GunnLeif Merl I 31VIII
Russell Poole (ed.) 2017, ‘Breta saga 99 (Gunnlaugr Leifsson, Merlínusspá I 31)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 69.
text and translation
‘Stór verða rǫk, rignir blóði,
hár snarpr at þat sultr mannkyni.
En inn rauði snákr eflisk síðan;
fær hann af miklu mátt erfiði.
‘Stór rǫk verða, rignir blóði, snarpr sultr hár mannkyni at þat. En inn rauði snákr eflisk síðan; hann fær mátt af miklu erfiði.
‘‘Great wonders will occur, it will rain with blood, acute famine will thereupon afflict mankind. But the red snake gathers strength afterwards; he will acquire power from great exertion. ’
notes and context
Cf. DGB 112 (Reeve and Wright 2007, 147.50-1; cf. Wright 1988, 102, prophecies 3 and 4): Pluet sanguineus imber, et dira fames mortales afficiet. His superuenientibus, dolebit rubeus sed emenso labore uigebit ‘A rain of blood will fall, and a terrible famine will afflict mortals. The red dragon will lament as these occur, but will recover its strength once the travail is over’ (cf. Reeve and Wright 2007, 146). This prophecy alludes to events narrated in DGB XI (Reeve and Wright 2007, 256-7).
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.
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AM 544 4° (Hb) — 51v/3 - 51v/4
imagesStor verða rok rignir bloði har snarpr at þat svlltr mannkyni en | en ravði snakr efliz siþan fær hann af miklv matt erfiði
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