Bragi Frag 1III
Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2017, ‘Bragi inn gamli Boddason, Fragments 1’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 54.
Gefjun ‘Gefjun’
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Gefjun (noun f.): Gefjun
frá ‘from’
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frá (prep.): from
Gylfa ‘Gylfi’
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Gylfi (noun m.): Gylfi
notes
[1] Gylfa ‘Gylfi’: In the Prologue to SnE and in Gylf (SnE 2005, 6, 7), name of a legendary Swedish king, but elsewhere name of a sea-king (Þul Sækonunga 1/8 and Note), and found in kennings for ships or the sea (Þór Lv 1/5I, Anon Óldr 23/6I, Anon Pl 35/5VII).
glǫð ‘glad’
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2. glaðr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): cheerful, glad
djúp ‘a deep’
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djúpr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): deep < djúprǫðull (noun m.)
kennings
djúprǫðul ǫðla,‘a deep disk of inherited land, ’
= ISLAND = Sjælland
a deep disk of inherited land, → ISLAND = Sjælland
notes
[2] djúprǫðul ǫðla ‘a deep disk of inherited land [ISLAND = Sjælland]’: (a) Understood here as a kenning for Gylfi’s patrimony of Swedish land, which Gefjun and her oxen plough away from him to form the island of Sjælland. Djúprǫðull ‘deep disk’ is a hap. leg., the word rǫðull normally denoting the sun or other round heavenly body. Ǫðli, with the sense ‘patrimony, origin’ occurs in two eddic poems, Lok 43/1 and Hárb 9/3. (b) The cpd may also be construed as a f. adj., in apposition to Gefjun, meaning ‘deeply calculating’ or ‘deeply wise’, ‑rǫðull then being related to ráða ‘advise’ (cf. Genzmer 1932; Marold 1983, 83-4). (c) Finnur Jónsson, adopting F’s reading -rǫðuls (gen. sg.), takes glǫð djúprǫðuls to mean glad ved guldet ‘glad at the gold’ (Skj B construing djúprǫðuls as a kenning ‘sun of the deep’ for gold) or ‘shining with gold’ (Finnur Jónsson 1930-1, 251). (d) Another interpretation, proposed by Holtsmark (1944) and followed by Frank (1978, 108-10), argued for ‘wheel’ as the sense of ‑rǫðull, and construed [renniraukn] djúprǫðuls óðla ‘[the swift-moving draught animals] of the deep wheel of the earth [PLOUGH]’ to refer to the deeply penetrating wheel of the heavy plough (as contrasted with the arðr, a simpler, more superficial type of plough), supposedly a technological innovation introduced into Scandinavia c. C9th. Archaeological evidence for such a theory is equivocal at best (cf. Steensberg 1936; Fowler 2002, 182-204, especially 203-4). Ǫðla, gen. sg. of ǫðli, øðli (later eðli) ‘inherited land’, is sometimes emended to the unattested *óðla ‘quickly’ (so Skj B) or the mss’ readings are interpreted as *auðla ‘fruitfully’ (so Skald) or *œðla, understood as lønn for erotisk oppflamming ‘reward for erotic arousal’ (Kiil 1965, 68), the latter alluding to Gefjun’s supposed role as a ritual prostitute in her encounter with Gylfi.
rǫðul ‘disk’
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rǫðull (noun m.; °dat. rǫðli): heavenly body < djúprǫðull (noun m.)
[2] ‑rǫðul: ‑rǫðuls F
kennings
djúprǫðul ǫðla,‘a deep disk of inherited land, ’
= ISLAND = Sjælland
a deep disk of inherited land, → ISLAND = Sjælland
notes
[2] djúprǫðul ǫðla ‘a deep disk of inherited land [ISLAND = Sjælland]’: (a) Understood here as a kenning for Gylfi’s patrimony of Swedish land, which Gefjun and her oxen plough away from him to form the island of Sjælland. Djúprǫðull ‘deep disk’ is a hap. leg., the word rǫðull normally denoting the sun or other round heavenly body. Ǫðli, with the sense ‘patrimony, origin’ occurs in two eddic poems, Lok 43/1 and Hárb 9/3. (b) The cpd may also be construed as a f. adj., in apposition to Gefjun, meaning ‘deeply calculating’ or ‘deeply wise’, ‑rǫðull then being related to ráða ‘advise’ (cf. Genzmer 1932; Marold 1983, 83-4). (c) Finnur Jónsson, adopting F’s reading -rǫðuls (gen. sg.), takes glǫð djúprǫðuls to mean glad ved guldet ‘glad at the gold’ (Skj B construing djúprǫðuls as a kenning ‘sun of the deep’ for gold) or ‘shining with gold’ (Finnur Jónsson 1930-1, 251). (d) Another interpretation, proposed by Holtsmark (1944) and followed by Frank (1978, 108-10), argued for ‘wheel’ as the sense of ‑rǫðull, and construed [renniraukn] djúprǫðuls óðla ‘[the swift-moving draught animals] of the deep wheel of the earth [PLOUGH]’ to refer to the deeply penetrating wheel of the heavy plough (as contrasted with the arðr, a simpler, more superficial type of plough), supposedly a technological innovation introduced into Scandinavia c. C9th. Archaeological evidence for such a theory is equivocal at best (cf. Steensberg 1936; Fowler 2002, 182-204, especially 203-4). Ǫðla, gen. sg. of ǫðli, øðli (later eðli) ‘inherited land’, is sometimes emended to the unattested *óðla ‘quickly’ (so Skj B) or the mss’ readings are interpreted as *auðla ‘fruitfully’ (so Skald) or *œðla, understood as lønn for erotisk oppflamming ‘reward for erotic arousal’ (Kiil 1965, 68), the latter alluding to Gefjun’s supposed role as a ritual prostitute in her encounter with Gylfi.
ǫðla ‘of inherited land’
(not checked:)
eðli (noun n.; °-s; dat. -um): nature
kennings
djúprǫðul ǫðla,‘a deep disk of inherited land, ’
= ISLAND = Sjælland
a deep disk of inherited land, → ISLAND = Sjælland
notes
[2] djúprǫðul ǫðla ‘a deep disk of inherited land [ISLAND = Sjælland]’: (a) Understood here as a kenning for Gylfi’s patrimony of Swedish land, which Gefjun and her oxen plough away from him to form the island of Sjælland. Djúprǫðull ‘deep disk’ is a hap. leg., the word rǫðull normally denoting the sun or other round heavenly body. Ǫðli, with the sense ‘patrimony, origin’ occurs in two eddic poems, Lok 43/1 and Hárb 9/3. (b) The cpd may also be construed as a f. adj., in apposition to Gefjun, meaning ‘deeply calculating’ or ‘deeply wise’, ‑rǫðull then being related to ráða ‘advise’ (cf. Genzmer 1932; Marold 1983, 83-4). (c) Finnur Jónsson, adopting F’s reading -rǫðuls (gen. sg.), takes glǫð djúprǫðuls to mean glad ved guldet ‘glad at the gold’ (Skj B construing djúprǫðuls as a kenning ‘sun of the deep’ for gold) or ‘shining with gold’ (Finnur Jónsson 1930-1, 251). (d) Another interpretation, proposed by Holtsmark (1944) and followed by Frank (1978, 108-10), argued for ‘wheel’ as the sense of ‑rǫðull, and construed [renniraukn] djúprǫðuls óðla ‘[the swift-moving draught animals] of the deep wheel of the earth [PLOUGH]’ to refer to the deeply penetrating wheel of the heavy plough (as contrasted with the arðr, a simpler, more superficial type of plough), supposedly a technological innovation introduced into Scandinavia c. C9th. Archaeological evidence for such a theory is equivocal at best (cf. Steensberg 1936; Fowler 2002, 182-204, especially 203-4). Ǫðla, gen. sg. of ǫðli, øðli (later eðli) ‘inherited land’, is sometimes emended to the unattested *óðla ‘quickly’ (so Skj B) or the mss’ readings are interpreted as *auðla ‘fruitfully’ (so Skald) or *œðla, understood as lønn for erotisk oppflamming ‘reward for erotic arousal’ (Kiil 1965, 68), the latter alluding to Gefjun’s supposed role as a ritual prostitute in her encounter with Gylfi.
svát ‘so that’
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svát (conj.): so that, so as
af ‘from’
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af (prep.): from
rennirauknum ‘the swift-moving draught animals’
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renniraukn (noun n.): swift-moving draught animal
notes
[4] rauk ‘steam rose’: Lit. ‘it steamed’.
Danmarkar ‘Denmark’s’
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Danmǫrk (noun f.): [Denmark]
kennings
auka Danmarkar,‘Denmark’s addition, ’
= Sjælland
Denmark’s addition, → Sjælland
notes
[4] auka Danmarkar ‘Danmark’s addition [= Sjælland]’: Construed here as a kenning with a specific referent. The use of the p. n. Danmǫrk is probably the earliest attestation in Old Norse, slightly earlier than the inscription in Jelling 1 (DR 41, DK SJy 10), c. 940-55, and at least a century earlier than that on the Karlevi stone (Run Öl 1VI).
auka ‘addition’
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auki (noun m.; °-a; -ar): addition, increase
[4] auka: hauka with ‘[auka]’ written in right margin in scribal hand Kˣ
kennings
auka Danmarkar,‘Denmark’s addition, ’
= Sjælland
Denmark’s addition, → Sjælland
notes
[4] auka Danmarkar ‘Danmark’s addition [= Sjælland]’: Construed here as a kenning with a specific referent. The use of the p. n. Danmǫrk is probably the earliest attestation in Old Norse, slightly earlier than the inscription in Jelling 1 (DR 41, DK SJy 10), c. 940-55, and at least a century earlier than that on the Karlevi stone (Run Öl 1VI).
Bôru ‘bore’
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3. bera (verb; °berr; bar, báru; borinn): bear, carry
øxn ‘The oxen’
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øxn (noun n.; °; øxn/yxn): [oxen]
ok ‘and’
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
átta ‘eight’
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átta (num. cardinal): eight
kennings
átta ennitungl‘eight forehead-moons ’
= EYES
eight forehead-moons → EYES
enni ‘forehead’
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enni (noun n.; °-s; -): forehead, brow < ennitungl (noun n.): [forehead-moons]
kennings
átta ennitungl‘eight forehead-moons ’
= EYES
eight forehead-moons → EYES
tungl ‘moons’
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tungl (noun n.; °-s; -): moon, heavenly body < ennitungl (noun n.): [forehead-moons]
kennings
átta ennitungl‘eight forehead-moons ’
= EYES
eight forehead-moons → EYES
þars ‘where’
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
gingu ‘they went’
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2. ganga (verb; geng, gekk, gengu, genginn): walk, go
fyr ‘before’
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fyr (prep.): for, over, because of, etc.
vinjeyjar ‘of the meadow-island’
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viney (noun f.): [meadow-island]
[7] vinjeyjar: vineyjar R, Kˣ, F, J2ˣ, ‘vineydiar’ Tˣ, ‘vinæyia’ W
kennings
víðri valrauf vinjeyjar.‘the wide plunder-rift of the meadow-island. ’
= Sjælland
the wide plunder-rift of the meadow-island. → Sjælland
notes
[7] vinjeyjar ‘of the meadow-island’: A rare use of the noun vin ‘meadow’, otherwise only found in Old Norse compounds denoting tax payable on farm products and in Norwegian place names (cf. AEW: vin). For the archaic form vinjeyjar (rather than the later vineyjar), see Note to Bragi Rdr 2/3-4.
víðri ‘the wide’
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víðr (adj.): far
kennings
víðri valrauf vinjeyjar.‘the wide plunder-rift of the meadow-island. ’
= Sjælland
the wide plunder-rift of the meadow-island. → Sjælland
val ‘plunder’
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3. val (noun n.) < valrauf (noun n.): war-booty
kennings
víðri valrauf vinjeyjar.‘the wide plunder-rift of the meadow-island. ’
= Sjælland
the wide plunder-rift of the meadow-island. → Sjælland
notes
[8] valrauf ‘plunder-rift’: The first element of this cpd, val-, is understood as from valr ‘the slain on the battlefield’, thus ‘spoil, plunder (from the slain)’. Some eds (so Skj B) have emended to vall- and understood the element to derive from vǫllr ‘plain, field’.
rauf ‘rift’
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rauf (noun f.; °; -ar): hole < valrauf (noun n.): war-booty
[8] ‑rauf: ‘rof’ W
kennings
víðri valrauf vinjeyjar.‘the wide plunder-rift of the meadow-island. ’
= Sjælland
the wide plunder-rift of the meadow-island. → Sjælland
notes
[8] valrauf ‘plunder-rift’: The first element of this cpd, val-, is understood as from valr ‘the slain on the battlefield’, thus ‘spoil, plunder (from the slain)’. Some eds (so Skj B) have emended to vall- and understood the element to derive from vǫllr ‘plain, field’.
fjǫgur ‘four’
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fjórir (num. cardinal): four
notes
[8] haufuð ‘heads’: The rare form haufuð ‘head’ (cf. Goth. haubiþ, OE heafod) beside the commoner hǫfuð is confirmed by aðalhending with -rauf; see ANG §98.1 and cf. Bragi Rdr 4/8.
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|
Gefjun dró frá Gylfa |
Gefjun drew from Gylfi, glad, a deep disk of inherited land [ISLAND = Sjælland], Denmark’s addition [= Sjælland], so that steam rose from the swift-moving draught animals. The oxen bore eight forehead-moons [EYES] and four heads, where they went before the wide plunder-rift of the meadow-island [= Sjælland].
In SnE this stanza is cited to confirm Snorri’s prose narrative of the deceptive bargain of Gefjun, a female member of the euhemerised Æsir from Troy, with King Gylfi of Sweden, who allowed her, as a reward for her entertainment (skemtun) of him, to obtain as much of Sweden as her four oxen could plough up in a day and a night. Unknown to Gylfi, these beasts were Gefjun’s sons by a giant, and she succeeded in ploughing up and removing across the sea a far larger piece of land than Gylfi had expected. It formed the Danish island of Sjælland (Zealand), and the gap it left behind in Sweden became Lake Mälaren, whose inlets are said in Gylf to correspond to the headlands of Sjælland. This etiological narrative forms a link with the Prologue, in which Gylfi is mentioned as reigning in Sweden when the Æsir migrate to Scandinavia from Troy, and motivates his visit to their hall in Gylf to find out the secret of their success. In Yng Gefjun’s visit to Gylfi is directed by Óðinn, who sends her north from Denmark to Sweden in search of land; Gylfi gave her eitt plógsland ‘one plough-land’. The deceptive bargain aspect of the myth is here suppressed. In Yng Gefjun marries Óðinn’s son Skjǫldr and thus becomes the consort of the progenitor of the Danish royal house, the Skjǫldungar.
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