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

Bjbp Jóms 16^I

Emily Lethbridge (ed.) 2012, ‘Bjarni byskup Kolbeinsson, Jómsvíkingadrápa 16’ 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. 973.

Bjarni byskup Kolbeinsson Jómsvíkingadrápa

Sagt ‘said’

(not checked:)
segja (verb): say, tell

var ‘It was’

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

at ‘that’

(not checked:)
4. at (conj.): that

sunnan ‘from the south’

(not checked:)
sunnan (adv.): (from the) south

notes

[1] sunnan ‘from the south’: The Jómsvíkingar sail north from Denmark to Norway.

heldu ‘sailed’

(not checked:)
halda (verb): hold, keep

snyrti ‘the fine’

(not checked:)
snyrti- ((prefix)): [fine, Splendid] < snyrtimaðr (noun m.)

notes

[2] snyrtimenn ‘the fine men’: The cpd is unique in skaldic poetry, though cf. snyrtidrengr ‘fine warrior’ in st. 39/2 and elsewhere (LP: snyrtidrengr). Snyrti- ‘fine’ probably refers to splendid appearance; cf. the sword-heiti Snyrtir ‘polisher’ or ‘polished one’ (Þul Sverða 1/7^III and Note), and ModNorw. snyrta ‘decorate’.

menn ‘men’

(not checked:)
maðr (noun m.): man, person < snyrtimaðr (noun m.)

notes

[2] snyrtimenn ‘the fine men’: The cpd is unique in skaldic poetry, though cf. snyrtidrengr ‘fine warrior’ in st. 39/2 and elsewhere (LP: snyrtidrengr). Snyrti- ‘fine’ probably refers to splendid appearance; cf. the sword-heiti Snyrtir ‘polisher’ or ‘polished one’ (Þul Sverða 1/7^III and Note), and ModNorw. snyrta ‘decorate’.

of ‘across’

(not checked:)
3. of (prep.): around, from; too

hrannir ‘the waves’

(not checked:)
hrǫnn (noun f.; °; dat. -um): wave

kaldr ‘the cold’

(not checked:)
kaldr (adj.; °compar. -ari): cold

dreif ‘drove’

(not checked:)
2. drífa (verb; °drífr; dreif, drifu; drifinn): drive, rush

marr ‘sea’

(not checked:)
1. marr (noun m.): sea

á ‘against’

(not checked:)
3. á (prep.): on, at

meiða ‘the poles’

(not checked:)
meiðr (noun m.): beam, tree

kennings

meiða morðbáls;
‘the poles of the battle-fire; ’
= WARRIORS
the battle-fire; → SWORD
the poles of the SWORD → WARRIORS

morð ‘of the battle’

(not checked:)
1. morð (noun n.; °-s; -): killing, battle < morðbál (noun n.)

kennings

meiða morðbáls;
‘the poles of the battle-fire; ’
= WARRIORS
the battle-fire; → SWORD
the poles of the SWORD → WARRIORS

notes

[4] morðbáls; skipastóli ‘of the battle-fire [SWORD]; fleet of ships’: The line recalls Hskv Útdr 9/2^II morðhjóls skipastóli ‘of the killing-wheel [SHIELD]; fleet of ships’.

morð ‘of the battle’

(not checked:)
1. morð (noun n.; °-s; -): killing, battle < morðbál (noun n.)

kennings

meiða morðbáls;
‘the poles of the battle-fire; ’
= WARRIORS
the battle-fire; → SWORD
the poles of the SWORD → WARRIORS

notes

[4] morðbáls; skipastóli ‘of the battle-fire [SWORD]; fleet of ships’: The line recalls Hskv Útdr 9/2^II morðhjóls skipastóli ‘of the killing-wheel [SHIELD]; fleet of ships’.

báls ‘fire’

(not checked:)
bál (noun n.; °-s; -): fire < morðbál (noun n.)

kennings

meiða morðbáls;
‘the poles of the battle-fire; ’
= WARRIORS
the battle-fire; → SWORD
the poles of the SWORD → WARRIORS

notes

[4] morðbáls; skipastóli ‘of the battle-fire [SWORD]; fleet of ships’: The line recalls Hskv Útdr 9/2^II morðhjóls skipastóli ‘of the killing-wheel [SHIELD]; fleet of ships’.

báls ‘fire’

(not checked:)
bál (noun n.; °-s; -): fire < morðbál (noun n.)

kennings

meiða morðbáls;
‘the poles of the battle-fire; ’
= WARRIORS
the battle-fire; → SWORD
the poles of the SWORD → WARRIORS

notes

[4] morðbáls; skipastóli ‘of the battle-fire [SWORD]; fleet of ships’: The line recalls Hskv Útdr 9/2^II morðhjóls skipastóli ‘of the killing-wheel [SHIELD]; fleet of ships’.

skipa ‘of ships’

(not checked:)
skip (noun n.; °-s; -): ship < skipastóll (noun m.): array of ships

stóli ‘fleet’

(not checked:)
1. stóll (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-; -ar): seat, throne < skipastóll (noun m.): array of ships

Lǫmðu ‘beat’

(not checked:)
lemja (verb): beat, make lame

héldir ‘the rime-covered’

(not checked:)
2. héla (verb): cover with rime

húfar ‘hulls’

(not checked:)
húfr (noun m.; °dat. -i): hull

hríð ‘the storm’

(not checked:)
hríð (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): time, storm

kannaði ‘tested’

(not checked:)
3. kanna (verb): know, be able

lýði ‘the men’

(not checked:)
lýðr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ir): one of the people

gnúði ‘roared’

(not checked:)
gnýja (verb): roar

svalr ‘the chill’

(not checked:)
svalr (adj.): cool

á ‘against’

(not checked:)
3. á (prep.): on, at

sýju ‘the planking’

(not checked:)
1. sýja (noun f.; °-u; -ur): planking, vessel

notes

[7] sýju ‘the planking’: Originally ‘seam, joining’; cf. sýja ‘to sew’, probably referring to a row of rivets joining the strakes together, and hence the planking and perhaps, by pars pro toto, the whole ship (see AEW: sýja 1, 2; Þul Skipa 5/3^III and Note).

sær ‘sea’

(not checked:)
sjór (noun m.): sea

ísugar ‘the icy’

(not checked:)
ísugr (adj.): [icy]

bárur ‘waves’

(not checked:)
1. bára (noun f.; °-u; -ur): wave

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

verse
prose

The images of the hulls of the Jómsvíkingar’s fleet battling through icy waves are reminiscent of ÞGísl Búdr 2, where the same voyage is described.

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.