Skáldskaparmál - 01.01.1997, Qupperneq 183

Saint Olafs Dream House
181
way round on the inner side of the balcony. There were four main doors to the building,
equidistantly placed. Round the outer walls, finely-furnished beds had been prepared,
all hung with curtains where it pleased the eye. Twenty high, stout posts had been
erected inside the building; they stood in a circle upholding the vaulted roof, which
was all decorated with designs in colour. The spaces between the posts were screened,
and within were set beds for the nobility. There was ample room for 20 men in each
quarter, but 40 in the outer part, where members of the King’s household were
accommodated. In the centre of the building was a broad, circular platform of wood,
with steps to mount it running round. On the platform stood a large bed, fashioned
with surpassing skill. Most of the woodwork was finished with the turner’s chisel; it
was painted all over and plated with gold here and there. The corner-posts were
surmounted by huge knobs of gilded brass. Running out from the corner-posts were
iron bars bearing candlesticks, and upon them were fixed three-branched processional
candles. Ulf told the King that he should lie down on the bed there made ready if he
wished to dream a prophetic dream. The Queen was to sleep in a separate bed that
night. The King agreed. So he undressed, mounted the bed, and laid himself down to
sleep. He saw that the Bishop and his priests were accommodated to his right in the
central screened partition, while to his left lay the Queen with her Iadies-in-waiting.
The quarter behind the bed’s head was occupied by Kalf, Arnbjöm and Kolbjörn, sons
of Arni, and their followers. In the quarter opposite the foot of the bed lay Finn,
Þorberg and Arni, sons of Arni. King Olaf lay awake far into the night, as was his
custom. First he recited his prayers, then gave himself up to long meditation. He gazed
up at the ceiling, and there he saw depicted God himself within his orb of might.6
En í pessu búsi voru reistir upp .xx. stafir bávir og digrir. Stóbu peir í hring. Þar var upp af hvelft
ráftS og varpaS allt steint ogpurtreaS. En milli stafanna voru bríkur ogpar jýrir innan voru rekkjur
biinar ríkismönnum, og máttu par ríimlega liggja í hverjum jjórSungi xx. menn, en xl. i úitskem-
munni. Þar var skipaS hirSmönnum konungs. I miSju húsinu var arinn kringlóttur og víSur, meS
tré ger, og pallar umhvetjis upp aS ganga. En uppi á aminum stóS sœng mikil ogger meS hinum
mesta hagleik. Flest tré voru par meS kopparajámum ger, og steint allt en sumt gulllagt. Upp af
homstöfunum vom stórir knappar af éiri gervir oggylldir, en út úr hornstöfúnum vom járnslár, en
par afupp kertistikur, ogstóSupará upphalldskerti meSprem kvíslum. UlfúrsagSi konungi aS hann
skalfara ípá sxng, erpar var búin, efhann vildi draumaforvitnast “en drottningskal liggja íannarri
sœng náttlangt”. Konungur sagSi aS svo skal vera. Og er hann var afkladdur sté hann i rekkjuna,
lagSist síSan til svejhs. Hann sápá til htegri handar sér í hitiu innra setinu aSpar var skipaS biskupi
og kennimönnum hans. En til vinstri handar hvíldi drottning og konur hennar. En út í frá
höjSajjölinnipá lágu ipeim jjórSungi Kálfiur, Ambjöm, Kolbjöm Ámasynir ogpeirra menn. En út
í jrá fótajjölinni lá Finnur, Þorbergur, Ami Ámasynir. Ólafúr konungur vakti lengi um nóttina
sem hann var vanur, söngjýrst bœnir sínar, síSati hugsar hann tnarg. Þá sá hann uppyfir sig i ráfiS.
Hann sá par skrifaSan guS sjálfan og veldishring hans. En par ofan í frá englajýlki ogpar fyrir neSan
himininn, pann er hvelfdur er utan utn loft öll. En par meS voru mörkuS himintungl, en neSst ský
og vindar og pá fuglar margskyns en neSstjörSin og par meS grös og viSir og margs konar kykvendi,
sjár og vötn og sjákykvendi á marga lund. Ett á tteSra rœftinu, jýrir utan stafina, vom markaSar
fomsögur ogfrásagnir frá ágatum konungum og leit konungurpar lengi á. En er hann hugsaSi hér
um, pá varpó sá einn hlutur er honum pótti undarlegri en allt anttaS, aS honutn pótti sængin snúast
undir sér eSa húsiS ella. SíSan féll svefn á hann og svafhann um hríS. (Johnsen and Helgason
(1941), p. 667, 1. 10 - p. 670,1. 3. Text normalized here).
From the description of the dream later on it becomes clear that the orb is a mandorla (vesica
piscis) and coloured like the rainbow.