Martin Chase (ed.) 2007, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Geisli 56’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 52-3.
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2. eyða (verb; °-dd-): destroy
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gumi (noun m.; °-a; gumar/gumnar): man
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2. glaðr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): cheerful, glad
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gǫfugr (adj.; °gǫfgan/gǫfugan; compar. gǫfgari/gǫfugri, superl. gǫfgastr/gǫfugstr/gǫfugastr): noble, glorious
[2] gǫfugr: ‘gavfur gr’ Bb
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þengill (noun m.): prince, ruler
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1. bjarga (verb; °bergr (biærgr Alk619 77⁹; biargr ÓH619 119¹); barg, burgu; borginn): to save, preserve
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drengr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ir, gen. -ja): man, warrior
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vǫgn (noun f.; °; vagnir): wagon
[3] borg vagna ‘the fortress of wagons’: Both Snorri (Hkr, ÍF 28, 371) and John Kinnamos (in Brand 1976, 16) describe the Petchenegs’ tactic of drawing their wagons into a fortified circle.
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borg (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -; -ir): city, stronghold
[3] borg vagna ‘the fortress of wagons’: Both Snorri (Hkr, ÍF 28, 371) and John Kinnamos (in Brand 1976, 16) describe the Petchenegs’ tactic of drawing their wagons into a fortified circle.
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þar (adv.): there
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vargr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ar): wolf
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vápn (noun n.; °-s; -): weapon < vápnsundraðr (adj./verb p.p.)
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sundra (verb): shatter, sunder < vápnsundraðr (adj./verb p.p.)
[4] ‑sundrat: sundruð Bb
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hræ (noun n.; °; -): corpse, carrion
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2. finna (verb): find, meet
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nenna (verb): strive, be inclined
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ǫld (noun f.; °; aldir): people, age
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3. at (prep.): at, to
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inna (verb): to pay, discharge, relate, tell; to announce, confirm
[5] inna ‘tell, relate’: A verb used frequently in religious poetry. However, the syntax of its usage in Flat, ungr nennir at inna ǫld verk ‘a young [man] is minded to tell men the works’, requires inna to be used with the dat, which is unprecedented.
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ungr (adj.): young
[6] ungr ‘young’: The adj. in Flat must be understood as a noun, possibly referring to the skald, though, if so, the reference to youth is merely conventional, since Einarr was hardly young at the time he recited Geisl.
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brim (noun n.): surf < brimlogi (noun m.)
[7, 8, 6] verk dáðsnjalls dǫglings slungins brimloga ‘the works of the quick-acting ruler of scattered sea-fire’: There are two reasons to be suspicious of this kenning; the first is that dǫglingr is never used as the base-word of a kenning for a secular ruler, only for God or Christ, and this is borne out by one other example in st. 5/7, and the second is that dǫglingr is not the right sort of base-word in a kenning for a generous ruler, which should belong to a category such as ‘distributor’, ‘spender’, ‘waster’ or similar.
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brim (noun n.): surf < brimlogi (noun m.)
[7, 8, 6] verk dáðsnjalls dǫglings slungins brimloga ‘the works of the quick-acting ruler of scattered sea-fire’: There are two reasons to be suspicious of this kenning; the first is that dǫglingr is never used as the base-word of a kenning for a secular ruler, only for God or Christ, and this is borne out by one other example in st. 5/7, and the second is that dǫglingr is not the right sort of base-word in a kenning for a generous ruler, which should belong to a category such as ‘distributor’, ‘spender’, ‘waster’ or similar.
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slunginn (adj./verb p.p.): encircled, coiled
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logi (noun m.; °-a; -ar): flame < brimlogi (noun m.)
[7, 8, 6] verk dáðsnjalls dǫglings slungins brimloga ‘the works of the quick-acting ruler of scattered sea-fire’: There are two reasons to be suspicious of this kenning; the first is that dǫglingr is never used as the base-word of a kenning for a secular ruler, only for God or Christ, and this is borne out by one other example in st. 5/7, and the second is that dǫglingr is not the right sort of base-word in a kenning for a generous ruler, which should belong to a category such as ‘distributor’, ‘spender’, ‘waster’ or similar.
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logi (noun m.; °-a; -ar): flame < brimlogi (noun m.)
[7, 8, 6] verk dáðsnjalls dǫglings slungins brimloga ‘the works of the quick-acting ruler of scattered sea-fire’: There are two reasons to be suspicious of this kenning; the first is that dǫglingr is never used as the base-word of a kenning for a secular ruler, only for God or Christ, and this is borne out by one other example in st. 5/7, and the second is that dǫglingr is not the right sort of base-word in a kenning for a generous ruler, which should belong to a category such as ‘distributor’, ‘spender’, ‘waster’ or similar.
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slunginn (adj./verb p.p.): encircled, coiled
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sløngvir (noun m.): slinger
[6] sløngvir: slungins Flat, ‘slaungir’ Bb
[7, 8, 6] verk dáðsnjalls dǫglings slungins brimloga ‘the works of the quick-acting ruler of scattered sea-fire’: There are two reasons to be suspicious of this kenning; the first is that dǫglingr is never used as the base-word of a kenning for a secular ruler, only for God or Christ, and this is borne out by one other example in st. 5/7, and the second is that dǫglingr is not the right sort of base-word in a kenning for a generous ruler, which should belong to a category such as ‘distributor’, ‘spender’, ‘waster’ or similar.
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dǫglingr (noun m.; °; -ar): king, ruler
[7, 8, 6] verk dáðsnjalls dǫglings slungins brimloga ‘the works of the quick-acting ruler of scattered sea-fire’: There are two reasons to be suspicious of this kenning; the first is that dǫglingr is never used as the base-word of a kenning for a secular ruler, only for God or Christ, and this is borne out by one other example in st. 5/7, and the second is that dǫglingr is not the right sort of base-word in a kenning for a generous ruler, which should belong to a category such as ‘distributor’, ‘spender’, ‘waster’ or similar.
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verk (noun n.; °-s; -): deed
[7, 8, 6] verk dáðsnjalls dǫglings slungins brimloga ‘the works of the quick-acting ruler of scattered sea-fire’: There are two reasons to be suspicious of this kenning; the first is that dǫglingr is never used as the base-word of a kenning for a secular ruler, only for God or Christ, and this is borne out by one other example in st. 5/7, and the second is that dǫglingr is not the right sort of base-word in a kenning for a generous ruler, which should belong to a category such as ‘distributor’, ‘spender’, ‘waster’ or similar.
[7] þess’s: so Bb, ‘þau er’ Flat
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dýrka (verb; °-að-): glorify, worship
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dáð (noun f.; °; -ir): feat, deed < dáðsnjallr (adj.)
[7, 8, 6] verk dáðsnjalls dǫglings slungins brimloga ‘the works of the quick-acting ruler of scattered sea-fire’: There are two reasons to be suspicious of this kenning; the first is that dǫglingr is never used as the base-word of a kenning for a secular ruler, only for God or Christ, and this is borne out by one other example in st. 5/7, and the second is that dǫglingr is not the right sort of base-word in a kenning for a generous ruler, which should belong to a category such as ‘distributor’, ‘spender’, ‘waster’ or similar.
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snjallr (adj.): quick, resourceful, bold < dáðsnjallr (adj.)
[7, 8, 6] verk dáðsnjalls dǫglings slungins brimloga ‘the works of the quick-acting ruler of scattered sea-fire’: There are two reasons to be suspicious of this kenning; the first is that dǫglingr is never used as the base-word of a kenning for a secular ruler, only for God or Christ, and this is borne out by one other example in st. 5/7, and the second is that dǫglingr is not the right sort of base-word in a kenning for a generous ruler, which should belong to a category such as ‘distributor’, ‘spender’, ‘waster’ or similar.
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allr (adj.): all
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
[1-4]: Flat is followed here, though Bb, which is followed by Skj B and Skald, also makes good sense. Differences are that Bb reads eyddu ‘they emptied, laid waste, destroyed’ in l. 1 and has pl. vápnsundruð hræ ‘the weapon-torn corpses’ in l. 4. — [5-8]: Both ms. versions of this helmingr pose problems and both may be corrupt. Here Bb has been followed (so also Skj B and Skald), and Flat’s version is discussed below. Bb’s version requires one emendation (sløngvir, l. 6; Skj A reads ‘slaungvir’, but no ‘v’ is visible in the ms.) and the sense required for dýrkar (l. 7) is somewhat unusual (Skj B som forherliger hele verden ‘who glorifies the whole world’). The problems produced by Flat’s version are as follows:
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