Note to HSt Frag 3III
[2] Víðblinda galtar ‘of the boar of Víðblindi <giant>’: Víðblindi (or Viðblindi) is attested as a giant’s name in Þul Jǫtna I 5/7. The quantity of the first vowel is uncertain (see Note to l. 7 there). A comparable kenning for ‘whale’ is found in Anon (LaufE) 7/4 svíni Víðblinda ‘the swine of Víðblindi’ (cf. Note to l. 4 there). The kenning is difficult to explain, as the name of this giant is only found here and in the þulur, and the kenning is probably based on a particular mythological episode. Skm’s explanation (SnE 1998, I, 63) is not helpful because it cannot explain the base-word ‘boar’ (see Meissner 116). A possible explanation could be that for giants whales have the same function as boars for men or gods, e.g. as food.
References
- Bibliography
- Meissner = Meissner, Rudolf. 1921. Die Kenningar der Skalden: Ein Beitrag zur skaldischen Poetik. Rheinische Beiträge und Hülfsbücher zur germanischen Philologie und Volkskunde 1. Bonn and Leipzig: Schroeder. Rpt. 1984. Hildesheim etc.: Olms.
- SnE 1998 = Snorri Sturluson. 1998. Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2 vols. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
- Internal references
- (forthcoming), ‘ Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=112> (accessed 1 June 2024)
- Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Jǫtna heiti I 5’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 715.
- Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Lausavísur, Stanzas from Laufás Edda 7’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 644.