Eyv Lv 7I
Russell Poole (ed.) 2012, ‘Eyvindr skáldaspillir Finnsson, Lausavísur 7’ 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. 224.
Lítt ‘Little’
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lítill (adj.; °lítinn): little
kvôðut ‘’
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2. kveðja (verb; kvaddi): (dd) request, address, greet
kvôðu ‘did people say’
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2. kveðja (verb; kvaddi): (dd) request, address, greet
[1] kvôðu: kvôðut R
þitt ‘’
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þinn (pron.; °f. þín, n. þitt): your
láta ‘let’
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láta (verb): let, have sth done
land ‘land’
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land (noun n.; °-s; *-): land < landvǫrðr (noun m.): land-guardian
kennings
landvǫrðr Hǫrða,‘land-guardian of the Hǫrðar, ’
= NORWEGIAN KING = Haraldr
land-guardian of the Hǫrðar, → NORWEGIAN KING = Haraldr
notes
[2] landvǫrðr Hǫrða ‘land-guardian of the Hǫrðar [NORWEGIAN KING = Haraldr]’: Kennings of this type are often merely conventional, with ethnic names such as Hǫrða(r) ‘people of Hǫrðaland (Hordaland)’ standing as pars pro toto for the Norwegian people. However, there may be political reality to the conventional expression here, as suggested by Andersen (1977, 96), since the inherited power-base of the Gunnhildarsynir (Eiríkssynir) was south-west Norway (modern Vestlandet, including Hordaland; cf. ÍF 26, 200). Bagge (2004, 191-4) also notes specifically that their leader Haraldr appears to have taken over Hordaland from Hákon góði, who had affiliations with it through his mother.
enn ‘’
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4. en (conj.): than
vǫrðr ‘guardian’
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vǫrðr (noun m.; °varðar, dat. verði/vǫrð; verðir, acc. vǫrðu): guardian, defender < landvǫrðr (noun m.): land-guardian
kennings
landvǫrðr Hǫrða,‘land-guardian of the Hǫrðar, ’
= NORWEGIAN KING = Haraldr
land-guardian of the Hǫrðar, → NORWEGIAN KING = Haraldr
notes
[2] landvǫrðr Hǫrða ‘land-guardian of the Hǫrðar [NORWEGIAN KING = Haraldr]’: Kennings of this type are often merely conventional, with ethnic names such as Hǫrða(r) ‘people of Hǫrðaland (Hordaland)’ standing as pars pro toto for the Norwegian people. However, there may be political reality to the conventional expression here, as suggested by Andersen (1977, 96), since the inherited power-base of the Gunnhildarsynir (Eiríkssynir) was south-west Norway (modern Vestlandet, including Hordaland; cf. ÍF 26, 200). Bagge (2004, 191-4) also notes specifically that their leader Haraldr appears to have taken over Hordaland from Hákon góði, who had affiliations with it through his mother.
hǫrva ‘’
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hǫrr (noun m.): linen
brast ‘burst’
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1. bresta (verb; °brestr; brast, brustu; brostinn): burst, split
brynju ‘’
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1. brynja (noun f.; °-u (dat. brynnoni Gibb 38⁹); -ur): mailcoat
kennings
landvǫrðr Hǫrða,‘land-guardian of the Hǫrðar, ’
= NORWEGIAN KING = Haraldr
land-guardian of the Hǫrðar, → NORWEGIAN KING = Haraldr
notes
[2] landvǫrðr Hǫrða ‘land-guardian of the Hǫrðar [NORWEGIAN KING = Haraldr]’: Kennings of this type are often merely conventional, with ethnic names such as Hǫrða(r) ‘people of Hǫrðaland (Hordaland)’ standing as pars pro toto for the Norwegian people. However, there may be political reality to the conventional expression here, as suggested by Andersen (1977, 96), since the inherited power-base of the Gunnhildarsynir (Eiríkssynir) was south-west Norway (modern Vestlandet, including Hordaland; cf. ÍF 26, 200). Bagge (2004, 191-4) also notes specifically that their leader Haraldr appears to have taken over Hordaland from Hákon góði, who had affiliations with it through his mother.
benja ‘of wounds’
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1. ben (noun f.; °-jar, dat. -; -jar , gen. -a(var. EiðKrC 402¹³: AM 77 4° D)): wound
[3] benja: brynju R, Tˣ, W, A
kennings
hagl benja‘the hail of wounds ’
= ARROWS
the hail of wounds → ARROWS
í ‘’
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í (prep.): in, into
hagl ‘the hail’
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hagl (noun n.; °-s; dat. *-um): hail
kennings
hagl benja‘the hail of wounds ’
= ARROWS
the hail of wounds → ARROWS
brynjur ‘’
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1. brynja (noun f.; °-u (dat. brynnoni Gibb 38⁹); -ur): mailcoat
benjum ‘’
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1. ben (noun f.; °-jar, dat. -; -jar , gen. -a(var. EiðKrC 402¹³: AM 77 4° D)): wound
á ‘on’
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3. á (prep.): on, at
[3] á brynjum: á brynjur FskBˣ, FskAˣ, í benjum R, Tˣ, W, A
bugz ‘’
brynjum ‘the mail-shirts’
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1. brynja (noun f.; °-u (dat. brynnoni Gibb 38⁹); -ur): mailcoat
[3] á brynjum: á brynjur FskBˣ, FskAˣ, í benjum R, Tˣ, W, A
almr ‘’
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almr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): bow, elm-bow
goð ‘’
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goð (noun n.): (pagan) god
falma ‘falter’
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falma (verb; °-að-): falter
folginn ‘’
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2. fela (verb): hide
ó ‘the’
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ó- ((prefix)): un- < ófolginn (adj./verb p.p.)
kennings
ófolgin fullegg svell fetla‘the unconcealed fully edged icicles of sword-belts ’
= SWORDS
the unconcealed fully edged icicles of sword-belts → SWORDS
notes
[5] ófolgin ‘unconcealed’: An understatement for ‘unsheathed, drawn’. The word may possibly resonate against Lv 8/8 folginn ‘concealed’, which refers to the standard accusation against Haraldr, that he kept his wealth concealed.
folgin ‘unconcealed’
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2. fela (verb): hide < ófolginn (adj./verb p.p.)
[5] ‑folgin: so Bb, FskBˣ, ‑folginn Kˣ, F, J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 61, FskAˣ
kennings
ófolgin fullegg svell fetla‘the unconcealed fully edged icicles of sword-belts ’
= SWORDS
the unconcealed fully edged icicles of sword-belts → SWORDS
notes
[5] ófolgin ‘unconcealed’: An understatement for ‘unsheathed, drawn’. The word may possibly resonate against Lv 8/8 folginn ‘concealed’, which refers to the standard accusation against Haraldr, that he kept his wealth concealed.
ylgjar ‘the she-wolf’
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ylgr (noun f.; °acc. -i): she-wolf
notes
[5, 7] til fyllar ylgjar ‘providing the she-wolf with its fill’: Lit. ‘to the satiety or fullness of the she-wolf’.
endr ‘once more’
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endr (adv.): formerly, once, again
ór ‘from’
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3. ór (prep.): out of
þinni ‘your’
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þinn (pron.; °f. þín, n. þitt): your
hendi ‘hand’
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hǫnd (noun f.; °handar, dat. hendi; hendr (hendir StatPáll³ 752¹²)): hand
spells ‘’
fetla ‘of sword-belts’
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fetill (noun m.; °dat. fatli/fetli; fetlar): strap, sword-belt
kennings
ófolgin fullegg svell fetla‘the unconcealed fully edged icicles of sword-belts ’
= SWORDS
the unconcealed fully edged icicles of sword-belts → SWORDS
kennings
ófolgin fullegg svell fetla‘the unconcealed fully edged icicles of sword-belts ’
= SWORDS
the unconcealed fully edged icicles of sword-belts → SWORDS
fullar ‘’
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2. fullr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): full, complete
til ‘providing’
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til (prep.): to
notes
[5, 7] til fyllar ylgjar ‘providing the she-wolf with its fill’: Lit. ‘to the satiety or fullness of the she-wolf’.
notes
[5, 7] til fyllar ylgjar ‘providing the she-wolf with its fill’: Lit. ‘to the satiety or fullness of the she-wolf’.
fullegg ‘fully edged’
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fulleggr (adj.): [fully edged]
kennings
ófolgin fullegg svell fetla‘the unconcealed fully edged icicles of sword-belts ’
= SWORDS
the unconcealed fully edged icicles of sword-belts → SWORDS
notes
[8] fullegg ‘fully edged’: A hap. leg., though cf. adjectives such as harðeggjaðr ‘hard-bladed’ and skarpeggjaðr ‘sharp-bladed’ (LP: fulleggr, harðeggjaðr, skarpeggjaðr). Editors have translated the cpd as ‘fully sharp’ (fuldskarpe, Skj B), ‘piercing’ (bitur, ÍF 26, Hkr 1991) or ‘sharp, keen’ (hvöss, ÍF 29), but fullegg may be more specific. Single-edged swords are known from the beginning of the Viking Age but the more prevalent type was a double-edged weapon that lent itself to slashing movements (Graham-Campbell and Batey 1998 , 35-6).
gulli ‘’
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gull (noun n.): gold
Haraldr ‘Haraldr’
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Haraldr (noun m.): Haraldr
gullu ‘resounded’
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gjalla (verb): to scream, shriek; to repay, return, pay for
[8] gullu: gulli Bb
notes
[8] gullu ‘resounded’: The pl. verb form confirms that svell ‘icicles’, and hence the sword-kenning, is pl. Konráð Gíslason (1892, 70) explains this pl. as implying that Haraldr’s habitual behaviour in battle is being described, rather than his conduct in any specific battle; or perhaps it was considered a distinction for a leader to use (and break?) a series of swords.
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
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Lítt kvôðu þik láta, |
Little did people say you let your courage falter, land-guardian of the Hǫrðar [NORWEGIAN KING = Haraldr], when the hail of wounds [ARROWS] burst on the mail-shirts; bows were bent, when the unconcealed fully edged icicles of sword-belts [SWORDS] resounded once more from your hand, Haraldr, providing the she-wolf with its fill.
Fsk states that Eyvindr composed this stanza to placate King Haraldr gráfeldr, who had expressed indignation at the skald’s previous stanza. Hkr has a more elaborate story to the effect that Haraldr had resolved to put Eyvindr to death but their friends reconciled them, on condition that Eyvindr became Haraldr’s skald and served him as he had previously served Hákon; it is noted that Eyvindr and Haraldr were near kinsmen. The first helmingr is cited in SnE to illustrate kennings for ‘arrows’.
[1-4]: The rather convoluted word order, in particular the tripartite structure of l. 2, is analysed by Reichardt (1928, 114, 177). — [3]: In SnE, the ordering of words in this line gives hagl brynju í benjum ‘the hail of the mail-shirt [ARROWS] (burst) in wounds’. The arrangement in Fsk, Hkr and ÓT yields better sense.
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