Gamlkan Has 20VII
Katrina Attwood (ed.) 2007, ‘Gamli kanóki, Harmsól 20’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 90-1.
Skjǫldungi ‘prince’
(not checked:)
skjǫldungr (noun m.): king
kennings
grandlausum skjǫldungi tjalds skýja‘for the sinless prince of the tent of the clouds ’
= God
the tent of the clouds → SKY/HEAVEN
for the sinless prince of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[1-2] skjǫldungi tjalds skýja ‘for the prince of the tent of the clouds [SKY/HEAVEN = God (= Christ)]’: Black (1971, 191) compares Isa. XL.22, where God is described as qui extendit velut nihilum caelos et expandit eos sicut tabernaculum ad inhabitandum ‘he that stretcheth out the heavens as nothing, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in’. The identical heaven-kenning occurs in 65/5-6, where God is described as vǫrðr skýtjalds ‘warden of the cloud-tent’.
róm ‘We are [I am]’
(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
skyldir ‘obliged’
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skulu (verb): shall, should, must
skýja ‘of the clouds’
(not checked:)
ský (noun n.; °-s; -): cloud
kennings
grandlausum skjǫldungi tjalds skýja‘for the sinless prince of the tent of the clouds ’
= God
the tent of the clouds → SKY/HEAVEN
for the sinless prince of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[1-2] skjǫldungi tjalds skýja ‘for the prince of the tent of the clouds [SKY/HEAVEN = God (= Christ)]’: Black (1971, 191) compares Isa. XL.22, where God is described as qui extendit velut nihilum caelos et expandit eos sicut tabernaculum ad inhabitandum ‘he that stretcheth out the heavens as nothing, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in’. The identical heaven-kenning occurs in 65/5-6, where God is described as vǫrðr skýtjalds ‘warden of the cloud-tent’.
skýja ‘of the clouds’
(not checked:)
ský (noun n.; °-s; -): cloud
kennings
grandlausum skjǫldungi tjalds skýja‘for the sinless prince of the tent of the clouds ’
= God
the tent of the clouds → SKY/HEAVEN
for the sinless prince of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[1-2] skjǫldungi tjalds skýja ‘for the prince of the tent of the clouds [SKY/HEAVEN = God (= Christ)]’: Black (1971, 191) compares Isa. XL.22, where God is described as qui extendit velut nihilum caelos et expandit eos sicut tabernaculum ad inhabitandum ‘he that stretcheth out the heavens as nothing, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in’. The identical heaven-kenning occurs in 65/5-6, where God is described as vǫrðr skýtjalds ‘warden of the cloud-tent’.
tjalds ‘of the tent’
(not checked:)
tjald (noun n.; °-s; *-): tent, awning
kennings
grandlausum skjǫldungi tjalds skýja‘for the sinless prince of the tent of the clouds ’
= God
the tent of the clouds → SKY/HEAVEN
for the sinless prince of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[1-2] skjǫldungi tjalds skýja ‘for the prince of the tent of the clouds [SKY/HEAVEN = God (= Christ)]’: Black (1971, 191) compares Isa. XL.22, where God is described as qui extendit velut nihilum caelos et expandit eos sicut tabernaculum ad inhabitandum ‘he that stretcheth out the heavens as nothing, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in’. The identical heaven-kenning occurs in 65/5-6, where God is described as vǫrðr skýtjalds ‘warden of the cloud-tent’.
tjalds ‘of the tent’
(not checked:)
tjald (noun n.; °-s; *-): tent, awning
kennings
grandlausum skjǫldungi tjalds skýja‘for the sinless prince of the tent of the clouds ’
= God
the tent of the clouds → SKY/HEAVEN
for the sinless prince of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[1-2] skjǫldungi tjalds skýja ‘for the prince of the tent of the clouds [SKY/HEAVEN = God (= Christ)]’: Black (1971, 191) compares Isa. XL.22, where God is described as qui extendit velut nihilum caelos et expandit eos sicut tabernaculum ad inhabitandum ‘he that stretcheth out the heavens as nothing, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in’. The identical heaven-kenning occurs in 65/5-6, where God is described as vǫrðr skýtjalds ‘warden of the cloud-tent’.
ok ‘and’
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
aldar ‘of mankind’
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ǫld (noun f.; °; aldir): people, age
greitt ‘a free-flowing’
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greiðr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. greiðastr/greiztr): smooth, easy
notes
[3] greitt ‘free-flowing’: May be taken either adjectivally (as in the translation here) or adverbially.
sem ‘as’
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sem (conj.): as, which
gǫfgast ‘excellent’
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gǫfugr (adj.; °gǫfgan/gǫfugan; compar. gǫfgari/gǫfugri, superl. gǫfgastr/gǫfugstr/gǫfugastr): noble, glorious
mætti ‘as may’
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mega (verb): may, might
[3] mætti: ‘[...]tti’ B, ‘(m)ętt(e)’(?) 399a‑bˣ, ‘[...]æ’)tt[...]’(?) BRydberg, ‘(m)e᷎tt(e)’(?) BFJ
grand ‘for the sin’
(not checked:)
grand (noun n.): injury < grandlauss (adj.)
[4] grand‑: ‘[...]nd’ B, ‘(gra)nd‑’(?) 399a‑bˣ, ‘(g)[...]nd‑’(?) BRydberg, (gra)nd‑ BFJ
kennings
grandlausum skjǫldungi tjalds skýja‘for the sinless prince of the tent of the clouds ’
= God
the tent of the clouds → SKY/HEAVEN
for the sinless prince of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
lausum ‘less’
(not checked:)
lauss (adj.; °compar. lausari): loose, free, without < grandlauss (adj.)
kennings
grandlausum skjǫldungi tjalds skýja‘for the sinless prince of the tent of the clouds ’
= God
the tent of the clouds → SKY/HEAVEN
for the sinless prince of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
stef ‘refrain’
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stef (noun n.; °; -): refrain
vanda ‘to fashion’
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vanda (verb): fashion, execute
Ern ‘The powerful’
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ern (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): powerful
kennings
Ern valdr heims‘The powerful ruler of the world ’
= God
The powerful ruler of the world → God
skóp ‘created’
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2. skapa (verb): form
hauðr ‘earth’
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hauðr (noun n.): earth, ground
ok ‘and’
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
hlýrni ‘heaven’
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hlýrnir (noun m.): heaven, heavenly body
heims ‘of the world’
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heimr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-; -ar): home, abode; world
kennings
Ern valdr heims‘The powerful ruler of the world ’
= God
The powerful ruler of the world → God
kennings
Ern valdr heims‘The powerful ruler of the world ’
= God
The powerful ruler of the world → God
sem ‘as well as’
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sem (conj.): as, which
kyn ‘the kinsfolk’
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1. kyn (noun n.; °-s; -): kin
kennings
kyn beima;‘the kinsfolk of men; ’
= MANKIND
the kinsfolk of men; → MANKIND
beima ‘of men’
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beimi (noun m.; °; -ar): man
kennings
kyn beima;‘the kinsfolk of men; ’
= MANKIND
the kinsfolk of men; → MANKIND
ǫrr ‘the generous’
(not checked:)
ǫrr (adj.): generous, brave
kennings
ǫrr konungr élsetrs‘the generous king of the storm-seat ’
= God
the storm-seat → SKY/HEAVEN
the generous king of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
s ‘is’
(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
ok ‘and’
(not checked:)
3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
ǫllu ‘than all’
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allr (adj.): all
dýrri ‘more precious’
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dýrr (adj.; °compar. -ri/-ari, superl. -str/-astr): precious
él ‘of the storm’
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él (noun n.; °; dat. -um): storm < élsetr (noun n.): storm-seat
kennings
ǫrr konungr élsetrs‘the generous king of the storm-seat ’
= God
the storm-seat → SKY/HEAVEN
the generous king of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
él ‘of the storm’
(not checked:)
él (noun n.; °; dat. -um): storm < élsetr (noun n.): storm-seat
kennings
ǫrr konungr élsetrs‘the generous king of the storm-seat ’
= God
the storm-seat → SKY/HEAVEN
the generous king of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
setrs ‘seat’
(not checked:)
setr (noun n.; °-s; -): seat, abode < élsetr (noun n.): storm-seat
kennings
ǫrr konungr élsetrs‘the generous king of the storm-seat ’
= God
the storm-seat → SKY/HEAVEN
the generous king of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
setrs ‘seat’
(not checked:)
setr (noun n.; °-s; -): seat, abode < élsetr (noun n.): storm-seat
kennings
ǫrr konungr élsetrs‘the generous king of the storm-seat ’
= God
the storm-seat → SKY/HEAVEN
the generous king of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
konungr ‘king’
(not checked:)
konungr (noun m.; °dat. -i, -s; -ar): king
kennings
ǫrr konungr élsetrs‘the generous king of the storm-seat ’
= God
the storm-seat → SKY/HEAVEN
the generous king of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
betri ‘better’
(not checked:)
betri (adj. comp.; °superl. beztr/baztr; pos. góðr adj.): better, best
[8] betri: so 399a‑bˣ, ‘[...]ri’ B
notes
[8] betri ‘better’: Jón Helgason (1935-6, 257) supposed that the two comparatives dýrri and betri cause difficulties of a stylistic kind. He therefore emended betri to letri, from letr ‘letter’, interpreting the final couplet as meaning that God is more holy (dýrri) than any description, but this seems not a good ground for emendation.
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Skjǫldungi róm skyldir |
We are [I am] obliged to fashion a free-flowing refrain, as excellent as may [be], for the sinless prince of the tent of the clouds [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)] and of mankind. The powerful ruler of the world [= God] created earth and heaven as well as the kinsfolk of men [MANKIND]; the generous king of the storm-seat [SKY/HEAVEN > = God] is better and more precious than all.
[5-8]: That this is the refrain (stef) is indicated by an obelos in the left-hand margin (fol. 12v, l. 31). The first couplet of the refrain is similar in both sense and sound-structure to the opening of the second Leið refrain (25/5-6), which reads: Gramr skóp hauðr ok himna | hreggranns sem kyn seggja ‘the king of the gale-house made land and skies, as well as the race of men’. Lines 7-8 recall the final couplet of the first refrain in Leið (13/7-8): Einn er siklingr sunnu | setrs hvívetna betri ‘the king of the seat of the sun is alone better than everything else’. The sense of the couplets is identical, and both feature a cpd Christ-kenning including a heaven-kenning with the base-word setr. Both also exploit the setrs : betri rhyme.
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