Martin Chase (ed.) 2007, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Geisli 69’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 63-4.
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Óláfr (noun m.): Óláfr
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hafa (verb): have
[2, 1] kyni jǫfra ‘the family of the kings’: Bb’s jǫfra must be the preferred reading here, as Flat’s jǫfri (dat. sg.) leaves kyni (l. 2) syntactically isolated. Presumably Einarr uses the gen. pl. jǫfra to refer to the three kings Eysteinn, Sigurðr and Ingi, who were in his audience; the phrase could also flatter them by suggesting that they, as sons of Haraldr gilli, were descendants of S. Óláfr.
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orð (noun n.; °-s; -): word < orðhagr (adj.)
[2] orðhags (m. gen. sg.) ‘eloquent’: The epithet is puzzling in this context, but it may refer to Óláfr’s power as an intercessor.
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2. hagr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): skilful < orðhagr (adj.)
[2] orðhags (m. gen. sg.) ‘eloquent’: The epithet is puzzling in this context, but it may refer to Óláfr’s power as an intercessor.
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1. kyn (noun n.; °-s; -): kin
[2, 1] kyni jǫfra ‘the family of the kings’: Bb’s jǫfra must be the preferred reading here, as Flat’s jǫfri (dat. sg.) leaves kyni (l. 2) syntactically isolated. Presumably Einarr uses the gen. pl. jǫfra to refer to the three kings Eysteinn, Sigurðr and Ingi, who were in his audience; the phrase could also flatter them by suggesting that they, as sons of Haraldr gilli, were descendants of S. Óláfr.
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segja (verb): say, tell
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hugr (noun m.): mind, thought, courage
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2. inn (art.): the
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heilagr (adj.; °helgan; compar. -ari, superl. -astr): holy, sacred
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happ (noun n.; °-s; *-): fortune, luck < happsdáð (noun f.)
[4] happsdáðir: happsdáða Bb
[4] happsdáðir ‘blessed deeds’: Cf. happmætu ‘rich in blessing’, st. 19/7.
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dáð (noun f.; °; -ir): feat, deed < happsdáð (noun f.)
[4] happsdáðir: happsdáða Bb
[4] happsdáðir ‘blessed deeds’: Cf. happmætu ‘rich in blessing’, st. 19/7.
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ráð (noun n.; °-s; -): advice, plan, control, power
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3. laun (noun n.; °-; -): rewards
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af (prep.): from
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2. fá (verb; °fǽr; fekk, fengu; fenginn): get, receive
[5] fôm: ‘fæ ek’ Bb
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2. hreinn (adj.; °compar. hreinari/hreinni, superl. hreinastr/hreinstr): pure
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hollr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): loyal
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af (prep.): from
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2. hreinn (adj.; °compar. hreinari/hreinni, superl. hreinastr/hreinstr): pure
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
[5] hônum: hreinum Bb
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hræ (noun n.; °; -): corpse, carrion < hræsíkr (noun m.)
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn. — [7] hræsíks ‘of the corpse-fish [SWORD]’: The síkr is a kind of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus).
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hræ (noun n.; °; -): corpse, carrion < hræsíkr (noun m.)
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn. — [7] hræsíks ‘of the corpse-fish [SWORD]’: The síkr is a kind of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus).
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hræ (noun n.; °; -): corpse, carrion < hræsíkr (noun m.)
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn. — [7] hræsíks ‘of the corpse-fish [SWORD]’: The síkr is a kind of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus).
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hræ (noun n.; °; -): corpse, carrion < hræsíkr (noun m.)
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn. — [7] hræsíks ‘of the corpse-fish [SWORD]’: The síkr is a kind of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus).
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hræ (noun n.; °; -): corpse, carrion < hræsíkr (noun m.)
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn. — [7] hræsíks ‘of the corpse-fish [SWORD]’: The síkr is a kind of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus).
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hræ (noun n.; °; -): corpse, carrion < hræsíkr (noun m.)
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn. — [7] hræsíks ‘of the corpse-fish [SWORD]’: The síkr is a kind of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus).
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sík (noun n.; °-s; -): fish, ?channel < hræsíkr (noun m.)
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn. — [7] hræsíks ‘of the corpse-fish [SWORD]’: The síkr is a kind of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus).
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sík (noun n.; °-s; -): fish, ?channel < hræsíkr (noun m.)
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn. — [7] hræsíks ‘of the corpse-fish [SWORD]’: The síkr is a kind of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus).
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sík (noun n.; °-s; -): fish, ?channel < hræsíkr (noun m.)
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn. — [7] hræsíks ‘of the corpse-fish [SWORD]’: The síkr is a kind of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus).
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sík (noun n.; °-s; -): fish, ?channel < hræsíkr (noun m.)
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn. — [7] hræsíks ‘of the corpse-fish [SWORD]’: The síkr is a kind of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus).
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sík (noun n.; °-s; -): fish, ?channel < hræsíkr (noun m.)
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn. — [7] hræsíks ‘of the corpse-fish [SWORD]’: The síkr is a kind of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus).
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sík (noun n.; °-s; -): fish, ?channel < hræsíkr (noun m.)
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn. — [7] hræsíks ‘of the corpse-fish [SWORD]’: The síkr is a kind of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus).
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þrima (noun f.): battle, din
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn.
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þrima (noun f.): battle, din
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn.
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láta (verb): let, have sth done
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4. líka (verb): please
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gǫfugr (adj.; °gǫfgan/gǫfugan; compar. gǫfgari/gǫfugri, superl. gǫfgastr/gǫfugstr/gǫfugastr): noble, glorious
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1. óðr (noun m.): poem
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láta (verb): let, have sth done
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lið (noun n.; °-s; -): retinue, troop
[6, 7] gœðum þrimu hræsíks ‘the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIOR]’: This warrior-kenning may refer to the three kings in Einarr’s audience. Alternatively, if emendation of the base-word to gœði (dat. sg.) is preferred (so Skj B, following Cederschiöld), the kenning may refer to Einarr himself or to his patron King Eysteinn.
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1. guð (noun m.; °***guðrs, guðis, gus): (Christian) God
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blezun (noun f.; °blezanar/blezunar; blezanir): [blessing]
[8] blessan: ‘blezon’ Flat, ‘blezun’ Bb
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lið (noun n.; °-s; -): retinue, troop
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Óláfs hǫfum jǫfra |
We [I] have told the family of the kings the blessed deeds of eloquent Óláfr the holy; the mind supports that undertaking. We [I] shall receive a kind reward for the splendid poem, this praise, if it pleases him [Óláfr]; God’s blessing, help the increasers of the storm of the corpse-fish [SWORD > BATTLE > WARRIORS].
The order of this st. and the following one is reversed in Bb. — [5-8]: The second helmingr is difficult to understand. Both Skj B and Skald adopt Bb’s hreinum (l. 5), ef (l. 5) and ‘let’ (l. 7), which Finnur Jónsson interprets as létt ‘easily’ and Kock emends to lát ‘sound’. Chase 2005, 119 adopts hjǫlp ‘help’, based on Flat’s ‘hialp’. Line 7 is problematic for metrical reasons, as eds have long recognised, but the cause has not previously been adequately addressed, viz. that the word in position 4 cannot be either a noun or an adv., but must be a verb. Both Flat’s and Bb’s readings point in that direction. The present interpretation takes Flat’s text in all instances except for ef (l. 5) instead of af.
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