GunnLeif Merl II 8VIII
Russell Poole (ed.) 2017, ‘Breta saga 8 (Gunnlaugr Leifsson, Merlínusspá II 8)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 141.
text and translation
‘Vilja hǫlðar hylja brunna,
þás flestum hal fjǫrspell gera.
En, þats lýðir á lǫg bera,
alt verðr at ǫðru, en áðr séi:
grund at grjóti, grjót at vatni,
viðr at ǫsku, en af ǫsku vatn.
‘Hǫlðar vilja hylja brunna, þás gera flestum hal fjǫrspell. En, þats lýðir bera á lǫg, verðr alt at ǫðru, en áðr séi: grund at grjóti, grjót at vatni, viðr at ǫsku, en vatn af ǫsku.
‘‘Men will want to cover up the springs that cause death for most people. But all that men carry to the water will turn to something other than it was previously: earth to stone, stone to water, wood to ash, and water from ash. ’
notes and context
Cf. DGB 116 (Reeve and Wright 2007, 151.151-5; cf. Wright 1988, 107, prophecy 31): Tantam ingluuiem uitare uolentes, diuersis tegumentis eam occultare nitentur. Quaecunque ergo moles superposita fuerit formam alterius corporis recipiet. Terra namque in lapides, lapides in limpham, lignum in cineres, cinis in aquam, si superiecta fuerint, uertentur ‘To escape this menace, they will try to hide it under various things. Whatever is placed upon it will assume a different form. If earth is put over the spring, it will become stones, stones become water, wood become ash and ash become water’ (Reeve and Wright 2007, 150).
readings
sources
Text is based on reconstruction from the base text and variant apparatus and may contain alternative spellings and other normalisations not visible in the manuscript text. Transcriptions may not have been checked and should not be cited.
-
AM 544 4° (Hb) — 49r/22 - 49r/24
images‘Vilja hǫlðar
hylja brunna,
þás flestum hal
fjǫrspell gera.
En, þat lýðir
á lǫg bera,
alt verðr at ǫðru,
en áðr séi:
grund at grjóti,
grjót at vatni,
viðr at ǫsk,
en at ǫsku vatn.Uilia havlldar hylia brvnna þa er | flestvm hal f[...]r spell gera en þat lyðir a log bera allt verðr að oðrv en aðr se grvnd | at grioti griot at vatni viðr at avsk en at avskv vatn |
(VEÞ)
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