Katrina Attwood (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Gyðingsvísur 6’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 522-3.
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nær (adv.): near, almost; when
[1] f…z: B is very badly worn, and only the last letter, either a <z> or an <ꝛ> is visible. The 399a-bˣ transcriber was able to make out only initial <f> and final <z>. The word must have been a finite strong verb, pret. sg. m.v., almost certainly 3rd pers., for which the defective man-kenning æskibjóðr ... valstafna ‘wishing-offerer of the ... of the falcon’s perches [ARMS > ?GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’ provides the subject. Skj B adopts var ‘was’, while Skald opts for fellz ‘perished, deteriorated’ and changes ms. ‘ok’ to sem (see NN §3392).
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jafn (adj.; °comp. -ari, superl. -astr): even, just
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
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eyrir (noun m.; °eyris, dat. eyri; aurar): ounce, money, property
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œskja (verb): [wish for] < œskibjóðr (noun m.)
[2] æskibjóðr: so 399a‑bˣ, BRydberg, BFJ, ‘[...]skibiódr’ B
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2. bjóðr (noun m.): inviter < œskibjóðr (noun m.)
[2] æskibjóðr: so 399a‑bˣ, BRydberg, BFJ, ‘[...]skibiódr’ B
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frá (prep.): from
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þjóð (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -/-u; -ir): people
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virðing (noun f.; °-ar): honour
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2. valr (noun m.; °-s): falcon < valstafn (noun m.)
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2. valr (noun m.; °-s): falcon < valstafn (noun m.)
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2. valr (noun m.; °-s): falcon < valstafn (noun m.)
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stafn (noun m.; °dat. -i/-; -ar): prow < valstafn (noun m.)
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stafn (noun m.; °dat. -i/-; -ar): prow < valstafn (noun m.)
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stafn (noun m.; °dat. -i/-; -ar): prow < valstafn (noun m.)
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koma (verb; kem, kom/kvam, kominn): come
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jafnan (adv.): always
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allr (adj.): all
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2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
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2. þá (adv.): then
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Ullr (noun m.): Ullr
[5] Ullar: so 399a‑bˣ, BRydberg, BFJ, ‘[...]llar’ B
[5] Ullar: Named in Gylf (SnE 1982, 26) as sonr Sifjar, stjúpsonr Þórs ‘son of Sif, stepson of Þórr’. Although Ullr appears frequently in man-kennings, this is his only appearance in a battle-kenning (LP: Ullr). The kenning is not entirely satisfactory, since we would expect an additional component, possibly alluding to Ullr’s ship, Skjǫldr, in the determinant.
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Ullr (noun m.): Ullr
[5] Ullar: so 399a‑bˣ, BRydberg, BFJ, ‘[...]llar’ B
[5] Ullar: Named in Gylf (SnE 1982, 26) as sonr Sifjar, stjúpsonr Þórs ‘son of Sif, stepson of Þórr’. Although Ullr appears frequently in man-kennings, this is his only appearance in a battle-kenning (LP: Ullr). The kenning is not entirely satisfactory, since we would expect an additional component, possibly alluding to Ullr’s ship, Skjǫldr, in the determinant.
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él (noun n.; °; dat. -um): storm < élherðandi (noun m.)
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él (noun n.; °; dat. -um): storm < élherðandi (noun m.)
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1. herðandi (noun m.): strengthener < élherðandi (noun m.)
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1. verða (verb): become, be
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skýrr (adj.): clear
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af (prep.): from
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skreyta (verb): adorn < skreytiárr (noun m.)
[7] skreytiárum: ‘[...]arum’ B, 399a‑bˣ, BFJ, ‘[...]y[...]iarum’ BRydberg
[7] skreytiárum (dat. pl.) ‘decorous envoys’: This edn follows all previous eds in adopting Sveinbjörn Egilsson’s suggested reconstruction, made in a marginal note to the 444ˣ transcript.
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1. árr (noun m.; °dat. ár; ǽrir/árar, acc. áru): messenger < skreytiárr (noun m.)
[7] skreytiárum: ‘[...]arum’ B, 399a‑bˣ, BFJ, ‘[...]y[...]iarum’ BRydberg
[7] skreytiárum (dat. pl.) ‘decorous envoys’: This edn follows all previous eds in adopting Sveinbjörn Egilsson’s suggested reconstruction, made in a marginal note to the 444ˣ transcript.
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1. skorða (noun f.; °-u; -ur): prop
[8] skorðu: ‘skorda’ B, 399a‑bˣ, BRydberg, skorðu BFJ
[8] skorðu (f. gen. sg.) ‘boat-prop’: It is necessary to emend ms. ‘skorda’ (f. nom. sg.) for grammatical reasons.
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1. skorða (noun f.; °-u; -ur): prop
[8] skorðu: ‘skorda’ B, 399a‑bˣ, BRydberg, skorðu BFJ
[8] skorðu (f. gen. sg.) ‘boat-prop’: It is necessary to emend ms. ‘skorda’ (f. nom. sg.) for grammatical reasons.
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2. marr (noun m.): horse
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2. marr (noun m.): horse
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fyr (prep.): for, over, because of, etc.
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borð (noun n.; °-s; -): side, plank, board; table
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Nær f…z jafnt og aurar |
The wishing-offerer of the … of the falcon’s perches [ARMS > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN] … always almost equal … money and reputation from men. The pure strengthener of the storm of Ullr <god> [(lit. ‘storm-strengthener of Ullr’) BATTLE > WARRIOR] then considerered that he would be completely thrown over by the decorous envoys of the horse of the boat-prop [SHIP > SEAFARERS].
[1-4]: The ms. is dark and very badly damaged, and it has been necessary to rely extensively on previous transcribers’ readings. This edn considers 399a-bˣ (the earliest surviving transcript) as an accurate account of B, but has reconstructed only where its readings suggest that the reconstruction is plausible. This makes for a less complete, but less conjectural, text than previous eds. The general sense of ll. 1-4 seems to be that the previously generous man found that people’s estimate of him declined as his money ran out.
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