Bryggen Runic inscription 145

Bryggen inscription 145
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.

60°23′53″N 5°19′12″E / 60.398°N 5.32°E / 60.398; 5.32

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

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]

§A

fe=ll

Fell

·

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

§B

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

§C

ka=lt=rs

galdrs

falkha

fastliga

·

haldet

haldit.

⁓

omnia

Omnia

:

uinsciþ

vincit

·

amo=r

Amor,

·

æþ

et

nos

c=(c)itam(m)--

cedam[us]

·

amori

Amori.

·

§D

ga=ld=rs

galdrs

fasl(e)=gha

fastliga

·

haldet

haldit.

⁓

omnia

Omnia

·

uinciþ

vincit

·

amo=r

Amor,

·

æþ

et

·

nos

·

c(e)damus

cedamus

·

amori

Amori.

·

Interpretation

Old West Norse and Latin normalization

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

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

^ 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

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.

[1] Marold, Edith. 1998, p. 688.

[database-2] "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.

[history-3] Clunies Ross, Margaret. 2005, p. 43.

[1]

[2]

[3]