Kate Heslop (ed.) 2012, ‘Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld Óttarsson, Erfidrápa Óláfs Tryggvasonar 21’ 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. 431.
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alls (conj.): since
[1] es ‘when’: The reading alls ‘while, as’ in the K transcripts is also possible.
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þegn (noun m.; °dat. -/-i; -ar): thane, man, franklin
[1] þegnar: ‘þ[…]’ 325VIII 2 g
[1] þegnar ‘retainers’: As it stands the line lacks skothending. Jón Þorkelsson’s emendation Þrœnda ‘of Þrœndir, people of Trøndelag’ (1884, 63), so þróttharðan gram Þrœnda ‘mightily tough lord of Þrœndir [= Óláfr]’, remedies this (Þrœnda : mundut), as does Þrœndir (Jón Helgason 1931-2, 62). The latter is superior, as it is both grammatically equivalent to ms. þegnar and supported by the prose tradition naming the Trøndelag jarl Eiríkr and his men among Óláfr’s attackers. But neither has ms. support and compelling reasons to emend are lacking (cf. Ohlmarks 1958, 460-1).
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þróttr (noun m.): strength, might, valour < þróttharðr (adj.): [mightily tough]
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harðr (adj.; °comp. -ari; superl. -astr): hard, harsh < þróttharðr (adj.): [mightily tough]
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1. gramr (noun m.): ruler
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sœkja (verb): seek, attack
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sœkja (verb): seek, attack
[2] sóttu: ‘sosottu’ 53, sótti 325VIII 2 g, Bb
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1. fregna (verb): hear of
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fara (verb; ferr, fór, fóru, farinn): go, travel
[3] ferk: frák 61, 53, 54, 325VIII 2 g, Bb
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með (prep.): with
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lið (noun n.; °-s; -): retinue, troop
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lýðr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ir): one of the people
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lýðr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ir): one of the people
[3] lýða: so Kˣ, F, 61, 53, 54, 325VIII 2 g, Bb, ‘liða’ FskAˣ, ‘lyðo’ J1ˣ, J2ˣ
[3-4] líði lýða landherðar ‘ale of the folk of the land-shoulder [ROCK > GIANTS > POETRY]’: This kenning, based on a suggestion by Jón Helgason (1931-2, 61-2), obviates Skj B’s extensive emendation of ll. 1-4. It was favoured by Kock in Skald and NN §2452, though a different explanation was offered in NN §1086. Landherðr ‘land-shoulder [ROCK]’ belongs to a type of kenning in which rock or stone is referred to as the bone, joint or teeth of the land, cf. Yt 19/10 bein foldar ‘bones of the earth [STONES]’ and Ólhelg Lv 2/2 landrif ‘land-rib [STONE]’; also Meissner 89-90. Jón Helgason and Kock emended gen. sg. ‑herðar to gen. pl. ‑herða since the word normally occurs in the pl. (as, e.g., in virtually all of over seventy citations in ONP: 1. herðr). The gen. sg. is retained here, however, as the reading of all the mss.
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lýðr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ir): one of the people
[3] lýða: so Kˣ, F, 61, 53, 54, 325VIII 2 g, Bb, ‘liða’ FskAˣ, ‘lyðo’ J1ˣ, J2ˣ
[3-4] líði lýða landherðar ‘ale of the folk of the land-shoulder [ROCK > GIANTS > POETRY]’: This kenning, based on a suggestion by Jón Helgason (1931-2, 61-2), obviates Skj B’s extensive emendation of ll. 1-4. It was favoured by Kock in Skald and NN §2452, though a different explanation was offered in NN §1086. Landherðr ‘land-shoulder [ROCK]’ belongs to a type of kenning in which rock or stone is referred to as the bone, joint or teeth of the land, cf. Yt 19/10 bein foldar ‘bones of the earth [STONES]’ and Ólhelg Lv 2/2 landrif ‘land-rib [STONE]’; also Meissner 89-90. Jón Helgason and Kock emended gen. sg. ‑herðar to gen. pl. ‑herða since the word normally occurs in the pl. (as, e.g., in virtually all of over seventy citations in ONP: 1. herðr). The gen. sg. is retained here, however, as the reading of all the mss.
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lífi (noun n.; °-s): life
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líð (noun n.): drink
[3] líði: so Kˣ, 22ˣmarg, F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 61, 53, 54, 325VIII 2 g, Bb, ‘lifi’ FskAˣ
[3-4] líði lýða landherðar ‘ale of the folk of the land-shoulder [ROCK > GIANTS > POETRY]’: This kenning, based on a suggestion by Jón Helgason (1931-2, 61-2), obviates Skj B’s extensive emendation of ll. 1-4. It was favoured by Kock in Skald and NN §2452, though a different explanation was offered in NN §1086. Landherðr ‘land-shoulder [ROCK]’ belongs to a type of kenning in which rock or stone is referred to as the bone, joint or teeth of the land, cf. Yt 19/10 bein foldar ‘bones of the earth [STONES]’ and Ólhelg Lv 2/2 landrif ‘land-rib [STONE]’; also Meissner 89-90. Jón Helgason and Kock emended gen. sg. ‑herðar to gen. pl. ‑herða since the word normally occurs in the pl. (as, e.g., in virtually all of over seventy citations in ONP: 1. herðr). The gen. sg. is retained here, however, as the reading of all the mss.
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land (noun n.; °-s; *-): land < landherðr (noun f.)
[4] land‑: ‘[...]’ 325VIII 2 g
[3-4] líði lýða landherðar ‘ale of the folk of the land-shoulder [ROCK > GIANTS > POETRY]’: This kenning, based on a suggestion by Jón Helgason (1931-2, 61-2), obviates Skj B’s extensive emendation of ll. 1-4. It was favoured by Kock in Skald and NN §2452, though a different explanation was offered in NN §1086. Landherðr ‘land-shoulder [ROCK]’ belongs to a type of kenning in which rock or stone is referred to as the bone, joint or teeth of the land, cf. Yt 19/10 bein foldar ‘bones of the earth [STONES]’ and Ólhelg Lv 2/2 landrif ‘land-rib [STONE]’; also Meissner 89-90. Jón Helgason and Kock emended gen. sg. ‑herðar to gen. pl. ‑herða since the word normally occurs in the pl. (as, e.g., in virtually all of over seventy citations in ONP: 1. herðr). The gen. sg. is retained here, however, as the reading of all the mss.
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land (noun n.; °-s; *-): land < landherðr (noun f.)
[4] land‑: ‘[...]’ 325VIII 2 g
[3-4] líði lýða landherðar ‘ale of the folk of the land-shoulder [ROCK > GIANTS > POETRY]’: This kenning, based on a suggestion by Jón Helgason (1931-2, 61-2), obviates Skj B’s extensive emendation of ll. 1-4. It was favoured by Kock in Skald and NN §2452, though a different explanation was offered in NN §1086. Landherðr ‘land-shoulder [ROCK]’ belongs to a type of kenning in which rock or stone is referred to as the bone, joint or teeth of the land, cf. Yt 19/10 bein foldar ‘bones of the earth [STONES]’ and Ólhelg Lv 2/2 landrif ‘land-rib [STONE]’; also Meissner 89-90. Jón Helgason and Kock emended gen. sg. ‑herðar to gen. pl. ‑herða since the word normally occurs in the pl. (as, e.g., in virtually all of over seventy citations in ONP: 1. herðr). The gen. sg. is retained here, however, as the reading of all the mss.
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land (noun n.; °-s; *-): land < landherðr (noun f.)
[4] land‑: ‘[...]’ 325VIII 2 g
[3-4] líði lýða landherðar ‘ale of the folk of the land-shoulder [ROCK > GIANTS > POETRY]’: This kenning, based on a suggestion by Jón Helgason (1931-2, 61-2), obviates Skj B’s extensive emendation of ll. 1-4. It was favoured by Kock in Skald and NN §2452, though a different explanation was offered in NN §1086. Landherðr ‘land-shoulder [ROCK]’ belongs to a type of kenning in which rock or stone is referred to as the bone, joint or teeth of the land, cf. Yt 19/10 bein foldar ‘bones of the earth [STONES]’ and Ólhelg Lv 2/2 landrif ‘land-rib [STONE]’; also Meissner 89-90. Jón Helgason and Kock emended gen. sg. ‑herðar to gen. pl. ‑herða since the word normally occurs in the pl. (as, e.g., in virtually all of over seventy citations in ONP: 1. herðr). The gen. sg. is retained here, however, as the reading of all the mss.
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herðr (noun f.; °-ar(Thom² 447¹³); -ar): shoulder < landherðr (noun f.)
[4] ‑herðar: ‘[…]erdar’ 325VIII 2 g
[3-4] líði lýða landherðar ‘ale of the folk of the land-shoulder [ROCK > GIANTS > POETRY]’: This kenning, based on a suggestion by Jón Helgason (1931-2, 61-2), obviates Skj B’s extensive emendation of ll. 1-4. It was favoured by Kock in Skald and NN §2452, though a different explanation was offered in NN §1086. Landherðr ‘land-shoulder [ROCK]’ belongs to a type of kenning in which rock or stone is referred to as the bone, joint or teeth of the land, cf. Yt 19/10 bein foldar ‘bones of the earth [STONES]’ and Ólhelg Lv 2/2 landrif ‘land-rib [STONE]’; also Meissner 89-90. Jón Helgason and Kock emended gen. sg. ‑herðar to gen. pl. ‑herða since the word normally occurs in the pl. (as, e.g., in virtually all of over seventy citations in ONP: 1. herðr). The gen. sg. is retained here, however, as the reading of all the mss.
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herðr (noun f.; °-ar(Thom² 447¹³); -ar): shoulder < landherðr (noun f.)
[4] ‑herðar: ‘[…]erdar’ 325VIII 2 g
[3-4] líði lýða landherðar ‘ale of the folk of the land-shoulder [ROCK > GIANTS > POETRY]’: This kenning, based on a suggestion by Jón Helgason (1931-2, 61-2), obviates Skj B’s extensive emendation of ll. 1-4. It was favoured by Kock in Skald and NN §2452, though a different explanation was offered in NN §1086. Landherðr ‘land-shoulder [ROCK]’ belongs to a type of kenning in which rock or stone is referred to as the bone, joint or teeth of the land, cf. Yt 19/10 bein foldar ‘bones of the earth [STONES]’ and Ólhelg Lv 2/2 landrif ‘land-rib [STONE]’; also Meissner 89-90. Jón Helgason and Kock emended gen. sg. ‑herðar to gen. pl. ‑herða since the word normally occurs in the pl. (as, e.g., in virtually all of over seventy citations in ONP: 1. herðr). The gen. sg. is retained here, however, as the reading of all the mss.
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herðr (noun f.; °-ar(Thom² 447¹³); -ar): shoulder < landherðr (noun f.)
[4] ‑herðar: ‘[…]erdar’ 325VIII 2 g
[3-4] líði lýða landherðar ‘ale of the folk of the land-shoulder [ROCK > GIANTS > POETRY]’: This kenning, based on a suggestion by Jón Helgason (1931-2, 61-2), obviates Skj B’s extensive emendation of ll. 1-4. It was favoured by Kock in Skald and NN §2452, though a different explanation was offered in NN §1086. Landherðr ‘land-shoulder [ROCK]’ belongs to a type of kenning in which rock or stone is referred to as the bone, joint or teeth of the land, cf. Yt 19/10 bein foldar ‘bones of the earth [STONES]’ and Ólhelg Lv 2/2 landrif ‘land-rib [STONE]’; also Meissner 89-90. Jón Helgason and Kock emended gen. sg. ‑herðar to gen. pl. ‑herða since the word normally occurs in the pl. (as, e.g., in virtually all of over seventy citations in ONP: 1. herðr). The gen. sg. is retained here, however, as the reading of all the mss.
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1. skap (noun n.; °-s; *-): mind, fate
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1. verða (verb): become, be
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4. at (conj.): that
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1. mund (noun f.): hand < mundjǫkull (noun m.): [hand-icicle]
[5, 6] stýrir mundjǫkuls ‘controller of hand-icicle [SILVER > MAN]’: Stýrir with a precious metal as determinant is rare and seems otherwise confined to late poetry (Meissner 303-4), while ÓT’s rýrir ‘diminisher’ yields a conventional kenning for ‘generous man’. The agreement of Fsk and Hkr suggests, however, that stýrir is the original reading.
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1. mund (noun f.): hand < mundjǫkull (noun m.): [hand-icicle]
[5, 6] stýrir mundjǫkuls ‘controller of hand-icicle [SILVER > MAN]’: Stýrir with a precious metal as determinant is rare and seems otherwise confined to late poetry (Meissner 303-4), while ÓT’s rýrir ‘diminisher’ yields a conventional kenning for ‘generous man’. The agreement of Fsk and Hkr suggests, however, that stýrir is the original reading.
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jǫkull (noun m.; °-s, dat. jǫkli; jǫklar): glacier < mundjǫkull (noun m.): [hand-icicle]
[5, 6] stýrir mundjǫkuls ‘controller of hand-icicle [SILVER > MAN]’: Stýrir with a precious metal as determinant is rare and seems otherwise confined to late poetry (Meissner 303-4), while ÓT’s rýrir ‘diminisher’ yields a conventional kenning for ‘generous man’. The agreement of Fsk and Hkr suggests, however, that stýrir is the original reading.
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jǫkull (noun m.; °-s, dat. jǫkli; jǫklar): glacier < mundjǫkull (noun m.): [hand-icicle]
[5, 6] stýrir mundjǫkuls ‘controller of hand-icicle [SILVER > MAN]’: Stýrir with a precious metal as determinant is rare and seems otherwise confined to late poetry (Meissner 303-4), while ÓT’s rýrir ‘diminisher’ yields a conventional kenning for ‘generous man’. The agreement of Fsk and Hkr suggests, however, that stýrir is the original reading.
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munu (verb): will, must
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2. margr (adj.; °-an): many < margdýrr (adj.): most precious
[6] margdýrr: ‘[…]dyr’ 325VIII 2 g
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dýrr (adj.; °compar. -ri/-ari, superl. -str/-astr): precious < margdýrr (adj.): most precious
[6] margdýrr: ‘[…]dyr’ 325VIII 2 g
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rýrir (noun m.): diminsher, destroyer
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koma (verb; kem, kom/kvam, kominn): come
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2. sæta (verb): mean, signify
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stýrir (noun m.): ruler, controller
[6] stýrir: rýrir 61, 53, 54, Bb, ‘r[…]rir’ 325VIII 2 g
[5, 6] stýrir mundjǫkuls ‘controller of hand-icicle [SILVER > MAN]’: Stýrir with a precious metal as determinant is rare and seems otherwise confined to late poetry (Meissner 303-4), while ÓT’s rýrir ‘diminisher’ yields a conventional kenning for ‘generous man’. The agreement of Fsk and Hkr suggests, however, that stýrir is the original reading.
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2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
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2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
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2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
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2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
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2. geta (verb): to beget, give birth to, mention, speak of; to think well of, like, love
[7] geta: geta or ‘gøta’ F, sæta 54, 325VIII 2 g, Bb
[7-8] gotnar þykkjat mér geta glíkligs ‘men do not seem to me to talk of a likely thing’: The reading gotnar þykkjask geta þess glíkligs ‘men think they guess this [as a] likely thing’ in the K transcripts is possible but, as Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson (ÍF 26) observes, not as good as FskAˣ’s reading, especially in the context of the rest of the poem.
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2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
[7] þykkjat mér: so 61, 54, 325VIII 2 g, corrected from ‘þyckianer’ FskAˣ, þykkjask þess Kˣ, 22ˣmarg, þykkjumk þess F, þykkjask mér J1ˣ, J2ˣ, þykkja mér 53, Bb
[7-8] gotnar þykkjat mér geta glíkligs ‘men do not seem to me to talk of a likely thing’: The reading gotnar þykkjask geta þess glíkligs ‘men think they guess this [as a] likely thing’ in the K transcripts is possible but, as Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson (ÍF 26) observes, not as good as FskAˣ’s reading, especially in the context of the rest of the poem.
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geit (noun f.): nanny-goat
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
[7] þykkjat mér: so 61, 54, 325VIII 2 g, corrected from ‘þyckianer’ FskAˣ, þykkjask þess Kˣ, 22ˣmarg, þykkjumk þess F, þykkjask mér J1ˣ, J2ˣ, þykkja mér 53, Bb
[7-8] gotnar þykkjat mér geta glíkligs ‘men do not seem to me to talk of a likely thing’: The reading gotnar þykkjask geta þess glíkligs ‘men think they guess this [as a] likely thing’ in the K transcripts is possible but, as Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson (ÍF 26) observes, not as good as FskAˣ’s reading, especially in the context of the rest of the poem.
[7] gotnar ‘men’: Lit. ‘inhabitants of Gotland’ (AEW: goti, gotnar), but here, as usual in skaldic poetry, ‘men, warriors’. Snorri implausibly derives gotnar from the eponymous king Goti (see SnE 1998, I, 105; Kristensen 1907, 241; Note to Þul Manna 1/5III). — [7-8] gotnar þykkjat mér geta glíkligs ‘men do not seem to me to talk of a likely thing’: The reading gotnar þykkjask geta þess glíkligs ‘men think they guess this [as a] likely thing’ in the K transcripts is possible but, as Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson (ÍF 26) observes, not as good as FskAˣ’s reading, especially in the context of the rest of the poem.
[7] gotnar ‘men’: Lit. ‘inhabitants of Gotland’ (AEW: goti, gotnar), but here, as usual in skaldic poetry, ‘men, warriors’. Snorri implausibly derives gotnar from the eponymous king Goti (see SnE 1998, I, 105; Kristensen 1907, 241; Note to Þul Manna 1/5III). — [7-8] gotnar þykkjat mér geta glíkligs ‘men do not seem to me to talk of a likely thing’: The reading gotnar þykkjask geta þess glíkligs ‘men think they guess this [as a] likely thing’ in the K transcripts is possible but, as Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson (ÍF 26) observes, not as good as FskAˣ’s reading, especially in the context of the rest of the poem.
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
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glíkligr (adj.): likely
[8] glíkligs: so Kˣ, 22ˣmarg, F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 61, 53, 54, 325VIII 2 g, Bb, ‘glighlis’ FskAˣ, ‘gli[…]’ 325VIII 2 g
[7-8] gotnar þykkjat mér geta glíkligs ‘men do not seem to me to talk of a likely thing’: The reading gotnar þykkjask geta þess glíkligs ‘men think they guess this [as a] likely thing’ in the K transcripts is possible but, as Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson (ÍF 26) observes, not as good as FskAˣ’s reading, especially in the context of the rest of the poem.
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styrr (noun m.; °dat. -): battle
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herr (noun m.; °-s/-jar, dat. -; -jar, gen. -ja/herra): army, host
[8] her: styr F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 61, 53, 54, 325VIII 2 g, Bb
[8] her ‘force’: The variant styr ‘battle’ is also possible.
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2. slíkr (adj.): such
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Mundut þess, es þegnar |
Fate would not have come to this, when retainers attacked the mightily tough lord — I deal with ale of the folk of the land-shoulder [ROCK > GIANTS > POETRY] —, that the magnificent controller of hand-icicle [SILVER > MAN] would escape [lit. come out of] such a force; men do not seem to me to talk of a likely thing.
All the sources cite this stanza immediately after st. 22, with minimal or no prose introduction.
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