Russell Poole (ed.) 2017, ‘Breta saga 57 (Gunnlaugr Leifsson, Merlínusspá II 57)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 182.
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lifa (verb): live
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2. inn (art.): the
[1-2] in danska drótt ‘the Danish people’: The apparently anti-Danish polemics are Gunnlaugr’s contribution; the foundation of a metropolitan see in Norway in 1153 severed older allegiances of the Icelandic bishoprics with Lund in what was then Denmark (cf. Foote 1975, 73). However, the adj. dansk may sometimes apply to Scandinavians generally, especially in the phrase dǫnsk tunga ‘Danish tongue’, which acquired the generalised meaning ‘Scandinavian language’ at least as early as the C11th (cf. Sigv Víkv 15/8I and Note; see also SnE 1998, I, 52, 80).
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danskr (adj.): Danish
[1-2] in danska drótt ‘the Danish people’: The apparently anti-Danish polemics are Gunnlaugr’s contribution; the foundation of a metropolitan see in Norway in 1153 severed older allegiances of the Icelandic bishoprics with Lund in what was then Denmark (cf. Foote 1975, 73). However, the adj. dansk may sometimes apply to Scandinavians generally, especially in the phrase dǫnsk tunga ‘Danish tongue’, which acquired the generalised meaning ‘Scandinavian language’ at least as early as the C11th (cf. Sigv Víkv 15/8I and Note; see also SnE 1998, I, 52, 80).
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1. drótt (noun f.): troop
[1-2] in danska drótt ‘the Danish people’: The apparently anti-Danish polemics are Gunnlaugr’s contribution; the foundation of a metropolitan see in Norway in 1153 severed older allegiances of the Icelandic bishoprics with Lund in what was then Denmark (cf. Foote 1975, 73). However, the adj. dansk may sometimes apply to Scandinavians generally, especially in the phrase dǫnsk tunga ‘Danish tongue’, which acquired the generalised meaning ‘Scandinavian language’ at least as early as the C11th (cf. Sigv Víkv 15/8I and Note; see also SnE 1998, I, 52, 80).
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3. at (prep.): at, to
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hold (noun n.; °-s; -): flesh
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1. gera (verb): do, make
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eyvit (adv.): nothing, not at all
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sik (pron.; °gen. sín, dat. sér): (refl. pron.)
[4] ǫlðri ‘ale-drinking’: Emended from ms. ǫlð (refreshed) (Poole 2009a, 312). The Hb text features regular use of superscript contraction for <ri>, e.g. in eit<ri> (fol. 51r l. 16), which could easily be obscured by refreshing. For the sentiment, compare ofdrykkja ‘excessive drinking’ (II 56/7); also II 52/3-4. The ms. reading is retained in Bret 1848-9, Skj B and Skald, evidently in the sense of ‘people’; in Skj B ll. 3-4 are translated loosely as og gör intet mod sig selv (sine lyster) ‘and does nothing against itself (its pleasures)’ (Bret 1848-9 similarly). Merl 2012 also retains the ms. reading, but with translation of ǫlð as Schicksal ‘fate’, which is hard to account for unless by confusion with ørlǫg ‘fate’.
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3. at (prep.): at, to
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móti (prep.): against
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því (adv.): therefore, because
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munu (verb): will, must
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2. inn (art.): the
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tíginn (adj./verb p.p.): noble
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tíðmark (noun n.): [time-markers]
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himinn (noun m.; °himins, dat. himni; himnar): heaven, sky
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ljós (noun n.; °ljóss; -): light
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3. sinn (pron.; °f. sín, n. sitt): (refl. poss. pron.)
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frá (prep.): from
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lýðr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ir): one of the people
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snúa (verb): turn
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Cf. DGB 116 (Reeve and Wright 2007, 159.287-8; cf. Wright 1988, 114, prophecy 72): Ab eis uultus auertent sydera et solitum cursum confundent ‘The planets will look away from men and disrupt their customary paths’ (cf. Reeve and Wright 2007, 158).
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