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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Note to Grani Har 1II

[2] drífu Kraka ‘Kraki’s <legendary king’s> snow-drift [GOLD]’: Hrólfr kraki ‘Pole-ladder’ was a legendary Dan. king. The kenning refers to the episode in which Hrólfr, pursued by the Swedes, threw gold on the ground to distract his enemies (see SnE 1998, I, 58-9). For a similar ruse employed by Haraldr harðráði, see Þfagr Sveinn 8. Usually kennings with ‘snow’ or ‘ice’ as a base-word denote ‘silver’, but in this particular case the legendary associations establish that ‘gold’ is meant.

References

  1. Bibliography
  2. SnE 1998 = Snorri Sturluson. 1998. Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2 vols. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
  3. Internal references
  4. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Þorleikr fagri, Flokkr about Sveinn Úlfsson 8’ 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, p. 320.

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