Gamlkan Has 21VII
Katrina Attwood (ed.) 2007, ‘Gamli kanóki, Harmsól 21’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 21-2.
Endr ‘Once’
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endr (adv.): formerly, once, again
vast ‘you were’
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
barðr ‘beaten’
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2. berja (verb; °barði; barðr/bariðr/barinn): fight
notes
[1] barðr ok bundinn ‘beaten and bound’: This theme is also present in Líkn’s account of the Crucifixion (15/7-8): píndr var hann berr ok bundinn barðr ‘bare he was tortured and beaten bound’.
ok ‘and’
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
notes
[1] barðr ok bundinn ‘beaten and bound’: This theme is also present in Líkn’s account of the Crucifixion (15/7-8): píndr var hann berr ok bundinn barðr ‘bare he was tortured and beaten bound’.
bundinn ‘bound’
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binda (verb; °bindr; batt/bant(cf. [$332$]), bundu; bundinn): bind, tie
notes
[1] barðr ok bundinn ‘beaten and bound’: This theme is also present in Líkn’s account of the Crucifixion (15/7-8): píndr var hann berr ok bundinn barðr ‘bare he was tortured and beaten bound’.
buðlungr ‘king’
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buðlungr (noun m.; °; -ar): king, prince
[2] buðlungr: so 399a‑bˣ, ‘[...]udlu[...]’ B
kennings
hár buðlungr elds hlýrnis.‘high king of the fire of the sky. ’
= God
the fire of the sky. → SUN
high king of the SUN → God
megin ‘very’
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1. megin (noun n.; °-s, dat. magni/megni/megin(HirðB 398¹⁹); -): might, strength; very < meginþungr (adj.)
þungar ‘heavy’
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þungr (adj.): heavy < meginþungr (adj.)
hlýrnis ‘of the sky’
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hlýrnir (noun m.): heaven, heavenly body
kennings
hár buðlungr elds hlýrnis.‘high king of the fire of the sky. ’
= God
the fire of the sky. → SUN
high king of the SUN → God
hlýrnis ‘of the sky’
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hlýrnir (noun m.): heaven, heavenly body
kennings
hár buðlungr elds hlýrnis.‘high king of the fire of the sky. ’
= God
the fire of the sky. → SUN
high king of the SUN → God
elds ‘of the fire’
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eldr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-(HómÍsl¹(1993) 24v²⁴); -ar): fire
kennings
hár buðlungr elds hlýrnis.‘high king of the fire of the sky. ’
= God
the fire of the sky. → SUN
high king of the SUN → God
elds ‘of the fire’
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eldr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-(HómÍsl¹(1993) 24v²⁴); -ar): fire
kennings
hár buðlungr elds hlýrnis.‘high king of the fire of the sky. ’
= God
the fire of the sky. → SUN
high king of the SUN → God
af ‘by’
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af (prep.): from
hǫldum ‘men’
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hǫlðr (noun m.; °-s; -ar): man
hár ‘high’
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3. hár (adj.; °-van; compar. hǽrri, superl. hǽstr): high
kennings
hár buðlungr elds hlýrnis.‘high king of the fire of the sky. ’
= God
the fire of the sky. → SUN
high king of the SUN → God
fyr ‘because of’
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fyr (prep.): for, over, because of, etc.
sekðir ‘sins’
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sekð (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): guilt
várar ‘our’
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várr (pron.; °f. ór/vár; pl. órir/várir): our
Enn ‘Further’
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2. enn (adv.): still, yet, again
lézt ‘you allowed’
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láta (verb): let, have sth done
ǫldu ‘of the wave’
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alda (noun f.; °; *-ur): wave
kennings
vegligr angrstríðir runna viggs ǫldu.‘magnificent sin-fighter of the trees of the steed of the wave.’
= God
the steed of the wave. → SHIP
the trees of the SHIP → SEAFARERS
magnificent sin-fighter of SEAFARERS → God
ǫldu ‘of the wave’
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alda (noun f.; °; *-ur): wave
kennings
vegligr angrstríðir runna viggs ǫldu.‘magnificent sin-fighter of the trees of the steed of the wave.’
= God
the steed of the wave. → SHIP
the trees of the SHIP → SEAFARERS
magnificent sin-fighter of SEAFARERS → God
ǫldu ‘of the wave’
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alda (noun f.; °; *-ur): wave
kennings
vegligr angrstríðir runna viggs ǫldu.‘magnificent sin-fighter of the trees of the steed of the wave.’
= God
the steed of the wave. → SHIP
the trees of the SHIP → SEAFARERS
magnificent sin-fighter of SEAFARERS → God
runna ‘of the trees’
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runnr (noun m.; °dat. -i/-; -ar): bush, tree
[5] runna: ‘ru[...]a’ B, ‘runa’ 399a‑bˣ, runna BRydberg, BFJ
kennings
vegligr angrstríðir runna viggs ǫldu.‘magnificent sin-fighter of the trees of the steed of the wave.’
= God
the steed of the wave. → SHIP
the trees of the SHIP → SEAFARERS
magnificent sin-fighter of SEAFARERS → God
runna ‘of the trees’
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runnr (noun m.; °dat. -i/-; -ar): bush, tree
[5] runna: ‘ru[...]a’ B, ‘runa’ 399a‑bˣ, runna BRydberg, BFJ
kennings
vegligr angrstríðir runna viggs ǫldu.‘magnificent sin-fighter of the trees of the steed of the wave.’
= God
the steed of the wave. → SHIP
the trees of the SHIP → SEAFARERS
magnificent sin-fighter of SEAFARERS → God
angr ‘sin-’
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1. angr (noun m.; °angrs, dat. angri/angr): grief < angrstríðir (noun m.)
[6] angr‑: so 399a‑bˣ, ‘an[...]’ B
kennings
vegligr angrstríðir runna viggs ǫldu.‘magnificent sin-fighter of the trees of the steed of the wave.’
= God
the steed of the wave. → SHIP
the trees of the SHIP → SEAFARERS
magnificent sin-fighter of SEAFARERS → God
stríðir ‘fighter’
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stríðir (noun m.): opponent, fighter < angrstríðir (noun m.)
kennings
vegligr angrstríðir runna viggs ǫldu.‘magnificent sin-fighter of the trees of the steed of the wave.’
= God
the steed of the wave. → SHIP
the trees of the SHIP → SEAFARERS
magnificent sin-fighter of SEAFARERS → God
þik ‘yourself’
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þú (pron.; °gen. þín, dat. þér, acc. þik): you
síðan ‘afterwards’
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síðan (adv.): later, then
viggs ‘of the steed’
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vigg (noun n.): steed
kennings
vegligr angrstríðir runna viggs ǫldu.‘magnificent sin-fighter of the trees of the steed of the wave.’
= God
the steed of the wave. → SHIP
the trees of the SHIP → SEAFARERS
magnificent sin-fighter of SEAFARERS → God
viggs ‘of the steed’
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vigg (noun n.): steed
kennings
vegligr angrstríðir runna viggs ǫldu.‘magnificent sin-fighter of the trees of the steed of the wave.’
= God
the steed of the wave. → SHIP
the trees of the SHIP → SEAFARERS
magnificent sin-fighter of SEAFARERS → God
viggs ‘of the steed’
(not checked:)
vigg (noun n.): steed
kennings
vegligr angrstríðir runna viggs ǫldu.‘magnificent sin-fighter of the trees of the steed of the wave.’
= God
the steed of the wave. → SHIP
the trees of the SHIP → SEAFARERS
magnificent sin-fighter of SEAFARERS → God
meðal ‘between’
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meðal (prep.): between
notes
[7] meðal vándra seggja ‘between wicked men’: The homiletic nature of the language is confirmed by comparison with the phraseology of HómÍsl’s Passio Domini sermon: Cristr lét sér sóma at deyia meþal vandra manna ‘Christ made it fitting for himself to die between wicked men’ (HómÍsl 1872, 68).
vándra ‘wicked’
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vándr (adj.): wicked
notes
[7] meðal vándra seggja ‘between wicked men’: The homiletic nature of the language is confirmed by comparison with the phraseology of HómÍsl’s Passio Domini sermon: Cristr lét sér sóma at deyia meþal vandra manna ‘Christ made it fitting for himself to die between wicked men’ (HómÍsl 1872, 68).
seggja ‘men’
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seggr (noun m.; °; -ir): man
notes
[7] meðal vándra seggja ‘between wicked men’: The homiletic nature of the language is confirmed by comparison with the phraseology of HómÍsl’s Passio Domini sermon: Cristr lét sér sóma at deyia meþal vandra manna ‘Christ made it fitting for himself to die between wicked men’ (HómÍsl 1872, 68).
vegligr ‘magnificent’
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vegligr (adj.): magnificent
kennings
vegligr angrstríðir runna viggs ǫldu.‘magnificent sin-fighter of the trees of the steed of the wave.’
= God
the steed of the wave. → SHIP
the trees of the SHIP → SEAFARERS
magnificent sin-fighter of SEAFARERS → God
á ‘to’
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3. á (prep.): on, at
tré ‘a tree’
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tré (noun n.; °-s; tré/trjó, gen. trjá, dat. trjóm/trjám): tree
negla ‘to be nailed’
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negla (verb): nail
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Endr vast barðr ok bundinn, |
Once you were beaten and bound by men because of our very heavy sins, high king of the fire of the sky [SUN > = God (= Christ)]. Further you allowed yourself afterwards to be nailed to a tree between wicked men, magnificent sin-fighter of the trees of the steed of the wave [SHIP > SEAFARERS > = God (= Christ)].
This st. represents the thematic centre of the poem, and introduces a haunting evocation of, and meditation on, the Crucifixion (sts 21-7), which focusses on Christ’s merciful response to the penitent thief. Gamli’s mastery and manipulation of the skaldic genre is clear as he simplifies both his diction and his w.o. from this point to exploit the full pathos of the scene in a stark narrative reproduced almost verbatim from the account of the Passion in the Gospel of Luke. As Fidjestøl (1993, 223) points out, Has is very carefully structured, and st. 21 is the beginning of the 25-st. stefjabálkr, which carries the central meditation, in contrast to the surrounding sermon material.
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