© Gunnar Tómasson

10 September 2016.

Part I – Höfuðlausn – Head-Ransom

Background

(Wikipedia)

Höfuðlausn or the „Head’s Ransom“ is a skaldic poem attributed to Egill Skalla-Grímsson in praise of king Eirik Bloodaxe.

It is cited in Egils Saga (chapter 61), which claims that he created it in the span of one night. The events in the saga that lead up to the composition and recitation of the poem can be summarized in the following way.[1] Egil falls into king Eirik’s hands after being shipwrecked in Northumbria. Faced with the decision to either dishonorably flee and risk being exposed as a coward or to directly face his adversary and ask for reconciliation, Egil chooses the latter. The two men are enemies during the saga, which makes Egil’s decision especially bold. Earlier in the saga Egil goes as far as to construct a Nithing pole, a sign of disrespect in medieval Scandinavian society. For this and other reasons King Eirik tells Egil not to expect any outcome other than death for his arrival in his court. This would be the end for Egil, however, one of his allies, who has allegiance to Eirik, intercedes on Egil’s behalf. Arinbjǫrn hersir tells the king that it would be dishonorable to kill his enemy under such circumstances. Furthermore he states that Egil, also a renowned poet, “can make recompense with words of praise that will live for ever.”[2] This argument along with it being considered scornful to kill during the night, convinces Eirik to delay his judgement until the next day. During the night Egil composes and memorizes the entire poetic drápa known as the Head Ransom. He recites it in the presence of the king Eiríkr and receives his freedom, but not any sort of reconciliation. The two remain enemies and Egil continues on his original journey to visit king Athelstan of England. If the poem is authentic it constitutes the second use of end-rhyme in the northern artistic tradition. The first time was a stanza by Egils father, which is widely believed to have been wrought by Egill himself.

I. Egill Skalla-Grímsson’s Höfuðlausn

(Egilssaga, Ch. 61)

940079

    8975 = Vestr fórk of ver

6380 = en ek Viðris ber

7897 = munstrandar mar.

7751 = Svá’s mitt of far.

5702 = Drók eik á flot

5513 = við ísa brot.

7749 = Hlóðk mærðar hlut

9276 = míns knarrar skut.

7712 = Buðumk hilmir löð.

8419 = Þar ák hróðrar kvöð.

6241 = Berk Óðins mjöð

3198 = á Engla bjöð.

6948 = Lofat vísa vann.

7865 = Víst mærik þann.

7355 = Hljóðs biðjum hann,

8637 = því at hróðr of fann.

5142 = Hygg, vísi, at,

6944 = vel sómir þat,

6016 = hvé ek þylja fet,

6088 = ef ek þögn of get.

7442 = Flestr maðr of frá,

6252 = hvat fylkir vá,

5432 = en Viðrir sá,

6088 = hvar valr of lá.

7013 = Óx hjörva glöm

7029 = við hlífar þröm.

6704 = Guðr óx of gram.

8130 = Gramr sótti fram.

6658 = Þar heyrðisk þá,

5554 = þaut mækis á,

6054 = malmhríðar spá.

7874 = Sú vas mest of lá.

9128 = Vasat villr staðar

5415 = vefr darraðar

5623 = of grams glaðar

6624 = geirvangs raðar.

5068 = Þars í blóði

5699 = enn brimlá-móði

8268 = völlr of þrumði,

7381 = und véum glumði.

4777 = Hné folk á fit

5976 = við fleina hnit.

7037 = Orðstír of gat

6084 = Eiríkr at þat.

7153 = Fremr munk segja,

4912 = ef firar þegja.

5331 = Frágum fleira

6116 = til frama þeira.

5616 = Óxu undir

8088 = við jöfurs fundi.

7352 = Brustu brandar

5768 = við bláar randar.

6327 = Hlam heinsöðul

7182 = við hjaldrröðul.

5697 = Beit bengrefill,

8109 = þat vas blóðrefill.

4570 = Frák, at felli

7402 = fyr fetilsvelli

4302 = Óðins eiki

4147 = í éarnleiki.

6107 = Þar vas eggja at

4182 = ok odda gnat.

7037 = Orðstír of gat

6084 = Eiríkr at þat.

7443 = Rauð hilmir hjör.

8163 = Þar vas hrafna gjör.

7843 = Fleinn hitti fjör.

10291 = Flugu dreyrug spjör.

5453 = Ól flagðs gota

6852 = fjárbjóðr Skota.

5780 = Trað nift Nara

5678 = náttverð ara.

9612 = Flugu hjaldrs tranar

4507 = á hræs lanar.

8239 = Órut blóðs vanar

5106 = benmás granar.

6927 = Sleit und freki,

3946 = en oddbreki

5042 = gnúði hrafni

5739 = á höfuðstafni.

5146 = Kom gríðar læ

5546 = at Gjalpar skæ.

6090 = Bauð ulfum hræ

5311 = Eiríkr of sæ.

7088 = Lætr snót saka

6422 = sverð-Frey vaka,

5058 = en skers Haka

4971 = skíðgarð braka.

7595 = Brustu broddar,

5214 = en bitu oddar.

5659 = Báru hörvar

6274 = af bogum örvar.

7609 = Beit fleinn floginn.

8543 = Þá vas friðr loginn.

7020 = Vas almr dreginn.

7028 = Varð ulfr feginn.

7119 = Stózk folkhagi

5117 = við fjörlagi.

3357 = Gall ýbogi

4207 = at eggtogi.

7859 = Jöfurr sveigði ý,

5369 = flugu unda bý.

6090 = Bauð ulfum hræ

5311 = Eiríkr of sæ.

6251 = Enn munk vilja

7792 = fyr verum skilja

6121 = skapleik skata.

6205 = Skal mærð hvata.

7457 = Verpr ábröndum,

8207 = en jöfurr löndum

6903 = heldr hornklofi.

7867 = Hann’s næstr lofi.

6577 = Brýtr bógvita

7894 = bjóðr hrammþvita.

4862 = Muna hodd-dofa

7804 = hringbrjótr lofa.

6930 = Mjök’s hánum föl

7954 = haukstrandar möl.

6909 = Glaðar flotna fjöl

5794 = við Fróða mjöl.

7914 = Verpr broddfleti

4293 = af baugseti

7530 = hjörleiks hvati.

6865 = Hann er baugskati.

9132 = Þróask hér sem hvar,

6684 = hugat mælik þar,

10119 = frétt’s austr of mar,

5368 = Eiríks of far.

6833 = Jöfurr hyggi at,

5704 = hvé ek yrkja fat.

9361 = Gótt þykkjumk þat,

6544 = es ek þögn of gat.

6120 = Hrærðak munni

6970 = af munar grunni

3826 = Óðins ægi

5136 = of jöru fægi.

6778 = Bark þengils lof

4623 = á þagnar rof.

5851 = Kannk mála mjöt

5675 = of manna sjöt.

5242 = Ór hlátra ham

7654 = hróðr bark fyr gram.

7324 = Svá fór þat fram,

    6782 = at flestr of nam.

940079

***

Calculator for converting letters to cipher values is at:

http://www.light-of-truth.com/ciphersaga.htm