Cite as: Beatrice La Farge (ed.) 2017, ‘Ketils saga hœngs 15 (Ketill hœngr, Lausavísur 10)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 565.
Fljúga fólknöðrur, frækn er Dalakappi;
ljótr er leikr sverða, litat er skegg á karli. |
Skrapa skinnkyrtlar, skjálfa hringskyrtur,
hristaz járnserkir, hræðiz biðill meyjar. |
{Fólknöðrur} fljúga, {Dalakappi} er frækn; ljótr er {leikr sverða}, skegg á karli er litat. Skinnkyrtlar skrapa, hringskyrtur skjálfa, járnserkir hristaz, biðill meyjar hræðiz.
{Battle-snakes} [SPEARS] fly, {Dalakappi (‘the Dale-champion’)} [= Áli Uppdalakappi] is bold; {the play of swords} [BATTLE], is ugly, the beard on the man is coloured [with blood]. The hide-kirtles rustle, the ring shirts quiver, the iron shirts shake, the suitor of the girl is afraid.
Mss: 343a(56v), 471(53v) (Ket)
Readings: [1] ‑nöðrur: so 471, ‑nöðrum 343a [3] sverða: eggja 471 [4] litat: lítit 471 [6] hringskyrtur: járnserkir 471 [7] járnserkir: hringskyrtur 471
Editions: Skj: Anonyme digte og vers [XIII], E. 8. Vers af Fornaldarsagaer: Af Ketill hœngs saga IV 2: AII, 282, BII, 303, Skald II, 160; FSN 2, 126, FSGJ 2, 168, Anderson 1990, 52, 97, 437-8; Edd. Min. 95.
Notes: [1] fólknöðrur fljúga ‘battle-snakes [SPEARS] fly’: The cpd fólknaðra ‘battle-snake’ corresponds to a common type of weapon-kenning, whose base-word is a term for ‘snake’ (see Meissner 153-4). While this stanza is the only example of this usage of the component f. noun naðra, the corresponding m. noun naðr is often used in this way (see LP: naðr, naðra). — [4]: An alternative reading (so 471) is lítit er skegg á karli ‘there is little beard on the man’. This reading is preferred by Skj B and Skald. It is indubitably an insult which implies that the opponent is old (hairless and feeble) or not a ‘real man’ (cf. the derogatory remark about the beardless Njáll in Nj chs 41, 44, ÍF 12, 107, 113). A similar remark about an opponent’s beard appears in Ket 38/1. — [8] biðill meyjar hræðiz ‘the suitor of the girl is afraid’: A provocative remark, indicating Áli’s cowardice. Cf. by contrast Ket 40/1 where Ketill’s lack of cowardice is highlighted.
