Rolf Stavnem (ed.) 2012, ‘Hallar-Steinn, Rekstefja 25’ 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. 927.
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tveir (num. cardinal): two
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senn (adv.): at once
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tiggi (noun m.; °-ja): king
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1. vinna (noun f.; °-u; -ur): achievement, deed
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telja (verb): tell, count
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3. fár (adj.; °compar. fǽrri/fárri(Mág² 11), superl. fǽstr): few
[2] færi: so 61, 53, 54, Flat, smæri Bb(112rb), farri Bb(94rb)
[2] færi ‘few’: Lit. ‘fewer’. This, the ÓT reading, gives good sense, and qualifies the kenning for ‘warriors’ in l. 3. This kenning is the object of veit ‘know’, forming the part of an elliptical acc. with inf. construction which is completed by understanding inf. fremja ‘to perform’ or hafa framit ‘have performed’ from framði ‘performed’ in l. 4 (so also Skj B). The Bb reading smæri ‘smaller’ would qualify the warrior-kenning, referring to lesser men, but it is not normally used metaphorically and leaves the clause incomplete.
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gnýr (noun m.): din, tumult < gnýlinnr (noun m.)
[3] gnýlinns: gunnelds all others
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gnýr (noun m.): din, tumult < gnýlinnr (noun m.)
[3] gnýlinns: gunnelds all others
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gnýr (noun m.): din, tumult < gnýlinnr (noun m.)
[3] gnýlinns: gunnelds all others
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linnr (noun m.): snake < gnýlinnr (noun m.)
[3] gnýlinns: gunnelds all others
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linnr (noun m.): snake < gnýlinnr (noun m.)
[3] gnýlinns: gunnelds all others
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geymir (noun m.): guardian, keeper
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2. Gǫndul (noun f.): Gǫndul
[3] Gǫndlar: geymir 61, geymi 53, 54, Bb(94rb), Flat
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2. Gǫndul (noun f.): Gǫndul
[3] Gǫndlar: geymir 61, geymi 53, 54, Bb(94rb), Flat
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2. Gǫndul (noun f.): Gǫndul
[3] Gǫndlar: geymir 61, geymi 53, 54, Bb(94rb), Flat
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runnr (noun m.; °dat. -i/-; -ar): bush, tree
[3] runna: unna 61, ‑runnar 53
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1. gramr (noun m.): ruler
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íþrótt (noun f.): skill, accomplishment
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fremja (verb): advance, perform
[5] hyr-Baldr ‘the Baldr <god> of the fire (lit. ‘fire-Baldr’)’: Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) adopts the reading hyr from Bb(112rb), departing from the ÓT version normally preferred in his edn. The ÓT reading is hnig-Baldr ‘sinking Baldr of white shields [WARRIOR]’, where the prefixed hnig- is odd in juxtaposition with a conventional shield-kenning. It could perhaps mean that the warrior lowers his shield as a sign of courage, but it seems more likely that hnig- is an error encouraged by hnig- in st. 24/3.
[5] hyr-Baldr ‘the Baldr <god> of the fire (lit. ‘fire-Baldr’)’: Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) adopts the reading hyr from Bb(112rb), departing from the ÓT version normally preferred in his edn. The ÓT reading is hnig-Baldr ‘sinking Baldr of white shields [WARRIOR]’, where the prefixed hnig- is odd in juxtaposition with a conventional shield-kenning. It could perhaps mean that the warrior lowers his shield as a sign of courage, but it seems more likely that hnig- is an error encouraged by hnig- in st. 24/3.
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Baldr (noun m.): [Baldr, Baldur] < hyrbaldr (noun m.)
[5] hyr-Baldr ‘the Baldr <god> of the fire (lit. ‘fire-Baldr’)’: Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) adopts the reading hyr from Bb(112rb), departing from the ÓT version normally preferred in his edn. The ÓT reading is hnig-Baldr ‘sinking Baldr of white shields [WARRIOR]’, where the prefixed hnig- is odd in juxtaposition with a conventional shield-kenning. It could perhaps mean that the warrior lowers his shield as a sign of courage, but it seems more likely that hnig- is an error encouraged by hnig- in st. 24/3.
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skjǫldr (noun m.; °skjaldar/skildar, dat. skildi; skildir, acc. skjǫldu): shield
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skjǫldr (noun m.; °skjaldar/skildar, dat. skildi; skildir, acc. skjǫldu): shield
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hǫnd (noun f.; °handar, dat. hendi; hendr (hendir StatPáll³ 752¹²)): hand < handsax (noun n.): [with short-swords]
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2. sax (noun n.; °-; *-): sword, prow < handsax (noun n.): [with short-swords]
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3. leika (verb): play
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vandla (adv.): completely, skilfully
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fleinn (noun m.; °dat. fleini): spear < fleinrjóðr (noun m.): spear-reddener
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1. rjóðr (noun m.): reddener < fleinrjóðr (noun m.): spear-reddener
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fleiri (adj. comp.; °superl. flestr): more, most
[7] flestra dáða: so all others, flestar dáðir Bb(112rb)
[7] flestra dáða ‘in most deeds’: This, the ÓT reading, provides a gen. pl. governed by frár ‘swift (in)’; the Bb(112rb) reading, nom./acc. pl. flestar dáðir, does not fit the syntax.
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dáð (noun f.; °; -ir): feat, deed
[7] flestra dáða: so all others, flestar dáðir Bb(112rb)
[7] flestra dáða ‘in most deeds’: This, the ÓT reading, provides a gen. pl. governed by frár ‘swift (in)’; the Bb(112rb) reading, nom./acc. pl. flestar dáðir, does not fit the syntax.
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frár (adj.; °compar. -ri, superl. -vastr/-str): agile, quick
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
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2. ganga (verb; geng, gekk, gengu, genginn): walk, go
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1. ár (noun f.; °-ar, dat. u/-; -ar/-ir(LandslBorg 151b²¹)): oar
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Tvær senn — tiggja vinnur |
The prince performed two feats at the same time, which I know few trees of the snake of the din of Gǫndul <valkyrie> [(lit. ‘trees of the din-snake of Gǫndul’) BATTLE > SWORD > WARRIORS] [have performed]; I tell of those achievements of the ruler. The Baldr <god> of the fire of white shields [(lit. ‘fire-Baldr of white shields’) SWORD > WARRIOR = Óláfr], the spear-reddener [WARRIOR], swift in most deeds, juggled skilfully with short-swords and walked across the oars.
Óláfr, when his men were rowing along the coast, would sometimes walk on the oars overboard while juggling with short-swords.
Óláfr’s exceptional dexterity is also the subject of Anon Ól 1. — [3]: Line 3 in ÓT forms an alternative warrior-kenning which is also feasible: geymirunna gunnelds ‘guarding trees of the battle-fire [SWORD > WARRIORS]’.
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