ESk Geisl 53VII
Martin Chase (ed.) 2007, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Geisli 53’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 50.
Myndi ‘would have’
(not checked:)
munu (verb): will, must
mest ‘Most’
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meiri (adj. comp.; °meiran; superl. mestr): more, most
und ‘under’
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3. und (prep.): under, underneath
fjǫndum ‘enemies’
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fjándi (noun m.; °-a; fjándr/fjándar/fjándir): enemy, devil
Mikla ‘Constantinople’
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mikill (adj.; °mikinn): great, large < Miklagarðr (noun m.): [Constantinople]
garðr ‘’
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garðr (noun m.): enclosure, yard < Miklagarðr (noun m.): [Constantinople]
[2] ‑garðr: garðs Bb
ok ‘and’
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
jarðir ‘the territories’
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jǫrð (noun f.; °jarðar, dat. -u; jarðir/jarðar(DN I (1367) 304)): ground, earth
[2] jarðir: jarðar Bb
hryggs ‘of the sorrowful’
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2. hryggr (adj.; °-van/-jan; compar. -vari/-ari/-ri; superl. -astr): sorrowful, sad
kennings
hryggs lagar eldbrota‘sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea’
= GENEROUS RULER = Byzantine king
the flame of the sea → GOLD
the sorrowful breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS RULER = Byzantine king
notes
[3-4] lið hryggs lagar eldbrota dugði ‘the army of the sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea did well’: The reference is probably to the Byzantine army and its leader. The structure of this intercalary cl. follows Skald and NN §944 rather than Skj B, which fragments l. 3 syntactically. However, both Skj B and Skald adopt Bb’s dugðit ‘did not do well’, with suffixed negative, rather than the positive 3rd pers. sg. pret. of Flat. Both readings are possible, and it could be argued that Bb’s is better on grounds of sense, viz. the Byzantine army did not do well but was saved by the brave Varangians.
notes
[3-4] lið hryggs lagar eldbrota dugði ‘the army of the sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea did well’: The reference is probably to the Byzantine army and its leader. The structure of this intercalary cl. follows Skald and NN §944 rather than Skj B, which fragments l. 3 syntactically. However, both Skj B and Skald adopt Bb’s dugðit ‘did not do well’, with suffixed negative, rather than the positive 3rd pers. sg. pret. of Flat. Both readings are possible, and it could be argued that Bb’s is better on grounds of sense, viz. the Byzantine army did not do well but was saved by the brave Varangians.
lið ‘the army’
(not checked:)
lið (noun n.; °-s; -): retinue, troop
notes
[3-4] lið hryggs lagar eldbrota dugði ‘the army of the sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea did well’: The reference is probably to the Byzantine army and its leader. The structure of this intercalary cl. follows Skald and NN §944 rather than Skj B, which fragments l. 3 syntactically. However, both Skj B and Skald adopt Bb’s dugðit ‘did not do well’, with suffixed negative, rather than the positive 3rd pers. sg. pret. of Flat. Both readings are possible, and it could be argued that Bb’s is better on grounds of sense, viz. the Byzantine army did not do well but was saved by the brave Varangians.
liggja ‘lain’
(not checked:)
liggja (verb): lie
lagar ‘of the sea’
(not checked:)
lǫgr (noun m.; °lagar, dat. legi): sea
kennings
hryggs lagar eldbrota‘sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea’
= GENEROUS RULER = Byzantine king
the flame of the sea → GOLD
the sorrowful breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS RULER = Byzantine king
notes
[3-4] lið hryggs lagar eldbrota dugði ‘the army of the sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea did well’: The reference is probably to the Byzantine army and its leader. The structure of this intercalary cl. follows Skald and NN §944 rather than Skj B, which fragments l. 3 syntactically. However, both Skj B and Skald adopt Bb’s dugðit ‘did not do well’, with suffixed negative, rather than the positive 3rd pers. sg. pret. of Flat. Both readings are possible, and it could be argued that Bb’s is better on grounds of sense, viz. the Byzantine army did not do well but was saved by the brave Varangians.
lagar ‘of the sea’
(not checked:)
lǫgr (noun m.; °lagar, dat. legi): sea
kennings
hryggs lagar eldbrota‘sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea’
= GENEROUS RULER = Byzantine king
the flame of the sea → GOLD
the sorrowful breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS RULER = Byzantine king
notes
[3-4] lið hryggs lagar eldbrota dugði ‘the army of the sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea did well’: The reference is probably to the Byzantine army and its leader. The structure of this intercalary cl. follows Skald and NN §944 rather than Skj B, which fragments l. 3 syntactically. However, both Skj B and Skald adopt Bb’s dugðit ‘did not do well’, with suffixed negative, rather than the positive 3rd pers. sg. pret. of Flat. Both readings are possible, and it could be argued that Bb’s is better on grounds of sense, viz. the Byzantine army did not do well but was saved by the brave Varangians.
eld ‘of the flame’
(not checked:)
eldr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-(HómÍsl¹(1993) 24v²⁴); -ar): fire < eldbroti (noun m.)
kennings
hryggs lagar eldbrota‘sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea’
= GENEROUS RULER = Byzantine king
the flame of the sea → GOLD
the sorrowful breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS RULER = Byzantine king
notes
[3-4] lið hryggs lagar eldbrota dugði ‘the army of the sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea did well’: The reference is probably to the Byzantine army and its leader. The structure of this intercalary cl. follows Skald and NN §944 rather than Skj B, which fragments l. 3 syntactically. However, both Skj B and Skald adopt Bb’s dugðit ‘did not do well’, with suffixed negative, rather than the positive 3rd pers. sg. pret. of Flat. Both readings are possible, and it could be argued that Bb’s is better on grounds of sense, viz. the Byzantine army did not do well but was saved by the brave Varangians.
eld ‘of the flame’
(not checked:)
eldr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-(HómÍsl¹(1993) 24v²⁴); -ar): fire < eldbroti (noun m.)
kennings
hryggs lagar eldbrota‘sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea’
= GENEROUS RULER = Byzantine king
the flame of the sea → GOLD
the sorrowful breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS RULER = Byzantine king
notes
[3-4] lið hryggs lagar eldbrota dugði ‘the army of the sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea did well’: The reference is probably to the Byzantine army and its leader. The structure of this intercalary cl. follows Skald and NN §944 rather than Skj B, which fragments l. 3 syntactically. However, both Skj B and Skald adopt Bb’s dugðit ‘did not do well’, with suffixed negative, rather than the positive 3rd pers. sg. pret. of Flat. Both readings are possible, and it could be argued that Bb’s is better on grounds of sense, viz. the Byzantine army did not do well but was saved by the brave Varangians.
brota ‘breaker’
(not checked:)
broti (noun m.; °-a; -ar): breaker < eldbroti (noun m.)
kennings
hryggs lagar eldbrota‘sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea’
= GENEROUS RULER = Byzantine king
the flame of the sea → GOLD
the sorrowful breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS RULER = Byzantine king
notes
[3-4] lið hryggs lagar eldbrota dugði ‘the army of the sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea did well’: The reference is probably to the Byzantine army and its leader. The structure of this intercalary cl. follows Skald and NN §944 rather than Skj B, which fragments l. 3 syntactically. However, both Skj B and Skald adopt Bb’s dugðit ‘did not do well’, with suffixed negative, rather than the positive 3rd pers. sg. pret. of Flat. Both readings are possible, and it could be argued that Bb’s is better on grounds of sense, viz. the Byzantine army did not do well but was saved by the brave Varangians.
veldi ‘of the kingdom’
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veldi (noun n.): realm
nema ‘except’
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2. nema (conj.): unless
rǫnd ‘shields’
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rǫnd (noun f.; °dat. -/-u; rendr/randir): shield, shield-rim
í ‘in’
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í (prep.): in, into
byr ‘the fair breeze’
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byrr (noun m.; °-jar/-s; -ir, acc. -i/-u(SigrVal 188¹³)): favourable wind
kennings
byr branda;‘the fair breeze of swords; ’
= BATTLE
the fair breeze of swords; → BATTLE
branda ‘of swords’
(not checked:)
brandr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): sword, prow; fire
kennings
byr branda;‘the fair breeze of swords; ’
= BATTLE
the fair breeze of swords; → BATTLE
barð ‘of the prow’
(not checked:)
barð (noun n.): prow, stern (of a ship) < barðraukn (noun n.)
[6] barðraukns: ‘barraugn’ Flat, ‘bard ravgns’ Bb
kennings
veðri rǫðuls barðraukns.‘the storm of the sun of the prow-ox.’
= BATTLE
the prow-ox. → SHIP
the sun of the SHIP → SHIELD
the storm of the SHIELD → BATTLE
barð ‘of the prow’
(not checked:)
barð (noun n.): prow, stern (of a ship) < barðraukn (noun n.)
[6] barðraukns: ‘barraugn’ Flat, ‘bard ravgns’ Bb
kennings
veðri rǫðuls barðraukns.‘the storm of the sun of the prow-ox.’
= BATTLE
the prow-ox. → SHIP
the sun of the SHIP → SHIELD
the storm of the SHIELD → BATTLE
barð ‘of the prow’
(not checked:)
barð (noun n.): prow, stern (of a ship) < barðraukn (noun n.)
[6] barðraukns: ‘barraugn’ Flat, ‘bard ravgns’ Bb
kennings
veðri rǫðuls barðraukns.‘the storm of the sun of the prow-ox.’
= BATTLE
the prow-ox. → SHIP
the sun of the SHIP → SHIELD
the storm of the SHIELD → BATTLE
raukns ‘ox’
(not checked:)
2. raukn (noun n.): draught animal < barðraukn (noun n.)
[6] barðraukns: ‘barraugn’ Flat, ‘bard ravgns’ Bb
kennings
veðri rǫðuls barðraukns.‘the storm of the sun of the prow-ox.’
= BATTLE
the prow-ox. → SHIP
the sun of the SHIP → SHIELD
the storm of the SHIELD → BATTLE
raukns ‘ox’
(not checked:)
2. raukn (noun n.): draught animal < barðraukn (noun n.)
[6] barðraukns: ‘barraugn’ Flat, ‘bard ravgns’ Bb
kennings
veðri rǫðuls barðraukns.‘the storm of the sun of the prow-ox.’
= BATTLE
the prow-ox. → SHIP
the sun of the SHIP → SHIELD
the storm of the SHIELD → BATTLE
raukns ‘ox’
(not checked:)
2. raukn (noun n.): draught animal < barðraukn (noun n.)
[6] barðraukns: ‘barraugn’ Flat, ‘bard ravgns’ Bb
kennings
veðri rǫðuls barðraukns.‘the storm of the sun of the prow-ox.’
= BATTLE
the prow-ox. → SHIP
the sun of the SHIP → SHIELD
the storm of the SHIELD → BATTLE
fáir ‘few’
(not checked:)
3. fár (adj.; °compar. fǽrri/fárri(Mág² 11), superl. fǽstr): few
[6] fáir: so Bb, ‘fꜳit’ Flat
harða ‘a very’
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harða (adv.): very
rǫðuls ‘of the sun’
(not checked:)
rǫðull (noun m.; °dat. rǫðli): heavenly body
kennings
veðri rǫðuls barðraukns.‘the storm of the sun of the prow-ox.’
= BATTLE
the prow-ox. → SHIP
the sun of the SHIP → SHIELD
the storm of the SHIELD → BATTLE
rǫðuls ‘of the sun’
(not checked:)
rǫðull (noun m.; °dat. rǫðli): heavenly body
kennings
veðri rǫðuls barðraukns.‘the storm of the sun of the prow-ox.’
= BATTLE
the prow-ox. → SHIP
the sun of the SHIP → SHIELD
the storm of the SHIELD → BATTLE
bliku ‘gleamed’
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2. blika (verb; °-að-): [gleamed]
vôpn ‘weapons’
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vápn (noun n.; °-s; -): weapon
í ‘in’
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í (prep.): in, into
veðri ‘the storm’
(not checked:)
2. veðr (noun n.; °-s; -): weather, wind, storm
kennings
veðri rǫðuls barðraukns.‘the storm of the sun of the prow-ox.’
= BATTLE
the prow-ox. → SHIP
the sun of the SHIP → SHIELD
the storm of the SHIELD → BATTLE
Væringjar ‘Varangians’
(not checked:)
væringi (noun m.): Varangian
framm ‘forward’
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fram (adv.): out, forth, forwards, away
bæri ‘pushed’
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bara (noun f.; °*-u; *-ur): [pushed, have]
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Myndi mest und fjǫndum |
Most of the kingdom, Constantinople and the territories, would have lain under enemies — the army of the sorrowful breaker of the flame of the sea [(lit. ‘sorrowful flame-breaker of the sea’) GOLD > GENEROUS RULER = Byzantine king] did well —, except that a very few Varangians pushed [their] shields forward in the fair breeze of swords [BATTLE]; weapons gleamed in the storm of the sun of the prow-ox [SHIP > SHIELD > BATTLE].
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