Anon Alpost 8VII
Ian McDougall (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Allra postula minnisvísur 8’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 863-4.
text and translation
Kallaz kærr af öllum
Krists bróðir guðs móður
systur sonr inn hæsti
sannr í drottins ranni.
Jácobus hefir aukið
öll verk og stórmerki,
verður vegs til dýrðar
vóttr postuli drottins.
Drekki hier dreingir inni
dýrligt Jácóbs minni.
Kærr bróðir Krists kallaz af öllum sannr sonr systur {móður guðs}, inn hæsti í ranni drottins. Jácobus hefir aukið öll verk og stórmerki, postuli drottins, verður vóttr vegs til dýrðar. Drekki dreingir hier inni dýrligt minni Jácóbs.
‘The dear brother of Christ is called by all the true son of the sister of the mother of God [= Mary], the highest in the house of the Lord. James has performed all deeds and great feats, the Apostle of the Lord, a worthy witness of the way to glory. Let the lads herein drink a glorious memorial toast for James.’
notes and context
[1-4]: The interpretation here follows Kock (NN §1758), who objects to Finnur Jónsson’s interpretation of these ll. as Kristi broder ... elsket af alle, kaldes den höjeste, sand i herrens bolig ‘Christ’s brother ... loved by all ... is called the highest, true in the house of the Lord’ (Skj B). Kock argues that af öllum must be construed with kallaz: ‘is called by all’, and sannr must modify sonr, so that guðs móður systur sonr ... sannr should be interpreted as ‘God’s mother’s true nephew’ (i.e. ‘nephew in the flesh’).
sources
Text is based on reconstruction from the base text and variant apparatus and may contain alternative spellings and other normalisations not visible in the manuscript text. Transcriptions may not have been checked and should not be cited.
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