Þmaur Frag 1^III

Sér á seima rýri,
sigðis látrs at átti,
hrauns glaðsendir handa,
Hermóðr fǫður góðan.

Sér á {rýri seima}, {glaðsendir {hrauns handa}}, at {Hermóðr {látrs sigðis}} átti góðan fǫður.

One can see from {the diminisher of gold} [GENEROUS MAN], {cheerful sender {of the rock of hands}} [GOLD > GENEROUS MAN], that {the Hermóðr <god> {of the lair of the sword}} [SHIELD > WARRIOR] had a worthy father.

Mss: W(75), R(33r), Tˣ(34v), U(31v), A(10r), B(3v), C(4r) (SnE)

Readings: [1] Sér á seima: ‘[…]ma’ R    [2] sigðis: ‘sigþirs’ U;    látrs: ‘lattrs’ R, A;    at: ok R, C;    átti: atti or ‘atri’ C    [3] hrauns: ‘hrauner’(?) C;    glaðsendir: glóðsendir A, glaðs undins B    [4] góðan: góðum C

Editions: Skj AI, 419, Skj BI, 388, Skald I, 192, NN §§904, 1855; SnE 1848-87, I, 406-7, II, 323, 433, 517, 582, III, 70-1, SnE 1931, 144, SnE 1998, I, 62.

Context: The helmingr is the last of a series of citations illustrating kennings for ‘gold’.

Notes: [All]: The numerous kenning elements appear to form three kennings. The first kenning (l. 1), based on rýrir ‘diminisher’ and the third (ll. 2, 4), based on Hermóðr, appear to refer to the same person, but there is disagreement about the place of the second (l. 3), based on glaðsendir ‘cheerful sender’. In the construal shown above (adopted in SnE 1848-87, I, 406-7, III, 70-1 and Skj B), the kenning in l. 3 forms an apostrophe. The main alternatives are that it stands in apposition to the warrior-kenning based on Hermóðr (an option favoured by Faulkes in SnE 1998, I, 190, and apparently by Kock in Skald and NN §§904, 1855) or that it is the subject of sér ‘sees’ (also mentioned by Faulkes). In the latter case, however, the poet would be referring to himself, and doing so in an unusually laudatory way. — [1] sér á ‘one can see from’: Sér ‘sees’ is assumed here to have an unexpressed subject. It could alternatively have the kenning in l. 3 as its subject (see Note to [All] above). Either way, the unknown warrior’s noble birth shows in his appearance, or perhaps his behaviour. — [2] sigðis ‘of the sword’: For this sword-heiti, see Note to Þul Sverða 9/5. — [3] hrauns ‘of the rock’: If Þórðr was Icelandic, the specifically Icelandic sense ‘lava’ would also be possible. — [4] Hermóðr ‘the Hermóðr <god>’: A son of Óðinn, according to Skm. See Note to Þul Ása I l. 6.

References

1. Bibliography
2. Skj B = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1912-15b. Den norsk-islandske skjaldedigtning. B: Rettet tekst. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Villadsen & Christensen. Rpt. 1973. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde & Bagger.
3. SnE 1848-87 = Snorri Sturluson. 1848-87. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar: Edda Snorronis Sturlaei. Ed. Jón Sigurðsson et al. 3 vols. Copenhagen: Legatum Arnamagnaeanum. Rpt. Osnabrück: Zeller, 1966.
4. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
5. NN = Kock, Ernst Albin. 1923-44. Notationes Norrœnæ: Anteckningar till Edda och skaldediktning. Lunds Universitets årsskrift new ser. 1. 28 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
6. SnE 1931 = Snorri Sturluson. 1931. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar. Ed. Finnur Jónsson. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
7. SnE 1998 = Snorri Sturluson. 1998. Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2 vols. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
8. Internal references
9. (forthcoming), ‘ Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=112> (accessed 5 May 2024)
10. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Sverða heiti 9’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 806.
11. Elena Gurevich 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Ása heiti I’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 754. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=3187> (accessed 5 May 2024)