Note to Anon Leið 5^VII

[7] dáðmôttugs ‘deed-mighty’: This is the first of a series of adjectival compounds beginning dáð- used to describe God and his miracles. Compounds of this type are quite common in the Christian drápur, though relatively uncommon elsewhere in the skaldic corpus (see LP: dáðmttugr). They appear to be a particular favourite of the Leið-poet: God is described as dáðfimr ‘deed-agile’ 26/6; dáðhress ‘deed-hearty’ 45/4; dáðsnjallr ‘deed-eager’ 23/6; dáðsterkr ‘deed-strong’ 20/2, 36/6. Christ establishes peace that is dáðskreytr ‘deed-adorned’ 15/5, the angel host is characterised as dáðstett dags lands ‘the deed-host of day’s land’ 24/5 and the crowd of five thousand fed by Christ is dáðgladdr ‘deed-gladdened’ 28/2. Most of these compounds appear to be neologisms, though similar forms are found in both Geisl (where God is dáðmildr ‘deed-kind’ 25/8, and dáðvandr ‘zealous for [good] deeds’ 6/2, and S. Óláfr is dáðsnjallr ‘deed-eager’ 56/8) and Has (where God is described as dáðgeymir ‘hoarder of [good] deeds’ 34/3; dáðrakkr ‘deed-bold’ 7/8; dáðreyndr ‘deed-proven’ 44/2).

References

1. Bibliography
2. 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.
3. Internal references
4. Martin Chase 2007, ‘ Einarr Skúlason, Geisli’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 5-65. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1144> (accessed 10 May 2024)
5. Katrina Attwood 2007, ‘ Gamli kanóki, Harmsól’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 70-132. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1196> (accessed 10 May 2024)