Hallv Knútdr 7III
Matthew Townend (ed.) 2017, ‘Hallvarðr háreksblesi, Knútsdrápa 7’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 238.
Esat ‘There is not’
(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
[1] Esat und jarðar hǫslu (‘Erat vnd iarþar havslv’): ‘Eru . .. j́ardar hellu’ 744ˣ
und ‘under’
(not checked:)
3. und (prep.): under, underneath
[1] Esat und jarðar hǫslu (‘Erat vnd iarþar havslv’): ‘Eru . .. j́ardar hellu’ 744ˣ
jarðar ‘of the earth’
(not checked:)
jǫrð (noun f.; °jarðar, dat. -u; jarðir/jarðar(DN I (1367) 304)): ground, earth
[1] Esat und jarðar hǫslu (‘Erat vnd iarþar havslv’): ‘Eru . .. j́ardar hellu’ 744ˣ
kennings
hǫslu jarðar‘the hazel of the earth ’
= Yggdrasill
the hazel of the earth → Yggdrasill
notes
[1] hǫslu jarðar ‘the hazel of the earth [= Yggdrasill]’: The world-tree Yggdrasill is usually regarded as an ash, but in this kenning it is referred to figuratively as hasla ‘hazel’, representing the category ‘tree’. For Yggdrasill, see Gylf (SnE 2005, 17-19, 50-1), Vsp 47 and Grí 30/2. This is the only kenning in the corpus of Old Norse poetry that paraphrases the world-tree (Meissner 426).
hǫslu ‘the hazel’
(not checked:)
1. hasla (noun f.; °; -ur): [hazel]
[1] Esat und jarðar hǫslu (‘Erat vnd iarþar havslv’): ‘Eru . .. j́ardar hellu’ 744ˣ
kennings
hǫslu jarðar‘the hazel of the earth ’
= Yggdrasill
the hazel of the earth → Yggdrasill
notes
[1] hǫslu jarðar ‘the hazel of the earth [= Yggdrasill]’: The world-tree Yggdrasill is usually regarded as an ash, but in this kenning it is referred to figuratively as hasla ‘hazel’, representing the category ‘tree’. For Yggdrasill, see Gylf (SnE 2005, 17-19, 50-1), Vsp 47 and Grí 30/2. This is the only kenning in the corpus of Old Norse poetry that paraphrases the world-tree (Meissner 426).
orð ‘of the speech’
(not checked:)
orð (noun n.; °-s; -): word < orðbrjótr (noun m.)
kennings
moldreks orðbrjótr‘speech-breaker of the soil-ruler’
= GENEROUS MAN
the soil-ruler → GIANT
the speech of the GIANT → GOLD
the breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
notes
[2, 3] moldreks orðbrjótr ‘the breaker of the speach of the soil-ruler [(lit. ‘speach-breaker of the soil-ruler’) GIANT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: For the myth relating how a giant’s wealth was measured in mouthfuls, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8. Moldrekr ‘soil-ruler’ is an odd kenning for ‘giant’ (it could equally well denote a dwarf) and attested only here.
orð ‘of the speech’
(not checked:)
orð (noun n.; °-s; -): word < orðbrjótr (noun m.)
kennings
moldreks orðbrjótr‘speech-breaker of the soil-ruler’
= GENEROUS MAN
the soil-ruler → GIANT
the speech of the GIANT → GOLD
the breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
notes
[2, 3] moldreks orðbrjótr ‘the breaker of the speach of the soil-ruler [(lit. ‘speach-breaker of the soil-ruler’) GIANT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: For the myth relating how a giant’s wealth was measured in mouthfuls, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8. Moldrekr ‘soil-ruler’ is an odd kenning for ‘giant’ (it could equally well denote a dwarf) and attested only here.
brjótr ‘the breaker’
(not checked:)
brjótr (noun m.): breaker < orðbrjótr (noun m.)
[2] ‑brjótr: bjartr C
kennings
moldreks orðbrjótr‘speech-breaker of the soil-ruler’
= GENEROUS MAN
the soil-ruler → GIANT
the speech of the GIANT → GOLD
the breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
notes
[2, 3] moldreks orðbrjótr ‘the breaker of the speach of the soil-ruler [(lit. ‘speach-breaker of the soil-ruler’) GIANT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: For the myth relating how a giant’s wealth was measured in mouthfuls, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8. Moldrekr ‘soil-ruler’ is an odd kenning for ‘giant’ (it could equally well denote a dwarf) and attested only here.
Dǫnum ‘Danes’
(not checked:)
Danr (noun m.; °dat. -; -ir): Dane
notes
[2] Dǫnum ‘Danes’: This reference to Danes as the specific recipients of the king’s generosity may have offered particular reassurance to the Old Norse-speaking members of Knútr’s Anglo-Danish court in England (see Frank 1994b, 109).
mold ‘of the soil’
(not checked:)
mold (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -u; -ir): earth, soil < moldrekr (noun m.): [soil-ruler]
kennings
moldreks orðbrjótr‘speech-breaker of the soil-ruler’
= GENEROUS MAN
the soil-ruler → GIANT
the speech of the GIANT → GOLD
the breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
notes
[2, 3] moldreks orðbrjótr ‘the breaker of the speach of the soil-ruler [(lit. ‘speach-breaker of the soil-ruler’) GIANT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: For the myth relating how a giant’s wealth was measured in mouthfuls, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8. Moldrekr ‘soil-ruler’ is an odd kenning for ‘giant’ (it could equally well denote a dwarf) and attested only here.
mold ‘of the soil’
(not checked:)
mold (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -u; -ir): earth, soil < moldrekr (noun m.): [soil-ruler]
kennings
moldreks orðbrjótr‘speech-breaker of the soil-ruler’
= GENEROUS MAN
the soil-ruler → GIANT
the speech of the GIANT → GOLD
the breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
notes
[2, 3] moldreks orðbrjótr ‘the breaker of the speach of the soil-ruler [(lit. ‘speach-breaker of the soil-ruler’) GIANT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: For the myth relating how a giant’s wealth was measured in mouthfuls, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8. Moldrekr ‘soil-ruler’ is an odd kenning for ‘giant’ (it could equally well denote a dwarf) and attested only here.
mold ‘of the soil’
(not checked:)
mold (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -u; -ir): earth, soil < moldrekr (noun m.): [soil-ruler]
kennings
moldreks orðbrjótr‘speech-breaker of the soil-ruler’
= GENEROUS MAN
the soil-ruler → GIANT
the speech of the GIANT → GOLD
the breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
notes
[2, 3] moldreks orðbrjótr ‘the breaker of the speach of the soil-ruler [(lit. ‘speach-breaker of the soil-ruler’) GIANT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: For the myth relating how a giant’s wealth was measured in mouthfuls, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8. Moldrekr ‘soil-ruler’ is an odd kenning for ‘giant’ (it could equally well denote a dwarf) and attested only here.
reks ‘ruler’
(not checked:)
(unlinked proper noun) < moldrekr (noun m.): [soil-ruler]
kennings
moldreks orðbrjótr‘speech-breaker of the soil-ruler’
= GENEROUS MAN
the soil-ruler → GIANT
the speech of the GIANT → GOLD
the breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
notes
[2, 3] moldreks orðbrjótr ‘the breaker of the speach of the soil-ruler [(lit. ‘speach-breaker of the soil-ruler’) GIANT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: For the myth relating how a giant’s wealth was measured in mouthfuls, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8. Moldrekr ‘soil-ruler’ is an odd kenning for ‘giant’ (it could equally well denote a dwarf) and attested only here.
reks ‘ruler’
(not checked:)
(unlinked proper noun) < moldrekr (noun m.): [soil-ruler]
kennings
moldreks orðbrjótr‘speech-breaker of the soil-ruler’
= GENEROUS MAN
the soil-ruler → GIANT
the speech of the GIANT → GOLD
the breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
notes
[2, 3] moldreks orðbrjótr ‘the breaker of the speach of the soil-ruler [(lit. ‘speach-breaker of the soil-ruler’) GIANT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: For the myth relating how a giant’s wealth was measured in mouthfuls, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8. Moldrekr ‘soil-ruler’ is an odd kenning for ‘giant’ (it could equally well denote a dwarf) and attested only here.
reks ‘ruler’
(not checked:)
(unlinked proper noun) < moldrekr (noun m.): [soil-ruler]
kennings
moldreks orðbrjótr‘speech-breaker of the soil-ruler’
= GENEROUS MAN
the soil-ruler → GIANT
the speech of the GIANT → GOLD
the breaker of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
notes
[2, 3] moldreks orðbrjótr ‘the breaker of the speach of the soil-ruler [(lit. ‘speach-breaker of the soil-ruler’) GIANT > GOLD > GENEROUS MAN]’: For the myth relating how a giant’s wealth was measured in mouthfuls, see Note to Anon Bjark 5/8. Moldrekr ‘soil-ruler’ is an odd kenning for ‘giant’ (it could equally well denote a dwarf) and attested only here.
kennings
valdi munka‘the ruler of monks ’
= God
the ruler of monks → God
notes
[3] valdi munka ‘the ruler of monks [= God]’: Munkr is an ecclesiastical loanword in Old Norse, probably from OE munuc (ultimately from Lat. monachus) (Fischer 1909, 53). As Frank (1994b, 124 n. 60) notes, the use of munkr ‘monk’ as a determinant is very rare in skaldic verse, paralleled only by reynir munka ‘tester of monks’ in Anon Hafg 2/1IV and dróttinn munka ‘lord of monks’ in Skapti Frag 1/1, the attributed date (C10th and C11th respectively) of both of which may be doubted. The juxtaposition of pagan and Christian references (noted in the Introduction) is especially striking in this stanza.
kennings
valdi munka‘the ruler of monks ’
= God
the ruler of monks → God
notes
[3] valdi munka ‘the ruler of monks [= God]’: Munkr is an ecclesiastical loanword in Old Norse, probably from OE munuc (ultimately from Lat. monachus) (Fischer 1909, 53). As Frank (1994b, 124 n. 60) notes, the use of munkr ‘monk’ as a determinant is very rare in skaldic verse, paralleled only by reynir munka ‘tester of monks’ in Anon Hafg 2/1IV and dróttinn munka ‘lord of monks’ in Skapti Frag 1/1, the attributed date (C10th and C11th respectively) of both of which may be doubted. The juxtaposition of pagan and Christian references (noted in the Introduction) is especially striking in this stanza.
mæringr ‘a prince’
(not checked:)
mæringr (noun m.): famous one
an ‘than’
(not checked:)
2. an (conj.): than
þú ‘you’
(not checked:)
þú (pron.; °gen. þín, dat. þér, acc. þik): you
nærri ‘closer to’
(not checked:)
nærri (adj. comp.; °superl. nǽstr): near, nearer, next
[4] nærri: ‘nerri’ Tˣ, ‘ne..í’ 744ˣ, næri C
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
This stanza is quoted in Skm to illustrate the use of mæringr ‘prince’ as a nafn ókent ‘non-periphrastic term’ for ‘man’.
Ms. B(7r) is now almost illegible and 744ˣ has been used in its place.
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