Roberta Frank (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Poems, Málsháttakvæði 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. 1223.
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Frigg (noun f.): Frigg
[1] Friggjar ‘of Frigg <goddess>’: Chief goddess, consort of Óðinn and mother of Baldr. Vsp 33 confirms her weeping at Baldr’s death.
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2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
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svipr (noun m.): swinging, violent
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3. at (prep.): at, to
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sonr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. syni; synir, acc. sonu, syni): son
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
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telja (verb): tell, count
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3. ór (prep.): out of
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mikill (adj.; °mikinn): great, large
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1. kyn (noun n.; °-s; -): kin
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Hermóðr (noun m.): Hermóðr, War-weary
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vilja (verb): want, intend
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1. auka (verb; °eykr; jók, jóku/juku): (str. intrans.) increase
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aldr (noun m.; °aldrs, dat. aldri; aldrar): life, age
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Éljúðnir (noun m.): Éljúðnir
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2. vinna (verb): perform, work
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1. svelgja (verb): swallow
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Baldr (noun m.): [Baldr, Baldur]
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allr (adj.): all
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2. gráta (verb): weep
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
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eptir (prep.): after, behind
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
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1. auka (verb; °eykr; jók, jóku/juku): (str. intrans.) increase
[6] bann hlátrar var þeim aukit ‘their ban of laughter [SORROW] grew’: Lit. ‘the ban of laughter [SORROW] grew for them’. The kenning occurs again only in GSúrs Lv 5/4V (Gísl 7). The word bann has juridical connotations and is found chiefly in legal and theological texts (ONP: bann). It appears in datable verse only from C11th on: e.g. hungrbann ‘ban on hunger’ i.e. ‘feasting’ (ÞjóðA Magnfl 7/4II); fjǫrbann ‘ban on life’ i.e. ‘death’ (Sigv Víkv 12/4I); friðbann ‘ban on peace’ i.e. ‘strife’ (Sigv ErfÓl 10/2I; Ólhv Hryn 6/2II).
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
[6] bann hlátrar var þeim aukit ‘their ban of laughter [SORROW] grew’: Lit. ‘the ban of laughter [SORROW] grew for them’. The kenning occurs again only in GSúrs Lv 5/4V (Gísl 7). The word bann has juridical connotations and is found chiefly in legal and theological texts (ONP: bann). It appears in datable verse only from C11th on: e.g. hungrbann ‘ban on hunger’ i.e. ‘feasting’ (ÞjóðA Magnfl 7/4II); fjǫrbann ‘ban on life’ i.e. ‘death’ (Sigv Víkv 12/4I); friðbann ‘ban on peace’ i.e. ‘strife’ (Sigv ErfÓl 10/2I; Ólhv Hryn 6/2II).
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
[6] bann hlátrar var þeim aukit ‘their ban of laughter [SORROW] grew’: Lit. ‘the ban of laughter [SORROW] grew for them’. The kenning occurs again only in GSúrs Lv 5/4V (Gísl 7). The word bann has juridical connotations and is found chiefly in legal and theological texts (ONP: bann). It appears in datable verse only from C11th on: e.g. hungrbann ‘ban on hunger’ i.e. ‘feasting’ (ÞjóðA Magnfl 7/4II); fjǫrbann ‘ban on life’ i.e. ‘death’ (Sigv Víkv 12/4I); friðbann ‘ban on peace’ i.e. ‘strife’ (Sigv ErfÓl 10/2I; Ólhv Hryn 6/2II).
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hlátr (noun m.; °hlátrs/hlátrar, dat. hlátri): laughter
[6] bann hlátrar var þeim aukit ‘their ban of laughter [SORROW] grew’: Lit. ‘the ban of laughter [SORROW] grew for them’. The kenning occurs again only in GSúrs Lv 5/4V (Gísl 7). The word bann has juridical connotations and is found chiefly in legal and theological texts (ONP: bann). It appears in datable verse only from C11th on: e.g. hungrbann ‘ban on hunger’ i.e. ‘feasting’ (ÞjóðA Magnfl 7/4II); fjǫrbann ‘ban on life’ i.e. ‘death’ (Sigv Víkv 12/4I); friðbann ‘ban on peace’ i.e. ‘strife’ (Sigv ErfÓl 10/2I; Ólhv Hryn 6/2II).
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bann (noun n.; °-s; *-): ban
[6] bann hlátrar var þeim aukit ‘their ban of laughter [SORROW] grew’: Lit. ‘the ban of laughter [SORROW] grew for them’. The kenning occurs again only in GSúrs Lv 5/4V (Gísl 7). The word bann has juridical connotations and is found chiefly in legal and theological texts (ONP: bann). It appears in datable verse only from C11th on: e.g. hungrbann ‘ban on hunger’ i.e. ‘feasting’ (ÞjóðA Magnfl 7/4II); fjǫrbann ‘ban on life’ i.e. ‘death’ (Sigv Víkv 12/4I); friðbann ‘ban on peace’ i.e. ‘strife’ (Sigv ErfÓl 10/2I; Ólhv Hryn 6/2II).
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heyrinkunnr (adj.): well known
[7] heyrinkunn ‘very well known’: The cpd is attested in poetry only in Mhkv; see also st. 29/2.
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
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frá (prep.): from
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
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1. saga (noun f.; °*-u; *-ur): story, saga
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hvat (pron.): what
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2. þurfa (verb): need, be necessary
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
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3. of (prep.): around, from; too
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2. slíkr (adj.): such
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5. at (nota): to (with infinitive)
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jaga (verb): [harp]
[8] jaga ‘harp on’: The verb occurs in the sense ‘chatter on, jabber, prattle’ in Orkney, Shetland and northern England (AEW: jaga).
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
It seemed a sudden loss concerning the son of Frigg <goddess> [= Baldr]; he was reckoned from a great family; Hermóðr wanted to extend his life; Éljúðnir <hall of Hel>
Snorri Sturluson’s version of Baldr’s end in Gylf (SnE 2005, 45-9) includes Hermóðr’s journey to Hel’s hall to rescue Óðinn’s son, a mission that failed when all creation did not lament the slain god. The Mhkv version of the myth portrays the tragic death of Baldr as an ordinary domestic tragedy rather than the beginning of the last days of the world. — [1-2]: Guðbrandur Vigfússon (CPB II, 365) emended this couplet to Friggjar þótti svipr at sveini | sá var tældr af Mistilteini ‘Frigg’s boy was snatched away, he was done to death by Mistiltoe’. — [5]: This suggestion of universal lamentation differs from Snorri’s account, in which one female figure (Loki in disguise) refuses to join in; but see Anon (Hrafn) 2/4IV dated 1196.
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