[7] syknu ‘acquittal’: This is the only occurrence of sykna f. ‘freedom from guilt, blamelessness, declared innocence’ in skaldic verse. The adj. sykn ‘acquitted’ occurs only in Líkn 31/4, in the context of a description of the Redemption of mankind through the Crucifixion. In prose, it occurs frequently in legal texts (Fritzner: sykn, sykna; CVC: sykn).
References
- Bibliography
- CVC = Cleasby, Richard, Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and W. A. Craigie. 1957. An Icelandic-English Dictionary. 2nd edn. Oxford: Clarendon.
- Fritzner = Fritzner, Johan. 1883-96. Ordbog over det gamle norske sprog. 3 vols. Kristiania (Oslo): Den norske forlagsforening. 4th edn. Rpt. 1973. Oslo etc.: Universitetsforlaget.
- Internal references
- George S. Tate (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Líknarbraut 31’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 261-2.