EVald Þórr 2^III

Leit á brattrar brautar
baug hvassligum augum
— œstisk áðr at flausti
ǫggs búð — faðir Þrúðar.

{Faðir Þrúðar} leit á {baug brattrar brautar} hvassligum augum; áðr œstisk {búð ǫggs} at flausti.

{The father of Þrúðr <goddess>} [= Þórr] stared with piercing eyes at {the ring of the steep road} [= Miðgarðsormr]; previously {the dwelling of the redfish} [SEA] surged against the boat.

Mss: R(21v), W(47), U(27v) (SnE)

Readings: [1] brattrar: so W, brattar R, U;    brautar: so W, ‘brautir’ R, U    [2] baug: baugs U    [3] áðr: orð U    [4] ǫggs: ‘ꜹgurs’ W, yggs U

Editions: Skj AI, 140, Skj BI, 131, Skald I, 73; SnE 1848-87, I, 254-5, II, 308, III, 15, SnE 1931, 95, SnE 1998, I, 15.

Notes: [All]: The piercing or baleful stares of the two cosmic adversaries, Þórr and Miðgarðsormr, are stressed in several poems about their encounter; cf. Bragi Þórr 4 and ÚlfrU Húsdr 3-4. — [1-2] baug brattrar brautar ‘the ring of the steep road [= Miðgarðsormr]’: A slightly unusual kenning for the World Serpent, often referred to as the ring, thong or rope of the sea, alluding to his lying in the ocean encircling the world. Brattrar brautar ‘of the steep road’ might refer to towering seas or possibly to sea-cliffs. In such kennings the determinant is usually a noun or phrase for the earth. — [4] ǫggs ‘of the redfish’: See LP: ǫggr, Fritzner: ögr for variant spellings. This fish may be the same as what is often called karfi in Modern Icelandic, Perca marina, red sea-perch or redfish. — [4] Þrúðar ‘of Þrúðr <goddess>’: The name of Þórr’s daughter (SnE 1998, I, 14). Þrúðr means ‘strength’.

References

1. Bibliography
2. SnE 1848-87 = Snorri Sturluson. 1848-87. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar: Edda Snorronis Sturlaei. Ed. Jón Sigurðsson et al. 3 vols. Copenhagen: Legatum Arnamagnaeanum. Rpt. Osnabrück: Zeller, 1966.
3. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
4. LP = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1931. Lexicon poeticum antiquæ linguæ septentrionalis: Ordbog over det norsk-islandske skjaldesprog oprindelig forfattet af Sveinbjörn Egilsson. 2nd edn. Copenhagen: Møller.
5. Fritzner = Fritzner, Johan. 1883-96. Ordbog over det gamle norske sprog. 3 vols. Kristiania (Oslo): Den norske forlagsforening. 4th edn. Rpt. 1973. Oslo etc.: Universitetsforlaget.
6. SnE 1931 = Snorri Sturluson. 1931. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar. Ed. Finnur Jónsson. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
7. SnE 1998 = Snorri Sturluson. 1998. Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2 vols. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
8. Internal references
9. Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2017, ‘Bragi inn gamli Boddason, Þórr’s fishing 4’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 50.
10. Edith Marold (ed.) 2017, ‘Úlfr Uggason, Húsdrápa 3’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 412.