Russell Poole (ed.) 2017, ‘Breta saga 165 (Gunnlaugr Leifsson, Merlínusspá I 97)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 129.
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2. virða (verb): value, appraise
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2. engi (pron.): no, none
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vitlauss (adj.)
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þótt (conj.): although
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
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1. hodd (noun f.): gold, treasure < hoddskati (noun m.): treasure-chieftain
[3] hoddskǫtum ‘treasure-chieftains [RULERS]’: Attested only here and in II 29/5.
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skati (noun m.; °-a; -nar): chieftan, prince < hoddskati (noun m.): treasure-chieftain
[3] hoddskǫtum ‘treasure-chieftains [RULERS]’: Attested only here and in II 29/5.
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heiti (noun n.): name, promise
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gefa (verb): give
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1. viðr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. -i/-; -ir, acc. -u/-i): wood, tree
[5] viðar ‘of a wood’: Conceivably the gen. pl. viða ‘of woods/trees’ should be read here, for better match with vatna and because Merl refers to a variety of trees, e.g. oaks and linden‑trees; Bret 1848-9 has ‘tree’ and Skj B, followed by Merl 2012, has ‘trees’, but without emendation. Gunnlaugr may also be referring to woods or forests collectively, with e.g. viðr inn danski ‘Danish wood’ (II 15/6) in mind.
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eða (conj.): or
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vatn (noun n.; °-s; -*): water, lake
[5] vatna ‘lakes’: It is not clear which prophecies are referred to here, unless Gunnlaugr was thinking of the idealisation of the boar of commerce as a refreshing stream (I 82-3) or of the inundation of the mouths of the Severn (I 89/2-3).
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eða (conj.): or
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2. veðr (noun n.; °-s; -): weather, wind, storm
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mikill (adj.; °mikinn): great, large
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eða (conj.): or
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allr (adj.): all
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konr (noun m.; °-ar): kind, descendant
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ormr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): serpent
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eða (conj.): or
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1. dýr (noun n.; °-s (spec.: dyʀiɴs KonrA 66⁴, etc., cf. Seip 1955 188-189); -): animal
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tákna (verb)
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eðli (noun n.; °-s; dat. -um): nature
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telja (verb): tell, count
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skepna (noun f.; °-u; -ur): creation
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spjǫr (noun n.): spear
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ráðandi (noun m.; °-a; ráðendr): ruler < spjǫrráðandi (noun m.): [wielders spear]ráðandi (noun m.; °-a; ráðendr): ruler
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1. spjall (noun n.): story
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eða (conj.): or
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1. kostr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. -i/-; -ir, acc. -i/-u): choice, food, goods, good quality
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Here, following up on the preceding stanza, Gunnlaugr succinctly explains Geoffrey’s system of allegory and foreshadows that some members of his audience might find it nonsensical. — [3]: The pron. hann is omitted in Skj B and Skald for metrical reasons. — [6]: Cf. the mentions of the landnyrðingr ‘northeast wind’ in I 44/3, I 84/2.
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