Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Skjaldar heiti 2’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 825.
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1. gjallr (noun m.)
[1] gjallr (m.) ‘clamouring one’: As a shield-heiti the word does not occur elsewhere (but cf. the adj. gjallr qualifying a shield-kenning in Bragi Rdr 2: ins gjalla baugnafaðs hjóls meyjar Hǫgna ‘the resounding boss-hubbed wheel of the maid of Hǫgni <legendary king> [= Hildr > SHIELD]’). The word is also recorded in Þul Sverða 1/6 (see Note there) and Þul Sjóvar 1/5.
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dǫggskafi (noun m.)
[1] dǫggskafi (m.) ‘dew-scraper’: An otherwise unattested cpd formed from dǫgg f. ‘dew’ and the agent noun skafi ‘scraper’ derived from the strong verb skafa ‘scrape’. According to Falk (1914b, 136 n. 2; so also SnE 1998, II, 262), the heiti may denote a long triangular shield whose lower point was scraping the dew.
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
[2] gimskýlir (m.) ‘jewel-shelterer’: The first element of this otherwise unattested cpd, gim-, is a poetic term for ‘fire’ and, in the cpd gimsteinn (lit. ‘gem-stone’), a word for ‘gem, jewel’ (hence, possibly a shield decorated with precious stones). The second element is an agent noun derived from the weak verb skýla ‘screen, shelter’. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Skald) and Falk (1914b, 139) adopt the reading gunnskýlir ‘battle-shelterer’, an emendation of the A and B variants ‘gvnnkylir’ (A) and ‘gunnkýler’ (B). Cf. also such terms for ‘shield’ as bǫðskýlir ‘war-shelterer’ (l. 4), skuttingr ‘protector’ (l. 7), hlíf ‘protection’ (st. 1/6) and eihlífnir ‘ever-protector’ (st. 3/2).
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bǫð (noun f.; °-s; -): battle < bǫðljós (noun f.)
[3] bǫð‑: so A, B, bað‑ R, Tˣ, barð‑ C
[3] bǫðljós (n.) ‘war-light’: From bǫð f. a poetic term for ‘battle’, and ljós n. ‘light’ (such compounds are usually kennings for ‘sword’). The C variant, barðljós, is a cpd whose first element is barð n. ‘prow’ (hence lit. ‘prow-light’, a reading adopted in Skj B, Skald and Falk 1914b, 148). Barðljós is a kenning (and not a heiti) for ‘shield’ (cf. such shield-kennings as barðmáni ‘prow-moon’, Hfr ErfÓl 26a/6I, originating in the custom of hanging shields on the railings of ships). Neither term is attested elsewhere as heiti for ‘shield’.
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ljós (noun n.; °ljóss; -): light < bǫðljós (noun f.)
[3] bǫðljós (n.) ‘war-light’: From bǫð f. a poetic term for ‘battle’, and ljós n. ‘light’ (such compounds are usually kennings for ‘sword’). The C variant, barðljós, is a cpd whose first element is barð n. ‘prow’ (hence lit. ‘prow-light’, a reading adopted in Skj B, Skald and Falk 1914b, 148). Barðljós is a kenning (and not a heiti) for ‘shield’ (cf. such shield-kennings as barðmáni ‘prow-moon’, Hfr ErfÓl 26a/6I, originating in the custom of hanging shields on the railings of ships). Neither term is attested elsewhere as heiti for ‘shield’.
[3] grýta (f.) ‘pot’: This name may refer to the round and hollow shape of a shield (Falk 1914b, 135 n. 4).
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
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bǫð (noun f.; °-s; -): battle < bǫðskýlir (noun m.)
[4] bǫðskýlir (m.) ‘war-shelterer’: An otherwise unattested cpd. See Notes to bǫðljós ‘war-light’ (l. 3) and gimskýlir ‘jewel-shelterer’ (l. 2 above).
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skýlir (noun m.) < bǫðskýlir (noun m.)
[4] bǫðskýlir (m.) ‘war-shelterer’: An otherwise unattested cpd. See Notes to bǫðljós ‘war-light’ (l. 3) and gimskýlir ‘jewel-shelterer’ (l. 2 above).
[5] Svalinn: Lit. ‘cool one’ (from the adj. svalr ‘cool, fresh’). Cf. Svǫl (or Svalin, variant) in Grí 38/1 (NK 65), where this is the name of a mythical shield that stands in front of the sun (another m. derivational form, svalingr is recorded in ms. C; see Readings above). Svalinn is never found as a heiti for ‘shield’ in poetry.
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
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randi (noun m.)
[5] randi (m.) ‘edged one’: Derived from rǫnd f. ‘rim, border’ (a shield-heiti in poetry; see LP: rǫnd 2). The heiti is not otherwise attested in skaldic poetry, but it is used in the rímur (Finnur Jónsson 1926-8: randi).
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saurnir (noun m.)
[6] saurnir (m.) ‘soiled one’: A hap. leg. from saurr m. ‘mud, dirt’ (Falk 1914b, 148).
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borði (noun m.; °-a; -ar): embroidery
[6] borði: ‘[…]rde’ B, ‘borde’ 744ˣ
[6] borði (m.) ‘boarded one’: A poetic term for ‘shield’ from borð n. ‘board, plank’, hence ‘one made of boards’ (cf. OE bord ‘plank’ and ‘shield’; see Falk 1914b, 131 n. 3; SnE 1998, II, 248).
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skuttingr (noun m.)
[7] skuttingr: skutting C, ‘skvtfingr’ A, ‘sku[…]þunngr’ B, ‘skutþunngr’ 744ˣ
[7] skuttingr (m.) ‘protector’: A hap. leg. and a loanword from MLG schuttinge ‘protection’ (Falk 1914b, 139).
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barði (noun m.; °-a): whale
[7] barði (m.) ‘bordered one’: Derived from barð n. ‘edge, rim’ (cf. randi ‘edged one’, l. 5 and rǫnd ‘border’). This word does not otherwise appear in skaldic poetry as a heiti for ‘shield’, but it is found in the rímur (Finnur Jónsson 1926-8: barði).
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1. skírr (noun m.)
[8] skírr (m.) ‘clear one’: A substantivised adj. (skírr ‘clear, bright, pure’; cf. bǫðljós ‘war-light’, l. 3 above). Other than in the present þula, the heiti occurs in a kenning for ‘man’ skírviðr ‘shield-tree’ (spelled skýr-; see HólmgB Lv 14/5V (Korm 50)).
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tvíbyrðingr (noun m.)
[8] tvíbyrðingr (m.) ‘double-boarded one’: The heiti evidently refers to a shield made of two layers of wood (cf. tvíbyrðr skjǫldr; see Falk 1914b, 129-30; SnE 1998, II, 415), from tví- ‘double’ and borð (see borði ‘boarded one’, l. 6 above). It is not used elsewhere as a heiti for ‘shield’.
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