SnSt Ht 3III/1 — bága ‘enemy’
Úlfs bága verr ægis
ítrbáls hati málu;
sett eru bǫrð fyr bratta
brún Míms vinar rúnu.
Orms váða kann eiðu
allvaldr gǫfugr halda;
menstríðir, njót móður
mellu dólgs til elli.
Hati ítrbáls ægis verr málu bága úlfs; bǫrð eru sett fyr bratta brún rúnu vinar Míms. Gǫfugr allvaldr kann halda eiðu váða orms; menstríðir, njót móður dólgs mellu til elli.
The hater of the precious pyre of the sea [GOLD > GENEROUS MAN] defends the wife of the wolf’s enemy [= Óðinn > = Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; prows are placed before the steep edge of the confidante of Mímir’s <mythical being’s> friend [= Óðinn > = Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]. The glorious mighty ruler can hold the mother of the serpent’s harmer [= Þórr > = Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; necklace-destroyer [GENEROUS MAN], enjoy the mother of the giantess’s enemy [= Þórr > = Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] until old age.
readings
[1] bága: bagga U(47r)
notes
[1] bága úlfs ‘of the wolf’s enemy [= Óðinn]’: This wolf is Fenrir, Loki’s son, which will break away from its fetters at ragnarǫk ‘the doom of the gods’, fight with Óðinn and kill him (see Vsp 44/3-4, 49/3-4, 53; SnE 2005, 50, 52). The kenning is also given in Egill St 24/2V (Eg 95), which is cited by Snorri in Skm (SnE 1998, I, 9) along with Egill St 23V (Eg 94). The latter stanza contains another kenning used in the present stanza. See Note to l. 4 below.
kennings
- bága úlfs; — of the wolf’s enemy; [= Óðinn]
- málu bága úlfs; — the wife of the wolf’s enemy; [= Jǫrð]
grammar
case: gen.