ESk Frag 2III
Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Fragments 2’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 153.
Snáks ‘of the serpent’
(not checked:)
snákr (noun m.): snake
kennings
fald snáks‘the headdress of the serpent ’
= HELMET
the headdress of the serpent → HELMET
notes
[1] fald snáks ‘the headdress of the serpent [HELMET]’: This refers to the helmet of terror (œgishjálmr) worn by the dragon Fáfnir (see Fáfn 16-19 and end prose, NK 188; see also Marold 1998a, 13-17 as well as Notes to Sturl Hákkv 14/2II and Eskál Vell 25/5, 6I). Here ‘wear a helmet of terror’ must mean ‘rule firmly’.
berr ‘wears’
(not checked:)
3. bera (verb; °berr; bar, báru; borinn): bear, carry
kennings
fald snáks‘the headdress of the serpent ’
= HELMET
the headdress of the serpent → HELMET
notes
[1] fald snáks ‘the headdress of the serpent [HELMET]’: This refers to the helmet of terror (œgishjálmr) worn by the dragon Fáfnir (see Fáfn 16-19 and end prose, NK 188; see also Marold 1998a, 13-17 as well as Notes to Sturl Hákkv 14/2II and Eskál Vell 25/5, 6I). Here ‘wear a helmet of terror’ must mean ‘rule firmly’.
of ‘on’
(not checked:)
3. of (prep.): around, from; too
kennings
frœknu fjalli skarar;‘his heroic mountain of hair; ’
= HEAD
his heroic mountain of hair; → HEAD
notes
[1] frœknu (n. dat. sg.) ‘heroic’: So U. The adj. qualifies fjalli (n. dat. sg.) ‘mountain’ (l. 4), and the reading of the other mss, frœknum (m. dat. sg. or dat. pl.), is ungrammatical.
folk ‘of the people’
(not checked:)
folk (noun n.): people < folkvǫrðr (noun m.): people’s guardian
[2] folk‑: so all others, fold‑ R
kennings
Geðsnjallr folkvǫrðr‘The quick-witted guardian of the people ’
= RULER
The quick-witted guardian of the people → RULER
notes
[2] folkvǫrðr ‘the guardian of the people [RULER]’: So Tˣ, W and U. Foldvǫrðr ‘guardian of the land’ (R) is also possible but less likely in view of the majority of the ms. witnesses.
vǫrðr ‘guardian’
(not checked:)
vǫrðr (noun m.; °varðar, dat. verði/vǫrð; verðir, acc. vǫrðu): guardian, defender < folkvǫrðr (noun m.): people’s guardian
kennings
Geðsnjallr folkvǫrðr‘The quick-witted guardian of the people ’
= RULER
The quick-witted guardian of the people → RULER
notes
[2] folkvǫrðr ‘the guardian of the people [RULER]’: So Tˣ, W and U. Foldvǫrðr ‘guardian of the land’ (R) is also possible but less likely in view of the majority of the ms. witnesses.
konungs ‘of the king’
(not checked:)
konungr (noun m.; °dat. -i, -s; -ar): king
kennings
konungs Hǫrða‘of the king of the Hǫrðar ’
= NORWEGIAN KING
the king of the Hǫrðar → NORWEGIAN KING
kennings
konungs Hǫrða‘of the king of the Hǫrðar ’
= NORWEGIAN KING
the king of the Hǫrðar → NORWEGIAN KING
frama ‘the prowess’
(not checked:)
frami (noun m.): success
telr ‘recounts’
(not checked:)
telja (verb): tell, count
gumnum ‘men’
(not checked:)
gumi (noun m.; °-a; gumar/gumnar): man
geð ‘witted’
(not checked:)
geð (noun n.): mind < geðsnjallr (adj.)
kennings
Geðsnjallr folkvǫrðr‘The quick-witted guardian of the people ’
= RULER
The quick-witted guardian of the people → RULER
snjallr ‘The quick’
(not checked:)
snjallr (adj.): quick, resourceful, bold < geðsnjallr (adj.)
[4] ‑snjallr: ‑snjallar Tˣ
kennings
Geðsnjallr folkvǫrðr‘The quick-witted guardian of the people ’
= RULER
The quick-witted guardian of the people → RULER
skarar ‘of hair’
(not checked:)
skǫr (noun f.; °skarar; skarir): hair, planking
kennings
frœknu fjalli skarar;‘his heroic mountain of hair; ’
= HEAD
his heroic mountain of hair; → HEAD
fjalli ‘mountain’
(not checked:)
1. fjall (noun n.): mountain
kennings
frœknu fjalli skarar;‘his heroic mountain of hair; ’
= HEAD
his heroic mountain of hair; → HEAD
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Folkvǫrðr ‘guardian of the people’ (R: foldvǫrðr ‘guardian of the earth’) is given in Skm as one of several kennings for ‘king’.
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