Eil Þdr 7^III

Þar ‘There’

(not checked:)
þar (adv.): there

í ‘in’

(not checked:)
í (prep.): in, into

notes

[1, 4] í mǫrk háfs ‘in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: Although mǫrk in Old Norse usually means ‘forest’ or ‘wasteland’ (Fritzner: mörk), the original meaning is ‘borderland’ (cf. Goth. marka ‘border’, OE mearc ‘border, district’, OS marca ‘border, borderland’; see AEW: mǫrk). Háfs is an emendation of ‘haf’ (all mss). The omission of the ending ‑s could have been caused by the initial s- in the next word. Earlier interpretations (Finnur Jónsson 1900b, 383; Guðmundur Finnbogason 1924, 176; Davidson 1983, 590) avoid emendation by assuming tmesis háfmǫrk. The present edn emends because tmesis between l. 1 and l. 4 should rather be avoided. Another possibility is to interpret í mǫrk as ‘in the ground’ (NN §447; Reichardt 1948, 350) which could be justified by assuming a semantic development from ‘borderland’ to ‘land, ground’. That results in problems within the last line, however. Kock (NN §447) construes háf skotnaðra ‘the fish trap of the spear’ without explaining what that means. Reichardt (1948, 349-50) combines háfs with markar (l. 1) to byr markar háfs ‘the storm of the ground of the fish trap [RIVER]’, referring to the roaring current. However, this interpretation results in a three-part l. 4. — [1, 2, 4] settu skotnaðra í mǫrk háfs ‘they set shot-adders [SPEARS] in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: On spear-kennings with the base-word ‘snake’, see Meissner 146. Þórr and his companion used their weapons to prop themselves up against the force of the river.

í ‘in’

(not checked:)
í (prep.): in, into

notes

[1, 4] í mǫrk háfs ‘in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: Although mǫrk in Old Norse usually means ‘forest’ or ‘wasteland’ (Fritzner: mörk), the original meaning is ‘borderland’ (cf. Goth. marka ‘border’, OE mearc ‘border, district’, OS marca ‘border, borderland’; see AEW: mǫrk). Háfs is an emendation of ‘haf’ (all mss). The omission of the ending ‑s could have been caused by the initial s- in the next word. Earlier interpretations (Finnur Jónsson 1900b, 383; Guðmundur Finnbogason 1924, 176; Davidson 1983, 590) avoid emendation by assuming tmesis háfmǫrk. The present edn emends because tmesis between l. 1 and l. 4 should rather be avoided. Another possibility is to interpret í mǫrk as ‘in the ground’ (NN §447; Reichardt 1948, 350) which could be justified by assuming a semantic development from ‘borderland’ to ‘land, ground’. That results in problems within the last line, however. Kock (NN §447) construes háf skotnaðra ‘the fish trap of the spear’ without explaining what that means. Reichardt (1948, 349-50) combines háfs with markar (l. 1) to byr markar háfs ‘the storm of the ground of the fish trap [RIVER]’, referring to the roaring current. However, this interpretation results in a three-part l. 4. — [1, 2, 4] settu skotnaðra í mǫrk háfs ‘they set shot-adders [SPEARS] in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: On spear-kennings with the base-word ‘snake’, see Meissner 146. Þórr and his companion used their weapons to prop themselves up against the force of the river.

mǫrk ‘the borderland’

(not checked:)
2. mǫrk (noun f.; °merkr; merkr): forest

kennings

notes

[1, 4] í mǫrk háfs ‘in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: Although mǫrk in Old Norse usually means ‘forest’ or ‘wasteland’ (Fritzner: mörk), the original meaning is ‘borderland’ (cf. Goth. marka ‘border’, OE mearc ‘border, district’, OS marca ‘border, borderland’; see AEW: mǫrk). Háfs is an emendation of ‘haf’ (all mss). The omission of the ending ‑s could have been caused by the initial s- in the next word. Earlier interpretations (Finnur Jónsson 1900b, 383; Guðmundur Finnbogason 1924, 176; Davidson 1983, 590) avoid emendation by assuming tmesis háfmǫrk. The present edn emends because tmesis between l. 1 and l. 4 should rather be avoided. Another possibility is to interpret í mǫrk as ‘in the ground’ (NN §447; Reichardt 1948, 350) which could be justified by assuming a semantic development from ‘borderland’ to ‘land, ground’. That results in problems within the last line, however. Kock (NN §447) construes háf skotnaðra ‘the fish trap of the spear’ without explaining what that means. Reichardt (1948, 349-50) combines háfs with markar (l. 1) to byr markar háfs ‘the storm of the ground of the fish trap [RIVER]’, referring to the roaring current. However, this interpretation results in a three-part l. 4. — [1, 2, 4] settu skotnaðra í mǫrk háfs ‘they set shot-adders [SPEARS] in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: On spear-kennings with the base-word ‘snake’, see Meissner 146. Þórr and his companion used their weapons to prop themselves up against the force of the river.

mǫrk ‘the borderland’

(not checked:)
2. mǫrk (noun f.; °merkr; merkr): forest

kennings

notes

[1, 4] í mǫrk háfs ‘in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: Although mǫrk in Old Norse usually means ‘forest’ or ‘wasteland’ (Fritzner: mörk), the original meaning is ‘borderland’ (cf. Goth. marka ‘border’, OE mearc ‘border, district’, OS marca ‘border, borderland’; see AEW: mǫrk). Háfs is an emendation of ‘haf’ (all mss). The omission of the ending ‑s could have been caused by the initial s- in the next word. Earlier interpretations (Finnur Jónsson 1900b, 383; Guðmundur Finnbogason 1924, 176; Davidson 1983, 590) avoid emendation by assuming tmesis háfmǫrk. The present edn emends because tmesis between l. 1 and l. 4 should rather be avoided. Another possibility is to interpret í mǫrk as ‘in the ground’ (NN §447; Reichardt 1948, 350) which could be justified by assuming a semantic development from ‘borderland’ to ‘land, ground’. That results in problems within the last line, however. Kock (NN §447) construes háf skotnaðra ‘the fish trap of the spear’ without explaining what that means. Reichardt (1948, 349-50) combines háfs with markar (l. 1) to byr markar háfs ‘the storm of the ground of the fish trap [RIVER]’, referring to the roaring current. However, this interpretation results in a three-part l. 4. — [1, 2, 4] settu skotnaðra í mǫrk háfs ‘they set shot-adders [SPEARS] in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: On spear-kennings with the base-word ‘snake’, see Meissner 146. Þórr and his companion used their weapons to prop themselves up against the force of the river.

fyrir ‘against’

(not checked:)
fyrir (prep.): for, before, because of

markar ‘of the borderland’

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2. mǫrk (noun f.; °merkr; merkr): forest

kennings

notes

[1, 2] byr markar ‘the wind of the borderland [RIVER]’: Although byrr, the base-word of this kenning, means ‘wind, favourable breeze’, the context shows that a river rushing through a ravine is most likely intended (see also Note to l. 7).

mál ‘the’

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1. mál (noun n.; °-s; -): speech, matter < málhvettr (adj.)

kennings

notes

[2] málhvettan ‘chattering’: Lit. ‘speech-whetted’. This must be a metaphor for the roaring of a river; cf. Davidson (1983, 590), who points to river-heiti that consist of words for ‘storm’, ‘thunder’ or ‘tempest’. Hvettr is taken here as p. p. of the weak verb hvetja ‘sharpen, encourage’, as a parallel, umlauted form of the expected hvattr (ANG §428.2; see Reichardt 1948, 349). Other interpretations: (a) Guðmundur Finnbogason (1924, 176) construes the cpd as málhveptan which, according to him, means ‘speaking pine-trees’. (b) Finnur Jónsson (1900b, 383; Skj B; LP: málhvettr), emends hvettan R, W (‘hveican’ Tˣ) to ‑hvettar and derives it from an ON *hvetta ‘knock over’ (cf. New Norw. kvetta, see Torp 1963, 348). According to him, this p. p. qualifies the stones (-vǫlur) that make noises when knocked. Because of the emendation, the overly complex word order and the assumption that ‑vǫlur means ‘stones’, that suggestion is unlikely. (c) Kock (NN §447, followed by Kiil 1956, 112) connects málhvettan m. acc. sg. with bur markar (so mss Tˣ and W), understood as a Þórr-kenning (‘son of the earth’; cf. sonr Jarðar ‘son of Jǫrð (= earth)’ in Þjóð Haustl 14/6), and he translates málhvettan as ‘urged to meet’. Aside from the fact that mǫrk ‘forest, terrain, ground’ is never attested in skaldic poetry as a heiti for Jǫrð, Þórr’s mother, Kock’s suggestion, ‘they set their spears in the ground before Þórr’, makes no sense in the context.

hvettan ‘chattering’

(not checked:)
hvettr (adj.): [roaring] < málhvettr (adj.)

[2] ‑hvettan: ‘hueican’ Tˣ

kennings

notes

[2] málhvettan ‘chattering’: Lit. ‘speech-whetted’. This must be a metaphor for the roaring of a river; cf. Davidson (1983, 590), who points to river-heiti that consist of words for ‘storm’, ‘thunder’ or ‘tempest’. Hvettr is taken here as p. p. of the weak verb hvetja ‘sharpen, encourage’, as a parallel, umlauted form of the expected hvattr (ANG §428.2; see Reichardt 1948, 349). Other interpretations: (a) Guðmundur Finnbogason (1924, 176) construes the cpd as málhveptan which, according to him, means ‘speaking pine-trees’. (b) Finnur Jónsson (1900b, 383; Skj B; LP: málhvettr), emends hvettan R, W (‘hveican’ Tˣ) to ‑hvettar and derives it from an ON *hvetta ‘knock over’ (cf. New Norw. kvetta, see Torp 1963, 348). According to him, this p. p. qualifies the stones (-vǫlur) that make noises when knocked. Because of the emendation, the overly complex word order and the assumption that ‑vǫlur means ‘stones’, that suggestion is unlikely. (c) Kock (NN §447, followed by Kiil 1956, 112) connects málhvettan m. acc. sg. with bur markar (so mss Tˣ and W), understood as a Þórr-kenning (‘son of the earth’; cf. sonr Jarðar ‘son of Jǫrð (= earth)’ in Þjóð Haustl 14/6), and he translates málhvettan as ‘urged to meet’. Aside from the fact that mǫrk ‘forest, terrain, ground’ is never attested in skaldic poetry as a heiti for Jǫrð, Þórr’s mother, Kock’s suggestion, ‘they set their spears in the ground before Þórr’, makes no sense in the context.

byr ‘wind’

(not checked:)
byrr (noun m.; °-jar/-s; -ir, acc. -i/-u(SigrVal 188¹³)): favourable wind

[2] byr: bur Tˣ, W

kennings

notes

[1, 2] byr markar ‘the wind of the borderland [RIVER]’: Although byrr, the base-word of this kenning, means ‘wind, favourable breeze’, the context shows that a river rushing through a ravine is most likely intended (see also Note to l. 7).

settu ‘they set’

(not checked:)
setja (verb): place, set, establish

notes

[1, 2, 4] settu skotnaðra í mǫrk háfs ‘they set shot-adders [SPEARS] in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: On spear-kennings with the base-word ‘snake’, see Meissner 146. Þórr and his companion used their weapons to prop themselves up against the force of the river.

né ‘did not’

(not checked:)
né (conj.): nor

hvél ‘the wheel’

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hvél (noun n.; °; -): wheel < hvélvala (noun f.)

kennings

notes

[3] hvélvǫlur Hallar ‘the wheel-knuckles of Hǫll <river> [STONES]’: Hvél- ‘wheel’ refers to the round shape of pebbles, and the second element, ‑vǫlur, is nom. pl. of vala f. ‘bone, knuckle’. Hvélvǫlur (so NN §447; Guðmundur Finnbogason 1924, 176; Kiil 1956, 112-13) cannot mean ‘stones’ by itself and needs a determinant. This edn follows Reichardt (1948, 350) who interprets ‘hallar’ (so W) as gen. of the river-name Hǫll (Grí 27).

vǫlur ‘knuckles’

(not checked:)
vala (noun f.; °*-u; *-ur): joint, seeress < hvélvala (noun f.)

kennings

notes

[3] hvélvǫlur Hallar ‘the wheel-knuckles of Hǫll <river> [STONES]’: Hvél- ‘wheel’ refers to the round shape of pebbles, and the second element, ‑vǫlur, is nom. pl. of vala f. ‘bone, knuckle’. Hvélvǫlur (so NN §447; Guðmundur Finnbogason 1924, 176; Kiil 1956, 112-13) cannot mean ‘stones’ by itself and needs a determinant. This edn follows Reichardt (1948, 350) who interprets ‘hallar’ (so W) as gen. of the river-name Hǫll (Grí 27).

Hallar ‘of Hǫll’

(not checked:)
Hǫll (noun f.)

[3] Hallar: so W, ‘halar’ R, Tˣ

kennings

notes

[3] hvélvǫlur Hallar ‘the wheel-knuckles of Hǫll <river> [STONES]’: Hvél- ‘wheel’ refers to the round shape of pebbles, and the second element, ‑vǫlur, is nom. pl. of vala f. ‘bone, knuckle’. Hvélvǫlur (so NN §447; Guðmundur Finnbogason 1924, 176; Kiil 1956, 112-13) cannot mean ‘stones’ by itself and needs a determinant. This edn follows Reichardt (1948, 350) who interprets ‘hallar’ (so W) as gen. of the river-name Hǫll (Grí 27).

háfs ‘of the fish trap’

(not checked:)
2. háfr (noun m.): dog fish

[4] háfs: haf all

kennings

notes

[1, 4] í mǫrk háfs ‘in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: Although mǫrk in Old Norse usually means ‘forest’ or ‘wasteland’ (Fritzner: mörk), the original meaning is ‘borderland’ (cf. Goth. marka ‘border’, OE mearc ‘border, district’, OS marca ‘border, borderland’; see AEW: mǫrk). Háfs is an emendation of ‘haf’ (all mss). The omission of the ending ‑s could have been caused by the initial s- in the next word. Earlier interpretations (Finnur Jónsson 1900b, 383; Guðmundur Finnbogason 1924, 176; Davidson 1983, 590) avoid emendation by assuming tmesis háfmǫrk. The present edn emends because tmesis between l. 1 and l. 4 should rather be avoided. Another possibility is to interpret í mǫrk as ‘in the ground’ (NN §447; Reichardt 1948, 350) which could be justified by assuming a semantic development from ‘borderland’ to ‘land, ground’. That results in problems within the last line, however. Kock (NN §447) construes háf skotnaðra ‘the fish trap of the spear’ without explaining what that means. Reichardt (1948, 349-50) combines háfs with markar (l. 1) to byr markar háfs ‘the storm of the ground of the fish trap [RIVER]’, referring to the roaring current. However, this interpretation results in a three-part l. 4. — [1, 2, 4] settu skotnaðra í mǫrk háfs ‘they set shot-adders [SPEARS] in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: On spear-kennings with the base-word ‘snake’, see Meissner 146. Þórr and his companion used their weapons to prop themselves up against the force of the river.

háfs ‘of the fish trap’

(not checked:)
2. háfr (noun m.): dog fish

[4] háfs: haf all

kennings

notes

[1, 4] í mǫrk háfs ‘in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: Although mǫrk in Old Norse usually means ‘forest’ or ‘wasteland’ (Fritzner: mörk), the original meaning is ‘borderland’ (cf. Goth. marka ‘border’, OE mearc ‘border, district’, OS marca ‘border, borderland’; see AEW: mǫrk). Háfs is an emendation of ‘haf’ (all mss). The omission of the ending ‑s could have been caused by the initial s- in the next word. Earlier interpretations (Finnur Jónsson 1900b, 383; Guðmundur Finnbogason 1924, 176; Davidson 1983, 590) avoid emendation by assuming tmesis háfmǫrk. The present edn emends because tmesis between l. 1 and l. 4 should rather be avoided. Another possibility is to interpret í mǫrk as ‘in the ground’ (NN §447; Reichardt 1948, 350) which could be justified by assuming a semantic development from ‘borderland’ to ‘land, ground’. That results in problems within the last line, however. Kock (NN §447) construes háf skotnaðra ‘the fish trap of the spear’ without explaining what that means. Reichardt (1948, 349-50) combines háfs with markar (l. 1) to byr markar háfs ‘the storm of the ground of the fish trap [RIVER]’, referring to the roaring current. However, this interpretation results in a three-part l. 4. — [1, 2, 4] settu skotnaðra í mǫrk háfs ‘they set shot-adders [SPEARS] in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: On spear-kennings with the base-word ‘snake’, see Meissner 146. Þórr and his companion used their weapons to prop themselves up against the force of the river.

skot ‘shot’

(not checked:)
skot (noun n.; °-s; -): shot < 3. skotnaðr (noun m.): shooting-adder

kennings

notes

[1, 2, 4] settu skotnaðra í mǫrk háfs ‘they set shot-adders [SPEARS] in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: On spear-kennings with the base-word ‘snake’, see Meissner 146. Þórr and his companion used their weapons to prop themselves up against the force of the river.

naðra ‘adders’

(not checked:)
naðr (noun m.): snake < 3. skotnaðr (noun m.): shooting-adder

kennings

notes

[1, 2, 4] settu skotnaðra í mǫrk háfs ‘they set shot-adders [SPEARS] in the borderland of the fish trap [RIVER]’: On spear-kennings with the base-word ‘snake’, see Meissner 146. Þórr and his companion used their weapons to prop themselves up against the force of the river.

svôfu ‘sleep’

(not checked:)
sofa (verb): sleep

Knátti ‘’

(not checked:)
knega (verb): to know, understand, be able to

[5] Knátti: ‘knatt’ Tˣ

notes

[5, 6] knátti glymja ‘resounded’: Knátti is pleonastic and left untranslated here.

hreggi ‘the storm’

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

kennings

hǫggvin* ‘blasted’

(not checked:)
hǫggva (verb): to strike, put to death, cut, hew

[5] hǫggvin*: hǫgvinn all

kennings

hlym ‘The din’

(not checked:)
hlymr (noun m.): din < hlymþél (noun f.)

kennings

notes

[6] hlymþél ‘the din-file [SPEAR]’: The base-word þél ‘file’ is otherwise found only in sword-kennings. In this context, however, it clearly refers to spears; the wayfarers use them to lean on (Meissner 144); Davidson (1983, 592), on the other hand, regards hlymþél as referring to the river itself.

þél ‘file’

(not checked:)
þél (noun f.; °; -ar): file < hlymþél (noun f.)

kennings

notes

[6] hlymþél ‘the din-file [SPEAR]’: The base-word þél ‘file’ is otherwise found only in sword-kennings. In this context, however, it clearly refers to spears; the wayfarers use them to lean on (Meissner 144); Davidson (1983, 592), on the other hand, regards hlymþél as referring to the river itself.

við ‘against’

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

mǫl ‘the gravel’

(not checked:)
1. mǫl (noun f.; °; malir): [gravel]

glymja ‘resounded’

(not checked:)
glymja (verb): resound

notes

[5, 6] knátti glymja ‘resounded’: Knátti is pleonastic and left untranslated here. — [6] hlymþél ‘the din-file [SPEAR]’: The base-word þél ‘file’ is otherwise found only in sword-kennings. In this context, however, it clearly refers to spears; the wayfarers use them to lean on (Meissner 144); Davidson (1983, 592), on the other hand, regards hlymþél as referring to the river itself.

glymja ‘resounded’

(not checked:)
glymja (verb): resound

notes

[5, 6] knátti glymja ‘resounded’: Knátti is pleonastic and left untranslated here. — [6] hlymþél ‘the din-file [SPEAR]’: The base-word þél ‘file’ is otherwise found only in sword-kennings. In this context, however, it clearly refers to spears; the wayfarers use them to lean on (Meissner 144); Davidson (1983, 592), on the other hand, regards hlymþél as referring to the river itself.

en ‘and’

(not checked:)
2. en (conj.): but, and

felli ‘toppling’

(not checked:)
felli (noun n.): [felling, toppling] < fellihryn (noun f.)

kennings

notes

[7] fellihryn fjalla ‘the toppling-noise of the montains [RIVER]’: Hryn ‘noise’ is attested neither as a simplex nor as the base-word of a kenning, but the word occurs frequently as the first element of compounds. In these instances the noun hryn- means ‘noise, din, flow, rush’ (cf. the related verb hrynja ‘fall down loudly’). Felli- ‘felling, toppling’ probably refers to the power of the water which threatens to knock the waders off their feet. Here, as in byr markar ‘wind of the forest’ (see Note to ll. 1, 2), the meaning ‘river’ must be inferred from the context.

hryn ‘noise’

(not checked:)
hryn (noun f.): noise < fellihryn (noun f.)

kennings

notes

[7] fellihryn fjalla ‘the toppling-noise of the montains [RIVER]’: Hryn ‘noise’ is attested neither as a simplex nor as the base-word of a kenning, but the word occurs frequently as the first element of compounds. In these instances the noun hryn- means ‘noise, din, flow, rush’ (cf. the related verb hrynja ‘fall down loudly’). Felli- ‘felling, toppling’ probably refers to the power of the water which threatens to knock the waders off their feet. Here, as in byr markar ‘wind of the forest’ (see Note to ll. 1, 2), the meaning ‘river’ must be inferred from the context.

fjalla ‘of the mountains’

(not checked:)
1. fjall (noun n.): mountain

kennings

notes

[7] fellihryn fjalla ‘the toppling-noise of the montains [RIVER]’: Hryn ‘noise’ is attested neither as a simplex nor as the base-word of a kenning, but the word occurs frequently as the first element of compounds. In these instances the noun hryn- means ‘noise, din, flow, rush’ (cf. the related verb hrynja ‘fall down loudly’). Felli- ‘felling, toppling’ probably refers to the power of the water which threatens to knock the waders off their feet. Here, as in byr markar ‘wind of the forest’ (see Note to ll. 1, 2), the meaning ‘river’ must be inferred from the context.

Feðju ‘of Fedje’

(not checked:)
Feðja (noun f.): [Fedje]

kennings

notes

[8] steðja Feðju ‘the anvil of Fedje <river> [STONE]’: Fedje is a river in south-west Norway (cf. Olsen 1907, 94-5). Clunies Ross (1981, 375) regards steðja Feðju as ‘a kenning for Vimur’s vulva, against which in the aggressive confrontation of male and female powers, Þórr and Þjálfi place their “noise-files” (hlymþél) or staves, which clang against the river’s stony bed’. However, this is somewhat inconsistent with the second part of the helmingr, which describes fellihryn fjalla ‘the toppling-noise of the mountains’ (l. 7), i.e. the river, roaring against the ‘anvil of Fedje <river> [ROCK]’ and not against the spear (hlymþél ‘din-file’, l. 6).

þaut ‘roared’

(not checked:)
þjóta (verb): roar

með ‘against’

(not checked:)
með (prep.): with

steðja ‘the anvil’

(not checked:)
steði (noun m.; °-ja; -jar): anvil

kennings

notes

[8] steðja Feðju ‘the anvil of Fedje <river> [STONE]’: Fedje is a river in south-west Norway (cf. Olsen 1907, 94-5). Clunies Ross (1981, 375) regards steðja Feðju as ‘a kenning for Vimur’s vulva, against which in the aggressive confrontation of male and female powers, Þórr and Þjálfi place their “noise-files” (hlymþél) or staves, which clang against the river’s stony bed’. However, this is somewhat inconsistent with the second part of the helmingr, which describes fellihryn fjalla ‘the toppling-noise of the mountains’ (l. 7), i.e. the river, roaring against the ‘anvil of Fedje <river> [ROCK]’ and not against the spear (hlymþél ‘din-file’, l. 6).