Diana Whaley (ed.) 2009, ‘Arnórr jarlaskáld Þórðarson, Þorfinnsdrápa 5’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 235-6.
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hilmir (noun m.): prince, protector
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rjóða (verb): to redden
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í (prep.): in, into
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1. hjalmr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): helmet
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skelkingr (noun m.): sword
[2] skelkings: skilfings Flat, ‘skelkiungs’ R702ˣ, ‘skelkvins’ 48ˣmarg, ‘[...]kelk[...]s’ B, skelkings 744ˣ
[2] skelkings ‘the sword’s’: Though rare, the term skelkingr, perhaps ‘fearsome one’ (AEW) is paralleled, as a variant, in Þul Sverða 7/1III and cf. ‘skelkuin’ as a variant in Hfr Lv 5/7V. Flat’s skilfings is the lectio facilior and hence perhaps a secondary reading since, although also rare as a sword-heiti, skilfingr is more familiar as a name of Óðinn or a term for ‘prince’ (LP).
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1. egg (noun f.; °-jar, dat. -ju/-): edge, blade
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fara (verb; ferr, fór, fóru, farinn): go, travel
[3] fór ‘set forth’: Björn Magnússon Ólsen (1909a, 289) suggested emending to fár ‘few’, since he found fór meaningless in the absence of a phrase indicating direction, but the absolute use of fara is attested in a military context in Sigv Berv 1/4: fer, ef þó skulum berjask ‘I shall go, if we nonetheless have to fight’.
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áðr (adv.; °//): before
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fimmtán (num. cardinal): fifteen
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
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fet (noun n.; °-s; -): paw, step < fetrjóðr (noun m.)
[4] fet‑: fjǫt‑ R702ˣ
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1. rjóðr (noun m.): reddener < fetrjóðr (noun m.)
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1. Huginn (noun m.): Huginn
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vetr (noun m.; °vetrar/vetrs(HómHauksb³ 173²³), dat. vetri; vetr): winter
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láta (verb): let, have sth done
[5] lézk: ‘leiz’ R702ˣ, lét 75a, 61, Bb
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grund (noun f.): earth, land
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5. at (nota): to (with infinitive)
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3. verja (verb): defend
[6] geðfrœkn ‘mind-bold’: This has the authority of all mss except 332ˣ, which has gunnfrœkn ‘battle-bold’. Both readings are well paralleled by synonymous compounds (e.g. gunnbráðr/gunndjarfr; geðrakkr/geðhraustr).
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frœkn (adj.): brave, bold < geðfrœkn (adj.)
[6] geðfrœkn ‘mind-bold’: This has the authority of all mss except 332ˣ, which has gunnfrœkn ‘battle-bold’. Both readings are well paralleled by synonymous compounds (e.g. gunnbráðr/gunndjarfr; geðrakkr/geðhraustr).
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
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til (prep.): to
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sœkja (verb): seek, attack
[7] hlýra Einars ‘Einarr’s brother [= Þorfinnr]’: A reference to Þorfinnr’s half-brother Einarr rangmuðr ‘Wry-mouth’, who, after long territorial wranglings between the kinsmen, finally died in 1020 at the hands of Þorfinnr’s henchman Þorkell (Storm 1888, 16, 57, 106, 316 and 468).
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hlýri (noun m.): brother
[7] hlýra: hlýri Flat, 73aˣ, 61, hlýra 48ˣmarg
[7] hlýra Einars ‘Einarr’s brother [= Þorfinnr]’: A reference to Þorfinnr’s half-brother Einarr rangmuðr ‘Wry-mouth’, who, after long territorial wranglings between the kinsmen, finally died in 1020 at the hands of Þorfinnr’s henchman Þorkell (Storm 1888, 16, 57, 106, 316 and 468).
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maðr (noun m.): man, person
[8] mannr: mann Flat, R702ˣ, 73aˣ, 61, Holm4, Tóm
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ský (noun n.; °-s; -): cloud < skýrann (noun n.): cloud-hall
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rann (noun n.): house, hall < skýrann (noun n.): cloud-hall
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Hilmir rauð í hjalma |
The ruler reddened the sword’s edges in the storm of helmets [BATTLE]; the foot-reddener of Huginn <raven> [WARRIOR] set forth before he was fifteen winters. No man under the cloud-hall [SKY/HEAVEN] younger than Einarr’s brother [= Þorfinnr] has declared himself ready to guard his realm, mind-bold, and to mount attacks.
In the sagas, the st. follows a sketch of Þorfinnr’s appearance and character, and a statement that at the age of five he received Caithness (Katanes, and Sutherland according to a variant) and the title jarl from his grandfather Malcolm (Melkólmr), King of the Scots. In SnE, ll. 1-2 are quoted to illustrate the use of hilmir within a section on terms for rulers.
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