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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Eil Þdr 15III

Edith Marold (ed.) 2017, ‘Eilífr Goðrúnarson, Þórsdrápa 15’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 108.

Eilífr GoðrúnarsonÞórsdrápa
141516

Ok ‘and’

(not checked:)
3. ok (conj.): and, but; also

Close

hôm ‘the high’

(not checked:)
3. hár (adj.; °-van; compar. hǽrri, superl. hǽstr): high

kennings

hôm loga himna,
‘the high flame of the skies, ’
   = LIGHTNING

the high flame of the skies, → LIGHTNING
Close

loga ‘flame’

(not checked:)
logi (noun m.; °-a; -ar): flame

kennings

hôm loga himna,
‘the high flame of the skies, ’
   = LIGHTNING

the high flame of the skies, → LIGHTNING
Close

himna ‘of the skies’

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

[1] himna: himni all

kennings

hôm loga himna,
‘the high flame of the skies, ’
   = LIGHTNING

the high flame of the skies, → LIGHTNING
Close

hall ‘of the sloping’

(not checked:)
3. hallr (adj.): tilting, awry

kennings

fylvingum hallvallar
‘by the nuts of the sloping-plain ’
   = STONES

the sloping-plain → MOUNTAINS
by the nuts of MOUNTAINS → STONES
Close

hall ‘of the sloping’

(not checked:)
3. hallr (adj.): tilting, awry

kennings

fylvingum hallvallar
‘by the nuts of the sloping-plain ’
   = STONES

the sloping-plain → MOUNTAINS
by the nuts of MOUNTAINS → STONES
Close

fylvingum ‘by the nuts’

(not checked:)
fylving (noun f.; °: -ar): nut

kennings

fylvingum hallvallar
‘by the nuts of the sloping-plain ’
   = STONES

the sloping-plain → MOUNTAINS
by the nuts of MOUNTAINS → STONES
Close

vallar ‘plain’

(not checked:)
vǫllr (noun m.; °vallar, dat. velli; vellir acc. vǫllu/velli): plain, field

kennings

fylvingum hallvallar
‘by the nuts of the sloping-plain ’
   = STONES

the sloping-plain → MOUNTAINS
by the nuts of MOUNTAINS → STONES
Close

vallar ‘plain’

(not checked:)
vǫllr (noun m.; °vallar, dat. velli; vellir acc. vǫllu/velli): plain, field

kennings

fylvingum hallvallar
‘by the nuts of the sloping-plain ’
   = STONES

the sloping-plain → MOUNTAINS
by the nuts of MOUNTAINS → STONES
Close

trôðusk ‘They were trampled upon’

(not checked:)
troða (verb): tread

Close

þærs ‘those who’

(not checked:)
2. er (conj.): who, which, when

[3] þærs: þær all

Close

við ‘against’

(not checked:)
2. við (prep.): with, against

Close

tróði ‘the rafter’

(not checked:)
tróð (noun n.): thatch, roof beam, rafter

Close

tungls ‘of the moon’

(not checked:)
tungl (noun n.; °-s; -): moon, heavenly body

kennings

tungls brásali*
‘eyelash-hall of the moon’
   = HEAD

the moon of eyelashes → EYE
the hall of the EYE → HEAD
Close

tungls ‘of the moon’

(not checked:)
tungl (noun n.; °-s; -): moon, heavenly body

kennings

tungls brásali*
‘eyelash-hall of the moon’
   = HEAD

the moon of eyelashes → EYE
the hall of the EYE → HEAD
Close

brá ‘of eyelashes’

(not checked:)
1. brá (noun f.; °brár; brár): eyelash, eyebrow < 1. brásalr (noun m.)

kennings

tungls brásali*
‘eyelash-hall of the moon’
   = HEAD

the moon of eyelashes → EYE
the hall of the EYE → HEAD
Close

brá ‘of eyelashes’

(not checked:)
1. brá (noun f.; °brár; brár): eyelash, eyebrow < 1. brásalr (noun m.)

kennings

tungls brásali*
‘eyelash-hall of the moon’
   = HEAD

the moon of eyelashes → EYE
the hall of the EYE → HEAD
Close

sali* ‘the hall’

(not checked:)
1. salr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; dat. sǫlum): hall < 1. brásalr (noun m.)

[4] ‑sali*: ‑sólar R, ‑sólir Tˣ, W

kennings

tungls brásali*
‘eyelash-hall of the moon’
   = HEAD

the moon of eyelashes → EYE
the hall of the EYE → HEAD
Close

þrungu ‘pressed’

(not checked:)
þrøngva (verb): press, throng

Close

Hof ‘The temple’

(not checked:)
1. hóf (noun n.; °-s; -): court, temple < húfstjóri (noun m.)

[5] Hof‑: so Tˣ, W, húf‑ R

kennings

Hofstjóri váfreiðar hreggs
‘The temple-steerer of the hovering chariot of the thunderstorm ’
   = Þórr

The temple-steerer of the hovering chariot of the thunderstorm → Þórr
Close

stjóri ‘steerer’

(not checked:)
stjóri (noun m.; °-a; -ar): steerer < húfstjóri (noun m.)

kennings

Hofstjóri váfreiðar hreggs
‘The temple-steerer of the hovering chariot of the thunderstorm ’
   = Þórr

The temple-steerer of the hovering chariot of the thunderstorm → Þórr
Close

hvôru ‘of both’

(not checked:)
hvárr (pron.): who, which, what, whether

kennings

hvôrutveggja sprundi hellis.
‘of both women of the cave. ’
   = GIANTESSES

both women of the cave. → GIANTESSES
Close

hreggs ‘of the thunderstorm’

(not checked:)
hregg (noun n.): storm

kennings

Hofstjóri váfreiðar hreggs
‘The temple-steerer of the hovering chariot of the thunderstorm ’
   = Þórr

The temple-steerer of the hovering chariot of the thunderstorm → Þórr
Close

váf ‘of the hovering’

(not checked:)
2. váfa (verb): hover, hang, swing < váfreið (noun f.)

[6] váfreiðar: váfreiða R, W, ‘vareuda’ Tˣ

kennings

Hofstjóri váfreiðar hreggs
‘The temple-steerer of the hovering chariot of the thunderstorm ’
   = Þórr

The temple-steerer of the hovering chariot of the thunderstorm → Þórr
Close

reiðar ‘chariot’

(not checked:)
1. reið (noun f.; °-ar; -ir/-ar): riding; chariot < váfreið (noun f.)

[6] váfreiðar: váfreiða R, W, ‘vareuda’ Tˣ

kennings

Hofstjóri váfreiðar hreggs
‘The temple-steerer of the hovering chariot of the thunderstorm ’
   = Þórr

The temple-steerer of the hovering chariot of the thunderstorm → Þórr
Close

tveggja ‘’

(not checked:)
tveir (num. cardinal): two

kennings

hvôrutveggja sprundi hellis.
‘of both women of the cave. ’
   = GIANTESSES

both women of the cave. → GIANTESSES
Close

hlátr ‘of the laughter’

(not checked:)
hlátr (noun m.; °hlátrs/hlátrar, dat. hlátri): laughter < hlátrelliði (noun m.)

kennings

hundfornan kjǫl hlátrelliða
‘the age-old keel of the laughter-ship ’
   = BACK

the laughter-ship → BREAST
the age-old keel of the BREAST → BACK
Close

hlátr ‘of the laughter’

(not checked:)
hlátr (noun m.; °hlátrs/hlátrar, dat. hlátri): laughter < hlátrelliði (noun m.)

kennings

hundfornan kjǫl hlátrelliða
‘the age-old keel of the laughter-ship ’
   = BACK

the laughter-ship → BREAST
the age-old keel of the BREAST → BACK
Close

elliða ‘ship’

(not checked:)
elliði (noun m.; °-a): [ship] < hlátrelliði (noun m.)

kennings

hundfornan kjǫl hlátrelliða
‘the age-old keel of the laughter-ship ’
   = BACK

the laughter-ship → BREAST
the age-old keel of the BREAST → BACK
Close

elliða ‘ship’

(not checked:)
elliði (noun m.; °-a): [ship] < hlátrelliði (noun m.)

kennings

hundfornan kjǫl hlátrelliða
‘the age-old keel of the laughter-ship ’
   = BACK

the laughter-ship → BREAST
the age-old keel of the BREAST → BACK
Close

hellis ‘of the cave’

(not checked:)
hellir (noun m.; °-s/hells, dat. -i; -ar, acc. -a/-ra): cave

kennings

hvôrutveggja sprundi hellis.
‘of both women of the cave. ’
   = GIANTESSES

both women of the cave. → GIANTESSES
Close

hund ‘the age’

(not checked:)
hund (num. cardinal; numeral): hundred < hundforn (adj.)

[8] hund‑: so W, horn‑ R, Tˣ

kennings

hundfornan kjǫl hlátrelliða
‘the age-old keel of the laughter-ship ’
   = BACK

the laughter-ship → BREAST
the age-old keel of the BREAST → BACK
Close

fornan ‘old’

(not checked:)
forn (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): ancient, old < hundforn (adj.)

kennings

hundfornan kjǫl hlátrelliða
‘the age-old keel of the laughter-ship ’
   = BACK

the laughter-ship → BREAST
the age-old keel of the BREAST → BACK
Close

kjǫl ‘keel’

(not checked:)
kjǫlr (noun m.; °kjalar, dat. kili; kjǫlir): keel, ship

kennings

hundfornan kjǫl hlátrelliða
‘the age-old keel of the laughter-ship ’
   = BACK

the laughter-ship → BREAST
the age-old keel of the BREAST → BACK
Close

sprundi ‘women’

(not checked:)
sprund (noun f.): woman

[8] sprundi: so Tˣ, W, sporna R

kennings

hvôrutveggja sprundi hellis.
‘of both women of the cave. ’
   = GIANTESSES

both women of the cave. → GIANTESSES
Close

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

See Context to st. 1.

The content of this stanza essentially corresponds to Snorri’s narrative in Skm (SnE 1998, I, 25). As it goes, Þórr, seated in a chair, is squashed against the roof by the giantesses and defends himself by pressing the staff Gríðarvǫlr against the roof. In doing so he breaks the backs of the two giantesses under his chair. However, all editorial attempts to produce an exact match between the content of the stanza and the story as it is told in Skm have led to unacceptable textual interpretations of the stanza. The present edn assumes that Snorri’s narrative could be based on a variant version of the myth that does not fully agree with the stanza. The relatively simple interpretation given here, with minimal emendations, differs somewhat from Snorri’s version. According to the stanza, Þórr, the thunder god, armed with bolts of lightning that cause a rockslide, defends himself against the giantesses and breaks their backs.

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