Refr Þorst 2^III

Alls bǫðgœðis bjóða
— bǫrr ræðr til þess hjǫrva —
ógnstǫðvar hefk ægi
einráðit Þórsteini.

Alls hefk einráðit bjóða Þórsteini {ægi {ógnstǫðvar} {bǫðgœðis}}; {bǫrr hjǫrva} ræðr til þess.

Since I have decided to offer Þorsteinn {the ocean {of the terror-place} [BREAST] {of the battle-promoter}} [= Óðinn > POEM]; {the tree of swords} [WARRIOR] [I] begins to work on this.

Mss: R(33v), Tˣ(35r), W(76-77), U(32r), A(10v), C(5r) (SnE); 2368ˣ(114) (LaufE)

Readings: [1] Alls: so all others, ‘[…]llz’ R;    ‑gœðis: ‘‑ǫgþi’ R, ‑goði Tˣ, ‑gœði W, A, 2368ˣ, ‑geði U, ‘‑auglis’ C;    bjóða: so Tˣ, W, U, A, 2368ˣ, ‘giø̨þa’ R, galla C    [2] bǫrr: aurr C;    ræðr: hygg U;    hjǫrva: ‘hiórna’ 2368ˣ    [3] ógnstǫðvar: ‘ognstoðfar’ W, ‘[…]ngstoþvar’(?) U;    ægi: eigi Tˣ    [4] ein‑: ‘ei[…]’(?) U;    ‑ráðit: ‑ráðum Tˣ, ‑ráðinn W, U, A, 2368ˣ

Editions: Skj AI, 320, Skj BI, 296, Skald I, 150; SnE 1848-87, I, 416-17, II, 326, 437, III, 76-7, SnE 1931, 148, SnE 1998, I, 66; LaufE 1979, 373-4.

Context: The helmingr is quoted in SnE (Skm) and LaufE among stanzas containing kennings for ‘man’.

Notes: [1] bǫðgœðis ‘of the battle-promoter [= Óðinn]’: The emendation (addition of -s) is necessary because a gen. is needed to integrate the word in the kenning for ‘poem’. The kenning ‘battle-promoter’ is a traditional warrior-kenning, but the context shows that it can only refer to Óðinn here, because ægi ógnstǫðvar ‘the ocean of the terror-place [BREAST]’ must be supplemented by ‘Óðinn’ to fit the pattern ‘liquid of Óðinn’s breast [POEM]’ (on the use of warrior-kennings for Óðinn, see Meissner 253). As the god of war, Óðinn continually ‘promoted’ battle by causing strife among warriors (cf. Hárb 24, HHund II, 34 and ARG II, 57 for more examples).

References

1. Bibliography
2. SnE 1848-87 = Snorri Sturluson. 1848-87. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar: Edda Snorronis Sturlaei. Ed. Jón Sigurðsson et al. 3 vols. Copenhagen: Legatum Arnamagnaeanum. Rpt. Osnabrück: Zeller, 1966.
3. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
4. LaufE 1979 = Faulkes, Anthony, ed. 1979. Edda Magnúsar Ólafssonar (Laufás Edda). RSÁM 13. Vol. I of Two Versions of Snorra Edda from the 17th Century. Reykjavík: Stofnun Árna Magnússonar, 1977-9.
5. Meissner = Meissner, Rudolf. 1921. Die Kenningar der Skalden: Ein Beitrag zur skaldischen Poetik. Rheinische Beiträge und Hülfsbücher zur germanischen Philologie und Volkskunde 1. Bonn and Leipzig: Schroeder. Rpt. 1984. Hildesheim etc.: Olms.
6. SnE 1931 = Snorri Sturluson. 1931. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar. Ed. Finnur Jónsson. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
7. SnE 1998 = Snorri Sturluson. 1998. Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2 vols. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
8. ARG = Vries, Jan de. 1956-7. Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte. 2 vols. 2nd edn. Berlin: de Gruyter.
9. Internal references
10. Edith Marold 2017, ‘Snorra Edda (Prologue, Gylfaginning, Skáldskaparmál)’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols [check printed volume for citation].
11. (forthcoming), ‘ Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=112> (accessed 26 April 2024)
12. Not published: do not cite ()
13. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Laufás Edda’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=10928> (accessed 26 April 2024)