ESk Geisl 46VII
Martin Chase (ed.) 2007, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Geisli 46’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 44-5.
Mér ‘for me’
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
s ‘It is’
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
en ‘but’
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2. en (conj.): but, and
mærð ‘the praise’
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mærð (noun f.): praise
skal ‘I shall’
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skulu (verb): shall, should, must
stœra ‘’
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stœra (verb): increase, strengthen
mildings ‘prince’
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mildingr (noun m.; °-s): ruler, generous one
’s ‘who’
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
gaf ‘gave’
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gefa (verb): give
hringa ‘rings’
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1. hringr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ar): ring; sword
styrjar ‘in-battle’
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styrr (noun m.; °dat. -): battle
snjalls ‘of the clever’
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snjallr (adj.): quick, resourceful, bold
[3] snjalls: so Bb, ‘snallz’ Flat
of ‘about’
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3. of (prep.): around, from; too
stilli ‘ruler’
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stillir (noun m.): ruler
styrkjan ‘the strong’
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2. styrkr (adj.): powerful, strong
[4] styrkjan: so Bb, ‘styrkann’ Flat
vant ‘difficult’
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vandr (adj.): difficult
at ‘to’
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5. at (nota): to (with infinitive)
yrkja ‘compose’
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yrkja (verb): compose
þvít ‘because’
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þvít (conj.): because, since
tôkn ‘miracles’
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tákn (noun n.; °-s; -): token
s ‘who’
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
lið ‘men’
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lið (noun n.; °-s; -): retinue, troop
vinar ‘of friend’
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vinr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. -/(-i OsvReyk 92.17); -ir): friend
lofðungs ‘of the prince’
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lofðungr (noun m.; °; -ar): king, leader
kennings
lofðungs ranns himintungla,‘of the prince of the house of heavenly bodies, ’
= God
the house of heavenly bodies, → SKY/HEAVEN
the prince of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
vinar ‘’
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vinr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. -/(-i OsvReyk 92.17); -ir): friend
himin ‘of heavenly’
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himinn (noun m.; °himins, dat. himni; himnar): heaven, sky < himintungl (noun n.): heavenly body
[6] himin‑: vinar Bb
kennings
lofðungs ranns himintungla,‘of the prince of the house of heavenly bodies, ’
= God
the house of heavenly bodies, → SKY/HEAVEN
the prince of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
himin ‘of heavenly’
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himinn (noun m.; °himins, dat. himni; himnar): heaven, sky < himintungl (noun n.): heavenly body
[6] himin‑: vinar Bb
kennings
lofðungs ranns himintungla,‘of the prince of the house of heavenly bodies, ’
= God
the house of heavenly bodies, → SKY/HEAVEN
the prince of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
verðr ‘appears’
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1. verða (verb): become, be
tungla ‘bodies’
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tungl (noun n.; °-s; -): moon, heavenly body < himintungl (noun n.): heavenly body
kennings
lofðungs ranns himintungla,‘of the prince of the house of heavenly bodies, ’
= God
the house of heavenly bodies, → SKY/HEAVEN
the prince of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
tungla ‘bodies’
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tungl (noun n.; °-s; -): moon, heavenly body < himintungl (noun n.): heavenly body
kennings
lofðungs ranns himintungla,‘of the prince of the house of heavenly bodies, ’
= God
the house of heavenly bodies, → SKY/HEAVEN
the prince of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
ljós ‘clear’
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ljóss (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): bright
verðr ‘’
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1. verða (verb): become, be
raun ‘proof’
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raun (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): ordeal, proof, experience
ræsi ‘the king’
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ræsir (noun m.): ruler
ranns ‘of the house’
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rann (noun n.): house, hall
kennings
lofðungs ranns himintungla,‘of the prince of the house of heavenly bodies, ’
= God
the house of heavenly bodies, → SKY/HEAVEN
the prince of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
ranns ‘of the house’
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rann (noun n.): house, hall
kennings
lofðungs ranns himintungla,‘of the prince of the house of heavenly bodies, ’
= God
the house of heavenly bodies, → SKY/HEAVEN
the prince of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
ferr ‘go’
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fara (verb; ferr, fór, fóru, farinn): go, travel
hvert ‘one’
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2. hverr (pron.): who, whom, each, every
á ‘after’
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3. á (prep.): on, at
annat ‘another’
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1. annarr (pron.; °f. ǫnnur, n. annat; pl. aðrir): (an)other, second
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
It is difficult for me to compose [poetry] about the strong ruler — therefore I shall make clear the praise of the clever-in-battle prince who gave rings — because miracles of the prince of the house of heavenly bodies [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)], who heals men, go one after another; clear proof appears about the king.
[5-8]: The helmingr works at two levels. The primary meaning is that Óláfr’s miracles are signs given by God as proof of the saint’s holiness. Þess’s lið læknar ‘the one who heals men’ (l. 5) and lofðungs ranns himintungla ‘of the prince of the house of heavenly bodies’ (ll. 6, 8) clearly refer to Christ. But they can also refer to Óláfr: although the miracles are ultimately God’s, a point which Einarr emphasizes, they are also Óláfr’s in the sense that he is their efficient cause. The variant reading vinar ‘of the friend’ (vinar lofðungs ranns tungla ‘of the friend of the prince of the house of heavenly bodies [= God > = Óláfr]’), adopted in Skj B and Skald, makes the reference to Óláfr the Saint explicit in the Bb text. The two helmingar of st. 46 juxtapose not only Óláfr and Christ, but also the Óláfr who gave rings and the Óláfr who heals. These eight ll. thus concisely express the theme of the drápa, as is fitting for the st. that begins its slœmr, or concluding section.
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