Anon Bjark 2III
Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Poems, Bjarkamál in fornu 2’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 498.
Hár ‘Hár’
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Hár (noun m.): Hárr, the High One
notes
[1] Hár inn harðgreipi ‘Hár the Hard-gripper’: In Hrólf this champion of King Hrólfr is called Hrómundr inn harði ‘the Hard’ (Hrólf 1960, 114).
notes
[1] Hár inn harðgreipi ‘Hár the Hard-gripper’: In Hrólf this champion of King Hrólfr is called Hrómundr inn harði ‘the Hard’ (Hrólf 1960, 114).
harð ‘Hard’
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harðr (adj.; °comp. -ari; superl. -astr): hard, harsh < Harðgreip (noun f.): Harðgreip
notes
[1] Hár inn harðgreipi ‘Hár the Hard-gripper’: In Hrólf this champion of King Hrólfr is called Hrómundr inn harði ‘the Hard’ (Hrólf 1960, 114).
greipi ‘gripper’
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greip (noun f.; °; -r, -ar): hand, talon < Harðgreip (noun f.): Harðgreip
[1] ‑greipi: ‑greypi 68, ‑geiri Bb, ‑greppi Tóm
notes
[1] Hár inn harðgreipi ‘Hár the Hard-gripper’: In Hrólf this champion of King Hrólfr is called Hrómundr inn harði ‘the Hard’ (Hrólf 1960, 114).
Hrólfr ‘Hrólfr’
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Hrolfr (noun m.): [Hrólfr, Hrólf]
[2] Hrólfr: ‘hrofr’ Holm2, ‘h[…]’ Holm4
notes
[2] Hrólfr skjótandi ‘Hrólfr the Shooter’: Again Hrólf has a slightly different, and probably more original name for this champion, Hrólfr skjóthendi ‘the Quick-handed’. In Bjark the element skjót- must derive from the verb skjóta ‘shoot’, while in Hrólf it derives from the adj. skjótr ‘quick’.
skjótandi ‘the Shooter’
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skjótandi (noun m.): [Shooter]
notes
[2] Hrólfr skjótandi ‘Hrólfr the Shooter’: Again Hrólf has a slightly different, and probably more original name for this champion, Hrólfr skjóthendi ‘the Quick-handed’. In Bjark the element skjót- must derive from the verb skjóta ‘shoot’, while in Hrólf it derives from the adj. skjótr ‘quick’.
ættum ‘men’
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1. ætt (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): family
[3] ættum: hættum J2ˣ, ætt‑ 61, 325V, 325VII, Bb, Flat, Tóm, 141ˣ
notes
[3] ættum góðir menn ‘men of good lineage’: Lit. ‘men good in lineage’ or descent. One group of mss favours the cpd adj. ættgóðir ‘lineage-good’ rather than the noun phrase, but this makes the line fornyrðislag rather than málaháttr.
góðir ‘of good’
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góðr (adj.): good
notes
[3] ættum góðir menn ‘men of good lineage’: Lit. ‘men good in lineage’ or descent. One group of mss favours the cpd adj. ættgóðir ‘lineage-good’ rather than the noun phrase, but this makes the line fornyrðislag rather than málaháttr.
notes
[3] ættum góðir menn ‘men of good lineage’: Lit. ‘men good in lineage’ or descent. One group of mss favours the cpd adj. ættgóðir ‘lineage-good’ rather than the noun phrase, but this makes the line fornyrðislag rather than málaháttr.
flýja ‘flee’
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flýja (verb): to flee, take flight
vekka ‘I do not wake’
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vekka (noun f.): [I do not wake]
[5] vekka (‘vecka ec’): vekjat ek Bæb, 325VII, vekkat ek Holm4, vek at ek 61, ‘vekia ek’ 325V, Bb, vek ek Flat, Tóm, 141ˣ
yðr ‘you’
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þú (pron.; °gen. þín, dat. þér, acc. þik): you
at ‘for’
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3. at (prep.): at, to
víni ‘wine’
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vín (noun n.; °-s; -): wine
né ‘nor’
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né (conj.): nor
at ‘for’
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3. at (prep.): at, to
vífs ‘a woman’s’
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víf (noun n.): woman, wife
[6] vífs: ‘vivils’ 325VII, ‘uifls’ Flat, ‘viferlda’ Tóm
rúnum ‘private conversation’
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rún (noun f.; °; -ar/-ir): rune, secret
[6] rúnum: runnum Flat, Tóm, 141ˣ
heldr ‘rather’
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heldr (adv.): rather
yðr ‘you’
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þú (pron.; °gen. þín, dat. þér, acc. þik): you
at ‘for’
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4. at (conj.): that
hǫrðum ‘the hard’
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harðr (adj.; °comp. -ari; superl. -astr): hard, harsh
[7] hǫrðum: ‘havrðo’ 68
kennings
hǫrðum leiki Hildar.‘the hard play of Hildr. ’
= BATTLE
the hard play of Hildr. → BATTLE
notes
[7-8] hǫrðum leiki Hildar ‘the hard play of Hildr <valkyrie> [BATTLE]’: A conventional battle-kenning (cf. Edáð Banddr 3/6, 7I) but here highly appropriate in context, because it contrasts the ‘hard play’ of the valkyrie Hildr, personification of battle, in which men fight one another, with the soft play of the bed, where men and women engage in sexual intercourse (see also SnSt Ht 49 and Note to Vígf Lv 1/7I).
Hildar ‘of Hildr’
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2. Hildr (noun f.): Hildr
kennings
hǫrðum leiki Hildar.‘the hard play of Hildr. ’
= BATTLE
the hard play of Hildr. → BATTLE
notes
[7-8] hǫrðum leiki Hildar ‘the hard play of Hildr <valkyrie> [BATTLE]’: A conventional battle-kenning (cf. Edáð Banddr 3/6, 7I) but here highly appropriate in context, because it contrasts the ‘hard play’ of the valkyrie Hildr, personification of battle, in which men fight one another, with the soft play of the bed, where men and women engage in sexual intercourse (see also SnSt Ht 49 and Note to Vígf Lv 1/7I).
leiki ‘play’
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1. leikr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -/-i; -ar): sport, play
kennings
hǫrðum leiki Hildar.‘the hard play of Hildr. ’
= BATTLE
the hard play of Hildr. → BATTLE
notes
[7-8] hǫrðum leiki Hildar ‘the hard play of Hildr <valkyrie> [BATTLE]’: A conventional battle-kenning (cf. Edáð Banddr 3/6, 7I) but here highly appropriate in context, because it contrasts the ‘hard play’ of the valkyrie Hildr, personification of battle, in which men fight one another, with the soft play of the bed, where men and women engage in sexual intercourse (see also SnSt Ht 49 and Note to Vígf Lv 1/7I).
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As for st. 1.
[5-8]: The second helmingr of st. 2 can be compared with the somewhat longer version of Saxo, which is almost certainly based upon it. Friis-Jensen (1987, 152-3) offers an excellent close analysis of the literary parallels and differences between the two texts. The contrast between the pleasures of eating and drinking and associating with women, on the one hand, and the ‘hard play’ of battle, on the other, are conventional in Old Norse poetry; cf. Þhorn Harkv 6I.
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