Eil Þdr 14III/8 — risa ‘of the giant’
þars í þróttarhersa
Þornranns hugumbornir
— hlymr varð hellis Kumra —
hringbalka* framm gingu.
List* vas fœrðr í fasta
— friðsein vas þar — hreina
gnípu hlǫðr á greypan
gránhǫtt risa kvánar.
þars hugumbornir gingu framm í hringbalka* þróttarhersa Þornranns; hlymr Kumra hellis varð. Hlǫðr hreina gnípu vas list* fœrðr í fasta á greypan gránhǫtt kvánar risa; þar vas friðsein.
when the courageous ones went forwards into the circular rooms of the strength-hersar of the house of Þorn <giant> [CAVE > GIANTS]; the din of the Cumbrians of the cave [GIANTS] arose. The vanquisher of the reindeer of the peak [GIANTS > = Þórr] was cunningly brought into a tight spot upon the horrible grey hat of the wife of the giant [GIANTESS]; there was a prevention of peace.
readings
[8] risa: ‘res’ all
notes
[7-8] á greypan gránhǫtt kvánar risa ‘upon the horrible grey hat of the wife of the giant [GIANTESS]’: The context provided by Skm (SnE 1998, I, 25) seems to indicate that ‘hat of the giantess’ is the chair Þórr is sitting on (NN §461; Reichardt 1948, 373). The meaning of gránhǫtt ‘grey hat’ is not clear, and it might be a unique metaphor for this particular chair, which also protects the heads of the giantesses cowering beneath it (Reichardt 1948, 373). More likely, however, is Clunies Ross’s (1981, 380, followed by Davidson 1983, 627) suggestion that gránhǫtt denotes ‘a slab of grey stone’, which would indicate that Þórr’s struggle with the giantesses took place in a cave; cf. tveggja sprundi hellis ‘two women of the cave’ (st. 15/6, 7, 8). It is possible that the chair occupied by Þórr in Snorri’s narrative is the product of a late medieval elaboration of the scene. — [8] kvánar risa ‘of the wife of the giant [GIANTESS]’: This line has only five syllables in the mss, and kvánar ‘of the wife’ lacks a determinant. Following earlier eds (Finnur Jónsson 1900b, 393; Skj B; NN §461; Reichardt 1948, 374), ‘res’ (so all mss) has been emended to risa ‘of the giant’.
kennings
- kvánar risa; — of the wife of the giant; [GIANTESS]