Einarr Skúlason, Geisli 6

Martin Chase

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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ESk Geisl 6^VII

Martin Chase (ed.) 2007, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Geisli 6’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 11-12.

Einarr Skúlason Geisli

5 6 7

Veitti ‘gave’

(not checked:)
2. veita (verb): grant, give

dýrðar ‘of glory’

(not checked:)
dýrð (noun f.; °-ar/-a(NoDipl(1279) 44²); -ir): glory

kennings

Dáðvandr dróttinn dýrðar
‘The carefully-acting lord of glory ’
= God
The carefully-acting lord of glory → God

notes

[1] dýrðar ‘of glory’: Dýrðar can be construed with either dróttinn ‘Lord’ (l. 1) or váttr ‘witness’ (l. 4). Dróttinn dýrðar ‘Lord of glory’ would be analogous to the Scriptural ‘Lord of glory’ (1 Cor. II.8) and ‘king of glory’ (Ps. XXIII.7-10). The syntax of the helmingr supports this interpretation, and is adopted here, but dýrðar váttr as a kenning for martyr is attested later in Geisl (62/3) and in Anon Pl 26/3.

dróttinn ‘lord’

(not checked:)
dróttinn (noun m.; °dróttins, dat. dróttni (drottini [$1049$]); dróttnar): lord, master

kennings

Dáðvandr dróttinn dýrðar
‘The carefully-acting lord of glory ’
= God
The carefully-acting lord of glory → God

dáð ‘The carefully’

(not checked:)
dáð (noun f.; °; -ir): feat, deed < dáðvandr (adj.)

kennings

Dáðvandr dróttinn dýrðar
‘The carefully-acting lord of glory ’
= God
The carefully-acting lord of glory → God

vandr ‘acting’

(not checked:)
vandr (adj.): difficult < dáðvandr (adj.)

kennings

Dáðvandr dróttinn dýrðar
‘The carefully-acting lord of glory ’
= God
The carefully-acting lord of glory → God

gjafar ‘the gifts’

(not checked:)
gjǫf (noun f.): gift

[2] gjafar: so Bb, gjafir Flat

notes

anda ‘spirit’

(not checked:)
andi (noun m.; °-a; -ar): spirit, soul

notes

sanna ‘’

(not checked:)
2. sanna (verb): prove

môl ‘sayings’

(not checked:)
1. mál (noun n.; °-s; -): speech, matter

kennings

þau môl vátta.
‘those sayings of witnesses. ’
= SCRIPTURES
those sayings of witnesses. → SCRIPTURES

notes

sanna ‘’

kynnask ‘study’

(not checked:)
kynna (verb): make known, reveal

[3] kynnask: sanna Bb

notes

þau ‘those’

(not checked:)
1. sá (pron.; °gen. þess, dat. þeim, acc. þann; f. sú, gen. þeirrar, acc. þá; n. þat, dat. því; pl. m. þeir, f. þǽ---): that (one), those

kennings

þau môl vátta.
‘those sayings of witnesses. ’
= SCRIPTURES
those sayings of witnesses. → SCRIPTURES

notes

mǫnnum ‘to men’

(not checked:)
maðr (noun m.): man, person

notes

máttigs ‘of the mighty’

(not checked:)
máttigr (adj.; °compar. -ari/-ri, superl. -astr): mighty

notes

[2, 4] gjafar máttigs anda ‘the gifts of the mighty spirit’: A theological commonplace (dona Spiritus Sancti). Throughout the Middle Ages and beyond the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit figure prominently in pious exercises and theological systems. — [3-4]: Both Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) and Kock (Skald) prefer Bb’s equally plausible readings sanna and váttar in ll. 3-4, giving the sense framir váttar sanna þau ml ‘excellent witnesses affirm those sayings’.

máttigs ‘of the mighty’

(not checked:)
máttigr (adj.; °compar. -ari/-ri, superl. -astr): mighty

notes

framir ‘excellent men’

(not checked:)
framr (adj.; °compar. framari/fremri, superl. framastr/fremstr): outstanding, foremost

notes

Þaðan ‘’

(not checked:)
þaðan (adv.): from there

vátta ‘of witnesses’

(not checked:)
váttr (noun m.; °váttar; dat. vátt/vǽtti; váttar/vǽttir, acc. vátta/váttu/vǽtta): witness

[4] vátta: ‘vottar’ Bb

kennings

þau môl vátta.
‘those sayings of witnesses. ’
= SCRIPTURES
those sayings of witnesses. → SCRIPTURES

notes

[3-4]: Both Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) and Kock (Skald) prefer Bb’s equally plausible readings sanna and váttar in ll. 3-4, giving the sense framir váttar sanna þau ml ‘excellent witnesses affirm those sayings’. — [3] vátta ‘of witnesses’: Vátta (nom. pl. váttar) refers to the Apostles, who witnessed the glory of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and who later earned the crown of martyrdom.

vátta ‘of witnesses’

(not checked:)
váttr (noun m.; °váttar; dat. vátt/vǽtti; váttar/vǽttir, acc. vátta/váttu/vǽtta): witness

[4] vátta: ‘vottar’ Bb

kennings

þau môl vátta.
‘those sayings of witnesses. ’
= SCRIPTURES
those sayings of witnesses. → SCRIPTURES

notes

þaðan ‘’

Þá ‘Then’

(not checked:)
2. þá (adv.): then

[5] Þá: þaðan Bb

reis ‘rose’

(not checked:)
rísa (verb): rise, raise

upp ‘up’

(not checked:)
upp (adv.): up

notes

[7] hauldum ‘noble farmers, men’: Both mss give the Norw. form of the word hǫlðr, which is necessary to maintain skothending. According to Noreen the change o/au before l + consonant did not occur in Iceland until around 1300 (cf. ANG §105 and Anm.). The syntax of the helmingr is good, making the possibility of scribal tampering unlikely. Einarr may have chosen the form to avoid aðalhending in an odd-numbered l. In 4/6 he uses the forms hǫlða (ms. ‘holda’) and meginfjǫlði (ms. ‘meginfioldi’) ‘multitude’ to form an aðalhending.

himin ‘heavenly’

(not checked:)
himinn (noun m.; °himins, dat. himni; himnar): heaven, sky < himinvist (noun f.)

[8] himinvistar: himins vistar Bb

vistar ‘hospitality’

(not checked:)
vist (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): abode, lodging, provisions < himinvist (noun f.)

[8] himinvistar: himins vistar Bb

til ‘to’

(not checked:)
til (prep.): to

kristni ‘Christendom’

(not checked:)
kristni (noun f.; °-/-s(Ágr 26¹²)): Christianity

Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses

verse
prose

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ESk Geisl 6VII

Veitti ‘gave’

dýrðar ‘of glory’

kennings

notes

dróttinn ‘lord’

kennings

dáð ‘The carefully’

kennings

vandr ‘acting’

kennings

gjafar ‘the gifts’

notes

anda ‘spirit’

notes

sanna ‘’

môl ‘sayings’

kennings

notes

sanna ‘’

kynnask ‘study’

notes

þau ‘those’

kennings

notes

mǫnnum ‘to men’

notes

máttigs ‘of the mighty’

notes

máttigs ‘of the mighty’

notes

framir ‘excellent men’

notes

Þaðan ‘’

vátta ‘of witnesses’

kennings

notes

vátta ‘of witnesses’

kennings

notes

þaðan ‘’

Þá ‘Then’

reis ‘rose’

upp ‘up’

sú ‘that’

s ‘’

einum ‘one’

alþýð ‘universal’

guði ‘God’

hlýðir ‘obeys’

hæstr ‘the highest’

skjǫldungr ‘prince’

býðr ‘invites’

hauldum ‘men’

notes

himin ‘heavenly’

vistar ‘hospitality’

til ‘to’

kristni ‘Christendom’

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ESk Geisl 6^VII