R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Eyvindr skáldaspillir Finnsson, Hákonarmál 5’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 179.
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svá (adv.): so, thus
[1, 4] svá beit þá sverð ... sem brygði í vatn ‘then the sword bit ... as if it were cutting through water’: As remarked by Heinrichs (1990, 435), the author of Fsk seems to have regarded this poetic convention as an unfamiliar paradox, since he feels compelled to explain it (see Context above).
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bíta (verb; °bítr; beit, bitu; bitinn): bite
[1, 4] svá beit þá sverð ... sem brygði í vatn ‘then the sword bit ... as if it were cutting through water’: As remarked by Heinrichs (1990, 435), the author of Fsk seems to have regarded this poetic convention as an unfamiliar paradox, since he feels compelled to explain it (see Context above).
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2. þá (adv.): then
[1, 4] svá beit þá sverð ... sem brygði í vatn ‘then the sword bit ... as if it were cutting through water’: As remarked by Heinrichs (1990, 435), the author of Fsk seems to have regarded this poetic convention as an unfamiliar paradox, since he feels compelled to explain it (see Context above).
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sverð (noun n.; °-s; -): sword
[1, 4] svá beit þá sverð ... sem brygði í vatn ‘then the sword bit ... as if it were cutting through water’: As remarked by Heinrichs (1990, 435), the author of Fsk seems to have regarded this poetic convention as an unfamiliar paradox, since he feels compelled to explain it (see Context above).
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í (prep.): in, into
[2] ór ‘in’: More lit. ‘from’, but it often denotes the point of origin from which a weapon takes its effect (see LP: ór 3). The reading í in FskB, adopted by Lindquist (1929, 12), is unlikely to be original, given the agreement of the other mss, and given the parallel in Eyv Lv 5/1-4.
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siklingr (noun m.; °; -ar): king, ruler
[2] siklings hendi: ‘siklingls hender’ J1ˣ
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hǫnd (noun f.; °handar, dat. hendi; hendr (hendir StatPáll³ 752¹²)): hand
[2] siklings hendi: ‘siklingls hender’ J1ˣ
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váð (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): clothes
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Váfuðr (noun m.): Váfuðr
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sem (conj.): as, which
[1, 4] svá beit þá sverð ... sem brygði í vatn ‘then the sword bit ... as if it were cutting through water’: As remarked by Heinrichs (1990, 435), the author of Fsk seems to have regarded this poetic convention as an unfamiliar paradox, since he feels compelled to explain it (see Context above).
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í (prep.): in, into
[1, 4] svá beit þá sverð ... sem brygði í vatn ‘then the sword bit ... as if it were cutting through water’: As remarked by Heinrichs (1990, 435), the author of Fsk seems to have regarded this poetic convention as an unfamiliar paradox, since he feels compelled to explain it (see Context above).
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vatn (noun n.; °-s; -*): water, lake
[1, 4] svá beit þá sverð ... sem brygði í vatn ‘then the sword bit ... as if it were cutting through water’: As remarked by Heinrichs (1990, 435), the author of Fsk seems to have regarded this poetic convention as an unfamiliar paradox, since he feels compelled to explain it (see Context above).
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4. of (particle): (before verb)
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bregða (verb; °bregðr/brigðr; brá, brugðu; brugðinn/brogðinn): pull, jerk, break; change
[4] brygði: of brygði F
[1, 4] svá beit þá sverð ... sem brygði í vatn ‘then the sword bit ... as if it were cutting through water’: As remarked by Heinrichs (1990, 435), the author of Fsk seems to have regarded this poetic convention as an unfamiliar paradox, since he feels compelled to explain it (see Context above).
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oddr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): point of weapon
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broddr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ar): point of spear or arrow
[5] broddar: oddar J1ˣ, J2ˣ
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brotna (verb; °-að-): break, burst
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skila (verb)
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skjǫldr (noun m.; °skjaldar/skildar, dat. skildi; skildir, acc. skjǫldu): shield
[6] skildir: ‘skillir’ F
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glymja (verb): resound
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glymhringr (noun m.)
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gylfringr (noun m.): [swords]
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glymringr (noun m.)
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gylfringr (noun m.): [swords]
[7] gylfringar: so FskBˣ, FskAˣ, glymringar Kˣ, 761bˣ, glymhringar F, gylfringa J1ˣ, J2ˣ
[7] gylfringar ‘swords’: (a) This reading is preferred since it is the lectio difficilior (so Olsen 1962a, 8) and is the agreement of the J transcripts with the Fsk transcripts (except in regard to the inflexion), while Kˣ and F are near relations. The word is most likely a cpd with the second element ‑hringar ‘rings’, a common heiti for ‘swords’ (cf. the spelling in F, and see Note to Þhorn Harkv 1/1), while the first element has been tentatively connected with gjálfr ‘noise of the sea’ (LP: gylfringr). (b) The Kˣ reading glymringar (cf. glymr ‘clatter’) in any case seems too closely connected etymologically to the preceding verb glumruðu ‘clattered’ to be convincing. Whatever the correct form, the intended meaning is undoubtedly ‘swords’.
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í (prep.): in, into
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jǫtunn (noun m.; °jǫtuns, dat. jǫtni; jǫtnar): giant
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haust (noun n.; °-s; -): autumn
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hauss (noun m.; °hauss, dat. hausi/haus; hausar): skull
[8] hausum: haustum FskBˣ
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
In Hkr, as for st. 1. In Fsk, the prose preceding this and the next two stanzas relates that the battle was joined and went fiercely, and when the barrage of missiles was ended, the king ‘drew his sword and stood forward under his banner and hewed on both sides of him, never missing, and yet the sword bit [as easily] as if it did miss’.
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