Note to Anon Krm 3VIII
[7] gera ‘the greedy one <wolf>’: Although Geri is listed in one of the þulur (Þul Hrafns 1/8III) as a name for ‘raven’, and in Fj 14/2 (Bugge 1867, 345) appears as the name of a watchdog, it is listed in another þula (Þul Vargs 1/1III) as a name for ‘wolf’, and there can be little doubt that it is the wolf as a beast of battle that is meant here. The word occurs frequently in poetry as a common noun meaning ‘wolf’ (see LP: geri), and Geri and Freki, whom Herjafǫðr (‘Father of Armies’, i.e. Óðinn) is said to feed in Grí 19/1 are identified as wolves in Gylf (SnE 2005, 32). The phrase fengum gera gnóga gisting ‘we gave the greedy one <wolf> ample sustenance’ finds a close parallel in ÞjóðA Sex 31/1-2II Gera vas gisting byrjuð | gnóg ‘Plentiful hospitality was initiated for Geri <wolf>’.
References
- Bibliography
- LP = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1931. Lexicon poeticum antiquæ linguæ septentrionalis: Ordbog over det norsk-islandske skjaldesprog oprindelig forfattet af Sveinbjörn Egilsson. 2nd edn. Copenhagen: Møller.
- Bugge, Sophus, ed. 1867. Norrœn fornkvæði. Islandsk samling af folkelige oldtidsdigte om nordens guder og heroer. Almindelig kaldet Sæmundar Edda hins frøda. Christiania (Oslo): Malling. Rpt. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget 1965.
- SnE 2005 = Snorri Sturluson. 2005. Edda: Prologue and Gylfaginning. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2nd edn. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
- Internal references
- (forthcoming), ‘ Snorri Sturluson, Gylfaginning’ 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=113> (accessed 3 June 2024)
- Diana Whaley 2009, ‘ Þjóðólfr Arnórsson, Sexstefja’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 108-47. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1444> (accessed 3 June 2024)
- Not published: do not cite ()
- Not published: do not cite ()
- Elena Gurevich 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Vargs heiti’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 902. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=3216> (accessed 3 June 2024)
- Elena Gurevich 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Hrafns heiti’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 944. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=3238> (accessed 3 June 2024)