Anon Krm 25VIII
Rory McTurk (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Poems, Krákumál 25’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 767.
Hjuggu ‘hewed’
(not checked:)
hǫggva (verb): to strike, put to death, cut, hew
[1] Hjuggu vér með hjörvi: abbrev. as ‘H. v. m. h.’ R702ˣ, (?) abbrev. as ‘Hi(’) v(’) m(’) h(’)’ 147, Hjuggum vér með hjörvi 6ˣ, LR, R693ˣ
vér ‘We’
(not checked:)
vér (pron.; °gen. vár, dat./acc. oss): we, us, our
[1] Hjuggu vér með hjörvi: abbrev. as ‘H. v. m. h.’ R702ˣ, (?) abbrev. as ‘Hi(’) v(’) m(’) h(’)’ 147, Hjuggum vér með hjörvi 6ˣ, LR, R693ˣ
með ‘with’
(not checked:)
með (prep.): with
[1] Hjuggu vér með hjörvi: abbrev. as ‘H. v. m. h.’ R702ˣ, (?) abbrev. as ‘Hi(’) v(’) m(’) h(’)’ 147, Hjuggum vér með hjörvi 6ˣ, LR, R693ˣ
hjörvi ‘the sword’
(not checked:)
hjǫrr (noun m.): sword
[1] Hjuggu vér með hjörvi: abbrev. as ‘H. v. m. h.’ R702ˣ, (?) abbrev. as ‘Hi(’) v(’) m(’) h(’)’ 147, Hjuggum vér með hjörvi 6ˣ, LR, R693ˣ
Hitt ‘It’
(not checked:)
2. inn (art.): the
[2] Hitt lægir mik (‘hitt hlægir mig’): ‘hitt hl(æ)[…]’(?) 147
notes
[2] hitt lægir mik ‘it makes me laugh’: The initial <h> in hlægir has been omitted here in keeping with Finnur Jónsson (1893b; 1905; Skj B) and Kock (Skald) to avoid double alliteration in this even D4-line.
lægir ‘laugh’
(not checked:)
hlæja (verb): laugh
[2] Hitt lægir mik (‘hitt hlægir mig’): ‘hitt hl(æ)[…]’(?) 147
notes
[2] hitt lægir mik ‘it makes me laugh’: The initial <h> in hlægir has been omitted here in keeping with Finnur Jónsson (1893b; 1905; Skj B) and Kock (Skald) to avoid double alliteration in this even D4-line.
mik ‘me’
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
[2] Hitt lægir mik (‘hitt hlægir mig’): ‘hitt hl(æ)[…]’(?) 147
notes
[2] hitt lægir mik ‘it makes me laugh’: The initial <h> in hlægir has been omitted here in keeping with Finnur Jónsson (1893b; 1905; Skj B) and Kock (Skald) to avoid double alliteration in this even D4-line.
Baldrs ‘of Baldr’
(not checked:)
Baldr (noun m.): [Baldr, Baldur]
[3] Baldrs: ‘balld[...]’ 147, ‘balldur’ LR
kennings
föður Baldrs‘of the father of Baldr ’
= Óðinn
the father of Baldr → Óðinn
notes
[3] bekki föður Baldrs ‘the benches of the father of Baldr <god> [= Óðinn]’: According to Gylf (SnE 2005, 23), Baldr is the second son of Óðinn after Þórr, and Óðinn’s oldest legitimate son. The story of his popularity among the gods, his tragic killing as a result of Loki’s treachery, and the fruitless attempts of the gods to bring him back from the realm of the dead, told most fully in Gylf (SnE 2005, 45-9), is well known. The only other occurrence of ‘the father of Baldr’ as a kenning for Óðinn, however, appears to be in Anon (Styrb) 1/6I, a stanza spoken by a finngálkn ‘monster’ in Styrb. The word bekki, acc. pl. of bekkr m. ‘bench’, refers here metonymically to Valhǫll (see also Notes to sts 4/4 and 28/9), where the speaker of Krm, as he indicates here, expects to enjoy after death the hospitality of Óðinn at a bench-lined banqueting table.
föður ‘of the father’
(not checked:)
faðir (noun m.): father
[3] föður: ‘(f)odur’(?) 147, ‘fedur’ 6ˣ, ‘fódurz’ R693ˣ
kennings
föður Baldrs‘of the father of Baldr ’
= Óðinn
the father of Baldr → Óðinn
notes
[3] bekki föður Baldrs ‘the benches of the father of Baldr <god> [= Óðinn]’: According to Gylf (SnE 2005, 23), Baldr is the second son of Óðinn after Þórr, and Óðinn’s oldest legitimate son. The story of his popularity among the gods, his tragic killing as a result of Loki’s treachery, and the fruitless attempts of the gods to bring him back from the realm of the dead, told most fully in Gylf (SnE 2005, 45-9), is well known. The only other occurrence of ‘the father of Baldr’ as a kenning for Óðinn, however, appears to be in Anon (Styrb) 1/6I, a stanza spoken by a finngálkn ‘monster’ in Styrb. The word bekki, acc. pl. of bekkr m. ‘bench’, refers here metonymically to Valhǫll (see also Notes to sts 4/4 and 28/9), where the speaker of Krm, as he indicates here, expects to enjoy after death the hospitality of Óðinn at a bench-lined banqueting table.
bekki ‘the benches’
(not checked:)
1. bekkr (noun m.; °-jar/-s, dat. -/-i; -ir): bench
[3] bekki: ‘becke’ with caret between e and c indicating e written above the line R693ˣ
notes
[3] bekki föður Baldrs ‘the benches of the father of Baldr <god> [= Óðinn]’: According to Gylf (SnE 2005, 23), Baldr is the second son of Óðinn after Þórr, and Óðinn’s oldest legitimate son. The story of his popularity among the gods, his tragic killing as a result of Loki’s treachery, and the fruitless attempts of the gods to bring him back from the realm of the dead, told most fully in Gylf (SnE 2005, 45-9), is well known. The only other occurrence of ‘the father of Baldr’ as a kenning for Óðinn, however, appears to be in Anon (Styrb) 1/6I, a stanza spoken by a finngálkn ‘monster’ in Styrb. The word bekki, acc. pl. of bekkr m. ‘bench’, refers here metonymically to Valhǫll (see also Notes to sts 4/4 and 28/9), where the speaker of Krm, as he indicates here, expects to enjoy after death the hospitality of Óðinn at a bench-lined banqueting table.
búna ‘are prepared’
[4] búna: ‘biuna’ 6ˣ
veit ‘know that’
(not checked:)
1. vita (verb): know
[4] veit ek at sumblum: ‘v(ei)t eg […] sum[…]’(?) 147
ek ‘’
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
[4] veit ek at sumblum: ‘v(ei)t eg […] sum[…]’(?) 147
sumblum ‘banquets’
(not checked:)
sumbl (noun n.; °; -): banquet, drinking feast
[4] veit ek at sumblum: ‘v(ei)t eg […] sum[…]’(?) 147
Drekkum ‘be drinking’
(not checked:)
2. drekka (verb; °drekkr; drakk, drukku; drukkinn/drykkinn): drink
[5] Drekkum: ‘(d[…]kum)’(?) 147, ‘drekum’ LR
notes
[5] bjór ‘beer’: The speaker is here anticipating drinking beer in Valhǫll. According to Alv 33, the Æsir gods use the word bjórr for what humans refer to as ǫl ‘ale’. If this may be believed, Ragnarr loðbrók is using here the term properly used by the Æsir for the ale (ǫl) which, according to Grí 36 (quoted in Gylf, SnE 2005, 30), is brought by valkyries to the einherjar in Valhǫll (see Notes to st. 28/9 and 29/5-6 below).
notes
[5] af bragði ‘soon’: Or ‘at once’. The present ed. follows Finnur Jónsson (1905; Skj B) in reading af here, in contrast to earlier eds, including Finnur himself (1893b), who read at.
bragði ‘soon’
(not checked:)
bragð (noun n.; °-s; *-): action, movement, trick
notes
[5] af bragði ‘soon’: Or ‘at once’. The present ed. follows Finnur Jónsson (1905; Skj B) in reading af here, in contrast to earlier eds, including Finnur himself (1893b), who read at.
ór ‘out of’
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3. ór (prep.): out of
[6] ór bjúgviðum hausa: ‘o(r) b[…]guidum hausa’(?) 147
bjúgviðum ‘the curved trees’
(not checked:)
bjúgviðr (noun m.)
[6] ór bjúgviðum hausa: ‘o(r) b[…]guidum hausa’(?) 147
kennings
bjúgviðum hausa;‘the curved trees of skulls; ’
= DRINKING HORNS
the curved trees of skulls; → DRINKING HORNS
notes
[6] bjúgviðum hausa ‘the curved trees of skulls [DRINKING HORNS]’: A kenning for a drinking horn with a comparable base-word, viðr róta eyrna ‘tree of the roots of the ears [HEAD > DRINKING HORN]’, occurs in Egill Lv 5/3, 4V (Eg 9); cf. de Vries (1964-7, II, 40 n. 68).
hausa ‘of skulls’
(not checked:)
hauss (noun m.; °hauss, dat. hausi/haus; hausar): skull
[6] ór bjúgviðum hausa: ‘o(r) b[…]guidum hausa’(?) 147
kennings
bjúgviðum hausa;‘the curved trees of skulls; ’
= DRINKING HORNS
the curved trees of skulls; → DRINKING HORNS
notes
[6] bjúgviðum hausa ‘the curved trees of skulls [DRINKING HORNS]’: A kenning for a drinking horn with a comparable base-word, viðr róta eyrna ‘tree of the roots of the ears [HEAD > DRINKING HORN]’, occurs in Egill Lv 5/3, 4V (Eg 9); cf. de Vries (1964-7, II, 40 n. 68).
sýtir ‘regret’
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sýta (verb): lament
[7] sýtir ei drengr við dauða: ‘syti (eigi drengur) f(yrir) dauda’(?) 147
ei ‘does not’
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3. ei (adv.): not
[7] sýtir ei drengr við dauða: ‘syti (eigi drengur) f(yrir) dauda’(?) 147
drengr ‘a fellow’
(not checked:)
drengr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ir, gen. -ja): man, warrior
[7] sýtir ei drengr við dauða: ‘syti (eigi drengur) f(yrir) dauda’(?) 147
notes
[7] drengr ‘a fellow’: The speaker is probably referring to himself here, imagining himself as having died and subsequently enjoying the delights of Valhǫll.
við ‘’
(not checked:)
2. við (prep.): with, against
[7] sýtir ei drengr við dauða: ‘syti (eigi drengur) f(yrir) dauda’(?) 147
dauða ‘death’
(not checked:)
dauði (noun m.; °-a; -ar): death
[7] sýtir ei drengr við dauða: ‘syti (eigi drengur) f(yrir) dauda’(?) 147
dýrs ‘of glorious’
(not checked:)
dýrr (adj.; °compar. -ri/-ari, superl. -str/-astr): precious
kennings
húsum dýrs Fjölnis.‘the dwellings of glorious Fjǫlnir. ’
= Valhǫll
the dwellings of glorious Fjǫlnir. → Valhǫll
notes
[8] húsum dýrs Fjölnis ‘the dwellings of glorious Fjǫlnir <= Óðinn> [= Valhǫll]’: Another reference to Valhǫll. As well as being the name of the legendary Swedish king mentioned in Þjóð Yt 1/4 and 6/11I, Fjǫlnir is attested as a name for Óðinn, occurring as such in Grí 47/5, Reg 18/7 (cf. SnE 2005, 8, 22) and in several skaldic kennings (LP: Fjǫlnir). On the various possible meanings of the name (‘concealer’, ‘taker of many shapes’, ‘knower of many things’, ‘wise one’) and the relationship between its two applications, see Note to Þul Óðins 2/1III.
at ‘in’
(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to
Fjölnis ‘Fjǫlnir’
(not checked:)
Fjǫlnir (noun m.): Fjǫlnir
[8] Fjölnis: ‘(f)ioln(is)’(?) 147, ‘feolins’ LR, ‘fiolius’ or ‘fiolins’ R693ˣ
kennings
húsum dýrs Fjölnis.‘the dwellings of glorious Fjǫlnir. ’
= Valhǫll
the dwellings of glorious Fjǫlnir. → Valhǫll
notes
[8] húsum dýrs Fjölnis ‘the dwellings of glorious Fjǫlnir <= Óðinn> [= Valhǫll]’: Another reference to Valhǫll. As well as being the name of the legendary Swedish king mentioned in Þjóð Yt 1/4 and 6/11I, Fjǫlnir is attested as a name for Óðinn, occurring as such in Grí 47/5, Reg 18/7 (cf. SnE 2005, 8, 22) and in several skaldic kennings (LP: Fjǫlnir). On the various possible meanings of the name (‘concealer’, ‘taker of many shapes’, ‘knower of many things’, ‘wise one’) and the relationship between its two applications, see Note to Þul Óðins 2/1III.
kennings
húsum dýrs Fjölnis.‘the dwellings of glorious Fjǫlnir. ’
= Valhǫll
the dwellings of glorious Fjǫlnir. → Valhǫll
notes
[8] húsum dýrs Fjölnis ‘the dwellings of glorious Fjǫlnir <= Óðinn> [= Valhǫll]’: Another reference to Valhǫll. As well as being the name of the legendary Swedish king mentioned in Þjóð Yt 1/4 and 6/11I, Fjǫlnir is attested as a name for Óðinn, occurring as such in Grí 47/5, Reg 18/7 (cf. SnE 2005, 8, 22) and in several skaldic kennings (LP: Fjǫlnir). On the various possible meanings of the name (‘concealer’, ‘taker of many shapes’, ‘knower of many things’, ‘wise one’) and the relationship between its two applications, see Note to Þul Óðins 2/1III.
Eigi ‘do not’
(not checked:)
3. eigi (adv.): not
[9] Eigi kem ek: so 6ˣ, ei kem ek R702ˣ, LR, R693ˣ, ‘eigi ke[...] eg’ 147
kem ‘come’
(not checked:)
koma (verb; kem, kom/kvam, kominn): come
[9] Eigi kem ek: so 6ˣ, ei kem ek R702ˣ, LR, R693ˣ, ‘eigi ke[...] eg’ 147
ek ‘I’
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
[9] Eigi kem ek: so 6ˣ, ei kem ek R702ˣ, LR, R693ˣ, ‘eigi ke[...] eg’ 147
með ‘with’
(not checked:)
með (prep.): with
[9] með æðru: so 6ˣ, LR, R693ˣ, ‘med +’ with ‘+ædru’ in margin indicated by cross above line R702ˣ, ‘med (æ)dru’(?) 147
notes
[9-10] með orð æðru ‘with words of fear’: The present ed. follows those previous eds who provide translations (Rafn 1826; CPB; Skj B) in understanding the phrase in this way, while noting that Wisén (1886-9, II, 341), glosses it as cum fama ignaviæ ‘with a reputation for cowardice’, and acknowledging this as a possible alternative; cf. Sigv Lv 17/3I, where æðruorð ‘talk of fear’ appears to mean ‘verbal imputation (accusation) of fear’.
æðru ‘of fear’
(not checked:)
1. æðra (noun f.; °-u): [fright, subject]
[9] með æðru: so 6ˣ, LR, R693ˣ, ‘med +’ with ‘+ædru’ in margin indicated by cross above line R702ˣ, ‘med (æ)dru’(?) 147
notes
[9-10] með orð æðru ‘with words of fear’: The present ed. follows those previous eds who provide translations (Rafn 1826; CPB; Skj B) in understanding the phrase in this way, while noting that Wisén (1886-9, II, 341), glosses it as cum fama ignaviæ ‘with a reputation for cowardice’, and acknowledging this as a possible alternative; cf. Sigv Lv 17/3I, where æðruorð ‘talk of fear’ appears to mean ‘verbal imputation (accusation) of fear’.
notes
[9-10] með orð æðru ‘with words of fear’: The present ed. follows those previous eds who provide translations (Rafn 1826; CPB; Skj B) in understanding the phrase in this way, while noting that Wisén (1886-9, II, 341), glosses it as cum fama ignaviæ ‘with a reputation for cowardice’, and acknowledging this as a possible alternative; cf. Sigv Lv 17/3I, where æðruorð ‘talk of fear’ appears to mean ‘verbal imputation (accusation) of fear’.
notes
[10] til hallar Viðris ‘to the hall of Viðrir <= Óðinn> [= Valhǫll]’: Yet another reference to Valhǫll. Viðrir, meaning essentially ‘Weather-ruler’, occurs as a name for Óðinn in Lok 26/5, HHund I 13/7, as well as in Gylf (SnE 2005, 8) and frequently in skaldic poetry, both with direct reference to Óðinn and as a determinant in kennings (see LP: Viðrir).
Viðris ‘of Viðrir’
(not checked:)
Viðrir (noun m.): Viðrir
[10] orð til Viðris: ‘ord til vid[...]’ 147
kennings
hallar Viðris.‘the hall of Viðrir. ’
= Valhǫll
the hall of Viðrir. → Valhǫll
notes
[10] til hallar Viðris ‘to the hall of Viðrir <= Óðinn> [= Valhǫll]’: Yet another reference to Valhǫll. Viðrir, meaning essentially ‘Weather-ruler’, occurs as a name for Óðinn in Lok 26/5, HHund I 13/7, as well as in Gylf (SnE 2005, 8) and frequently in skaldic poetry, both with direct reference to Óðinn and as a determinant in kennings (see LP: Viðrir).
hallar ‘the hall’
(not checked:)
1. hǫll (noun f.; °hallar, dat. -u/-; hallir): hall
[10] hallar: so all others, hallar with ‘alias borda’ in margin 6ˣ
kennings
hallar Viðris.‘the hall of Viðrir. ’
= Valhǫll
the hall of Viðrir. → Valhǫll
notes
[10] hallar ‘the hall’: Both 6ˣ and AM 761b 4°ˣ (761bˣ) fol. 556v know the alternative reading ‘borda’, i.e. borða, gen. pl. of borð ‘table’, as a variant of hallar. This would give the meaning ‘to Viðrir’s tables’ and would thus constitute another reference to Valhǫll, cf. Note to l. 3 above. AM 761b 4°ˣ, written, according to Kålund (1888-94, II, 181-2), either by or for Árni Magnússon, contains a transcript of Krm in Árni’s hand (Kålund 1888-94, II, 763). Rafn used a copy of this transcript in his 1826 edn of Krm (see Rafn 1826, 86-7) and the transcript itself in his 1829 edn, where he designated it as M (see FSN I, xvii-xix, 300-10); in both eds he recorded the reading borða as a variant (Rafn 1826, 144; FSN I, 309). The reading borða would impart aðalhending with orð ‘words’, appropriately enough, to this even-numbered line. — [10] til hallar Viðris ‘to the hall of Viðrir <= Óðinn> [= Valhǫll]’: Yet another reference to Valhǫll. Viðrir, meaning essentially ‘Weather-ruler’, occurs as a name for Óðinn in Lok 26/5, HHund I 13/7, as well as in Gylf (SnE 2005, 8) and frequently in skaldic poetry, both with direct reference to Óðinn and as a determinant in kennings (see LP: Viðrir).
hallar ‘the hall’
(not checked:)
1. hǫll (noun f.; °hallar, dat. -u/-; hallir): hall
[10] hallar: so all others, hallar with ‘alias borda’ in margin 6ˣ
kennings
hallar Viðris.‘the hall of Viðrir. ’
= Valhǫll
the hall of Viðrir. → Valhǫll
notes
[10] hallar ‘the hall’: Both 6ˣ and AM 761b 4°ˣ (761bˣ) fol. 556v know the alternative reading ‘borda’, i.e. borða, gen. pl. of borð ‘table’, as a variant of hallar. This would give the meaning ‘to Viðrir’s tables’ and would thus constitute another reference to Valhǫll, cf. Note to l. 3 above. AM 761b 4°ˣ, written, according to Kålund (1888-94, II, 181-2), either by or for Árni Magnússon, contains a transcript of Krm in Árni’s hand (Kålund 1888-94, II, 763). Rafn used a copy of this transcript in his 1826 edn of Krm (see Rafn 1826, 86-7) and the transcript itself in his 1829 edn, where he designated it as M (see FSN I, xvii-xix, 300-10); in both eds he recorded the reading borða as a variant (Rafn 1826, 144; FSN I, 309). The reading borða would impart aðalhending with orð ‘words’, appropriately enough, to this even-numbered line. — [10] til hallar Viðris ‘to the hall of Viðrir <= Óðinn> [= Valhǫll]’: Yet another reference to Valhǫll. Viðrir, meaning essentially ‘Weather-ruler’, occurs as a name for Óðinn in Lok 26/5, HHund I 13/7, as well as in Gylf (SnE 2005, 8) and frequently in skaldic poetry, both with direct reference to Óðinn and as a determinant in kennings (see LP: Viðrir).
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
We hewed with the sword. It always makes me laugh to know that the benches of the father of Baldr <god> [= Óðinn] are prepared for banquets. We’ll soon be drinking beer out of the curved trees of skulls [DRINKING HORNS]; a fellow does not regret death in the dwellings of glorious Fjǫlnir <= Óðinn> [= Valhǫll]. I do not come with words of fear to the hall of Viðrir <= Óðinn> [= Valhǫll].
[2-4]: The present ed. agrees with Kock (NN §2156) in taking the adv. jafnan ‘always’ (l. 2) together with lægir ‘makes (me) laugh’ in the same line. Kock rejects the construal of jafnan with the p. p. búna ‘prepared’ in l. 4 adopted by Finnur Jónsson (Skj B), seeing it as an example of the tendency in Skj B to present adverbials (not least jafnan) as qualifying verbs other than those which, as he sees it, they would most naturally be expected to qualify (cf. NN §§318, 331, 1178). — [3-4]: These two lines contain an acc. and inf. construction, with bekki ‘the benches’ as the acc. subject and the verb vera ‘be’ omitted, meaning lit. ‘I know the benches … [to be] prepared’. — [5-6]: The mistranslation (originating with Magnús Ólafsson) of l. 6 (see Introduction) as ex concavis crateribus craniorum ‘from the round bowls of skulls’ in Worm’s edn of 1636 (Worm 1636, 222-3), and the preposterous accompanying comment, also presumably by Magnús (Faulkes 1993a, 104-7): Sperabant Heroes se in aula Othini bibituros craniorum quos occiderant ‘The heroes expected that in Óðinn’s hall they would drink from the skulls of those they had slain’, left their unfortunate mark on many early translations of Krm, as shown in the Introduction.
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