Kálf Kátr 18VII
Kirsten Wolf (ed.) 2007, ‘Kálfr Hallsson, Kátrínardrápa 18’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 943.
Hilmir ‘prince’
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hilmir (noun m.): prince, protector
segi ‘say’
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segja (verb): say, tell
eg ‘I’
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
að ‘that’
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4. at (conj.): that
hugðiz ‘intended’
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2. hyggja (verb): think, consider
tæla ‘to entice’
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tæla (verb): entice
himna ‘of the heavens’
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himinn (noun m.; °himins, dat. himni; himnar): heaven, sky
kennings
mæta ambátt gætis himna;‘the great handmaid of the guardian of the heavens; ’
= HOLY WOMAN
the guardian of the heavens; → God
the great handmaid of GOD → HOLY WOMAN
himna ‘of the heavens’
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himinn (noun m.; °himins, dat. himni; himnar): heaven, sky
kennings
mæta ambátt gætis himna;‘the great handmaid of the guardian of the heavens; ’
= HOLY WOMAN
the guardian of the heavens; → God
the great handmaid of GOD → HOLY WOMAN
gætis ‘of the guardian’
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gætir (noun m.): guardian
kennings
mæta ambátt gætis himna;‘the great handmaid of the guardian of the heavens; ’
= HOLY WOMAN
the guardian of the heavens; → God
the great handmaid of GOD → HOLY WOMAN
gætis ‘of the guardian’
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gætir (noun m.): guardian
kennings
mæta ambátt gætis himna;‘the great handmaid of the guardian of the heavens; ’
= HOLY WOMAN
the guardian of the heavens; → God
the great handmaid of GOD → HOLY WOMAN
ambátt ‘handmaid’
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ambátt (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -u/-; -ir/-ar (ambottor EiðKrA 391²²)): handmaid
kennings
mæta ambátt gætis himna;‘the great handmaid of the guardian of the heavens; ’
= HOLY WOMAN
the guardian of the heavens; → God
the great handmaid of GOD → HOLY WOMAN
mæta ‘the great’
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mætr (adj.; °compar. -ri/-ari, superl. -astr): honoured, respected
kennings
mæta ambátt gætis himna;‘the great handmaid of the guardian of the heavens; ’
= HOLY WOMAN
the guardian of the heavens; → God
the great handmaid of GOD → HOLY WOMAN
mýgir ‘the crusher’
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mýgir (noun m.): oppressor
kennings
mýgir fannar lófa‘the crusher of the snowdrift of the palm ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the snowdrift of the palm → SILVER
the crusher of the SILVER → GENEROUS MAN
bauðz ‘offered himself’
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bjóða (verb; °býðr; bauð, buðu; boðinn (buð- Thom¹ 5²n.)): offer, order, invite
þá ‘then’
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2. þá (adv.): then
fljóði ‘maiden’
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fljóð (noun n.): woman
fögru ‘beautiful’
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fagr (adj.; °fagran; compar. fegri, superl. fegrstr): fair, beautiful
fannar ‘of the snowdrift’
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fǫnn (noun f.): snow-drift
kennings
mýgir fannar lófa‘the crusher of the snowdrift of the palm ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the snowdrift of the palm → SILVER
the crusher of the SILVER → GENEROUS MAN
fannar ‘of the snowdrift’
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fǫnn (noun f.): snow-drift
kennings
mýgir fannar lófa‘the crusher of the snowdrift of the palm ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the snowdrift of the palm → SILVER
the crusher of the SILVER → GENEROUS MAN
lófa ‘of the palm’
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lófi (noun m.; °-a; -ar): palm of hand
kennings
mýgir fannar lófa‘the crusher of the snowdrift of the palm ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the snowdrift of the palm → SILVER
the crusher of the SILVER → GENEROUS MAN
lófa ‘of the palm’
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lófi (noun m.; °-a; -ar): palm of hand
kennings
mýgir fannar lófa‘the crusher of the snowdrift of the palm ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the snowdrift of the palm → SILVER
the crusher of the SILVER → GENEROUS MAN
að ‘as’
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3. at (prep.): at, to
eiginmanni ‘husband’
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eiginmaðr (noun m.): [husband]
Allir ‘All’
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allr (adj.): all
skulu ‘shall’
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skulu (verb): shall, should, must
kvað ‘said’
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2. kveðja (verb; kvaddi): (dd) request, address, greet
odda ‘of swords’ points’
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oddr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): point of weapon
kennings
spillir odda,‘the destroyer of swords’ points ’
= WARRIOR
the destroyer of swords’ points → WARRIOR
spillir ‘the destroyer’
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2. spillir (noun m.): destroyer
kennings
spillir odda,‘the destroyer of swords’ points ’
= WARRIOR
the destroyer of swords’ points → WARRIOR
elda ‘of the fires’
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eldr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-(HómÍsl¹(1993) 24v²⁴); -ar): fire
kennings
Lofn elda hnyssings teigs,‘Lofn of the fires of the whale’s land, ’
= WOMAN
the whale’s land, → SEA
the fires of the SEA → GOLD
Lofn of the GOLD → WOMAN
elda ‘of the fires’
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eldr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-(HómÍsl¹(1993) 24v²⁴); -ar): fire
kennings
Lofn elda hnyssings teigs,‘Lofn of the fires of the whale’s land, ’
= WOMAN
the whale’s land, → SEA
the fires of the SEA → GOLD
Lofn of the GOLD → WOMAN
Lofn ‘Lofn’
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Lofn (noun f.): Lofn
kennings
Lofn elda hnyssings teigs,‘Lofn of the fires of the whale’s land, ’
= WOMAN
the whale’s land, → SEA
the fires of the SEA → GOLD
Lofn of the GOLD → WOMAN
í ‘in’
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í (prep.): in, into
mínu ‘my’
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minn (pron.; °f. mín, n. mitt): my
veldi ‘realm’
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veldi (noun n.): realm
heiðra ‘honour’
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heiðra (verb): honour
þig ‘you’
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þú (pron.; °gen. þín, dat. þér, acc. þik): you
sem ‘as’
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sem (conj.): as, which
helga ‘holy’
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heilagr (adj.; °helgan; compar. -ari, superl. -astr): holy, sacred
gyðju ‘goddess’
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gyðja (noun f.): goddess, priestess
hnyssings ‘of the whale’s’
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hnyssingr (noun m.): [whale]
kennings
Lofn elda hnyssings teigs,‘Lofn of the fires of the whale’s land, ’
= WOMAN
the whale’s land, → SEA
the fires of the SEA → GOLD
Lofn of the GOLD → WOMAN
notes
[8] hnyssings (m. gen. sg.) ‘whale, fish’: LP explains hnyssingr as ‘a kind of fish (whale?)’, rejecting Sperber’s suggestion that it is a derivative of hnoss ‘treasure’ and that hnyssings teigr ‘land of treasure’ = ‘hand’. In Sperber’s view, hnyssings teigs elda ‘hand of fire’ is a kenning for ‘gold’.
hnyssings ‘of the whale’s’
(not checked:)
hnyssingr (noun m.): [whale]
kennings
Lofn elda hnyssings teigs,‘Lofn of the fires of the whale’s land, ’
= WOMAN
the whale’s land, → SEA
the fires of the SEA → GOLD
Lofn of the GOLD → WOMAN
notes
[8] hnyssings (m. gen. sg.) ‘whale, fish’: LP explains hnyssingr as ‘a kind of fish (whale?)’, rejecting Sperber’s suggestion that it is a derivative of hnoss ‘treasure’ and that hnyssings teigr ‘land of treasure’ = ‘hand’. In Sperber’s view, hnyssings teigs elda ‘hand of fire’ is a kenning for ‘gold’.
hnyssings ‘of the whale’s’
(not checked:)
hnyssingr (noun m.): [whale]
kennings
Lofn elda hnyssings teigs,‘Lofn of the fires of the whale’s land, ’
= WOMAN
the whale’s land, → SEA
the fires of the SEA → GOLD
Lofn of the GOLD → WOMAN
notes
[8] hnyssings (m. gen. sg.) ‘whale, fish’: LP explains hnyssingr as ‘a kind of fish (whale?)’, rejecting Sperber’s suggestion that it is a derivative of hnoss ‘treasure’ and that hnyssings teigr ‘land of treasure’ = ‘hand’. In Sperber’s view, hnyssings teigs elda ‘hand of fire’ is a kenning for ‘gold’.
teigs ‘land’
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teigr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -/-i; -ar, acc. -a/-u): field, land
kennings
Lofn elda hnyssings teigs,‘Lofn of the fires of the whale’s land, ’
= WOMAN
the whale’s land, → SEA
the fires of the SEA → GOLD
Lofn of the GOLD → WOMAN
teigs ‘land’
(not checked:)
teigr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -/-i; -ar, acc. -a/-u): field, land
kennings
Lofn elda hnyssings teigs,‘Lofn of the fires of the whale’s land, ’
= WOMAN
the whale’s land, → SEA
the fires of the SEA → GOLD
Lofn of the GOLD → WOMAN
teigs ‘land’
(not checked:)
teigr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -/-i; -ar, acc. -a/-u): field, land
kennings
Lofn elda hnyssings teigs,‘Lofn of the fires of the whale’s land, ’
= WOMAN
the whale’s land, → SEA
the fires of the SEA → GOLD
Lofn of the GOLD → WOMAN
ef ‘if’
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3. ef (conj.): if
mig ‘me’
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
vill ‘will’
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vilja (verb): want, intend
eiga ‘marry’
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2. eiga (verb; °á/eigr (præs. pl. 3. pers. eigu/eiga); átti, áttu; átt): own, have
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
I say that the prince intended to entice the great handmaid of the guardian of the heavens [= God > HOLY WOMAN]; the crusher of the snowdrift of the palm [SILVER > GENEROUS MAN] then offered himself to the beautiful maiden as husband. ‘All in my realm’, said the destroyer of swords’ points [WARRIOR] ‘shall honour you, Lofn <goddess> of the fires of the whale’s land [SEA > GOLD > WOMAN], as a holy goddess, if you will marry me’.
Maxentius’s offer of marriage to Catherine in the prose text gives detail about how his most skilful craftsmen will make an image of her which will be worshipped throughout his kingdom (Unger 1877, I, 408; Wolf 2003, 130).
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