practiced outside the churches,
and that people would often leave in the middle of the service to listen to
various tall tales of the heros of yore. He furthermore complains that one his
parishioners had confided to him that "next to hearing about the passion of the
Lord he enjoyed nothing more than the Rimur of Rollant: I must gloss over the
fact that many would sooner listen to Rimur of Brana, Arinnefja et cetera than
listen to the pious song of the church..."
In 1746, the ruling authorities issued a decree to priests
saying that they should "caution the people of the household with the utmost
gravity to guard themselves against undesirable stories and unreasonable fables
and ballads which have been abroad in the land." In the same year another decree was aimed at the pater
familias stating that he should "diligently remind his children and his
servants to begin both work and business with a prayer to God...and they must be
earnestly reminded, on pain of punishment, to guard themselves against unseemly
talk and sport, oaths and swearing, vain stories or so-called Sagas and licentious
poems or rimes, which are not seemly for a Christian and which sadden the Holy
Ghost to hear sung or said forth." And the main proponent of the Enlightenment
in Iceland, Magnús Stephensen, wrote an essay in 1808 lamenting the "horrendous
howling of rimur" which he saw as an enemy of more tasteful musical practices.
But the Icelanders stuck to their most popular form of
entertainment, and, needless to say, these best of intentions did not succeed,
and in the mid-19th century people started to write down and notate the old
rimur melodies. The monumental work of Reverend Bjarni Borsteinsson on
Icelandic folk-songs devoted a special chapter to rimur and its publication in
the years 1906 - 1909 and is a landmark in the preservation of the old
tradition.
Furthermore, in the year 1903, Jon Palsson made the first
sound recordings of rimur and others soon followed suit. The result is an
enormous collection of melodies that serve as a living and vibrant link to the
past, as the last few years have seen a revival where the old tradition is no
longer considered anachronistic, but something that needs to be studied and
cherished. Hopefully this collection can be seen as part of that revival.
Notes on the recording process
When Steindor first contacted me about this project, I was
thrilled to be part of a rimur recording which was not done for archival
purposes and furthermore I saw this as a chance to put to test some theories
which maintain that the special intonation of the rimur was a direct result of
the environment in which they were performed. Some authorities maintain that as
the rimur were performed in anechoic or non-reverberant spaces such as the
traditional sleeping loft or out in the fields, their vocal style developed
differently to musical styles where people "sang into spaces" such as churches
or chambers where the acoustics become part of the performance.
To this end, I contacted sound engineer extraordinaire
Sveinn Kjartansson and we decided on using a portable 24-bit Pro-Tools set-up
with Apogee AD 8000 converters so that we could record in different locations
chosen by their inherent acoustic properties. Our microphone of choice was the
Calrec Soundfield, which is in my humble opinion simply the best microphone
ever produced. The Calrec Soundfield is unique in the sense that it also
records spatial information and becomes in effect an auditory time-machine, as
you can move it in different directions after the recording - this is done by
recording on four discrete tracks and using a special console where the focus
can be moved back and forth, up and down, as well as to the left and right of a
standard stereo recording.
Tracks 1 to 7 were recorded in the small confines of the
traditional badstofa, and the perspective was that of a member of the household
listening in a typical evening wake situation. Tracks 8 to 11 were recorded in
a small turf church and the
perspective was that of a member of the congregation. A
winter-storm raging outside makes its presence felt from time to time,
appropriately it reached its height when Steindor chanted stanzas about
turbulent weather at sea...
Then we moved to the Salurinn Concert Hall, which is known
for its beautiful acoustics, and tracks 12 and 14 feature pairings with other
elements such as a didgeridoo or another chanter, while tracks 13, 15 and 17
are examples of rimur chanting in a modern musical environment. We changed the
set-up for tracks 16 and 18 as we wanted more control over the subtle nuances
of Monika's Irish harp: these were recorded with Sveinn Kjartansson's other
über-microphones, a pair of the special edition Bruel and Kjær DBA 4040 and a
pair of B & K 4041.
- Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson
In 1929 the society IDUNN was formed in Reykjavik. The aim
of the society was to preserve the tradition of Rimur-chanting. The majority of its members were people
who had moved to the city from the countryside and missed the old times when
the evenings at the farms were passed by listening to the old epic songs. The
memory of the communal sleeping loft, or badstofa, where the traditional chores
of weaving, spinning and knitting were enlivened by the chanter or kvædamadur,
was lovingly recreated, and people gathered together to chant the old rimur and
started to think of ways of preserving the heritage.
The society became a sort of living museum in itself -
people from different parts of the country came forward with different strands
of the tradition, and finally, in the years 1935 - 1936, a new technology
arrived that would be instrumental in recording this heritage for posterity.
The silver-disc recordings from that period are still a vital part of the
workings of the society: since then young people have listened to the
recordings as they try to master the art of "kvædaskapur." Up to the present
day the members of the IDUNN society meet once or twice a month and chant for
each other, and they have resolutely ignored passing fads or periods where
their endeavours were at best labelled quaint and old-fashioned. This quiet
activity went unnoticed for a number of years, but of late, more and more young
people have started looking for the origins of Icelandic music, and in
consequence have discovered the treasures so well preserved by the society.
With this revived interest, IDUNN has for the second time embraced an emerging technology,
and now has a presence on the internet, through the website www.rimur.is, where
interested parties can access all sorts of information relating to the
society's activities and the different metric structures of the rimur poetry,
listen to old recordings and much more.
Steindor Andersen has been president of the IDUNN society
since 1997.
Steindor Andersen
(1954 -)
Steindor Andersen was born in 1954. His early interest in
the poetry of the rimur led to his introduction to the IDUNN society where his
unique talent as kvædamadur
was soon noticed. Steindor has taught rimur chanting at
seminars and workshops, and these and his appearances on TV and radio have
contributed to the revival of the rimur tradition in recent years. His
collaboration with the Icelandic group Sigur Ros, resulting in tours in Europe
and the United States, has sparked an unprecedented interest in this hitherto
neglected musical form.
Steindor has of late been part of various projects whose aim
has been cross-cultural fertilization with the intent of bringing the rimur to
a wider audience, but at the same time he has been instrumental in preserving
the "bare bones" of the tradition so that others may draw inspiration or
enjoyment from this simple, yet elaborate, form of music and poetry.
Steindor has for many years worked as a fisherman and as
captain of his own ship called Idunn.
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson
(1958 -)
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson was born in 1958. Since the early
eighties he has been a prominent part of the Icelandic music scene, shifting
with relative ease between genres, and his work has at some time or other been
classified as rock,
electronics, avant-garde, jazz or neo-classical. He has
worked as producer for a variety of artists ranging from teenage death-metal
bands to established blues legends such as Pinetop Perkins and Jimmy Dawkins.
He has written music for over 20 feature films and in 1991 was awarded the
Felix Prize (the European Oscar) as European Film Composer of the Year for his
work on the film "Children of Nature" which in turn was nominated for an Oscar
in the Best Foreign Film category.
After living for many years abroad he has returned to
Iceland and, as his recent collaborations with Steindor Andersen and Sigur Ros
suggest, his native musical roots as well.
Jon Sigurdsson
(1853 - 1922)
A self-taught manual laborer who worked on various farms
throughout his life, yet found time to write poetry which brought him some fame
among his contemporaries. Best known for "Rimur af Atla Ótryggssyni" which he
wrote with Simon Dalaskald.
1. Atlarimur
I
The poet starts off with a mansongur, but only with an
indirect nod to the fairer sex. He starts to ruminate on the art of poetry and
on bad influences from abroad.
2. Atlarimur
II
Further thoughts on poetry. In a twist on the usual
mansongur theme, where the poet talks about his own shortcomings, the author
starts to decry the output of one of his fellow poets who is accused of envy,
malice and total lack of talent.
3. Atlarimur
III
The poet now finishes the mansongur after stating that the
audience is growing weary of his musings. In mid poem he shifts over to the
story of how Atli and Bodvar fight over the hide of an ox as each tries to
cover himself in bed. The results are a torn hide and a splintered bed.
A very rough translation of the first verse:
My eloquent tongue was tied,
tired and growing numb.
In bed under an ox's hide
Atli deigned to slumber.
Jon S. Bergmann
(1874 - 1927)
Sailed the seven seas and lived abroad for some time. It was
said that after a seven year stay in England he could write poetry in English
as well as in Icelandic. His strength and courage were also remarked on and
these no doubt served him well when he later in life became Chief Inspector of
Police in the township of Hafnarfjordur. His poetry is strongly moralistic,
with themes that frequently address
the rights and wrongs in life.
4. Epigrams
A selection of aphorisms: Time will never lay to waste what
one has tasted in youth. Old age still enjoys the warmth of childhood memories.
Sigurdur Breidfjord
(1798 - 1846)
The greatest of the Rimur poets. He learned the cooper's
trade in Copenhagen, was in the Danish mercantile service and lived for some
time in Greenland. Although hampered by an imperfect education, he was well
read and did some translations as well as using foreign material as the source
for some of his work. He lived an unsettled life with alcohol and poetry as his
two mainstays and died of starvation in Reykjavik, unjustly neglected and
maligned by a younger generation of poets and intellectuals who wanted to
abandon the entire rimur tradition to the dustbins of history. He was immensely
popular in his day as a poet and personality, and even today, his way with
words, technical wizardry, humour and humanity command respect and admiration.
5. Gunnarsrimur
Based on the story of one of Iceland's most beloved heroes,
Gunnar Hamundarson from the Saga of Njal.
Battle rages, blood flows.
Rough translation of the fourth stanza:
Each along a blade had brought
biting edges wielded.
He slew them without second thought,
mightily then Gunnar fought.
9. Jomsvikingarimur
The poet moves from the mansongur to the eve of a
battle. The first scene is at sea in a howling storm.
13. Númarimur
I
An ode to the land that fostered the poet. A
mansongur where the maiden is the land itself.
16. Jomsvikingarimur
II
The mansongur moves from women in general to one fair maiden
in particular. The poet dwells on the
memory of one he once loved.
18. Númarimur
The sun rises and everything comes alive, the meadows glow,
the mountains glitter and the earth spreads out her arms in embrace.
The Reverend Hannes Bjarnason (1776 - 1838)
Hannes Bjarnason received a good education, but started out
as a farmer who wrote epic poetry about bloody battles in his spare time. While
some considered his "Rimur af Andra Jarli" totally inappropriate for a man of
the cloth, they were written before his ordination and pale in significance to
some of the poetry he wrote about his parishioners later in life. He was fond
of the bottle and sometimes coarse,
but the reputation he left behind was that of a kind and generous man
and a good host whose humour and wit enlivened his surroundings.
6. Andrarimur
More bloodshed and battles. This poem puts most
splatter films to shame...
Bjarni Gislason
(1880 - 1940)
His life, like that of so many of his contemporaries, was
marred by poverty and lack of education and opportunities. Even as a child he
was made to wander between farms where he earned his keep as a laborer, but
somehow he managed to learn to read and write and find solace in his poetry. In
one of his poems he says that all he asks for is "another day and a good
horse."
7. Epigrams
A contemplation on life and on the difficulty of pleasing
others. "Every tie that ties me down fetters the spirit."
Herdis Andresdottir
(1858 - 1939)
She and her twin sister, Ólina, were born on the island of
Flatey in a small community of fisherman and farmers. When they were three
years old, their father perished along with the entire crew of the island's
main fishing boat. Twenty children
lost their fathers and their lives were changed forever. Both sisters, however,
became noted poets, respected and admired by all those who knew them. Professor
Sigurdur Nordal wrote this memorable description of the sisters: "They were
aristocrats in their poverty, towering above all pettiness and trivialities in
thought and conduct, high-minded, unblemished, kind and pure of heart."
8. Upptiningur
The poetess writes about the great in the small, on the
beauty of mother nature and on how her embrace will soothe the pains and
sorrows of a lifetime.
Sigurbjorn Johannsson fra Fotaskinni (1839 - 1903)
The late 19th century in Iceland was a period of vile
weather, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, drift ice and an all time low in
agriculture and fishing. There was an ensuing wave of emigration to Canada and
America, and Sigurbjorn Johannsson sailed with his family to the "West-World"
in 1889. Fiercely proud of his
roots and origins, he published one book of poetry in Winnipeg a year before
his death. His daughter, Jakobina Johnsson, became a gifted poet in her own
right and an accomplished translator of Icelandic poetry and drama.
10. Lysing
af hesti
Practical advice on how to buy a horse. Enumerates the
various virtues of the prime specimen.
Magnús Jonsson i Magnússkogum (1763 - 1840)
A farmer, carpenter, and artisan who still found time to
turn out one of the largest corpus of Rimur-poetry that survives today.
Well-liked and admired by his contemporaries, his well-crafted poetry still
retains its power and resonance.
11. Bernotusrimur
After various trials and tribulations at sea,
the king is still intent on battle...
Stefan fra Hvitadal
(1887 - 1933)
A master of rhyme and technique with his feet firmly planted
in the tradition, yet capable of opening up new vistas in Icelandic poetry and
bringing fresh winds from abroad. He travelled around Iceland reading from his
books like the wandering poets of legend, and his lifetime struggle against
poverty and disease left him unbowed, as he seemed to find something uplifting
in every adversity. As Halldor Laxness wrote: "The Cup of Delight is as
desirable to him on one hand as the Chalice of the Saviour is on the other."
12. Haustid
nalgast
Autumn approaches, life grows shorter.
A rough translation of the 6th stanza:
Seek solace in the heavens you that cried,
the stars that shimmer are the rays of God
in the wintery night.
Stephan G. Stephansson
(1853 - 1927)
Known as the poet of the Rocky Mountains, he emigrated to America
at the age of 20, living successively as a pioneer in Wisconsin, North Dakota
and Alberta. His poetry, a marriage of prairie life and Icelandic tradition, is
unique, and in his time he was considered to be one of the greatest living
Icelandic poets. His reputation was such that he
was even hailed as the greatest poet in all of the British
Dominions. In 1917, he was invited back to Iceland and was awarded a reception
befitting a king.
14. Rammislagur
A song to the sea and its playful aspects.
Hjalmar Jonsson fra Bolu
(1796 - 1875)
His life epitomizes the struggle of the destitute poet
against the ignorance, prejudice and malevolence of his fellow men. But in his
satirical and sometimes vitriolic verse he gave as good as he got! He overcame
his lack of formal education by serious self-study and became an authority on
old lore and literature. His poetry remains a testament to one man's heroic
fight against what the poet Matthias Jochumson called "a pitiless age of
miserly meanness."
15. Gongu-Hrolfsrimur
Another song about the sea which is now
roaring and enraged.
Borsteinn Erlingsson
(1858 - 1914)
He entered the University of Copenhagen in 1883, but soon
fell under the influence of Georg Brandes and his circle, and gave up academic
life for poetry and social reform. He returned to Iceland, worked as a
journalist and tutor, but was finally awarded a small poet's allowance from the
state. He was a dedicated defender of the weak and a tireless fighter against
hypocrisy in all its forms. He has
been called the Swinburne of Icelandic literature, and both in thought and
technique he has exerted a profound influence.
17. Lagnætti
It is night and nature sleeps.
1. Atlarimur I
By Jon Sigurdsson
Fagrahvelid gyllir grund
glatt med bel ad vanda,
nú bvi gel eg hringa hrund
hattinn velstiganda.
Misjafn romur mærdar er,
misjaft domar falla,
syngja oma haukar her,
hrafnar og lomar gjalla.
Misjafnt kjorinn mærdarhljom
metur fjorug bjodin,
syngur hvor med sinum rom,
svona gjorast ljodin.
Sumir grunda gudleg ljod
gæfu skunda linu,
visdom stunda og vel hja bjod
verja pundi sinu.
Sumir brafallt malud mennt
mynda hafleyg kvædi,
bau ver sjaum brykkt a prent
bjota um snjaa svædi.
Bessir hrinda heimsku i vind,
hrodrar binda prydi
kærleik, yndi, eymd og synd
i hugmynda smidi.
Óttast hnjod og arnarleir
efldir frodleikssofnum,
bæta modurmalid beir
medur bjodskalds-nofnum.
Stundum skyjum ofar og
yrkin nyju bylja,
útlend drygja frædaflog,
færri bvilikt skilja.
Lægri knapar lands um geim,
lærdomssnapir vidur
flestir apa eptir beim
opt ba hrapa nidur.
Skemmtun mjog sem margfaldar
mennta orogu vinir,
færa sogur fornaldar
fram i bogur hinir.
Rimur tidum borgast bezt
bo brjalist tidarandi,
sem albydan metur mest
mikid vida i landi.
Bær ad kveda a kveldin her
kætir ged ad vonum,
saklaus gledi og bad er
ekrufreda sonum.
Her um slodir isa enn
a nymodins timum,
hrosa frodleiks mestu menn
margir godum rimum.
Sumir gridar svor med klúr
sverta og nida adra,
lygahydi longum úr
lasta skridur nadra.
2. Atlarimur II
Aptur og fram um haudrid her
heldur vamma rikir
mest til skammar sjalfum ser
seppar gjamma slikir.
Hrodrar frida hofunda
hugvits prydi rika,
adra tidum ofunda
og ba nida lika.
Öfund skær og eitrad fær
ekki værast sinni,
sem ba æri soltnar flær
a svortu gæruskinni.
Sin i beinin frid ei fa
fangnir meinum lasta,
nema reyna adra a
illum steinum kasta.
Ódarspyju æla ba,
ekki bvilikt bætir,
svo ad klygju sumir fa
sannleik lygi mætir.
Mjog bann frakkur magnar sid
mannords blakkur bjofur
ljota Bakka leirskaldid,
lygasnakkur grofur.
Skammahydi ei skelfir mig,
skal bad sidar reyna,
mest oprydir sjalfan sig
semja nid alleina.
Sæmir ekki sjalfsbottinn,
sem hann blekkir odum,
vist ei bekkir vanmatt sinn
og vonda skekkju a ljodum.
Goldum snada gef bvi rad,
geds um lad ohlydid
kefja bradast kerskni og had
klam forsmada og nidid.
Skalda metin skemmtiljod
skyrt og setja i letur,
vanda betur aumann od,
ef hann getur tetur.
Ella greyid hætti hreint
hrodrargeyi stirda,
vitrir segja sannleik beint
svars bad eigi virda.
Bvilik slæm er mærdar mennt,
mens ei sæmir lundi,
ef hún kæmi út a prent
illa ræmast mundi.
Snemma mjog um morguntid
mansongs bogur dvina,
mer til sogu bendir blid
bauga fogur lina.
3. Atlarimur III
Min vard undra mælskan lúd
um morgunstund a bedi,
bar sem undir uxahúd
Atli blunda redi.
Gekk burt njola en grund og haf
gylla solin tekur,
stiginn boli Bodvar af
borinn kjola vekur.
Kvedju ei vandar komubeim,
kaldur i anda og gedi
skjott upp standa skipar beim
skifir randa af bedi.
Gegnir eigi Atli ba
oldnum beygir geira,
grafkyrr treyju lundur la,
lezt nú beigi heyra.
Toga for ba hord med hot
i húdina storu Bodvar,
ekki sljor helt Atli mot
uxabjorinn stodvar.
Randa haflar roskir tveir
rúms i gaflinn spyrna,
stundar kafla bannig beir
breyttu aflid firna.
Gaflinn sprengjast gjordi fra
granadi drengja fundur,
rammt og lengi rykktust a
rúmid gengur sundur.
Gnotradi og stundi stofan hly,
stinnt til mundum brifu,
hamadir undrum holdar bvi
húdina sundur rifu.
Negg ei bera nadu hrellt
nodru verar dynu,
slarkinu bvera sleit, en helt
slitri hver a sinu.
4. Epigrams
Written by Jon S. Bergmann
Timinn vinnur aldrei a
elstu kynningunni;
ellin finnur ylinn fra
æskuminningunni.
Verkin huldu sidar sjast,
salarkulda sprottin;
hver, sem duldi alla ast,
er i skuld vid drottinn.
Begar haar bylgjur bols,
brotnudu a mer fordum,
kraup eg ba ad keldum ols,
kvad i faum ordum.
Klonni slaka eg aldrei a
undan blaki af hrinu,
bott mig hrakid hafi fra,
hæsta takmarkinu.
5. Gunnarsrimur
By Sigurdur Breidfjord
Skundar teitur skeidar a
skjomabrumu valdur,
menn a heitir sina sa
sokn ad veita bestu ba.
Fjarins grúa vinnum ver
verdi ferd til bota.
Sig nær búa folkid fer
ferjugrúa hinna ser.
Ad beim vada vikingar
voda ædi syna,
eggsteinsblada iman bar
enn til skada hafin var.
Hver einn dregur hardmynntan
hjor og fer ad beita.
Gunnar vegur margan mann
mikillega bardist hann.
Bolgin unda radast rid
raud a súdir nidur.
Ærid mundi mannfallid,
marar stundu birnir vid.
Gunnar ædir eirdarlaust
eydir bjodar lifi.
Einatt skæd ad eyrum braust
eggja hrædilega raust.
Hljoda og veina hlifarnar,
holund skolar búka,
straumum einum æda bar
æla skeinur blodraudar.
Hondum tveimur vigur var
vopnaheppni drengur,
flatti beima fjolda bar
frægri hveim er moti var.
Beir Hallgrimur hlaupa a
hlunna - Gunnars - vara.
Hann ad imu arngeiri bra,
andlatssvima margir fa.
Margan vætir blodugt bad,
byrstur ristir begna,
Gunnar lætur grimmum ad
gildum fæti ba stiklad.
Barf ei eggja ovininn
imugrimur hardi,
ad honum leggur arngeirinn,
undan seggur snerist hinn.
Inni slana fleinninn fer.
Færi ser nú Gunnar,
hann med lani hjorinn ber
handlegg frana kappans mer.
Hoggid brytur handlegginn,
hot ba bitur eigi.
Naudum flyta nennir hinn,
nidur hrytur arngeirinn.
Gunnar brifur hann og hjo
Hallgrim allan gegnum.
Út bar lifi undin spjo,
i einu fifutyrinn do.
6. Andrarimur
by the Rev. Hannes Bjarnason a Rip
Hogni laut en haudrid
flaut i hrugnis blodi:
eitthvad tautar Andri i hljodi,
od sem naut ad stala rjodi.
Yfir herdar hoggur sverdi
halsins snjalla,
her vid verdur Hogni falla,
hann bo gerdi særast valla.
Skyrtan goda skyldi modum
skjoma runni,
hrokk ba blod af Hogna munni,
hann uppstod sem fljotast kunni.
Vitid missti, heiptin hristi
hringa njotinn,
Andra lysti launa hotin,
lamdi byrstur kylfu a brjotinn.
Hægra sundur hann ad stundu
handlegg brytur,
Andra mund úr hrottinn hrytur,
hann svo undan snúa hlytur.
Sem laminn hundur hljop um
grund sa hjornum sleppti,
Hogna undan hræddur keppti,
og helt hann mundi koma a eptir.
Hogni Andra ostillandi eptir vedur,
hirdir branda hverr fram tredur,
hristist landid bysnum medur.
Andri hræddur,
Hogni bræddur heipt, ei letta,
foldar bræddu ei feril retta,
fram svo æddu a sjoar kletta.
Ba fram bar sem britugt
var ad borska lundi,
flug-hamar, en urd stor undir,
umferdar ei greitt bar mundi.
Andri brammar barna fram af,
byrmdi ei beinum,
um skeljungs damm ad skeri ohreinu,
skvampadi hrammi medur einum.
Hogni gildur, horku fyldur,
hljop ei minna,
eflaust vildi Andra finna,
ekki skyldi hann fyrri linna.
Hikadi eigi hjorva sveigir
hvals vid moinn,
ætlar ad fleygja ser i sjoinn,
sama veginn heiptum groinn.
Dvergar tjadir toku rad,
beir teygdu klædi,
hvar a bradur Hogni nædi,
hlaupa adur felli i grædir.
7. Epigrams
Written by Bjarni Gislason.
Bad er vandi ad sja um sig,
svo ei grandist fridur.
Hvert bad band, sem bindur mig,
bælir andann nidur.
Kvedur norna kalda raust
-klidur fornra strauma-
aftur morgnar efalaust
eftir horfna drauma.
Bad er vandi ad velja leid,
vinna fjoldans hylli;
lata alltaf skrida skeid
skers og baru a milli.
Bad er ollum búningsbot:
bæta úr gollum ljotum,
strida follum strauma mot,
standa ei hollum fotum.
8. Upptiningur
Written by Herdis Andresdottur.
Talid margt bo teflum vid,
tjair vart ad flyja.
Veiku hjarta veitir frid
vorid bjarta, hlyja.
Strykur gloey grosin sma
geislalofa bydum.
Lautir, floar litkast ba;
leysir snjo úr hlidum.
Brostur hatt med katum klid
kvedur bratt i runna.
Bar er datt ad dreyma vid
dasemd nattúrunnar.
Vorid hlo og hratt sig dro
heim a groin engi,
bar sem loa i lagum mo
ljúfa slo a strengi.
Himins stoli haum fra
hverfa njolutjoldin;
timgast fjola túni a;
tekur solin voldin.
Bydur fangid hlytt og hljott
hlidarvangi fagur,
vidarangan - engin nott,
allt er langur dagur.
Mitt vid hæfi a modurarm
mun eg gæfu finna.
Bar skal svæfa hjartaharm
heillar ævi minnar.
9. Jomsvikingarimur I
By Sigurdur Breidfjord
Mina lúna ljodarún
let eg núna bida,
úta brúna ysutún
ormar húna skrida.
Reidinn song bar ridur brong
ranin strong ad bordum,
skelfur rong en raarstong
rambar a longustordum.
Landid hafid leiddi i kaf
lyra vafid búdum,
blikar traf vid blaa haf,
bodar skafa af súdum.
Byljir brair bondin sla
i byrs osmau kjorum
marrar ra vid rakka ha
ruggadi lain knorum.
Freyda bodar flennist vod
a flydru stodar búdum,
brimid bvodi brjost a gnod
bulladi froda a súdum.
Stormar hvina, súdasvin
sundid bryna orva,
vedur hrina grafin gin
Grædis dyna sorva.
Í Vik bar bundu húnahund
Hrana Bundar kjola,
Túnsberg fundu Hars um hrund
ad hattastundum solar.
Óvart verdur adfor gerd
audnuskerdum lydi,
djorf var ferd bvi drengjamergd
dregur sverd úr hydi.
Bjo ba stund i bustarhund
brandabundur nyti
heftir blund um hattastund
het Geirmundur hviti.
Brynjud bjod med Bolverksglod
i bæinn vodu nauma.
Vekja bjodir vikings hljod
vid ogodu drauma.
Ei var skjol bo rekkar rol
reyni um stola dynu,
Hranasolin heli fol
hvern i boli sinu.
Geirmund ser ad ekki er
ad eiga her vid gaman;
i loft eitt fer ad forda ser
og fongin bera saman.
Leist Geirmundi litla stund
lif bar mundi verjast,
úta skundar grona grund
bar garpar undir berjast.
10. Lysing af hesti
Written by Sigurbjorn Johannsson
fra Fotaskinni.
Ef bú selja meinar mer
makka skeljung godan,
kosti telja hlyt eg her,
hann svo velja takist ber.
Álits fridur, frambrekinn,
fjors med stridu kappi,
fimur, bydur fotheppinn,
fetatidur, ganglaginn.
Stutt med bak og breitt ad sja,
brúnir svakalegar,
augu vakin, eyru sma
einatt hrakin til og fra.
Makkann sveigi manns i fang,
munn ad eigin bringu,
skorpum fleygist skeids a gang,
skrokkinn teygi frons um vang.
Bolinn, hraustur grjot og grund
gripi laust med fotum,
vadi traustur ekru und,
eins og flaustur taki sund.
Enga hrædist undra sjon,
ad bott slædast kunni,
viss ad bræda veg um fron,
vænn a hæd og frar sem ljon.
Leggjanettur lidasver
lag se rett a hofum,
hardur, slettur, kúptur hver,
kjostu betta handa mer.
11. Bernotusrimur
By Magnús Jonsson i Magnússkogum:
Gat bess fyrr ad besta byr
borvar fengu stala,
begar fra grund a bilju hund
borska sigldu um skala.
Dægur eitt var drengjum veitt
dada leidid fina,
hvessti ba, svo bylgjan bla
bardi modur sina.
Áflog ljot med heiptar hot
hofdu dætur Ægis,
beirra tusk og reidirusk
reyndi jorinn lægis.
Drofnin vex, um dægur sex
drengir hrekjast nadu
til og fra um lysula,
land um sidir badu.
Settu fley a eydiey,
upp svo gengu hradir;
kannad ba og sig um sja
seggir fengu gladir.
Hernad i vill halda fri;
hilmir bidur rika
fljott i svip ad fa ser skip,
og fræga drengi lika.
Fylkir ter: "Bad færdu her;"
fimm let búa skeidur,
sex og manna hundrud hann
honum valdi greidur.
Kong og fridan landsins lyd,
lofdungs kvedur nidur,
ste a gnod og glæsta vod
greitt upp vinda bidur
Kolga og drofn, ba helt af hofn,
hilmis arfa lutu
bylgja, og údur blakar súd,
byrsins seglin nutu.
Dundi rong, en stundi stong,
styrin marra og rumdu,
murra hjol, en urrar ol,
oldujoar brumdu.
Saung i reida golan greid,
gyltar vodir bandi,
bar til sjola arfi ol
eggja hrid med brandi.
Hervikinga hetjan slyng
hjo og reyndi vigur
sumarid heitt, og hel gat veitt,
hafdi jafnan sigur.
12. Haustid nalgast
By Stefan fra Hvitadal
Solin blessud sigur raud til vidar
gloa a lofti gullin sky,
gratklokk ain nidar.
Haustid nalgast, hrid og vetrarrosinn,
senn er ekki solar von,
senn er ain frosin.
Loan horfin, lokid songvafulli,
rokkvar her, en sudræn sol
sveipar hana gulli.
Ógnar myrkrid oss a nordurstrondum,
innra grætur odfús bra
eftir sudurlondum.
Eigum ver ba adeins myrkar nætur,
enga fro ne innri hvild,
engar raunabætur?
Himinn yfir.
Huggast bú, sem grætur.
Stjornur tindra, geislar guds,
gegnum vetrarnætur.
Vetrarnottin varla mun oss saka,
fyrst ad ljosin ofan ad
yfir monnum vaka.
13. Númarimur I
By Sigurdur Breidfjord
Modurjord hvar madur fædist
mun hún eigi flestum kær
bar sem ljosid lifi glædist
og litil skopun broska nær?
Í fleiri lond bo fengi drengir
forlaganna vadid sjo
hugurinn bangad brengist lengi
er beirra fogur æskan bjo.
Mundi eg eigi minnast hinna
modurjardar tinda ha
og kærra heim til kynna minna
komast hugarflugi a?
Jú eg minnist fostra forna
a fjollin keiku sem bú ber
i kjoltu binni kvold og morgna
kvikur leikur muni ser.
Um bina prydi ad benkja og tala
bad er tidast gledin min
i hogum fridu hlyrra dala
hjord um skridur brjostin bin.
Smala hlydinn hjardar fjoldinn
heim ad lidur stekkonum
bar eg sid a sumarkvoldin
sat i vidibrekkonum.
14. Rammislagur
By Stephan G. Stephansson
Grana kampar grædi a,
gjalpir hampa skorum,
titra glampar til og fra,
tifur skvampa i fjorum.
Ögra læt mer Ægis-lid
upp úr sæti malar,
Ranar dætur dansa vid
deigum fæti kjalar.
Undir bliku beitum ba
bat og strikid tokum.
Stigum vikivakann a
voltum kviku-bokum.
Golf er lidugt, long og stor
leikjarsvid hja unni.
Spriklar, idar allur sjor,
ystu mid ad grunni.
Utan sendar oldur ser
afram henda og flyta,
vilja ad lendi i lofa mer
lodurhendin hvita.
Byljir katir kvedast a,
hvin i satri og hjollum.
Baruhlatrar hlakka fra
hamralatrum ollum.
15. Gongu-Hrolfsrimur
By Hjalmar Jonsson fra Bolu
Hnitbjarganna beiskan brunn
burtu vann ad fjara,
ljonum hranna yttu a unn
Yggir glanna svara.
Rauk glymjandi Ranar mey,
rumdi band og bilja,
undan landi flana fley,
fokkur bandi kylja.
Yfir skapta humra holl
Hræsvelgs kraptur gnúdi,
reif upp kjaptinn Ranar troll,
rumdi, gapti, spúdi.
Öldu hundur Ægis dros
einatt sundur klippti,
skalf og drundi skessan sjos,
skutinn undir lyfti.
Gramdist sneypan gletturik,
gusum steypa dugdi,
ofar keipum flennti flik,
fleyin gleypa hugdi.
Kari bykkist frekt vid fljod,
fram svo rykkir biljum,
likt sem hrykki elding od
undan skrykkibyljum.
Barst úr sjonum foldar fles
fyrir sjonir mennsku,
bylja soninn hirti hles
hyddi ad froni ensku.
Sletti geflur bylgjan brett,
brosleit eflir gaman,
masturs trefla linid lett
lydir hefla saman.
Beittu ad strandar breidri hlein,
brims um granda vidan,
beyttu i sandinn bungum flein,
bustu a landid sidan.
16. Jomsvikingarimur II
By Sigurdur Breidfjord
Uni hja mer hringaslod
med hyru gedi,
eg fer ba ad yrkja ljod
en adrir kvedi.
Eftirlatar ætid mer
med asynd rjoda
sitji katar sætur her
vid songinn goda.
Eyrum dilli, ytar flytji
ordakvidur,
bett a milli svanna sitji
songvasmidur.
Man eg eina af mjúku hjarta
milda i ordum
ennishreina og harabjarta
hja mer fordum.
Hvarfla augu hyr og
snor um hvarmabolin
eins og laugud ljosa spjorum
ljomi solin.
Hvit og rjod er reflagna
med roda svinnum
eins og blod se brætt i snja
a badum kinnum.
Nettar hendur klappa kunna
i kærleiks standi.
Hvar sem stendur seimasunna
er sibrosandi.
Hún er rjod og hvit i kinnum
hdr i ordum.
Bannig stod hún mer i minnum
malud fordum.
17. Lagnætti
By Borsteinn Erlingsson
Margoft bangad mork og grund
mig ad fangi draga,
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