Cookies on our website

We use cookies on this website, mainly to provide a secure browsing experience but also to collect statistics on how the website is used. You can find out more about the cookies we set, the information we store and how we use it on the cookies page.

Continue

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

Menu Search

Close

Anon (SnE) 10^III

Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Lausavísur, Stanzas from Snorra Edda 10’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 521.

Anonymous Lausavísur Stanzas from Snorra Edda

Ǫr ‘to the generous’

(not checked:)
ǫrr (adj.): generous, brave < ǫrgildir (noun m.): [to generous giver]

[1] Ǫrgildi*: Ǫrgildis R, A, C, ‘Aurgildi’ or ‘Aurgildis’ Tˣ

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

gildi* ‘giver’

(not checked:)
gildir (noun m.): payer, supporter < ǫrgildir (noun m.): [to generous giver]

[1] Ǫrgildi*: Ǫrgildis R, A, C, ‘Aurgildi’ or ‘Aurgildis’ Tˣ

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

vask ‘I was’

(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am

[1] vask (‘var ec’): var er A

Eldis ‘of the Eldir’

(not checked:)
Eldir (noun m.): Eldir

[1] Eldis: eldi R, Tˣ, A, aldri C

kennings

h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar.
‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river. ’
= MAN
the anvil of the river. → STONE
the Eldir of the STONE → GIANT
the speeches of the GIANT → GOLD
to the cherry-tree of the GOLD → MAN

notes

[1, 2, 3, 4] h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar ‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir <mythical servant> of the anvil of the river [STONE > GIANT > GOLD > MAN]’: The emendation of the mss’ eldi m. dat. sg. ‘for the fire’ or Eldi m. acc. or dat. sg. of Eldir is in keeping with earlier eds. Mála Eldis steðja áar ‘of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river’ is clearly a kenning for ‘gold’ (for this myth, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8). Eldir was one of the servants of the sea-giant Ægir (see Lok 1-5 and prose, NK 96-7). The base-word of this man-kenning is more problematic. All mss have hreggi n. dat. sg. ‘storm’, which is retained by Faulkes (SnE 1998). Hregg ‘storm’ is unprecedented as a base-word in a man-kenning, however, not only because ‘storm of gold’ makes little sense (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 317 provides the translation ‘destroyer, enemy of gold’, i.e. ‘generous man’), but also because the noun is n. and not m. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Kock in Skald) tentatively emends to hnøggvi (m. dat. sg. of hnøggvir), which Finnur (LP: hnøggvir) translates as som støder, rykker bort, uddeler ‘one who shoves, snatches away, distributes’. Hnøggvir is a hap. leg., however, and also a poor candidate for a base-word in a kenning for ‘generous man’, because other nouns derived from the verb hnøggva ‘shove, push separate sby from sth., stumble’, such as hnøggvi ‘parsimony’ and hnøggvingr ‘one who is parsimonious’, have the opposite meaning to ‘generous’. The present emendation heggi, m. dat. sg. of heggr ‘bird-cherry tree’ (see Þul Viðar 2/1), is less intrusive, and heggr is attested as a base-word in a kenning for ‘warrior’ in Gsind Hákdr 3/2^I.

Eldis ‘of the Eldir’

(not checked:)
Eldir (noun m.): Eldir

[1] Eldis: eldi R, Tˣ, A, aldri C

kennings

h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar.
‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river. ’
= MAN
the anvil of the river. → STONE
the Eldir of the STONE → GIANT
the speeches of the GIANT → GOLD
to the cherry-tree of the GOLD → MAN

notes

[1, 2, 3, 4] h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar ‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir <mythical servant> of the anvil of the river [STONE > GIANT > GOLD > MAN]’: The emendation of the mss’ eldi m. dat. sg. ‘for the fire’ or Eldi m. acc. or dat. sg. of Eldir is in keeping with earlier eds. Mála Eldis steðja áar ‘of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river’ is clearly a kenning for ‘gold’ (for this myth, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8). Eldir was one of the servants of the sea-giant Ægir (see Lok 1-5 and prose, NK 96-7). The base-word of this man-kenning is more problematic. All mss have hreggi n. dat. sg. ‘storm’, which is retained by Faulkes (SnE 1998). Hregg ‘storm’ is unprecedented as a base-word in a man-kenning, however, not only because ‘storm of gold’ makes little sense (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 317 provides the translation ‘destroyer, enemy of gold’, i.e. ‘generous man’), but also because the noun is n. and not m. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Kock in Skald) tentatively emends to hnøggvi (m. dat. sg. of hnøggvir), which Finnur (LP: hnøggvir) translates as som støder, rykker bort, uddeler ‘one who shoves, snatches away, distributes’. Hnøggvir is a hap. leg., however, and also a poor candidate for a base-word in a kenning for ‘generous man’, because other nouns derived from the verb hnøggva ‘shove, push separate sby from sth., stumble’, such as hnøggvi ‘parsimony’ and hnøggvingr ‘one who is parsimonious’, have the opposite meaning to ‘generous’. The present emendation heggi, m. dat. sg. of heggr ‘bird-cherry tree’ (see Þul Viðar 2/1), is less intrusive, and heggr is attested as a base-word in a kenning for ‘warrior’ in Gsind Hákdr 3/2^I.

Eldis ‘of the Eldir’

(not checked:)
Eldir (noun m.): Eldir

[1] Eldis: eldi R, Tˣ, A, aldri C

kennings

h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar.
‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river. ’
= MAN
the anvil of the river. → STONE
the Eldir of the STONE → GIANT
the speeches of the GIANT → GOLD
to the cherry-tree of the GOLD → MAN

notes

[1, 2, 3, 4] h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar ‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir <mythical servant> of the anvil of the river [STONE > GIANT > GOLD > MAN]’: The emendation of the mss’ eldi m. dat. sg. ‘for the fire’ or Eldi m. acc. or dat. sg. of Eldir is in keeping with earlier eds. Mála Eldis steðja áar ‘of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river’ is clearly a kenning for ‘gold’ (for this myth, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8). Eldir was one of the servants of the sea-giant Ægir (see Lok 1-5 and prose, NK 96-7). The base-word of this man-kenning is more problematic. All mss have hreggi n. dat. sg. ‘storm’, which is retained by Faulkes (SnE 1998). Hregg ‘storm’ is unprecedented as a base-word in a man-kenning, however, not only because ‘storm of gold’ makes little sense (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 317 provides the translation ‘destroyer, enemy of gold’, i.e. ‘generous man’), but also because the noun is n. and not m. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Kock in Skald) tentatively emends to hnøggvi (m. dat. sg. of hnøggvir), which Finnur (LP: hnøggvir) translates as som støder, rykker bort, uddeler ‘one who shoves, snatches away, distributes’. Hnøggvir is a hap. leg., however, and also a poor candidate for a base-word in a kenning for ‘generous man’, because other nouns derived from the verb hnøggva ‘shove, push separate sby from sth., stumble’, such as hnøggvi ‘parsimony’ and hnøggvingr ‘one who is parsimonious’, have the opposite meaning to ‘generous’. The present emendation heggi, m. dat. sg. of heggr ‘bird-cherry tree’ (see Þul Viðar 2/1), is less intrusive, and heggr is attested as a base-word in a kenning for ‘warrior’ in Gsind Hákdr 3/2^I.

áls ‘of the eel’

(not checked:)
1. áll (noun m.; °dat. ál; álar): eel

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

áls ‘of the eel’

(not checked:)
1. áll (noun m.; °dat. ál; álar): eel

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

áls ‘of the eel’

(not checked:)
1. áll (noun m.; °dat. ál; álar): eel

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

Fjǫr ‘of’

(not checked:)
fjǫr (noun n.): life < Fjǫrgyn (noun f.)

[2] Fjǫr‑: ‘for’ Tˣ

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

Fjǫr ‘of’

(not checked:)
fjǫr (noun n.): life < Fjǫrgyn (noun f.)

[2] Fjǫr‑: ‘for’ Tˣ

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

Fjǫr ‘of’

(not checked:)
fjǫr (noun n.): life < Fjǫrgyn (noun f.)

[2] Fjǫr‑: ‘for’ Tˣ

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

gynjar ‘Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]’

(not checked:)
Fjǫrgyn (noun f.) < Fjǫrgyn (noun f.)

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

gynjar ‘Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]’

(not checked:)
Fjǫrgyn (noun f.) < Fjǫrgyn (noun f.)

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

gynjar ‘Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]’

(not checked:)
Fjǫrgyn (noun f.) < Fjǫrgyn (noun f.)

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

mála ‘of the speeches’

(not checked:)
1. mál (noun n.; °-s; -): speech, matter

kennings

h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar.
‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river. ’
= MAN
the anvil of the river. → STONE
the Eldir of the STONE → GIANT
the speeches of the GIANT → GOLD
to the cherry-tree of the GOLD → MAN

notes

[1, 2, 3, 4] h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar ‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir <mythical servant> of the anvil of the river [STONE > GIANT > GOLD > MAN]’: The emendation of the mss’ eldi m. dat. sg. ‘for the fire’ or Eldi m. acc. or dat. sg. of Eldir is in keeping with earlier eds. Mála Eldis steðja áar ‘of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river’ is clearly a kenning for ‘gold’ (for this myth, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8). Eldir was one of the servants of the sea-giant Ægir (see Lok 1-5 and prose, NK 96-7). The base-word of this man-kenning is more problematic. All mss have hreggi n. dat. sg. ‘storm’, which is retained by Faulkes (SnE 1998). Hregg ‘storm’ is unprecedented as a base-word in a man-kenning, however, not only because ‘storm of gold’ makes little sense (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 317 provides the translation ‘destroyer, enemy of gold’, i.e. ‘generous man’), but also because the noun is n. and not m. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Kock in Skald) tentatively emends to hnøggvi (m. dat. sg. of hnøggvir), which Finnur (LP: hnøggvir) translates as som støder, rykker bort, uddeler ‘one who shoves, snatches away, distributes’. Hnøggvir is a hap. leg., however, and also a poor candidate for a base-word in a kenning for ‘generous man’, because other nouns derived from the verb hnøggva ‘shove, push separate sby from sth., stumble’, such as hnøggvi ‘parsimony’ and hnøggvingr ‘one who is parsimonious’, have the opposite meaning to ‘generous’. The present emendation heggi, m. dat. sg. of heggr ‘bird-cherry tree’ (see Þul Viðar 2/1), is less intrusive, and heggr is attested as a base-word in a kenning for ‘warrior’ in Gsind Hákdr 3/2^I.

mála ‘of the speeches’

(not checked:)
1. mál (noun n.; °-s; -): speech, matter

kennings

h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar.
‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river. ’
= MAN
the anvil of the river. → STONE
the Eldir of the STONE → GIANT
the speeches of the GIANT → GOLD
to the cherry-tree of the GOLD → MAN

notes

[1, 2, 3, 4] h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar ‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir <mythical servant> of the anvil of the river [STONE > GIANT > GOLD > MAN]’: The emendation of the mss’ eldi m. dat. sg. ‘for the fire’ or Eldi m. acc. or dat. sg. of Eldir is in keeping with earlier eds. Mála Eldis steðja áar ‘of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river’ is clearly a kenning for ‘gold’ (for this myth, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8). Eldir was one of the servants of the sea-giant Ægir (see Lok 1-5 and prose, NK 96-7). The base-word of this man-kenning is more problematic. All mss have hreggi n. dat. sg. ‘storm’, which is retained by Faulkes (SnE 1998). Hregg ‘storm’ is unprecedented as a base-word in a man-kenning, however, not only because ‘storm of gold’ makes little sense (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 317 provides the translation ‘destroyer, enemy of gold’, i.e. ‘generous man’), but also because the noun is n. and not m. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Kock in Skald) tentatively emends to hnøggvi (m. dat. sg. of hnøggvir), which Finnur (LP: hnøggvir) translates as som støder, rykker bort, uddeler ‘one who shoves, snatches away, distributes’. Hnøggvir is a hap. leg., however, and also a poor candidate for a base-word in a kenning for ‘generous man’, because other nouns derived from the verb hnøggva ‘shove, push separate sby from sth., stumble’, such as hnøggvi ‘parsimony’ and hnøggvingr ‘one who is parsimonious’, have the opposite meaning to ‘generous’. The present emendation heggi, m. dat. sg. of heggr ‘bird-cherry tree’ (see Þul Viðar 2/1), is less intrusive, and heggr is attested as a base-word in a kenning for ‘warrior’ in Gsind Hákdr 3/2^I.

dyggr ‘faithful’

(not checked:)
dyggr (adj.; °dyggvan/dyggan; compar. -vari/-ari/-ri, superl. -vastr/-astr/-str): trustworthy

sé ‘come’

(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am

heiðr ‘may honour’

(not checked:)
1. heiðr (noun m.; °heiðrs/heiðar, dat. heiðri/heiðr): honour - gen. -rs

ok ‘also’

(not checked:)
3. ok (conj.): and, but; also

heggi* ‘to the cherry-tree’

(not checked:)
heggr (noun m.): cherry-tree

kennings

h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar.
‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river. ’
= MAN
the anvil of the river. → STONE
the Eldir of the STONE → GIANT
the speeches of the GIANT → GOLD
to the cherry-tree of the GOLD → MAN

notes

[1, 2, 3, 4] h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar ‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir <mythical servant> of the anvil of the river [STONE > GIANT > GOLD > MAN]’: The emendation of the mss’ eldi m. dat. sg. ‘for the fire’ or Eldi m. acc. or dat. sg. of Eldir is in keeping with earlier eds. Mála Eldis steðja áar ‘of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river’ is clearly a kenning for ‘gold’ (for this myth, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8). Eldir was one of the servants of the sea-giant Ægir (see Lok 1-5 and prose, NK 96-7). The base-word of this man-kenning is more problematic. All mss have hreggi n. dat. sg. ‘storm’, which is retained by Faulkes (SnE 1998). Hregg ‘storm’ is unprecedented as a base-word in a man-kenning, however, not only because ‘storm of gold’ makes little sense (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 317 provides the translation ‘destroyer, enemy of gold’, i.e. ‘generous man’), but also because the noun is n. and not m. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Kock in Skald) tentatively emends to hnøggvi (m. dat. sg. of hnøggvir), which Finnur (LP: hnøggvir) translates as som støder, rykker bort, uddeler ‘one who shoves, snatches away, distributes’. Hnøggvir is a hap. leg., however, and also a poor candidate for a base-word in a kenning for ‘generous man’, because other nouns derived from the verb hnøggva ‘shove, push separate sby from sth., stumble’, such as hnøggvi ‘parsimony’ and hnøggvingr ‘one who is parsimonious’, have the opposite meaning to ‘generous’. The present emendation heggi, m. dat. sg. of heggr ‘bird-cherry tree’ (see Þul Viðar 2/1), is less intrusive, and heggr is attested as a base-word in a kenning for ‘warrior’ in Gsind Hákdr 3/2^I.

hryn ‘of the resounding’

(not checked:)
hrynja (verb): fall, flow < hrynbeðr (noun m.): [resounding bed]

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

hryn ‘of the resounding’

(not checked:)
hrynja (verb): fall, flow < hrynbeðr (noun m.): [resounding bed]

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

beðs ‘bed’

(not checked:)
beðr (noun m.; °dat. -/-i; -ir, dat. -jum): bed < hrynbeðr (noun m.): [resounding bed]

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

beðs ‘bed’

(not checked:)
beðr (noun m.; °dat. -/-i; -ir, dat. -jum): bed < hrynbeðr (noun m.): [resounding bed]

kennings

ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar;
‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)]; → SERPENT
the resounding bed of the SERPENT → GOLD
to the generous giver of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[1, 2, 4] ǫrgildi* hrynbeðs áls Fjǫrgynjar ‘to the generous giver of the resounding bed of the eel of Fjǫrgyn [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] [SERPENT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: Most mss have (normalised) ǫrgildis gen. sg. ‘of the generous giver’ (the ending of the word is unclear in Tˣ), which cannot be construed to make sense syntactically. The emendation is in keeping with earlier eds. Fjǫrgyn is another name for the goddess Jǫrð, the mother of the god Þórr, and jǫrð means ‘earth’ (see e.g. Vsp 56/10).

áar ‘of the river’

(not checked:)
1. á (noun f.; °-r; -r/-ir (aor nom. pl. Gul315e 41 repræsenterer if. Suppl4, [$1$] & ed. intr. 32 svag bøjning)): river

kennings

h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar.
‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river. ’
= MAN
the anvil of the river. → STONE
the Eldir of the STONE → GIANT
the speeches of the GIANT → GOLD
to the cherry-tree of the GOLD → MAN

notes

[1, 2, 3, 4] h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar ‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir <mythical servant> of the anvil of the river [STONE > GIANT > GOLD > MAN]’: The emendation of the mss’ eldi m. dat. sg. ‘for the fire’ or Eldi m. acc. or dat. sg. of Eldir is in keeping with earlier eds. Mála Eldis steðja áar ‘of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river’ is clearly a kenning for ‘gold’ (for this myth, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8). Eldir was one of the servants of the sea-giant Ægir (see Lok 1-5 and prose, NK 96-7). The base-word of this man-kenning is more problematic. All mss have hreggi n. dat. sg. ‘storm’, which is retained by Faulkes (SnE 1998). Hregg ‘storm’ is unprecedented as a base-word in a man-kenning, however, not only because ‘storm of gold’ makes little sense (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 317 provides the translation ‘destroyer, enemy of gold’, i.e. ‘generous man’), but also because the noun is n. and not m. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Kock in Skald) tentatively emends to hnøggvi (m. dat. sg. of hnøggvir), which Finnur (LP: hnøggvir) translates as som støder, rykker bort, uddeler ‘one who shoves, snatches away, distributes’. Hnøggvir is a hap. leg., however, and also a poor candidate for a base-word in a kenning for ‘generous man’, because other nouns derived from the verb hnøggva ‘shove, push separate sby from sth., stumble’, such as hnøggvi ‘parsimony’ and hnøggvingr ‘one who is parsimonious’, have the opposite meaning to ‘generous’. The present emendation heggi, m. dat. sg. of heggr ‘bird-cherry tree’ (see Þul Viðar 2/1), is less intrusive, and heggr is attested as a base-word in a kenning for ‘warrior’ in Gsind Hákdr 3/2^I.

áar ‘of the river’

(not checked:)
1. á (noun f.; °-r; -r/-ir (aor nom. pl. Gul315e 41 repræsenterer if. Suppl4, [$1$] & ed. intr. 32 svag bøjning)): river

kennings

h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar.
‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river. ’
= MAN
the anvil of the river. → STONE
the Eldir of the STONE → GIANT
the speeches of the GIANT → GOLD
to the cherry-tree of the GOLD → MAN

notes

[1, 2, 3, 4] h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar ‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir <mythical servant> of the anvil of the river [STONE > GIANT > GOLD > MAN]’: The emendation of the mss’ eldi m. dat. sg. ‘for the fire’ or Eldi m. acc. or dat. sg. of Eldir is in keeping with earlier eds. Mála Eldis steðja áar ‘of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river’ is clearly a kenning for ‘gold’ (for this myth, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8). Eldir was one of the servants of the sea-giant Ægir (see Lok 1-5 and prose, NK 96-7). The base-word of this man-kenning is more problematic. All mss have hreggi n. dat. sg. ‘storm’, which is retained by Faulkes (SnE 1998). Hregg ‘storm’ is unprecedented as a base-word in a man-kenning, however, not only because ‘storm of gold’ makes little sense (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 317 provides the translation ‘destroyer, enemy of gold’, i.e. ‘generous man’), but also because the noun is n. and not m. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Kock in Skald) tentatively emends to hnøggvi (m. dat. sg. of hnøggvir), which Finnur (LP: hnøggvir) translates as som støder, rykker bort, uddeler ‘one who shoves, snatches away, distributes’. Hnøggvir is a hap. leg., however, and also a poor candidate for a base-word in a kenning for ‘generous man’, because other nouns derived from the verb hnøggva ‘shove, push separate sby from sth., stumble’, such as hnøggvi ‘parsimony’ and hnøggvingr ‘one who is parsimonious’, have the opposite meaning to ‘generous’. The present emendation heggi, m. dat. sg. of heggr ‘bird-cherry tree’ (see Þul Viðar 2/1), is less intrusive, and heggr is attested as a base-word in a kenning for ‘warrior’ in Gsind Hákdr 3/2^I.

áar ‘of the river’

(not checked:)
1. á (noun f.; °-r; -r/-ir (aor nom. pl. Gul315e 41 repræsenterer if. Suppl4, [$1$] & ed. intr. 32 svag bøjning)): river

kennings

h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar.
‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river. ’
= MAN
the anvil of the river. → STONE
the Eldir of the STONE → GIANT
the speeches of the GIANT → GOLD
to the cherry-tree of the GOLD → MAN

notes

[1, 2, 3, 4] h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar ‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir <mythical servant> of the anvil of the river [STONE > GIANT > GOLD > MAN]’: The emendation of the mss’ eldi m. dat. sg. ‘for the fire’ or Eldi m. acc. or dat. sg. of Eldir is in keeping with earlier eds. Mála Eldis steðja áar ‘of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river’ is clearly a kenning for ‘gold’ (for this myth, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8). Eldir was one of the servants of the sea-giant Ægir (see Lok 1-5 and prose, NK 96-7). The base-word of this man-kenning is more problematic. All mss have hreggi n. dat. sg. ‘storm’, which is retained by Faulkes (SnE 1998). Hregg ‘storm’ is unprecedented as a base-word in a man-kenning, however, not only because ‘storm of gold’ makes little sense (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 317 provides the translation ‘destroyer, enemy of gold’, i.e. ‘generous man’), but also because the noun is n. and not m. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Kock in Skald) tentatively emends to hnøggvi (m. dat. sg. of hnøggvir), which Finnur (LP: hnøggvir) translates as som støder, rykker bort, uddeler ‘one who shoves, snatches away, distributes’. Hnøggvir is a hap. leg., however, and also a poor candidate for a base-word in a kenning for ‘generous man’, because other nouns derived from the verb hnøggva ‘shove, push separate sby from sth., stumble’, such as hnøggvi ‘parsimony’ and hnøggvingr ‘one who is parsimonious’, have the opposite meaning to ‘generous’. The present emendation heggi, m. dat. sg. of heggr ‘bird-cherry tree’ (see Þul Viðar 2/1), is less intrusive, and heggr is attested as a base-word in a kenning for ‘warrior’ in Gsind Hákdr 3/2^I.

áar ‘of the river’

(not checked:)
1. á (noun f.; °-r; -r/-ir (aor nom. pl. Gul315e 41 repræsenterer if. Suppl4, [$1$] & ed. intr. 32 svag bøjning)): river

kennings

h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar.
‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river. ’
= MAN
the anvil of the river. → STONE
the Eldir of the STONE → GIANT
the speeches of the GIANT → GOLD
to the cherry-tree of the GOLD → MAN

notes

[1, 2, 3, 4] h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar ‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir <mythical servant> of the anvil of the river [STONE > GIANT > GOLD > MAN]’: The emendation of the mss’ eldi m. dat. sg. ‘for the fire’ or Eldi m. acc. or dat. sg. of Eldir is in keeping with earlier eds. Mála Eldis steðja áar ‘of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river’ is clearly a kenning for ‘gold’ (for this myth, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8). Eldir was one of the servants of the sea-giant Ægir (see Lok 1-5 and prose, NK 96-7). The base-word of this man-kenning is more problematic. All mss have hreggi n. dat. sg. ‘storm’, which is retained by Faulkes (SnE 1998). Hregg ‘storm’ is unprecedented as a base-word in a man-kenning, however, not only because ‘storm of gold’ makes little sense (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 317 provides the translation ‘destroyer, enemy of gold’, i.e. ‘generous man’), but also because the noun is n. and not m. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Kock in Skald) tentatively emends to hnøggvi (m. dat. sg. of hnøggvir), which Finnur (LP: hnøggvir) translates as som støder, rykker bort, uddeler ‘one who shoves, snatches away, distributes’. Hnøggvir is a hap. leg., however, and also a poor candidate for a base-word in a kenning for ‘generous man’, because other nouns derived from the verb hnøggva ‘shove, push separate sby from sth., stumble’, such as hnøggvi ‘parsimony’ and hnøggvingr ‘one who is parsimonious’, have the opposite meaning to ‘generous’. The present emendation heggi, m. dat. sg. of heggr ‘bird-cherry tree’ (see Þul Viðar 2/1), is less intrusive, and heggr is attested as a base-word in a kenning for ‘warrior’ in Gsind Hákdr 3/2^I.

steðja ‘of the anvil’

(not checked:)
steði (noun m.; °-ja; -jar): anvil

kennings

h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar.
‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river. ’
= MAN
the anvil of the river. → STONE
the Eldir of the STONE → GIANT
the speeches of the GIANT → GOLD
to the cherry-tree of the GOLD → MAN

notes

[1, 2, 3, 4] h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar ‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir <mythical servant> of the anvil of the river [STONE > GIANT > GOLD > MAN]’: The emendation of the mss’ eldi m. dat. sg. ‘for the fire’ or Eldi m. acc. or dat. sg. of Eldir is in keeping with earlier eds. Mála Eldis steðja áar ‘of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river’ is clearly a kenning for ‘gold’ (for this myth, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8). Eldir was one of the servants of the sea-giant Ægir (see Lok 1-5 and prose, NK 96-7). The base-word of this man-kenning is more problematic. All mss have hreggi n. dat. sg. ‘storm’, which is retained by Faulkes (SnE 1998). Hregg ‘storm’ is unprecedented as a base-word in a man-kenning, however, not only because ‘storm of gold’ makes little sense (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 317 provides the translation ‘destroyer, enemy of gold’, i.e. ‘generous man’), but also because the noun is n. and not m. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Kock in Skald) tentatively emends to hnøggvi (m. dat. sg. of hnøggvir), which Finnur (LP: hnøggvir) translates as som støder, rykker bort, uddeler ‘one who shoves, snatches away, distributes’. Hnøggvir is a hap. leg., however, and also a poor candidate for a base-word in a kenning for ‘generous man’, because other nouns derived from the verb hnøggva ‘shove, push separate sby from sth., stumble’, such as hnøggvi ‘parsimony’ and hnøggvingr ‘one who is parsimonious’, have the opposite meaning to ‘generous’. The present emendation heggi, m. dat. sg. of heggr ‘bird-cherry tree’ (see Þul Viðar 2/1), is less intrusive, and heggr is attested as a base-word in a kenning for ‘warrior’ in Gsind Hákdr 3/2^I.

steðja ‘of the anvil’

(not checked:)
steði (noun m.; °-ja; -jar): anvil

kennings

h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar.
‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river. ’
= MAN
the anvil of the river. → STONE
the Eldir of the STONE → GIANT
the speeches of the GIANT → GOLD
to the cherry-tree of the GOLD → MAN

notes

[1, 2, 3, 4] h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar ‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir <mythical servant> of the anvil of the river [STONE > GIANT > GOLD > MAN]’: The emendation of the mss’ eldi m. dat. sg. ‘for the fire’ or Eldi m. acc. or dat. sg. of Eldir is in keeping with earlier eds. Mála Eldis steðja áar ‘of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river’ is clearly a kenning for ‘gold’ (for this myth, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8). Eldir was one of the servants of the sea-giant Ægir (see Lok 1-5 and prose, NK 96-7). The base-word of this man-kenning is more problematic. All mss have hreggi n. dat. sg. ‘storm’, which is retained by Faulkes (SnE 1998). Hregg ‘storm’ is unprecedented as a base-word in a man-kenning, however, not only because ‘storm of gold’ makes little sense (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 317 provides the translation ‘destroyer, enemy of gold’, i.e. ‘generous man’), but also because the noun is n. and not m. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Kock in Skald) tentatively emends to hnøggvi (m. dat. sg. of hnøggvir), which Finnur (LP: hnøggvir) translates as som støder, rykker bort, uddeler ‘one who shoves, snatches away, distributes’. Hnøggvir is a hap. leg., however, and also a poor candidate for a base-word in a kenning for ‘generous man’, because other nouns derived from the verb hnøggva ‘shove, push separate sby from sth., stumble’, such as hnøggvi ‘parsimony’ and hnøggvingr ‘one who is parsimonious’, have the opposite meaning to ‘generous’. The present emendation heggi, m. dat. sg. of heggr ‘bird-cherry tree’ (see Þul Viðar 2/1), is less intrusive, and heggr is attested as a base-word in a kenning for ‘warrior’ in Gsind Hákdr 3/2^I.

steðja ‘of the anvil’

(not checked:)
steði (noun m.; °-ja; -jar): anvil

kennings

h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar.
‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river. ’
= MAN
the anvil of the river. → STONE
the Eldir of the STONE → GIANT
the speeches of the GIANT → GOLD
to the cherry-tree of the GOLD → MAN

notes

[1, 2, 3, 4] h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar ‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir <mythical servant> of the anvil of the river [STONE > GIANT > GOLD > MAN]’: The emendation of the mss’ eldi m. dat. sg. ‘for the fire’ or Eldi m. acc. or dat. sg. of Eldir is in keeping with earlier eds. Mála Eldis steðja áar ‘of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river’ is clearly a kenning for ‘gold’ (for this myth, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8). Eldir was one of the servants of the sea-giant Ægir (see Lok 1-5 and prose, NK 96-7). The base-word of this man-kenning is more problematic. All mss have hreggi n. dat. sg. ‘storm’, which is retained by Faulkes (SnE 1998). Hregg ‘storm’ is unprecedented as a base-word in a man-kenning, however, not only because ‘storm of gold’ makes little sense (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 317 provides the translation ‘destroyer, enemy of gold’, i.e. ‘generous man’), but also because the noun is n. and not m. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Kock in Skald) tentatively emends to hnøggvi (m. dat. sg. of hnøggvir), which Finnur (LP: hnøggvir) translates as som støder, rykker bort, uddeler ‘one who shoves, snatches away, distributes’. Hnøggvir is a hap. leg., however, and also a poor candidate for a base-word in a kenning for ‘generous man’, because other nouns derived from the verb hnøggva ‘shove, push separate sby from sth., stumble’, such as hnøggvi ‘parsimony’ and hnøggvingr ‘one who is parsimonious’, have the opposite meaning to ‘generous’. The present emendation heggi, m. dat. sg. of heggr ‘bird-cherry tree’ (see Þul Viðar 2/1), is less intrusive, and heggr is attested as a base-word in a kenning for ‘warrior’ in Gsind Hákdr 3/2^I.

steðja ‘of the anvil’

(not checked:)
steði (noun m.; °-ja; -jar): anvil

kennings

h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar.
‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river. ’
= MAN
the anvil of the river. → STONE
the Eldir of the STONE → GIANT
the speeches of the GIANT → GOLD
to the cherry-tree of the GOLD → MAN

notes

[1, 2, 3, 4] h*eggi mála Eldis steðja áar ‘to the cherry-tree of the speeches of the Eldir <mythical servant> of the anvil of the river [STONE > GIANT > GOLD > MAN]’: The emendation of the mss’ eldi m. dat. sg. ‘for the fire’ or Eldi m. acc. or dat. sg. of Eldir is in keeping with earlier eds. Mála Eldis steðja áar ‘of the speeches of the Eldir of the anvil of the river’ is clearly a kenning for ‘gold’ (for this myth, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8). Eldir was one of the servants of the sea-giant Ægir (see Lok 1-5 and prose, NK 96-7). The base-word of this man-kenning is more problematic. All mss have hreggi n. dat. sg. ‘storm’, which is retained by Faulkes (SnE 1998). Hregg ‘storm’ is unprecedented as a base-word in a man-kenning, however, not only because ‘storm of gold’ makes little sense (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 317 provides the translation ‘destroyer, enemy of gold’, i.e. ‘generous man’), but also because the noun is n. and not m. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Kock in Skald) tentatively emends to hnøggvi (m. dat. sg. of hnøggvir), which Finnur (LP: hnøggvir) translates as som støder, rykker bort, uddeler ‘one who shoves, snatches away, distributes’. Hnøggvir is a hap. leg., however, and also a poor candidate for a base-word in a kenning for ‘generous man’, because other nouns derived from the verb hnøggva ‘shove, push separate sby from sth., stumble’, such as hnøggvi ‘parsimony’ and hnøggvingr ‘one who is parsimonious’, have the opposite meaning to ‘generous’. The present emendation heggi, m. dat. sg. of heggr ‘bird-cherry tree’ (see Þul Viðar 2/1), is less intrusive, and heggr is attested as a base-word in a kenning for ‘warrior’ in Gsind Hákdr 3/2^I.

Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses

The helmingr is one of several stanzas illustrating kennings for ‘earth’.

There is textual corruption fairly consistently across the mss (see Readings above), and emendation cannot be avoided.

log in home page info previous up a level next archive and create persistent link on archive.org

© Skaldic Project Academic Body and Brepols, unless otherwise noted. Database structure and interface developed by Tarrin Wills. All users of material on this database are reminded that its content may be either subject to copyright restrictions or is the property of the custodians of linked databases that have given permission for members of the skaldic project to use their material for research purposes. Those users who have been given access to as yet unpublished material are further reminded that they may not use, publish or otherwise manipulate such material except with the express permission of the individual editor of the material in question and the General Editor of the volume in which the material is to be published. Applications for permission to use such material should be made in the first instance to the General Editor of the volume in question. All information that appears in the published volumes has been thoroughly reviewed. If you believe some information here is incorrect please contact Tarrin Wills with full details.

Close

Stanza/chapter/text segment

Use the buttons at the top of the page to navigate between stanzas in a poem.

Information tab

text: if the stanza has been published, the edited text of the stanza and translation are here; if it hasn't been published an old edition (usually Skj) is given for reference
sources: a list of the manuscripts or inscriptions containing this stanza, with page and line references and links (eye button) to images where available, and transcription where available
readings: a list of variant manuscript readings of words in the main text
editions and texts: a list of editions of the stanza with links to the bibliography; and a list of prose works in which the stanza occurs, allowing you to navigate within the prose context
notes and context: notes not linked to individual words are given here, along with the account of the prose context for the stanza, where relevant

Interactive tab

The text and translation are given here, with buttons to toggle whether the text is shown in the verse order or prose word order. Clicking on indiviudal words gives dictionary links, variant readings, kennings and notes, where relevant.

Full text tab

This is the text of the edition in a similar format to how the edition appears in the printed volumes.

Chapter/text segment

This view is also used for chapters and other text segments. Not all the headings shown are relevant to such sections.