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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Note to Þul Ásynja 4III

[5, 6] Eir, Hrist, Skuld: This reading is attested only in ms. C (and adopted in Skj B and Skald). Mss R and have Mist rather than Eir, while in ms. A the second name is omitted (illegible in B, but ‘mist’ in 744ˣ). The confusion here is evidently caused by the next name, Hrist, since Hrist and Mist traditionally appear together (cf. Grí 36/1 (NK 64): Hrist oc Mist and Þul Valkyrja 1/3: Hrist, Mist; see also Note there). Mist is already mentioned in l. 4, however. The generally accepted reading of l. 5, based on ms. C, is problematic because Eir, which means ‘peace, clemency’, is not a valkyrie but one of the Ásynjur whose name is frequently found in kennings for ‘woman’. It also occurs in skaldic poetry as a half-kenning denoting ‘woman’, and it is mentioned in Þul Kvenna II 3/3. In Gylf (SnE 2005, 29), Snorri characterises Eir as an extremely good physician (leiknir beztr). Hence her name does not belong in this list of warlike women.

References

  1. Bibliography
  2. Skj B = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1912-15b. Den norsk-islandske skjaldedigtning. B: Rettet tekst. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Villadsen & Christensen. Rpt. 1973. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde & Bagger.
  3. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
  4. NK = Neckel, Gustav and Hans Kuhn (1899), eds. 1983. Edda: Die Lieder des Codex Regius nebst verwandten Denkmälern. 2 vols. I: Text. 5th edn. Heidelberg: Winter.
  5. SnE 2005 = Snorri Sturluson. 2005. Edda: Prologue and Gylfaginning. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2nd edn. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
  6. Internal references
  7. Margaret Clunies Ross 2022, ‘ Anonymous, Eiríks saga rauða’ in Margaret Clunies Ross, Kari Ellen Gade and Tarrin Wills (eds), Poetry in Sagas of Icelanders. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 5. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 395-399. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=18> (accessed 29 March 2024)
  8. (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 29 March 2024)
  9. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Heiti valkyrja 1’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 969.
  10. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Kvenna heiti ókend 3’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 963.
  11. Not published: do not cite ()

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