Russell Poole (ed.) 2017, ‘Breta saga 162 (Gunnlaugr Leifsson, Merlínusspá I 94)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 127.
(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
(not checked:)
1. annarr (pron.; °f. ǫnnur, n. annat; pl. aðrir): (an)other, second
(not checked:)
ljóð (noun n.; °; -): poem
(not checked:)
upp (adv.): up
(not checked:)
frá (prep.): from
[3] †alvisk† ‘…’: Possibly ‘be vexed’ (?). This ms. reading (not refreshed) is obscure, though the general sense is apparent from the context. The reading is tentatively retained in Bret 1848-9 with the gloss laste ‘blame’ and Scheving’s proposed emendation to ylfisk ‘be worried’, i.e. ‘harassed’ (CVC: ylfa), is rejected. In Skj B abbisk ‘become incensed at, vexed with’ is conjectured (cf. CVC, LP, ONP: abbask; Fritzner: abbast), and followed by Merl 2012, and that remains the most plausible solution. Kock’s suggestion ǫlvisk ‘grow drunk’ (NN §3258F) is ruled out by the context.
(not checked:)
3. eigi (adv.): not
(not checked:)
1. auðr (noun m.; °-s/-ar, dat. -i/-): wealth
(not checked:)
3. bera (verb; °berr; bar, báru; borinn): bear, carry < berdraugr (noun m.): bare log
[4] ber‑: ben Hb
[4] ber- ‘bearing’: Emended in Skj B, followed by Skald and Merl 2012, from ms. ben (refreshed). A determinant ben ‘wound’ would be difficult to explain in combination with auðs ‘wealth’ (gen.). For a similar confusion of ber-, ben-, cf. LP: berdraugr and Glúmr Lv 1/2I and Note there.
(not checked:)
1. draugr (noun m.; °; -ar): tree < berdraugr (noun m.): bare log
[4] -draugar ‘logs’: The interpretation of this heiti remains uncertain. Meissner 264-5 cites the interpretation as ‘wood’, therefore ‘tree’, in Orms Eddu-brot (SnE 1848-87, II, 497), but notes that draugr is not attested in this general sense and instead posits, following Neckel (1914), an agentive noun with the meaning ‘one who carries or draws’, from a verb *driuga ‘lead, carry out’, as the base-word for this and similar kennings (but cf. AEW: draugr 2).
(not checked:)
þjóð (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -/-u; -ir): people
(not checked:)
2. við (prep.): with, against
(not checked:)
bragr (noun m.; °-ar): poem, poetry
(not checked:)
þó (adv.): though
(not checked:)
4. at (conj.): that
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
(not checked:)
1. mynda (verb): shape
(not checked:)
hafa (verb): have
(not checked:)
1. mál (noun n.; °-s; -): speech, matter
(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to
(not checked:)
1. háttr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. hætti; hættir, acc. háttu): behaviour, measure, verse-form
(not checked:)
1. spá (noun f.; °-r; -r/-ir): prophecy
(not checked:)
fyrir (prep.): for, before, because of
(not checked:)
1. spjall (noun n.): story
(not checked:)
2. raka (verb)
(not checked:)
malmr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): metal < malmþing (noun n.): weapon-assembly
(not checked:)
malmr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): metal < malmþing (noun n.): weapon-assembly
(not checked:)
þing (noun n.; °-s; -): meeting, assembly < malmþing (noun n.): weapon-assembly
(not checked:)
þing (noun n.; °-s; -): meeting, assembly < malmþing (noun n.): weapon-assembly
(not checked:)
hvǫtuðr (noun m.): inciter
(not checked:)
í (prep.): in, into
(not checked:)
2. margr (adj.; °-an): many
(not checked:)
1. staðr (noun m.; °-ar/-s; -ir): place
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
[1-2]: Here Gunnlaugr is referring in anticipation to Merl II (Bret 1848-9, II, 71 n. 8; see Introduction).
Use the buttons at the top of the page to navigate between stanzas in a poem.
The text and translation are given here, with buttons to toggle whether the text is shown in the verse order or prose word order. Clicking on indiviudal words gives dictionary links, variant readings, kennings and notes, where relevant.
This is the text of the edition in a similar format to how the edition appears in the printed volumes.
This view is also used for chapters and other text segments. Not all the headings shown are relevant to such sections.