Hfr Óldr 6I
Diana Whaley (ed.) 2012, ‘Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld Óttarsson, Óláfsdrápa 6’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 398.
gerðisk ‘’
(not checked:)
1. gera (verb): do, make
sveims ‘’
(not checked:)
sveimr (noun m.): [commotion, surge]
kennings
Skerðir seims‘The diminisher of gold ’
= GENEROUS MAN
The diminisher of gold → GENEROUS MAN
með ‘with’
(not checked:)
með (prep.): with
notes
[1] með sverði ‘with the sword’: This may well qualify both clauses in ll. 1-4. It could be taken specifically with the rest of ll. 1-2, but the effect would be slightly banal.
sverði ‘the sword’
(not checked:)
sverð (noun n.; °-s; -): sword
notes
[1] með sverði ‘with the sword’: This may well qualify both clauses in ll. 1-4. It could be taken specifically with the rest of ll. 1-2, but the effect would be slightly banal.
sund ‘’
(not checked:)
sund (noun n.; °-s; -): sound, strait; swimming
sverð ‘sword’
(not checked:)
sverð (noun n.; °-s; -): sword < sverðleikr (noun m.): sword-playsverð (noun n.; °-s; -): sword < sverðleikr (noun m.): sword-play
[2] sverð‑: sund‑ 62, Flat
kennings
sverðleik‘sword-sport ’
= BATTLE
sword-sport → BATTLE
leiks ‘’
(not checked:)
1. leikr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -/-i; -ar): sport, play < sverðleikr (noun m.): sword-play
leik ‘sport’
(not checked:)
1. leikr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -/-i; -ar): sport, play < sverðleikr (noun m.): sword-play
[2] ‑leik: leiks 53, 54, Bb
kennings
sverðleik‘sword-sport ’
= BATTLE
sword-sport → BATTLE
í ‘in’
(not checked:)
í (prep.): in, into
muna ‘’
(not checked:)
munr (noun m.; °-ar/-s, dat. -/-i; -ir, acc. -i): mind, pleasure
grundar ‘’
(not checked:)
grund (noun f.): earth, land
skerðisk ‘’
(not checked:)
skerða (verb): diminish
skerði ‘’
(not checked:)
skerðir (noun m.): diminisher
skerðir ‘The diminisher’
(not checked:)
skerðir (noun m.): diminisher
[2] skerðir: skerði 53, 62, skerðisk 54, Bb, grundar Flat
kennings
Skerðir seims‘The diminisher of gold ’
= GENEROUS MAN
The diminisher of gold → GENEROUS MAN
eyddi ‘destroyed’
(not checked:)
2. eyða (verb; °-dd-): destroy
ulfa ‘of wolves’
(not checked:)
1. ulfr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): wolf
kennings
ógnblíðr greddir ulfa‘the battle-glad feeder of wolves ’
= WARRIOR
the battle-glad feeder of wolves → WARRIOR
græddir ‘’
(not checked:)
grœða (verb): heal
grœðir ‘’
(not checked:)
grœðir (noun m.): ?healer, ?ocean
bræddir ‘’
(not checked:)
2. bræða (verb; °-dd-): tar
græddi ‘’
(not checked:)
grœða (verb): heal
greddir ‘feeder’
(not checked:)
greddir (noun m.): feeder
[3] greddir: græddir 39, 54, Bb, 62, 310, græddi 53, bræddir Flat, grœðir FskBˣ
kennings
ógnblíðr greddir ulfa‘the battle-glad feeder of wolves ’
= WARRIOR
the battle-glad feeder of wolves → WARRIOR
notes
[3] greddir ‘feeder’: There are discrepant readings here, and the etymology is somewhat uncertain. However, a base-word with the sense ‘feeder’ is clearly needed, and greddir co-occurs elsewhere with terms for beasts of battle (see LP: greddir). It may be related to OE gereordian ‘feed’ (AEW: greddir; ÍF 26, 259 n.).
og ‘’
ógn ‘the battle’
(not checked:)
ógn (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): terror, battle < ógnblíðr (adj.): battle-happyógn (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): terror, battle
[4] ógn‑: ‘og‑’ 39
kennings
ógnblíðr greddir ulfa‘the battle-glad feeder of wolves ’
= WARRIOR
the battle-glad feeder of wolves → WARRIOR
blyð ‘’
blíðr ‘glad’
[4] ‑blíðr: ‘blyð’ FskBˣ
kennings
ógnblíðr greddir ulfa‘the battle-glad feeder of wolves ’
= WARRIOR
the battle-glad feeder of wolves → WARRIOR
skipum ‘’
(not checked:)
skip (noun n.; °-s; -): ship
liði ‘’
(not checked:)
lið (noun n.; °-s; -): retinue, troop
víði ‘’
(not checked:)
víðr (adj.): far
ó ‘’
ver ‘’
(not checked:)
1. ver (noun n.; °-s; dat. -jum/-um): sea < verdraugr (noun m.)
Ý ‘of the bow’
(not checked:)
ýr (noun m.): yew, yew-bow, bow < ýdróg (noun f.)
[5] Ý‑: ver‑ J1ˣ, ‘V‑’ 54, Bb
kennings
Œgir ýdrógar‘The terrifier of the bow-string ’
= WARRIOR
The terrifier of the bow-string → WARRIOR
notes
[5] œgir ýdrógar ‘the terrifier of the bow-string [WARRIOR]’: Either of the readings -drógar or -drauga(r) could form a warrior-kenning with ýr ‘yew’, hence ‘bow’, and œgir ‘terrifier’; cf. Gsind Hákdr 7/1 œgir almdrógar ‘terrifier of the bow-string [WARRIOR]’, where the majority of mss have -draug. (a) Dróg f. is recorded in prose with the sense ‘stripe’ but with the sense ‘string’ only in poetry; drógar is the reading of the main ms. and is adopted by most eds in this stanza. (b) Draugr elsewhere, probably in the sense ‘log’, combines with determinants referring to weapons, treasure or battle to form warrior-kennings (Meissner 264-5, and cf. Note to ÞHjalt Lv 1/5). This reading in the present stanza would yield ýdrauga œgir ‘terrifier of bow-logs [WARRIORS > RULER/WARRIOR]’.
drauga ‘’
(not checked:)
1. draugr (noun m.; °; -ar): tree
draugar ‘’
(not checked:)
1. draugr (noun m.; °; -ar): tree < verdraugr (noun m.)
drógar ‘string’
(not checked:)
dróg (noun f.; °; -ir): string < ýdróg (noun f.)
[5] ‑drógar: ‑draugar J1ˣ, ‑drauga 61, 53, 54, Bb, FskBˣ, FskAˣ, 310
kennings
Œgir ýdrógar‘The terrifier of the bow-string ’
= WARRIOR
The terrifier of the bow-string → WARRIOR
notes
[5] œgir ýdrógar ‘the terrifier of the bow-string [WARRIOR]’: Either of the readings -drógar or -drauga(r) could form a warrior-kenning with ýr ‘yew’, hence ‘bow’, and œgir ‘terrifier’; cf. Gsind Hákdr 7/1 œgir almdrógar ‘terrifier of the bow-string [WARRIOR]’, where the majority of mss have -draug. (a) Dróg f. is recorded in prose with the sense ‘stripe’ but with the sense ‘string’ only in poetry; drógar is the reading of the main ms. and is adopted by most eds in this stanza. (b) Draugr elsewhere, probably in the sense ‘log’, combines with determinants referring to weapons, treasure or battle to form warrior-kennings (Meissner 264-5, and cf. Note to ÞHjalt Lv 1/5). This reading in the present stanza would yield ýdrauga œgir ‘terrifier of bow-logs [WARRIORS > RULER/WARRIOR]’.
læt ‘’
(not checked:)
láta (verb): let, have sth done
œgir ‘The terrifier’
(not checked:)
œgir (noun m.): terrifier
kennings
Œgir ýdrógar‘The terrifier of the bow-string ’
= WARRIOR
The terrifier of the bow-string → WARRIOR
notes
[5] œgir ýdrógar ‘the terrifier of the bow-string [WARRIOR]’: Either of the readings -drógar or -drauga(r) could form a warrior-kenning with ýr ‘yew’, hence ‘bow’, and œgir ‘terrifier’; cf. Gsind Hákdr 7/1 œgir almdrógar ‘terrifier of the bow-string [WARRIOR]’, where the majority of mss have -draug. (a) Dróg f. is recorded in prose with the sense ‘stripe’ but with the sense ‘string’ only in poetry; drógar is the reading of the main ms. and is adopted by most eds in this stanza. (b) Draugr elsewhere, probably in the sense ‘log’, combines with determinants referring to weapons, treasure or battle to form warrior-kennings (Meissner 264-5, and cf. Note to ÞHjalt Lv 1/5). This reading in the present stanza would yield ýdrauga œgir ‘terrifier of bow-logs [WARRIORS > RULER/WARRIOR]’.
œverkann ‘’
notes
[6] eyverskan ‘from the Isles’: Generally, and in the context of the stanza, this adj. is most likely to refer to the Northern Isles off Scotland, especially Orkney (cf. Fritzner: eyverskr) or else the Hebrides. The latter would be encouraged by their proximity to Ireland (Íra ‘the Irish’, l. 8) and is suggested in ÍF 26 and ÍF 29.
her ‘from the Isles’
(not checked:)
herr (noun m.; °-s/-jar, dat. -; -jar, gen. -ja/herra): army, host
deyja ‘to die’
(not checked:)
1. deyja (verb; °deyr; dó, dó(u); dá(i)nn): die
Týr ‘the Týr’
(not checked:)
Týr (noun m.): Týr
kennings
Týr dýrra tjǫrva‘the Týr of precious spears ’
= WARRIOR
the Týr of precious spears → WARRIOR
vann ‘’
(not checked:)
2. vinna (verb): perform, work
vas ‘was’
(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
[7] vas (‘var’): batt Bb, vann FskBˣ
tjǫrvar ‘’
(not checked:)
tjǫrvi (noun m.; °-a)
kennings
Týr dýrra tjǫrva‘the Týr of precious spears ’
= WARRIOR
the Týr of precious spears → WARRIOR
notes
[7] tjǫrva dýrra ‘of precious spears’: Tjǫr ‘spear’ is rare and not entirely secure (see LP: 2. tjǫr), and it is puzzling that the reading dýrra appears only in 53, against a significant consensus in favour of dýra. Storm (MHN 113, n. 19) assumed Tjǫrvi to be an unrecorded sea-king heiti which would produce dýr Tjǫrva ‘Tjǫrvi’s animals [SHIPS]’ here.
dýran ‘’
(not checked:)
dýrr (adj.; °compar. -ri/-ari, superl. -str/-astr): precious
bura ‘’
(not checked:)
burr (noun m.; °; -ir): son
dýra ‘’
(not checked:)
dýrr (adj.; °compar. -ri/-ari, superl. -str/-astr): precious
dýrra ‘of precious’
(not checked:)
dýrr (adj.; °compar. -ri/-ari, superl. -str/-astr): precious
[7] dýrra: so 53, dýra Kˣ, 39, F, 61, 54, Bb, 62, FskAˣ, 310, bura J1ˣ, ‘dýran’ FskBˣ
kennings
Týr dýrra tjǫrva‘the Týr of precious spears ’
= WARRIOR
the Týr of precious spears → WARRIOR
notes
[7] tjǫrva dýrra ‘of precious spears’: Tjǫr ‘spear’ is rare and not entirely secure (see LP: 2. tjǫr), and it is puzzling that the reading dýrra appears only in 53, against a significant consensus in favour of dýra. Storm (MHN 113, n. 19) assumed Tjǫrvi to be an unrecorded sea-king heiti which would produce dýr Tjǫrva ‘Tjǫrvi’s animals [SHIPS]’ here.
tinar ‘’
tígnar ‘’
(not checked:)
tígn (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): honour
tiran ‘’
týar ‘’
tírar ‘for glory’
(not checked:)
tírr (noun m.; °-s): glory, honourtírr (noun m.; °-s): glory, honour < tírargarmr (noun m.)
[8] tírar‑: so F, J1ˣ, 61, 53, 54, 310, ‘týar’ Kˣ, ‘tiran’ 39, tígnar FskBˣ, ‘tinar’ FskAˣ
garm ‘’
(not checked:)
garmr (noun m.): dog < tírargarmr (noun m.)
ok ‘and’
(not checked:)
3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
Íra ‘the Irish’
(not checked:)
írar (noun m.): Irishmen
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Gerði seims (með sverði) |
The diminisher of gold [GENEROUS MAN] made sword-sport [BATTLE] in Man; the battle-glad feeder of wolves [WARRIOR] destroyed the Scots widely with the sword. The terrifier of the bow-string [WARRIOR] caused the army from the Isles and the Irish to die; the Týr <god> of precious spears [WARRIOR] was eager for glory.
see Introduction.
The pairing of helmingar here follows Fsk and 310. In Hkr and ÓT, st. 5/1-4 (beginning Gerðisk) + st. 6/7-8 (Eyddi), 5-6 (Gerði) form a stanza, and st. 6/1-4 (Ýdrógar) + st. 5/5-8 (Barði) form a stanza. Thus the two couplets of ll. 1-4 (Gerði; Eyddi) are in reverse order in Hkr and ÓT. Although it remains uncertain which arrangement of the poem is the more original, the evidence tends to favour Fsk and 310 (see Introduction).
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.