Valgerður Erna Þorvaldsdóttir (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Brúðkaupsvísur 4’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 531-2.
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sveinn (noun m.; °sveins; sveinar): boy, servant, attendant
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vaxa (verb): grow, increase
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þar (adv.): there
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upp (adv.): up
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2. einn (pron.; °decl. cf. einn num.): one, alone
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ágætr (adj.; °compar. ágǽtari/ágǽtri, superl. ágǽtastr/ágǽztr): excellent
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
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maðr (noun m.): man, person
[2] maðr ‘man’: Jón Helgason suggested that ‘mr’ in 721 might be a misreading of ‘mic’, mjök ‘very’, to be taken with ágætr ‘fine’. The emendation is not necessary.
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1. sjá (pron.; °gen. þessa dat. þessum/þeima, acc. þenna; f. sjá/þessi; n. þetta, dat. þessu/þvísa; pl. þessir): this
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
[3] hittir (m.) ‘finder’: hitt er in 721 and all transcripts. Jón Helgason suggested emending to hittir to provide a base-word for the man-kenning hittir hringa ‘finder of rings’.
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1. um (prep.): about, around
[3] og ‘and’: um in all mss. Jón Helgason suggested emending to ok.
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
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1. ætt (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): family
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1. hringr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ar): ring; sword
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með (prep.): with
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virðing (noun f.; °-ar): honour
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1. árr (noun m.; °dat. ár; ǽrir/árar, acc. áru): messenger
[5] Ærir: Ærin 721
[5] Ærir: Emendation suggested by Jón Helgason.
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2. eiga (verb; °á/eigr (præs. pl. 3. pers. eigu/eiga); átti, áttu; átt): own, have
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1. auðr (noun m.; °-s/-ar, dat. -i/-): wealth
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fé (noun n.; °fjár/féar; -): cattle, money
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atgeirr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-; -ar): [halberd]
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mikill (adj.; °mikinn): great, large
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
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rauðr (adj.; °compar. -ari): red
[7] reyðar ‘of the rorqual’: The mss read ‘rauða’, but the kenning requires a word for an inhabitant of the sea. Jón Helgason proposed reyðar, gen. sg. of reyðr, f. a rorqual or finner whale (cf. LP: reyðr).
[7] reyðar ‘of the rorqual’: The mss read ‘rauða’, but the kenning requires a word for an inhabitant of the sea. Jón Helgason proposed reyðar, gen. sg. of reyðr, f. a rorqual or finner whale (cf. LP: reyðr).
[7] reyðar ‘of the rorqual’: The mss read ‘rauða’, but the kenning requires a word for an inhabitant of the sea. Jón Helgason proposed reyðar, gen. sg. of reyðr, f. a rorqual or finner whale (cf. LP: reyðr).
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rann (noun n.): house, hall < rannskíð (noun n.)
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rann (noun n.): house, hall < rannskíð (noun n.)
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rann (noun n.): house, hall < rannskíð (noun n.)
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skíð (noun n.; °; -): ski < rannskíð (noun n.)
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skíð (noun n.; °; -): ski < rannskíð (noun n.)
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rennir (noun m.): impeller
[8] rennis (m. nom. sg. rennir) ‘one that causes something to run’: ‘Propeller’, ‘driver’ are possible translations.
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
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1. ætt (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): family < ættmaðr (noun m.): kinsman, relative
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maðr (noun m.): man, person < ættmaðr (noun m.): kinsman, relative
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Sveinninn óx þar upp einn |
The youth grew up alone there with honour; that finder of rings [MAN] was a fine man, as was his family. Those messengers of the halberd [WARRIORS], who were kinsmen of the propeller of the ski of the house of the rorqual [(lit. ‘propeller of the house-ski of the rorqual’) SEA > SHIP > SEAFARER], had great wealth of money.
As Schottmann (1973, 356) noted, the poet introduces the young man as a member of a rich and noble family, whereas the D version of the prose saga establishes him as a klerkr from the beginning.
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