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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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ÞjóðA Frag 1II/1 — val ‘of the stallion’

Nús valmeiðum víðis
— veit drótt mikinn ótta —
— skeiðr hefr herr fyr hauðri —
hætt góðs friðar vætta.
Mildr vill Magnús halda
morðs hlunngotum norðan,
ítr en ǫnnur skreytir
unnvigg Haraldr sunnan.

Nús hætt víðis valmeiðum vætta góðs friðar; drótt veit mikinn ótta; herr hefr skeiðr fyr hauðri. Magnús, mildr morðs, vill halda hlunngotum norðan, en ítr Haraldr skreytir ǫnnur unnvigg sunnan.

Now it’s risky for the beams of the stallion of the ocean [(lit. ‘stallion-beams of the ocean’) SHIP > SEAFARERS] to expect a secure peace; the troop knows great fear; the host takes warships along the coast. Magnús, generous with slaughter, wishes to steer roller-steeds [SHIPS] from the north, while the excellent Haraldr equips other wave-horses [SHIPS] [to sail] from the south.

readings

[1] val‑: so all others, ‘valc‑’

notes

[1] val- ‘stallion’: ’s reading ‘valc-’ (normalised válk- ‘tossing’) is attractive but clearly secondary and fails to produce the base-word required by the ship-kenning. On valr in ship-kennings, see Note to Arn Hryn 19/4. — [3] skeiðr ‘warships’: On the monosyllabic pl., see Note to ÞjóðA Magnfl 12/7.

kennings

grammar

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