Bersi Skáldtorfuson

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Bersi Skáldtorfuson^[1] was an Icelandic skald, active around the year 1000. He was a court poet to Earl Sveinn Hákonarson. During the Battle of Nesjar he was captured by King Óláfr Haraldsson's forces. In captivity he composed three of his four stanzas which have come down to us.

Hróðrs batt heilan líða hagkennanda þenna, en snarrœki slíku svarat unnum vér gunnar ; orð seldum þau elda úthauðrs boða, trauðir, knarrar, hapts, sem keyptak, kynstórs, at við brynju. Sveins raunir hefk sénar (snart rekninga bjartar) þars (svaltungur sungu) saman fórum vér, stórar ; elds, munk eigi fylgja út, hríðboði, síðan, hests, at hverjum kosti, hranna, dýrra manni.[2] Krýpk eigi svá, sveigir sára linns - í ári búum ólítinn Áta öndur þér til handa -, at herstefnir hafnak heiðmildr eða þá leiðumk, ungr kunnak, þar, þrøngvi þínn, hollvini mína. Finnur Jónsson's edition[3]

Thou badest this eager Worshipper of poetry[4] farewell, And we could answer The same, O strife-wont warrior! It listed me not to be delayed Longer; therefore I sold To the noble-born giver of gold[5] Those words as I bought them. I have seen the great fights Of Swein; we fared together Once when the cool blades[6] Afterwards sang loudly; Never again hereafter Shall I follow in a host, O king, any chieftain More glorious than he. This year I lie in chains For a long while in the great ship.[7] O swinger of the sword! I humble Myself never so lowly, That I betray, O wise war king, My loyal friends or be loath To have them. In my youth Among my friends I found thy foe. Translation by Monsen and Smith[8]

"Depart in peace," thou didst, prince, bid me, the poet; and I said the same to seasoned tree-of-combat.[9] Unwillingly these words in weapon-thing returned I as from the Fáfnir's-treasure's- foe[5] I had received them. Seen have I Svein tested since we fared together— sang loud polished swords—in serious conflicts, ruler. Never on shipboard shall I, should whate'er betide me, in fiercest fray tested follow a better master. Crouch I shall not, King, nor crawl before thee—rather, let us ready, liege, a large ship, this year—and so turn my back on true and tried friends and aggrieve them. Young when I was I held dear him who was your enemy. Hollander's translation[10]

One lausavísa is attributed to Bersi in the surviving fragments of Óláfs saga helga by Styrmir Kárason. But the same stanza is attributed to Sigvatr Þórðarson in Heimskringla and to Óttarr svarti in other sagas on St. Óláfr.^[11] Styrmir's saga gives some information on Bersi's career in St. Óláfr's service and indicates that he died in 1030.

Bersi was at some point at the court of King Canute the Great where Sigvatr Þórðarson addressed him in verse after they had both received gifts from the king.^[12] Apart from being mentioned in the kings' sagas Bersi also has a minor role in Grettis saga where he asks Earl Sveinn to spare Grettir Ásmundarson's life.^[13]

Bersi's mother, Skáld-Torfa, was apparently also a poet but none of her works have come down to us.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ The names can be represented or Anglicized as Bersi/Bessi/Berse/Besse Skáld-Torfuson/Skáldtorfuson/Skald-Torfuson/Skaldtorfuson/Torfuson/Torfasson/Torfason.
2. ^ Eysteinn Björnsson translates[1]: "I will never again, under no circumstance, follow a greater leader (than this) storm-herald of fire of horse of waves."
3. ^ Here taken from Eysteinn Björnsson's online edition of the skaldic corpus. [2]
4. ^ The original has hagkennandi hróðrs, a kenning for "poet".
5. ^ ^{a b} The original kenning is boði elda úthauðrs knarrar; "herald of the fire of the outer land of the knörr", i.e. "herald of the fire of the sea", i.e. "herald of the gold", i.e. "generous man". Hollander substitutes a kenning referring to the dragon Fáfnir who lay on a pile of gold.
6. ^ The original has a kenning for "blades"; bjartar svaltungur rekninga, "bright cool tongues of swords".
7. ^ The original has a kenning for "ship"; Áta öndurr, "ski of Áti (a sea-king)".
8. ^ Monsen 2004, p. 253.
9. ^ A kenning for "warrior". The kenning in the original is snarrœkir gunnar; "swift tender of gunnr (battle)". See [3].
10. ^ Hollander 1991, p. 285.
11. ^ Poole 1991, p. 95.
12. ^ Monsen 2004, p. 357.
13. ^ Fox 2001, page 54. See [4] for an alternative translation (by William Morris and Eiríkr Magnússon) of the relevant chapter or [5] for an edition of the Old Norse text.

[edit] References

• Eysteinn Björnsson (2001). Lexicon of Kennings : The Domain of Battle. http://www.hi.is/~eybjorn/ugm/kennings/kennings.html
• Finnur Jónsson (1931). Lexicon Poeticum. København: S. L. Møllers Bogtrykkeri.
• Fox, Denton and Hermann Pálsson (translators) (2001). Grettir's Saga. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0802061656
• Hollander, Lee M (editor and translator). (1991). Heimskringla : History of the Kings of Norway. University of Texas Press. ISBN 0292730616
• Monsen, Erling (editor and translator) and A. H. Smith (translator) (2004). Heimskringla Or the Lives of the Norse Kings. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 0766186938
• Poole, Russell G. (1991). Viking Poems on War and Peace. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0802067891

• Bersi Skáldtorfuson Extant poetry