Bryggen Runic inscription 145
60°23′53″N 5°19′12″E / 60.398°N 5.32°E
| Bryggen inscription 145 | |
|---|---|
| Writing | Younger Futhark |
| Created | ca. 1250 |
| Discovered | 20th century Søndre Engelgården, Bryggen, Bergen |
| Culture | Norse |
| Rundata ID | N B145 |
| Text – Native | |
| Old Norse: See article. | |
| Translation | |
| See article. | |
Bryggen inscription 145 (N B145 in Rundata) is a runic inscription on a wooden stick found among the medieval rune-staves of Bergen. It has four sides, and dates to around the year 1200. It is notable not only for containing a rare Skaldic love poem in the form of a complete dróttkvætt stanza, but also a quote from the classical Latin poet Virgil, illustrating the coexistence of native Norse and Classical education in medieval Norway.[1]
Inscription[edit]
The lines §A, §B and §D have all been carved by the same hand, while §C appears to have been executed by another, less experienced rune-carver.
Transliteration from Scandinavian Runic-text Database (Rundata), with minor changes.[2]
fe=ll
Fell
·
til
til
·
friþra=r
fríðrar
·
þ(e)=llu
þellu
·
fa=rl(e)=gh=ra=r
fárligrar
·
m(e)=r
mér
·
a=rla
árla
·
fiska=ll
fiskáls
·
festiba=la
festibála
·
fo=rn
forn
·
byr
byrr
hama=r
hamar
no=r=na
norna;
·
þæim
þeim
(u)ihdi
lundi
·
he=uir
hefir
þunda=r
Þundar
·
þo=rnluþrs
þornlúðrs
·
(e)o=lun·buþa=r
jǫlunbúðar
·
g=lo=uma=r
glauma
·
gyghia=rto=uma
gýgjartauma
ka=lt=rs
galdrs
falkha
fastliga
·
haldet
haldit.
⁓
omnia
Omnia
:
uinsciþ
vincit
·
amo=r
Amor,
·
æþ
et
nos
nos
c=(c)itam(m)--
cedam[us]
·
amori
Amori.
·
ga=ld=rs
galdrs
fasl(e)=gha
fastliga
·
haldet
haldit.
⁓
omnia
Omnia
·
uinciþ
vincit
·
amo=r
Amor,
·
æþ
et
·
nos
nos
·
c(e)damus
cedamus
·
amori
Amori.
·
Interpretation[edit]
Old West Norse and Latin normalization[edit]
Note that lundi is emendated from the nonsensical and metrically faulty uihdi of the inscription.
- Fell til fríðrar þellu
- fárligrar mér árla
- fiskáls festibála
- forn byrr hamarnorna.
- Þeim lundi hefir Þundar
- þornlúðrs jǫlunbúðar
- glauma gýgjartauma
- galdrs fastliga haldit.
- Omnia vincit Amor, et nos cedam[us] Amori.
English translation[edit]
The first helmingr (half-verse) is relatively straight forward. It translates (with kennings in brackets):[3]
- The ancient breeze of the cliff-goddesses [GIANTESSES > DESIRE] fell to me early with respect to the beautiful, dangerous young pine-tree of the fastened fire of the fish expanse [SEA > GOLD > (beautiful, dangerous, young) WOMAN].
Simplified, this means:[3]
- Desire for the beautiful, dangerous young woman overcame me a long time ago.
Finally, the Latin quote at the end is from Eclogue X by Virgil, and means "Love conquers all; let us, too, yield to love!".
References[edit]
- ^ Marold, Edith. 1998, p. 688.
- ^ "Runic inscription N B145", Scandinavian Runic-text Database, Department of Scandinavian Languages, Uppsala University, 2020, retrieved December 15, 2021. The word no=rna has been moved to line §B, in accordance with the original inscription.
- ^ a b Clunies Ross, Margaret. 2005, p. 43.
Literature[edit]
- Marold, Edith. 1998d. Runeninschriften als Quelle zur Geschichte der Skaldendichtung. In Düwel et al. 1998, 667-93.
- Margaret Clunies Ross (2011) [2005]. A History of Old Norse Poetry and Poetics. Cambridge: Brewer. ISBN 9781843842798.