Bragi Rdr 8III
Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2017, ‘Bragi inn gamli Boddason, Ragnarsdrápa 8’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 39.
Ok ‘And’
(not checked:)
3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
ofþerris ‘of the excessive drying’
(not checked:)
ofþerrir (noun m.): [excessive drying]
[1] ofþerris: ‘vm þeris’ R, Tˣ, ‘um þerris’ W
kennings
ósk-Rôn ofþerris æða‘the desiring-Rán of the excessive drying of veins ’
= VALKYRIE = Hildr
the desiring-Rán of the excessive drying of veins → VALKYRIE = Hildr
notes
[1] ofþerris ‘of the excessive drying’: A normalisation based on the likelihood that all mss’ um have substituted the later particle for earlier pleonastic of, though here of must in fact be the prefix of- ‘excessive, excessively’. — [1-2] ósk-Rôn ofþerris æða ‘the desiring-Rán <goddess> of the excessive drying of veins [VALKYRIE = Hildr]’: Bragi immediately establishes through this kenning Hildr’s destructive and predatory, almost cannibalistic, qualities. Óskmær ‘desire [i.e. ‘desired’ or ‘desiring’] maiden’ occurs as a term for a valkyrie (Oddrgr 16/3; LT: ósk-mær), and the similarity of the cpd ósk-Rôn strongly indicates Hildr’s role as a valkyrie (cf. Marold 1983, 103). Further, it compares Hildr to Rán (lit. ‘plunder’), wife of the sea-deity Ægir and a personification of the sea’s destructive power. The kenning suggests that Hildr wants to destroy all the men in her power by bleeding them dry with wounds. Kock (NN §2205B) makes the suggestion that this kenning alludes to Hildr as a curer, stemming the men’s bleeding wounds, but this seems improbable in the context of Bragi’s generally negative presentation of her.
ofþerris ‘of the excessive drying’
(not checked:)
ofþerrir (noun m.): [excessive drying]
[1] ofþerris: ‘vm þeris’ R, Tˣ, ‘um þerris’ W
kennings
ósk-Rôn ofþerris æða‘the desiring-Rán of the excessive drying of veins ’
= VALKYRIE = Hildr
the desiring-Rán of the excessive drying of veins → VALKYRIE = Hildr
notes
[1] ofþerris ‘of the excessive drying’: A normalisation based on the likelihood that all mss’ um have substituted the later particle for earlier pleonastic of, though here of must in fact be the prefix of- ‘excessive, excessively’. — [1-2] ósk-Rôn ofþerris æða ‘the desiring-Rán <goddess> of the excessive drying of veins [VALKYRIE = Hildr]’: Bragi immediately establishes through this kenning Hildr’s destructive and predatory, almost cannibalistic, qualities. Óskmær ‘desire [i.e. ‘desired’ or ‘desiring’] maiden’ occurs as a term for a valkyrie (Oddrgr 16/3; LT: ósk-mær), and the similarity of the cpd ósk-Rôn strongly indicates Hildr’s role as a valkyrie (cf. Marold 1983, 103). Further, it compares Hildr to Rán (lit. ‘plunder’), wife of the sea-deity Ægir and a personification of the sea’s destructive power. The kenning suggests that Hildr wants to destroy all the men in her power by bleeding them dry with wounds. Kock (NN §2205B) makes the suggestion that this kenning alludes to Hildr as a curer, stemming the men’s bleeding wounds, but this seems improbable in the context of Bragi’s generally negative presentation of her.
æða ‘of veins’
(not checked:)
1. æðr (noun f.; °-ar, dat./acc. ǽði; -ar): blood vessel
[1] æða: so W, ‘ada’ R, ‘adan’ Tˣ
kennings
ósk-Rôn ofþerris æða‘the desiring-Rán of the excessive drying of veins ’
= VALKYRIE = Hildr
the desiring-Rán of the excessive drying of veins → VALKYRIE = Hildr
notes
[1-2] ósk-Rôn ofþerris æða ‘the desiring-Rán <goddess> of the excessive drying of veins [VALKYRIE = Hildr]’: Bragi immediately establishes through this kenning Hildr’s destructive and predatory, almost cannibalistic, qualities. Óskmær ‘desire [i.e. ‘desired’ or ‘desiring’] maiden’ occurs as a term for a valkyrie (Oddrgr 16/3; LT: ósk-mær), and the similarity of the cpd ósk-Rôn strongly indicates Hildr’s role as a valkyrie (cf. Marold 1983, 103). Further, it compares Hildr to Rán (lit. ‘plunder’), wife of the sea-deity Ægir and a personification of the sea’s destructive power. The kenning suggests that Hildr wants to destroy all the men in her power by bleeding them dry with wounds. Kock (NN §2205B) makes the suggestion that this kenning alludes to Hildr as a curer, stemming the men’s bleeding wounds, but this seems improbable in the context of Bragi’s generally negative presentation of her.
ósk ‘the desiring’
(not checked:)
ósk (noun f.; °-ar; dat. -um): wish, desire < óskrán (noun f.)
kennings
ósk-Rôn ofþerris æða‘the desiring-Rán of the excessive drying of veins ’
= VALKYRIE = Hildr
the desiring-Rán of the excessive drying of veins → VALKYRIE = Hildr
notes
[1-2] ósk-Rôn ofþerris æða ‘the desiring-Rán <goddess> of the excessive drying of veins [VALKYRIE = Hildr]’: Bragi immediately establishes through this kenning Hildr’s destructive and predatory, almost cannibalistic, qualities. Óskmær ‘desire [i.e. ‘desired’ or ‘desiring’] maiden’ occurs as a term for a valkyrie (Oddrgr 16/3; LT: ósk-mær), and the similarity of the cpd ósk-Rôn strongly indicates Hildr’s role as a valkyrie (cf. Marold 1983, 103). Further, it compares Hildr to Rán (lit. ‘plunder’), wife of the sea-deity Ægir and a personification of the sea’s destructive power. The kenning suggests that Hildr wants to destroy all the men in her power by bleeding them dry with wounds. Kock (NN §2205B) makes the suggestion that this kenning alludes to Hildr as a curer, stemming the men’s bleeding wounds, but this seems improbable in the context of Bragi’s generally negative presentation of her.
Rôn ‘Rán’
(not checked:)
Rán (noun f.): Rán < óskrán (noun f.)
kennings
ósk-Rôn ofþerris æða‘the desiring-Rán of the excessive drying of veins ’
= VALKYRIE = Hildr
the desiring-Rán of the excessive drying of veins → VALKYRIE = Hildr
notes
[1-2] ósk-Rôn ofþerris æða ‘the desiring-Rán <goddess> of the excessive drying of veins [VALKYRIE = Hildr]’: Bragi immediately establishes through this kenning Hildr’s destructive and predatory, almost cannibalistic, qualities. Óskmær ‘desire [i.e. ‘desired’ or ‘desiring’] maiden’ occurs as a term for a valkyrie (Oddrgr 16/3; LT: ósk-mær), and the similarity of the cpd ósk-Rôn strongly indicates Hildr’s role as a valkyrie (cf. Marold 1983, 103). Further, it compares Hildr to Rán (lit. ‘plunder’), wife of the sea-deity Ægir and a personification of the sea’s destructive power. The kenning suggests that Hildr wants to destroy all the men in her power by bleeding them dry with wounds. Kock (NN §2205B) makes the suggestion that this kenning alludes to Hildr as a curer, stemming the men’s bleeding wounds, but this seems improbable in the context of Bragi’s generally negative presentation of her.
at ‘after’
(not checked:)
4. at (conj.): that
þat ‘that’
notes
[4] veðr boga ‘the storm of bows [BATTLE]’: Kock (NN §1505) takes R, Tˣ’s reading boða as the second part of a cpd veðrboða ‘storm-offerer [WARRIOR = Heðinn]’ and construes it with til fárhuga (l. 3) to mean ‘for the storm-offerer’s hostile intent’. Marold (1983, 75) suggests emending veðr to veðs and understanding boði veðs ‘offerer of a pledge’ as a kenning for the atonement-seeking Heðinn.
sínum ‘against her’
(not checked:)
3. sinn (pron.; °f. sín, n. sitt): (refl. poss. pron.)
til ‘with’
(not checked:)
til (prep.): to
notes
[3] til fárhuga ‘with hostile intentions’: Cf. Am 88/2, the only other occurrence of this cpd.
fárhuga ‘hostile intentions’
(not checked:)
fárhugr (noun m.): hostile intention
notes
[3] til fárhuga ‘with hostile intentions’: Cf. Am 88/2, the only other occurrence of this cpd.
feðr ‘father’
(not checked:)
faðir (noun m.): father
kennings
veðr boga‘the storm of bows ’
= BATTLE
the storm of bows → BATTLE
notes
[4] veðr boga ‘the storm of bows [BATTLE]’: Kock (NN §1505) takes R, Tˣ’s reading boða as the second part of a cpd veðrboða ‘storm-offerer [WARRIOR = Heðinn]’ and construes it with til fárhuga (l. 3) to mean ‘for the storm-offerer’s hostile intent’. Marold (1983, 75) suggests emending veðr to veðs and understanding boði veðs ‘offerer of a pledge’ as a kenning for the atonement-seeking Heðinn.
boga ‘of bows’
(not checked:)
bogi (noun m.; °-a; -ar): bow
[4] boga: so with ‘boða’ altered to ‘boga’ in scribal hand W, boða R, Tˣ
kennings
veðr boga‘the storm of bows ’
= BATTLE
the storm of bows → BATTLE
notes
[4] veðr boga ‘the storm of bows [BATTLE]’: Kock (NN §1505) takes R, Tˣ’s reading boða as the second part of a cpd veðrboða ‘storm-offerer [WARRIOR = Heðinn]’ and construes it with til fárhuga (l. 3) to mean ‘for the storm-offerer’s hostile intent’. Marold (1983, 75) suggests emending veðr to veðs and understanding boði veðs ‘offerer of a pledge’ as a kenning for the atonement-seeking Heðinn.
hugði ‘planned’
(not checked:)
2. hyggja (verb): think, consider
þás ‘when’
(not checked:)
2. þá (adv.): then
hristi ‘the shaking’
(not checked:)
hrista (verb): shake < hristisif (noun f.)
kennings
hristi-Sif hringa,‘the shaking-Sif of rings, ’
= VALKYRIE = Hildr
the shaking-Sif of rings, → VALKYRIE = Hildr
notes
[5] hristi-Sif hringa ‘the shaking-Sif <goddess> of rings [VALKYRIE = Hildr]’: The connotations of this kenning are complex. The rings in question could be ring-hilts on swords, or rings, whether neck-rings or arm-rings, as items of ornament, or both, as Marold (1983, 104) suggested. It is possible (see Note to st. 9/1) that there is a specific reference to the neck-ring that Hildr offers her father as atonement on Heðinn’s behalf. Bragi’s choice of the goddess-name Sif, wife of Þórr, which has the sense ‘kinship, affinity’ as a common noun, may be ironic here, for Hildr is concerned to break the ties of kinship.
Sif ‘Sif’
(not checked:)
2. Sif (noun f.): Sif < hristisif (noun f.)
kennings
hristi-Sif hringa,‘the shaking-Sif of rings, ’
= VALKYRIE = Hildr
the shaking-Sif of rings, → VALKYRIE = Hildr
notes
[5] hristi-Sif hringa ‘the shaking-Sif <goddess> of rings [VALKYRIE = Hildr]’: The connotations of this kenning are complex. The rings in question could be ring-hilts on swords, or rings, whether neck-rings or arm-rings, as items of ornament, or both, as Marold (1983, 104) suggested. It is possible (see Note to st. 9/1) that there is a specific reference to the neck-ring that Hildr offers her father as atonement on Heðinn’s behalf. Bragi’s choice of the goddess-name Sif, wife of Þórr, which has the sense ‘kinship, affinity’ as a common noun, may be ironic here, for Hildr is concerned to break the ties of kinship.
hringa ‘of rings’
(not checked:)
1. hringr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ar): ring; sword
kennings
hristi-Sif hringa,‘the shaking-Sif of rings, ’
= VALKYRIE = Hildr
the shaking-Sif of rings, → VALKYRIE = Hildr
notes
[5] hristi-Sif hringa ‘the shaking-Sif <goddess> of rings [VALKYRIE = Hildr]’: The connotations of this kenning are complex. The rings in question could be ring-hilts on swords, or rings, whether neck-rings or arm-rings, as items of ornament, or both, as Marold (1983, 104) suggested. It is possible (see Note to st. 9/1) that there is a specific reference to the neck-ring that Hildr offers her father as atonement on Heðinn’s behalf. Bragi’s choice of the goddess-name Sif, wife of Þórr, which has the sense ‘kinship, affinity’ as a common noun, may be ironic here, for Hildr is concerned to break the ties of kinship.
hals ‘a neck’
(not checked:)
hals (noun m.; °hals, dat. -i; -ar): neck < halsbaugr (noun m.)
bǫls ‘with malice’
(not checked:)
bǫl (noun n.; °-s, dat. bǫlvi): evil
of ‘’
(not checked:)
4. of (particle): (before verb)
fyllda ‘filled’
(not checked:)
fylla (verb): fill
bar ‘carried’
(not checked:)
3. bera (verb; °berr; bar, báru; borinn): bear, carry
til ‘to’
(not checked:)
til (prep.): to
byrjar ‘of the fair wind’
(not checked:)
byrr (noun m.; °-jar/-s; -ir, acc. -i/-u(SigrVal 188¹³)): favourable wind
kennings
drǫsla byrjar.‘the steeds of the fair wind.’
= SHIPS
the steeds of the fair wind. → SHIPS
drǫsla ‘the steeds’
(not checked:)
drasill (noun m.): steed
kennings
drǫsla byrjar.‘the steeds of the fair wind.’
= SHIPS
the steeds of the fair wind. → SHIPS
baug ‘ring’
(not checked:)
baugr (noun m.; °dat. -i/-; -ar): ring < halsbaugr (noun m.)
ørlygis ‘of battle’
(not checked:)
ørlygi (noun n.): [battle, doom]
kennings
draugi ørlygis‘the tree-trunk of battle ’
= WARRIOR = Hǫgni
the tree-trunk of battle → WARRIOR = Hǫgni
notes
[8] draugi ørlygis ‘the tree-trunk of battle [WARRIOR = Hǫgni]’: Bragi possibly plays ironically on the dual sense of draugr here, ‘tree-trunk’ and ‘ghost, revenant’, in that Hǫgni will soon have the latter status, along with all the other men in the Hildr legend.
draugi ‘the tree-trunk’
(not checked:)
1. draugr (noun m.; °; -ar): tree
kennings
draugi ørlygis‘the tree-trunk of battle ’
= WARRIOR = Hǫgni
the tree-trunk of battle → WARRIOR = Hǫgni
notes
[8] draugi ørlygis ‘the tree-trunk of battle [WARRIOR = Hǫgni]’: Bragi possibly plays ironically on the dual sense of draugr here, ‘tree-trunk’ and ‘ghost, revenant’, in that Hǫgni will soon have the latter status, along with all the other men in the Hildr legend.
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Ok ofþerris æða |
And the desiring-Rán <goddess> of the excessive drying of veins [VALKYRIE = Hildr] planned to bring the storm of bows [BATTLE] with hostile intentions against her father after that, when the shaking-Sif <goddess> of rings [VALKYRIE = Hildr], the one filled with malice, carried a neck-ring for the tree-trunk of battle [WARRIOR = Hǫgni] to the steeds of the fair wind [SHIPS].
Rdr 8-12 are cited in Skm as a continuous sequence to illustrate why battle can be called Hjaðninga veðr eða él ‘weather or storm of the Hjaðningar’ and weapons Hjaðninga eldar eða vendir ‘fires or wands of the Hjaðningar’ (SnE 1998, I, 72-3). Before quoting Bragi’s stanzas, Snorri gives a prose account of the legend of the Hjaðningar, the followers of a king named Heðinn Hjarrandason, who abducted Hildr, daughter of King Hǫgni, when the latter was away from home. When he learnt of his loss, Hǫgni set off with his men in pursuit of Heðinn and Hildr, and found them on the island of Hoy (ON Háey) in the Orkneys. Hildr went to see her father and, in apparent atonement on Heðinn’s behalf, offered him a neck-ring (men), but also indicated that Heðinn was ready to fight. In effect, she was more enthusiastic about her father and abductor fighting than they were, and the conflict escalated to a day-long battle. At night Hildr revived all the dead by magic and the battle continued in this way day after day up to Ragnarǫk. Stanza 8 is preceded by the statement Eptir þessi sǫgu orti Bragi skáld í Ragnars drápu loðbrókar ‘Bragi the poet composed [stanzas] in the drápa of Ragnarr loðbrók based on this story’.
There are many variant versions of the legend of Hildr and the Hjaðningar in Old Norse, Old English and Middle High German, as well as in Saxo’s Gesta Danorum (Saxo 2005, I, 5, 8, 3 and 9, 1, pp. 338, 340-2). For a summary, see Clunies Ross (1973a, 110-31) and Marold (1990b). Bragi’s stanzas concentrate on the events leading up to the battle between Hǫgni and Heðinn and are focalised through his depiction of Hildr who acts, not to reconcile her father and lover, but to whet them and their men to bloody conflict. Her name (as a common noun) means ‘battle’ and she seems to embody a sexualised motivational force that leads men to fight one another, perhaps the same force that is also expressed through the conventional figure of the valkyrie.
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