The Rímur of Ólaf Tryggvason — Redaction C
Two rímur from a single medieval membrane manuscript — Sth. 23, 4° — retelling the Rauðúlfs þáttr, the tale of King Ólafr Tryggvason's encounter with the farmer Björn and the sons of Rauðúlfr. The first ríma opens with a mansöngr lamenting the decline of patronage, introduces Ólafr as champion of the Christian faith, describes his confrontation with a demonic trickster, and recounts Björn's feast and his bitter condemnation of Rauðúlfr's sons as thieves. The king intervenes with wisdom over violence — "proud men ought to support their own" — and sends for the brothers. The second ríma opens with the most personal mansöngr in any rímur in the archive: the poet is frozen, grieving, struggling for inspiration, yet choosing to compose. The summons reaches the Dales. Rauðr accepts. Then the manuscript breaks off.
This redaction is younger than the other Óláfsrímur in the Rímnasafn and exists only in one manuscript. Finnur Jónsson included it as a supplement, printing it in smaller type to mark its uncertain age. The text is significantly damaged — lacunae, illegible passages, and editorial uncertainties are marked throughout.
First known English translation.
Ríma I
Mansöngur
1.
Bold men made ready of old
to forge the guild of Odin's verse
about those men who held command
openly across wide lands.
2.
And so about their great feats
in tales they set themselves to speak;
many laid in memory's coffer
their greatest mind toward poems.
3.
Their tongue from speech and skill
was tamed by eloquence's craft;
they brewed thus for the ladies' delight
Berliung's wine-friend for them all.
4.
Stanzas they arranged in sure reply
— well may one boast of such —
sometimes good and honest oaths,
all as they wished to choose.
5.
Such is the age become now —
one may prove it by trial —
no worthy lady any more will
reward the poems in any way.
6.
Therefore I counsel those men
who practise Rögnir's craft:
carry no gold thread of verse
to a young silk-listener.
7.
Yet if the drink-diminisher would
grant warriors her delight,
then shall the gracious praise-folk —
ring-trees — stand ready for them.
8.
Now shall I turn from sorrows,
if fortune grants its aid,
to brew the Dwarf's mead early,
if Christ will not forbid.
9.
I wish to tell men truly
in the clash of words:
I bind to me a burden then
I bear with hardship, late or never.
10.
It will not stand in Odin's lee
arranged as it should;
I lack for verse-craft
both wisdom and eloquence.
11.
Yet shall Rögnir's fair longship
run through the ravine of praise,
for gracious folk still have
the humility to listen.
The King
12.
Norway was ruled by a gentle prince
whose equal was never found;
that lord was surpassingly famed —
Ólafr was he called by name.
13.
Harald's son, the bold champion,
matched Hrungnir's clash of arms;
he was trained in Högni's garb
and skilled at wielding steel.
14.
The prince had won a noble
lineage-shield to possess;
Ástríðr was the fair gold-tree called,
surpassing most noble women.
15.
The king trusted from his heart
most in the Lord of angel-hosts;
he wished that ever foremost
the Ruler of heaven's realm should be.
16.
This worthy lord scattered wide
the dew of swords;
wicked men their life and goods
yielded at the king's judgment.
17.
This king commanded the faith
that warriors must hold,
if the loss of bliss and soul's distress
men wished to avoid.
The Confrontation
18.
The prince ever drove from the path of life
and marshalled against many folk —
[Two lines lost.]
19.
"The burst of joy and fierce flame
you cause the wicked to fear;
you have ever had the thought
our honour to diminish."
20.
"Though you fly like a bird through the maple
and are skilled in deceptions —
in all your falsehoods
none should place their trust."
21.
With piercing words the argument parted;
the demon began to cease.
Warriors rode from the assembly homeward —
the folk shall find their rest.
The Feast
22.
Björn decided then to invite the prince
and bade the lord to feast;
that gracious king
should come with all his retinue.
23.
The king makes his way to the farmstead
with his retainers in good time;
courteously the cup's merry noise
gladdened the king's gentle courtiers.
24.
Retainers grasp their horns and bowls;
the king and his host drink.
The champion puts his case to the king —
he has complained of certain scoundrels.
25.
"We ask now," the prince says,
"Björn, at my request —
whom do you think
could work such harm among men?"
26.
The man answers the prince then,
quick in fierceness and wrath:
"In the sons of Rauðúlfr one may see
a true thief's madness."
27.
"Silently they spread base hatred
and enmity in our land;
I hold it the best counsel
that they hang up in bonds."
28.
"I care not though you prattle thus,"
the king replies;
"proud men with their properties
ought to support their own."
29.
The king speaks with chosen honour —
he was wise in counsel:
"Send for those men we shall,
both sons of Rauðúlfr."
Closing
30.
The stream of Rögnir's praise-guild
runs thin for me at the ravine;
therefore the play of learning
goes not as fair as I wished.
31.
I cannot about the jewel-plank
speak in the word-forge;
my boldness is too meagre stuff
to drag toward such a labour.
32.
I hold no longer in my mind
Herjan's ancient memory;
therefore Fjölnir's old wine
shall fall silent for now.
Ríma II
Mansöngur
1.
Now shall Fjölnir's learning-vessel
be launched on the path of praise,
if fortune will so kindly look —
the boat of glory I may reach.
2.
From Kvasir's blood, the mantle's shelter,
is ever kindled word-craft,
and Suttungr's mead may now best
compose most love-song verse.
3.
Of neither of these has fortune
granted me anything in life;
therefore to no jewel-diminisher
can I offer any poem-craft.
4.
So frozen is my learning's wick,
the mind pale from fear and sorrows;
the long perilous string of griefs
goes hard about my spirit.
5.
How may one in praise's hall
[...] wish for anything,
who always receives sore sorrows?
The one beneath knows best.
6.
Yet though hard grief and harm
revolve about my poem-stone,
[...] never the verses to me —
yet I will attempt them for pleasure.
7.
The leek-diminisher lets
little of herself be wooed by me;
but had I a mighty seat of praise,
the tall women would accept it.
8.
Rather much in the mind's loft
I think both oft and often;
little good comes of that —
the heart's peace is not granted now.
9.
Men hold this saying —
I trust it is not wrong:
two tasks no man can do
well at the same time.
10.
That shall soonest in Þundr's game
let Bóðn's ember thaw,
to blend Kvasir's bright blood —
all call it fame and verse.
11.
I shall no longer in Bóðn's hall
blend love-speech for the brides;
rather, if fortune will allow,
I shall take their tales for my delight.
The Summons
12.
I turn now in the praise to where
the king tarried at Björn's side,
lordly, and the retinue strong —
one may honour his worthy deeds.
13.
The king yearned eagerly for the brothers;
swiftly he sent east to the Dales
and bade with gentle bearing
that both should come to his meeting.
14.
The messengers in that same hour
came quickly to the men's assembly;
they explained their errand in speech —
conveyed the wise one's message.
15.
Rauðr answers the men kindly,
in his words not at all harsh:
the men shall come straightway —
they will find the king himself next day.
[The manuscript breaks off here. The Rauðúlfs þáttr continues in prose but these rímur do not.]
Colophon
The Óláfsrímur Tryggvasonar, Redaction C, is a fragmentary rímur cycle preserved in a single membrane manuscript: Sth. 23, 4° (Stockholm, Royal Library). It retells the Rauðúlfs þáttr — the tale of King Ólafr Tryggvason's encounter with the mysterious sons of Rauðúlfr — but breaks off after only two rímur, forty-seven stanzas. The first ríma is in ferskeytt metre (four-line stanzas, ABAB rhyme); the second is in couplet metre (AABB). The date of composition is uncertain; Finnur Jónsson considered these rímur younger than the main body of the Rímnasafn.
Source text: Rímnasafn — Samling af de ældste islandske Rimer, Vol. 1, ed. Finnur Jónsson (Copenhagen: S. L. Møllers Bogtrykkeri, 1905–1912), pp. 215–221. Diplomatic edition from Sth. 23, 4° membrane manuscript.
Good Works Translation: independently translated from Old Icelandic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, April 2026. No prior English translation of this redaction is known to exist. Kennings are rendered by their contextual meaning rather than their literal mechanics, following the Tianmu rímur methodology. Lacunae in the manuscript are preserved as [...] or noted in brackets. Editorial notes from Finnur Jónsson's apparatus (in Danish) were consulted for emendations of illegible or garbled passages; all translation decisions are independently derived from the Old Icelandic source.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Scribal credit: Hrímfaxi (Rímur Translator).
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Source Text: Óláfsrímur Tryggvasonar C
Old Icelandic source text from Rímnasafn — Samling af de ældste islandske Rimer, Vol. 1, ed. Finnur Jónsson (Copenhagen, 1905–1912), pp. 215–221. Diplomatic edition from Sth. 23, 4° membrane manuscript. OCR artifacts from the printed edition have been corrected; the manuscript's orthography is otherwise preserved. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
Ríma I
1.
Vaskir gjörðu virðar fyr
Viðris gildi at smíða
um þá menn, er öfðu stýr
opit á löndum víða.
2.
Og svó um þeira afrek stór
í tali gjörðu at ræða,
margir lögðu í minnis kór
mestan hug til kvæða.
3.
Tungan þeira af talinu ok snild
var tamin af mælsku paullum;
brugguðu svó at brúða vild
Berliungs vineð öllum.
4.
Vísiu greiddu vyst á mót,
vel má slíku hrósa,
ýmist gott ok ærligt hót,
allt sem vildu kjósa.
5.
Sú er öldin orðin nú,
orka má þat rauna,
nær vill eingin nýtust frú
nökkru kvæðin launa.
6.
Þar fyrir ráð ek rekkum þeim,
sem Rögnis fremja smíði,
öngvan færi óðar seim
ungri silkihlýði.
7.
Utan at vilja veiga skörd
virðum yndi greida,
þá skulu hyrlig hróðrar öld
hringþöll vera til reiða.
8.
Nú skal hverfa hörmum frá,
er hamingjan veitir heina,
Kjalars brugga búsarla,
ef Kristr vill eigi meina.
9.
Segja vil þó seggium frá
satt í orða hjaldri,
ek bind mér í ljúfa byrði þá,
ek ber halla seint eðr aldri.
10.
Verðr ekki í Viðris hlýð
vandat svó sem stæði;
vantar mig fyrir vísna smíð
vísku ok mælsku bæði.
11.
Þó skal renna um róma gil
Rögnis snekkjan fríða,
er ljúfir hafa lýðir til
lítilæti at hlýða.
12.
Noregi styrði lýflung hægr,
nær fanst nalla jafni,
sá var auðling yfrit frægr,
Ólafr hét at nafni.
13.
Haralds son er hetjan prúð,
Hrungnis bytti máli,
hann var tamr við Högna skrúð
ok hamdú at beita stáli.
14.
Daugling hafði dregla hlýð
dýra fengit hlíta;
Ástríðr hét auðpöll fríð,
afbragð flestrra snóta.
15.
Hilmir trúði af hjarta mest
á herran eingla sveita,
vildi hann at væri æ frest
vísir himna reita.
16.
Haðe víða hjörva dögg
herra þessi en frómi,
lýðir illir líf ok plögg
létu at hilmis dómi.
17.
Kongurinn þessi kristni bauð
kappar halda skyldu,
ef sælu tion ok sálar nauð
seggir forðast vildu.
18.
Löfðung rakk úr lífs braut æ
lýðum fylkti mörgum
*
*
19.
"Gleðinnar brest ok grimma lúa
gjörir þú ólíðum skeikja,
hefr svó jafnan huxan á
heiðríll vorn at kreinka."
20.
"Þó flýgir þú sem fugl um hlyn
ok færr at prettum búat
ósannindum öllum þín
eingin skyldi trúa."
21.
Skildi tal með skotnum þeirnt
skrattinu tók at linna;
þegnar riðu af þingi heimt
þjóð mun hvíldir finna.
22.
Björn réð bjóða buðlung þá
ok bauð til veislu tiggi;
ljúfr skyldi löfðung sá
með liðinn öllu þiggi.
23.
Hilmir ryðr hofsins til
með holda sína tíða;
kurteist gladdi kúrsar ýl
kongsins höfmenn blíða.
24.
Holdar spenna horn ok skál
hilmir drekkr ok mengi;
kappinn innir kongi mál,
sem kjærði hann fyr nið dreingi.
25.
"Biðjum nú" at buðlung þér,
"Björn, at beiðni minni,
hverjir til at húxast þér
holda þvílíkt vinni."
26.
Halrinn ansvar hilmir þá,
hráðr á grimd ok bræði:
"á sonum Rauðúlfs sýnast má
sanligt þjófa æði."
27.
"Hljóðar auka hvinsku hað
ok hatr í voru landi;
ek held þat mesta happa ráð
þeir hengi upp í bandi."
28.
"Hirði ek eigi þótt hjalað þér"
hilmir gjörir at tyna,
"stóldir menn með stól nú fé
styðja eigu sýna."
29.
Sikling talar með sóma val,
sá var vitr í ráðum,
"senda eftir seggium skal
sonum Rauðúlfs báðum."
30.
Rínar mér við róma gil
Rögnis mærðar gildi,
fer því ekki fræða spil
svó fagrt sem ek vildi.
31.
Má ek eigi um menja brik
mæla í orða smíðju,
dirfðin mín er dýrlig slík
dragast at soddan íðju.
32.
Hef ek eigi lengr í hyggju mín
Herians gamla minni,
Fjölnis skal því forna vín
falla niðr at sinni.
Ríma II
1.
Nú skal Fjölnis fræða skeið
færa út á mærðar leið,
ef hamingjan vill svó hýr til sjá
hróðrar mætti ek báti ná.
2.
Af Kvasis dreyra kyrttla hlýð
kveikist jafnan orða smíð,
ok mjöð Suttunga má nú best
mansöngs kvæðin semja flest.
3.
Af hvörugu þessu hefr neitt
hamingjan mér um æfi veitt,
má ek því öngri menja skörd
miðla nökkra kvæða gjörð.
4.
Svó er mín frosin fræða kveik
af fári ok sörgum hyggjan bleik;
hættr langum harma strengr
harðr mér um sinni gengr.
5.
Hversu má í hróðrar rann
[...] neitt þó vilja hann,
er sarar jafnan sútir þiggr,
sæ veit gjörst at undir liggr.
6.
Enn þó harða hrygð ok mein
hvarfli um mín ljóða stein,
v[...] aldri vísin mér
vilja þó ek skemti sér.
7.
Lítið lætr leida af sér
lauka skörd til góða mér,
en hefða ek mikinn hróðrar stað
hrundir mundu þiggja þat.
8.
Heldr margt í hyggju loft
huxa ek bæði tíðt ok oft;
gjörist valla gott af því,
gefst nú eigi hjarta frý.
9.
Ýtar hafa þann orða stað,
ekki trú ek bregðist þat,
verkin tvenn eigi vinna kann
vel í einu nökkur maðr.
10.
Þat mun skast í Þundar leik
þiðna láta Bóðnar kveik,
Kvasis blanda klára blóð,
kalla allir mærð ok óð.
11.
Blanda ek eigi í Bóðnar sal
brúðum lengr mansöngs tal,
heldr [...] skal ef hamingjan lér
hafa þeira at gamni mér.
12.
Hvarf ek fyrir í hróðri frá
hilmir dvaldist Birni hjá
herraligr ok hirðin sterk;
hans má prísa sæmdar verk.
13.
Bræðrum eftir buðlung þranst
bráðliga sendi í Dala austr
ok biðja réð með blíða lund
báða koma á sinn fund.
14.
Sendimenn í samri stund
seggia komu fljótt á fund;
erindi greindu í tali sín,
innir þanninn vísan mín.
15.
Rauðr ansvar rekkum blýðr,
í ræðu ekki næsta strýðr,
firðar skulu finna strax
fylki sjálfan nöðru dags.
Source Colophon
Text from Rímnasafn — Samling af de ældste islandske Rimer, Vol. 1, ed. Finnur Jónsson (Copenhagen: S. L. Møllers Bogtrykkeri, 1905–1912), pp. 215–221. Public domain. Diplomatic edition from the medieval membrane manuscript Sth. 23, 4° (Stockholm, Royal Library).
The manuscript is the sole witness to this redaction. Finnur Jónsson's editorial notes (in Danish) identify variant readings, emendations, and illegible passages. Key emendations adopted: st. I.13 hrumnings read as Hrungnis; st. I.7 yndu read as yndi; st. I.8 kialarins read as Kjalars (a dwarf's name). Lacunae at I.18 (two lines missing) and II.5–6 (words illegible) are preserved.
The source text above has been cleaned of OCR artifacts from the digitised print edition. The manuscript's orthography — including archaic forms (uar for var, suo for svó, kuæda for kvæða, etc.) — has been preserved where readable.
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