Alison Finlay (ed.) 2012, ‘Glúmr Geirason, Gráfeldardrápa 7’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 256.
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brjóta (verb; °brýtr; braut, brutu; brotinn): to break, destroy
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2. við (prep.): with, against
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1. brynja (noun f.; °-u (dat. brynnoni Gibb 38⁹); -ur): mailcoat
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2. móta (verb)
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bógr (noun m.; °dat. bǿgi; bǿgir, acc. bógu): shoulder
[2] bág ‘the strife’: The spelling ‘bog’ could point to bóg(r) ‘bow’, but the hending on Sôgu (spelt ‘Sogo’ in the mss) and the verb braut ‘waged’, lit. ‘broke’, establish bág as the correct reading. — [2] bág Sôgu rifjunga ‘the strife of the Sága <goddess> of swords [VALKYRIE > BATTLE]’: Brjóta bág við e-n in itself means ‘to raise hostility against, fight sby’, and kennings for ‘valkyrie’ (here Sôgu rifjunga) can refer to ‘battle’ (cf. Meissner 201-2). The extended kenning assumed here is therefore slightly tautologous, and comes close to breaching the convention that the base-word of a kenning should not contain the same concept as the overall referent (Meissner 28). (b) Kock (NN §1060) addresses the problem by taking Sôgu rifjunga as a determinant of nadd- ‘nail, point, spear, arrow’ in the intercalary clause, serving to identify a battle-spear as distinct from a hunting-spear.
[2] bág ‘the strife’: The spelling ‘bog’ could point to bóg(r) ‘bow’, but the hending on Sôgu (spelt ‘Sogo’ in the mss) and the verb braut ‘waged’, lit. ‘broke’, establish bág as the correct reading. — [2] bág Sôgu rifjunga ‘the strife of the Sága <goddess> of swords [VALKYRIE > BATTLE]’: Brjóta bág við e-n in itself means ‘to raise hostility against, fight sby’, and kennings for ‘valkyrie’ (here Sôgu rifjunga) can refer to ‘battle’ (cf. Meissner 201-2). The extended kenning assumed here is therefore slightly tautologous, and comes close to breaching the convention that the base-word of a kenning should not contain the same concept as the overall referent (Meissner 28). (b) Kock (NN §1060) addresses the problem by taking Sôgu rifjunga as a determinant of nadd- ‘nail, point, spear, arrow’ in the intercalary clause, serving to identify a battle-spear as distinct from a hunting-spear.
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rifjungr (noun m.): [swords]
[2] rifjunga: so FskAˣ, ‘rifunga’ FskBˣ
[2] rifjunga ‘of swords’: On this heiti, which may mean ‘tearer’, see Note to Þul Sverða 7/4III. — [2] bág Sôgu rifjunga ‘the strife of the Sága <goddess> of swords [VALKYRIE > BATTLE]’: Brjóta bág við e-n in itself means ‘to raise hostility against, fight sby’, and kennings for ‘valkyrie’ (here Sôgu rifjunga) can refer to ‘battle’ (cf. Meissner 201-2). The extended kenning assumed here is therefore slightly tautologous, and comes close to breaching the convention that the base-word of a kenning should not contain the same concept as the overall referent (Meissner 28). (b) Kock (NN §1060) addresses the problem by taking Sôgu rifjunga as a determinant of nadd- ‘nail, point, spear, arrow’ in the intercalary clause, serving to identify a battle-spear as distinct from a hunting-spear.
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rifjungr (noun m.): [swords]
[2] rifjunga: so FskAˣ, ‘rifunga’ FskBˣ
[2] rifjunga ‘of swords’: On this heiti, which may mean ‘tearer’, see Note to Þul Sverða 7/4III. — [2] bág Sôgu rifjunga ‘the strife of the Sága <goddess> of swords [VALKYRIE > BATTLE]’: Brjóta bág við e-n in itself means ‘to raise hostility against, fight sby’, and kennings for ‘valkyrie’ (here Sôgu rifjunga) can refer to ‘battle’ (cf. Meissner 201-2). The extended kenning assumed here is therefore slightly tautologous, and comes close to breaching the convention that the base-word of a kenning should not contain the same concept as the overall referent (Meissner 28). (b) Kock (NN §1060) addresses the problem by taking Sôgu rifjunga as a determinant of nadd- ‘nail, point, spear, arrow’ in the intercalary clause, serving to identify a battle-spear as distinct from a hunting-spear.
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rifjungr (noun m.): [swords]
[2] rifjunga: so FskAˣ, ‘rifunga’ FskBˣ
[2] rifjunga ‘of swords’: On this heiti, which may mean ‘tearer’, see Note to Þul Sverða 7/4III. — [2] bág Sôgu rifjunga ‘the strife of the Sága <goddess> of swords [VALKYRIE > BATTLE]’: Brjóta bág við e-n in itself means ‘to raise hostility against, fight sby’, and kennings for ‘valkyrie’ (here Sôgu rifjunga) can refer to ‘battle’ (cf. Meissner 201-2). The extended kenning assumed here is therefore slightly tautologous, and comes close to breaching the convention that the base-word of a kenning should not contain the same concept as the overall referent (Meissner 28). (b) Kock (NN §1060) addresses the problem by taking Sôgu rifjunga as a determinant of nadd- ‘nail, point, spear, arrow’ in the intercalary clause, serving to identify a battle-spear as distinct from a hunting-spear.
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rifjungr (noun m.): [swords]
[2] rifjunga: so FskAˣ, ‘rifunga’ FskBˣ
[2] rifjunga ‘of swords’: On this heiti, which may mean ‘tearer’, see Note to Þul Sverða 7/4III. — [2] bág Sôgu rifjunga ‘the strife of the Sága <goddess> of swords [VALKYRIE > BATTLE]’: Brjóta bág við e-n in itself means ‘to raise hostility against, fight sby’, and kennings for ‘valkyrie’ (here Sôgu rifjunga) can refer to ‘battle’ (cf. Meissner 201-2). The extended kenning assumed here is therefore slightly tautologous, and comes close to breaching the convention that the base-word of a kenning should not contain the same concept as the overall referent (Meissner 28). (b) Kock (NN §1060) addresses the problem by taking Sôgu rifjunga as a determinant of nadd- ‘nail, point, spear, arrow’ in the intercalary clause, serving to identify a battle-spear as distinct from a hunting-spear.
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Sága (noun f.): [Sága, for Sága]
[2] bág Sôgu rifjunga ‘the strife of the Sága <goddess> of swords [VALKYRIE > BATTLE]’: Brjóta bág við e-n in itself means ‘to raise hostility against, fight sby’, and kennings for ‘valkyrie’ (here Sôgu rifjunga) can refer to ‘battle’ (cf. Meissner 201-2). The extended kenning assumed here is therefore slightly tautologous, and comes close to breaching the convention that the base-word of a kenning should not contain the same concept as the overall referent (Meissner 28). (b) Kock (NN §1060) addresses the problem by taking Sôgu rifjunga as a determinant of nadd- ‘nail, point, spear, arrow’ in the intercalary clause, serving to identify a battle-spear as distinct from a hunting-spear.
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Sága (noun f.): [Sága, for Sága]
[2] bág Sôgu rifjunga ‘the strife of the Sága <goddess> of swords [VALKYRIE > BATTLE]’: Brjóta bág við e-n in itself means ‘to raise hostility against, fight sby’, and kennings for ‘valkyrie’ (here Sôgu rifjunga) can refer to ‘battle’ (cf. Meissner 201-2). The extended kenning assumed here is therefore slightly tautologous, and comes close to breaching the convention that the base-word of a kenning should not contain the same concept as the overall referent (Meissner 28). (b) Kock (NN §1060) addresses the problem by taking Sôgu rifjunga as a determinant of nadd- ‘nail, point, spear, arrow’ in the intercalary clause, serving to identify a battle-spear as distinct from a hunting-spear.
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naddr (noun m.; °-s; -ar): spear, point < naddskúr (noun f.): [point-shower]
[3] vas nœrir naddskúrar ‘he was a nourisher of the point-shower [BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: The use of a kenning as the predicate in a clause is rare (see ‘The diction of skaldic poetry’ in General Introduction).
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naddr (noun m.; °-s; -ar): spear, point < naddskúr (noun f.): [point-shower]
[3] vas nœrir naddskúrar ‘he was a nourisher of the point-shower [BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: The use of a kenning as the predicate in a clause is rare (see ‘The diction of skaldic poetry’ in General Introduction).
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1. skúr (noun f.; °; -ir): shower < naddskúr (noun f.): [point-shower]
[3] vas nœrir naddskúrar ‘he was a nourisher of the point-shower [BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: The use of a kenning as the predicate in a clause is rare (see ‘The diction of skaldic poetry’ in General Introduction).
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1. skúr (noun f.; °; -ir): shower < naddskúr (noun f.): [point-shower]
[3] vas nœrir naddskúrar ‘he was a nourisher of the point-shower [BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: The use of a kenning as the predicate in a clause is rare (see ‘The diction of skaldic poetry’ in General Introduction).
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
[3] vas nœrir naddskúrar ‘he was a nourisher of the point-shower [BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: The use of a kenning as the predicate in a clause is rare (see ‘The diction of skaldic poetry’ in General Introduction).
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nœrir (noun m.): nourisher
[3] vas nœrir naddskúrar ‘he was a nourisher of the point-shower [BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: The use of a kenning as the predicate in a clause is rare (see ‘The diction of skaldic poetry’ in General Introduction).
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Noregr (noun m.): Norway
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stórr (adj.): large, great
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konungr (noun m.; °dat. -i, -s; -ar): king
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1. valr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ir): corpse, the slain < valgalti (noun m.): [slaughter-boar]
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1. valr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ir): corpse, the slain < valgalti (noun m.): [slaughter-boar]
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galti (noun m.): boar < valgalti (noun m.): [slaughter-boar]
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galti (noun m.): boar < valgalti (noun m.): [slaughter-boar]
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láta (verb): let, have sth done
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3. velta (verb): wander (weak)
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vargr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ar): wolf < vargfœðandi (noun m.): [wolf-feeder]
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ó- ((prefix)): un- < óvægr (adj.)
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fœðandi (noun m.): feeder < vargfœðandi (noun m.): [wolf-feeder]
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2. margr (adj.; °-an): many
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(non-lexical) < ofvægr (adj.): invincible, overwhelming
[7] of‑: ó‑ FskAˣ
[7] réð ofvægjum jǫfri ‘he overwhelmed the very powerful prince’: Finnur Jónsson (Skj B; also ÍF 29) emends the dat. sg. ofvægjum/óvægjum of the mss to nom. sg. ofvæginn and the dat. sg. jǫfri to acc. pl. jǫfra, and translates uimodståelig overmandede han fyrsterne ‘irresistible, he overpowered the princes’. But the ms. reading ofvægjum can be retained, since ráða + dat. in the sense ‘to have control over’ can take an animate object, although inanimates are more common (Fritzner: ráða 20; LP: ráða 4); Kock (NN §2219) suggests ‘to chastise, punish’. It has been suggested that the defeated prince was Tryggvi Óláfsson, but according to the account of HGráf ch. 9 (ÍF 26, 214) Tryggvi was killed not by Haraldr but by the men of Haraldr’s brother Guðrøðr Eiríksson. The specific killing mentioned in the stanza, assuming that l. 7 refers to one such, could be that of Guðrøðr Bjarnarson, which is attributed to Haraldr and his men in ch. 10 (ÍF 26, 214).
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vægr (adj.): [powerful] < ofvægr (adj.): invincible, overwhelmingvægr (adj.): [powerful] < óvægr (adj.)
[7] réð ofvægjum jǫfri ‘he overwhelmed the very powerful prince’: Finnur Jónsson (Skj B; also ÍF 29) emends the dat. sg. ofvægjum/óvægjum of the mss to nom. sg. ofvæginn and the dat. sg. jǫfri to acc. pl. jǫfra, and translates uimodståelig overmandede han fyrsterne ‘irresistible, he overpowered the princes’. But the ms. reading ofvægjum can be retained, since ráða + dat. in the sense ‘to have control over’ can take an animate object, although inanimates are more common (Fritzner: ráða 20; LP: ráða 4); Kock (NN §2219) suggests ‘to chastise, punish’. It has been suggested that the defeated prince was Tryggvi Óláfsson, but according to the account of HGráf ch. 9 (ÍF 26, 214) Tryggvi was killed not by Haraldr but by the men of Haraldr’s brother Guðrøðr Eiríksson. The specific killing mentioned in the stanza, assuming that l. 7 refers to one such, could be that of Guðrøðr Bjarnarson, which is attributed to Haraldr and his men in ch. 10 (ÍF 26, 214).
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ráða (verb): advise, rule, interpret, decide
[7] réð ofvægjum jǫfri ‘he overwhelmed the very powerful prince’: Finnur Jónsson (Skj B; also ÍF 29) emends the dat. sg. ofvægjum/óvægjum of the mss to nom. sg. ofvæginn and the dat. sg. jǫfri to acc. pl. jǫfra, and translates uimodståelig overmandede han fyrsterne ‘irresistible, he overpowered the princes’. But the ms. reading ofvægjum can be retained, since ráða + dat. in the sense ‘to have control over’ can take an animate object, although inanimates are more common (Fritzner: ráða 20; LP: ráða 4); Kock (NN §2219) suggests ‘to chastise, punish’. It has been suggested that the defeated prince was Tryggvi Óláfsson, but according to the account of HGráf ch. 9 (ÍF 26, 214) Tryggvi was killed not by Haraldr but by the men of Haraldr’s brother Guðrøðr Eiríksson. The specific killing mentioned in the stanza, assuming that l. 7 refers to one such, could be that of Guðrøðr Bjarnarson, which is attributed to Haraldr and his men in ch. 10 (ÍF 26, 214).
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jǫfurr (noun m.): ruler, prince
[7] réð ofvægjum jǫfri ‘he overwhelmed the very powerful prince’: Finnur Jónsson (Skj B; also ÍF 29) emends the dat. sg. ofvægjum/óvægjum of the mss to nom. sg. ofvæginn and the dat. sg. jǫfri to acc. pl. jǫfra, and translates uimodståelig overmandede han fyrsterne ‘irresistible, he overpowered the princes’. But the ms. reading ofvægjum can be retained, since ráða + dat. in the sense ‘to have control over’ can take an animate object, although inanimates are more common (Fritzner: ráða 20; LP: ráða 4); Kock (NN §2219) suggests ‘to chastise, punish’. It has been suggested that the defeated prince was Tryggvi Óláfsson, but according to the account of HGráf ch. 9 (ÍF 26, 214) Tryggvi was killed not by Haraldr but by the men of Haraldr’s brother Guðrøðr Eiríksson. The specific killing mentioned in the stanza, assuming that l. 7 refers to one such, could be that of Guðrøðr Bjarnarson, which is attributed to Haraldr and his men in ch. 10 (ÍF 26, 214).
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jafnborinn (adj./verb p.p.): [as well-born]
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sik (pron.; °gen. sín, dat. sér): (refl. pron.)
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1. þorn (noun m.; °; -ar): thorn
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Braut við brynju njóta |
The king of Norway [= Haraldr] waged the strife of the Sága <goddess> of swords [VALKYRIE > BATTLE] against mighty users of the mail-shirt [WARRIORS]; he was a nourisher of the point-shower [BATTLE > WARRIOR]. The wolf-feeder [WARRIOR] made many thorn-trees of the slaughter-boar [HELMET > WARRIORS], as well-born as he, topple; he overwhelmed the very powerful prince.
This stanza accompanies the statement that the Eiríkssynir killed Tryggvi Óláfsson and many other kings, jarls and other powerful men.
On the placing of this stanza in Gráf, see Introduction.
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