Hókr Eirfl 5^I

hykka ‘’

(not checked:)
2. hyggja (verb): think, consider

hukkaðik ‘’

Hykkat ‘I do not believe’

(not checked:)
2. hyggja (verb): think, consider

[1] Hykkat (‘Hykkat ek’): so Holm18, 61, 54, Bb, Flat, ‘hukkaðek’ FskAˣ, hykka ek 310

notes

[1, 4] hykkat vægð at vígi, ógnharðan spǫrðu sik ‘I do not believe there was mercy during the onslaught [or that] the battle-hard one [Eiríkr] spared himself’: (a) This sentence is awkward syntactically, because it presupposes two parallel constructions that are dependent on the verb hykkat ‘I do not believe’ (l. 1); namely vægð ‘mercy’ (with a suppressed vesa ‘be’) and ógnharðan spǫrðu sik ‘the battle-hard one spared himself’; spǫrðu is past inf. of spara ‘save’. (b) Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) takes jarl ‘the jarl’ (l. 3) as the object of hykkat and subject of spǫrðu (past inf. of spara ‘save’), and assigns ógnharðan to the second clause (ógnharðan jǫfur ‘the battle-hard prince). He construes the first clause as follows: Hykkat jarl spǫrðu sik vægð at vígi, translated as Jeg tror ikke jarlen sparede sig ved eftergivenhed under kampen ‘I do not believe that the jarl spared himself by letting up during the fight’. The problem is that this seems to assume that vægð is dat. sg. and is either to be construed with spara or as an adverbial dat., but both of these would be non-standard usages (cf. Fritzner: spara; NN §557). Moreover, Finnur’s interpretation results in tortuous syntax and a tripartite l. 3. The present edn follows Kock (NN §557) and ÍF 29.

vegja ‘’

(not checked:)
1. vægja (verb): yield

vægð ‘there was mercy’

(not checked:)
vægð (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): mercy

[1] vægð: ‘vegia’ Holm18

notes

[1, 4] hykkat vægð at vígi, ógnharðan spǫrðu sik ‘I do not believe there was mercy during the onslaught [or that] the battle-hard one [Eiríkr] spared himself’: (a) This sentence is awkward syntactically, because it presupposes two parallel constructions that are dependent on the verb hykkat ‘I do not believe’ (l. 1); namely vægð ‘mercy’ (with a suppressed vesa ‘be’) and ógnharðan spǫrðu sik ‘the battle-hard one spared himself’; spǫrðu is past inf. of spara ‘save’. (b) Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) takes jarl ‘the jarl’ (l. 3) as the object of hykkat and subject of spǫrðu (past inf. of spara ‘save’), and assigns ógnharðan to the second clause (ógnharðan jǫfur ‘the battle-hard prince). He construes the first clause as follows: Hykkat jarl spǫrðu sik vægð at vígi, translated as Jeg tror ikke jarlen sparede sig ved eftergivenhed under kampen ‘I do not believe that the jarl spared himself by letting up during the fight’. The problem is that this seems to assume that vægð is dat. sg. and is either to be construed with spara or as an adverbial dat., but both of these would be non-standard usages (cf. Fritzner: spara; NN §557). Moreover, Finnur’s interpretation results in tortuous syntax and a tripartite l. 3. The present edn follows Kock (NN §557) and ÍF 29.

af ‘’

(not checked:)
af (prep.): from

at ‘during’

(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to

[1] at: af 54, Bb

notes

[1, 4] hykkat vægð at vígi, ógnharðan spǫrðu sik ‘I do not believe there was mercy during the onslaught [or that] the battle-hard one [Eiríkr] spared himself’: (a) This sentence is awkward syntactically, because it presupposes two parallel constructions that are dependent on the verb hykkat ‘I do not believe’ (l. 1); namely vægð ‘mercy’ (with a suppressed vesa ‘be’) and ógnharðan spǫrðu sik ‘the battle-hard one spared himself’; spǫrðu is past inf. of spara ‘save’. (b) Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) takes jarl ‘the jarl’ (l. 3) as the object of hykkat and subject of spǫrðu (past inf. of spara ‘save’), and assigns ógnharðan to the second clause (ógnharðan jǫfur ‘the battle-hard prince). He construes the first clause as follows: Hykkat jarl spǫrðu sik vægð at vígi, translated as Jeg tror ikke jarlen sparede sig ved eftergivenhed under kampen ‘I do not believe that the jarl spared himself by letting up during the fight’. The problem is that this seems to assume that vægð is dat. sg. and is either to be construed with spara or as an adverbial dat., but both of these would be non-standard usages (cf. Fritzner: spara; NN §557). Moreover, Finnur’s interpretation results in tortuous syntax and a tripartite l. 3. The present edn follows Kock (NN §557) and ÍF 29.

vígi ‘the onslaught’

(not checked:)
víg (noun n.; °-s; -): battle

notes

[1, 4] hykkat vægð at vígi, ógnharðan spǫrðu sik ‘I do not believe there was mercy during the onslaught [or that] the battle-hard one [Eiríkr] spared himself’: (a) This sentence is awkward syntactically, because it presupposes two parallel constructions that are dependent on the verb hykkat ‘I do not believe’ (l. 1); namely vægð ‘mercy’ (with a suppressed vesa ‘be’) and ógnharðan spǫrðu sik ‘the battle-hard one spared himself’; spǫrðu is past inf. of spara ‘save’. (b) Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) takes jarl ‘the jarl’ (l. 3) as the object of hykkat and subject of spǫrðu (past inf. of spara ‘save’), and assigns ógnharðan to the second clause (ógnharðan jǫfur ‘the battle-hard prince). He construes the first clause as follows: Hykkat jarl spǫrðu sik vægð at vígi, translated as Jeg tror ikke jarlen sparede sig ved eftergivenhed under kampen ‘I do not believe that the jarl spared himself by letting up during the fight’. The problem is that this seems to assume that vægð is dat. sg. and is either to be construed with spara or as an adverbial dat., but both of these would be non-standard usages (cf. Fritzner: spara; NN §557). Moreover, Finnur’s interpretation results in tortuous syntax and a tripartite l. 3. The present edn follows Kock (NN §557) and ÍF 29.

varm ‘’

(not checked:)
varmr (adj.; °compar. -ari): warm

vann ‘’

(not checked:)
2. vinna (verb): perform, work

[2] vann: varm Flat

notes

[2] vann ... sóttan ‘attacked’: Lit. ‘got ... attacked’. Vinna is used pleonastically here (see NN §2921). — [3] fjǫrð ‘last year’: Fjǫrð is taken as an adv. (cf. st. 3/1 and Note there). Skj B (followed by ÍF 29) construes it as part of a cpd with tmesis (fjǫrðjǫrðu ‘fjord-land [NORWAY]’), which is possible. Kock (NN §§557, 1953A) regards fjǫrð ‘fjord’ as the acc. object of komsk, which is not possible (komask at e-u means ‘obtain sth.’ and komask cannot be construed with an acc. object).

drótt ‘the retinue’

(not checked:)
1. drótt (noun f.): troop

jǫfur ‘the prince’

(not checked:)
jǫfurr (noun m.): ruler, prince

sóttan ‘attacked’

(not checked:)
sœkja (verb): seek, attack

notes

[2] vann ... sóttan ‘attacked’: Lit. ‘got ... attacked’. Vinna is used pleonastically here (see NN §2921). — [3] fjǫrð ‘last year’: Fjǫrð is taken as an adv. (cf. st. 3/1 and Note there). Skj B (followed by ÍF 29) construes it as part of a cpd with tmesis (fjǫrðjǫrðu ‘fjord-land [NORWAY]’), which is possible. Kock (NN §§557, 1953A) regards fjǫrð ‘fjord’ as the acc. object of komsk, which is not possible (komask at e-u means ‘obtain sth.’ and komask cannot be construed with an acc. object).

fjǫrð ‘last year’

(not checked:)
fjorð (adv.): last year

komt ‘’

(not checked:)
koma (verb; kem, kom/kvam, kominn): come

kom ‘’

(not checked:)
koma (verb; kem, kom/kvam, kominn): come

komsk ‘obtained’

(not checked:)
koma (verb; kem, kom/kvam, kominn): come

[3] komsk: so 310, 61, 54, Bb, Flat, kom FskAˣ, komt Holm18

notes

[3] komsk ‘obtained’: This is the reading of the majority of the ms. witnesses (adopted in Skald and ÍF 29). Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) opts for the Holm18 variant, komt (2nd pers. sg. pret. indic.) ‘you came’, which is unwarranted.

jarls ‘’

(not checked:)
jarl (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): poet, earl

jarl ‘the jarl’

(not checked:)
jarl (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): poet, earl

[3] jarl: jarls 61

af ‘’

(not checked:)
af (prep.): from

at ‘’

(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to

[3] at: af 54, Bb

jǫrðu ‘the land’

(not checked:)
jǫrð (noun f.; °jarðar, dat. -u; jarðir/jarðar(DN I (1367) 304Š)): ground, earth

ógnharðan ‘the battle-hard one’

(not checked:)
ógnharðr (adj.): [battle-hard one]

notes

[1, 4] hykkat vægð at vígi, ógnharðan spǫrðu sik ‘I do not believe there was mercy during the onslaught [or that] the battle-hard one [Eiríkr] spared himself’: (a) This sentence is awkward syntactically, because it presupposes two parallel constructions that are dependent on the verb hykkat ‘I do not believe’ (l. 1); namely vægð ‘mercy’ (with a suppressed vesa ‘be’) and ógnharðan spǫrðu sik ‘the battle-hard one spared himself’; spǫrðu is past inf. of spara ‘save’. (b) Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) takes jarl ‘the jarl’ (l. 3) as the object of hykkat and subject of spǫrðu (past inf. of spara ‘save’), and assigns ógnharðan to the second clause (ógnharðan jǫfur ‘the battle-hard prince). He construes the first clause as follows: Hykkat jarl spǫrðu sik vægð at vígi, translated as Jeg tror ikke jarlen sparede sig ved eftergivenhed under kampen ‘I do not believe that the jarl spared himself by letting up during the fight’. The problem is that this seems to assume that vægð is dat. sg. and is either to be construed with spara or as an adverbial dat., but both of these would be non-standard usages (cf. Fritzner: spara; NN §557). Moreover, Finnur’s interpretation results in tortuous syntax and a tripartite l. 3. The present edn follows Kock (NN §557) and ÍF 29.

sik ‘himself’

(not checked:)
sik (pron.; °gen. sín, dat. sér): (refl. pron.)

notes

[1, 4] hykkat vægð at vígi, ógnharðan spǫrðu sik ‘I do not believe there was mercy during the onslaught [or that] the battle-hard one [Eiríkr] spared himself’: (a) This sentence is awkward syntactically, because it presupposes two parallel constructions that are dependent on the verb hykkat ‘I do not believe’ (l. 1); namely vægð ‘mercy’ (with a suppressed vesa ‘be’) and ógnharðan spǫrðu sik ‘the battle-hard one spared himself’; spǫrðu is past inf. of spara ‘save’. (b) Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) takes jarl ‘the jarl’ (l. 3) as the object of hykkat and subject of spǫrðu (past inf. of spara ‘save’), and assigns ógnharðan to the second clause (ógnharðan jǫfur ‘the battle-hard prince). He construes the first clause as follows: Hykkat jarl spǫrðu sik vægð at vígi, translated as Jeg tror ikke jarlen sparede sig ved eftergivenhed under kampen ‘I do not believe that the jarl spared himself by letting up during the fight’. The problem is that this seems to assume that vægð is dat. sg. and is either to be construed with spara or as an adverbial dat., but both of these would be non-standard usages (cf. Fritzner: spara; NN §557). Moreover, Finnur’s interpretation results in tortuous syntax and a tripartite l. 3. The present edn follows Kock (NN §557) and ÍF 29.

spardæ ‘’

sparði ‘’

(not checked:)
2. spara (verb): spare, withhold

spǫrðu ‘spared’

(not checked:)
2. spara (verb): spare, withhold

[4] spǫrðu: sparði 61, Bb, ‘spardæ’ 54

notes

[1, 4] hykkat vægð at vígi, ógnharðan spǫrðu sik ‘I do not believe there was mercy during the onslaught [or that] the battle-hard one [Eiríkr] spared himself’: (a) This sentence is awkward syntactically, because it presupposes two parallel constructions that are dependent on the verb hykkat ‘I do not believe’ (l. 1); namely vægð ‘mercy’ (with a suppressed vesa ‘be’) and ógnharðan spǫrðu sik ‘the battle-hard one spared himself’; spǫrðu is past inf. of spara ‘save’. (b) Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) takes jarl ‘the jarl’ (l. 3) as the object of hykkat and subject of spǫrðu (past inf. of spara ‘save’), and assigns ógnharðan to the second clause (ógnharðan jǫfur ‘the battle-hard prince). He construes the first clause as follows: Hykkat jarl spǫrðu sik vægð at vígi, translated as Jeg tror ikke jarlen sparede sig ved eftergivenhed under kampen ‘I do not believe that the jarl spared himself by letting up during the fight’. The problem is that this seems to assume that vægð is dat. sg. and is either to be construed with spara or as an adverbial dat., but both of these would be non-standard usages (cf. Fritzner: spara; NN §557). Moreover, Finnur’s interpretation results in tortuous syntax and a tripartite l. 3. The present edn follows Kock (NN §557) and ÍF 29.

þás ‘when’

(not checked:)
þás (conj.): when

fjár ‘’

(not checked:)
fé (noun n.; °fjár/féar; -): cattle, moneyfé (noun n.; °fjár/féar; -): cattle, money < fjármývill (noun m.)

fjarð ‘of the fjord’

(not checked:)
fjǫrðr (noun m.): fjord < fjarðmývill (noun m.)fjǫrðr (noun m.): fjord < fjarðmikill (adj.)fjǫrðr (noun m.): fjord < fjarðmýill (noun m.)fjǫrðr (noun m.): fjord < fjarðrefill (noun m.): fjord-tapestry

[5] fjarð‑: fjar‑ 54, Bb

kennings

notes

[5] fjarðmývils ‘of the fjord-lump [SKERRY]’: As the many variants show (see Readings above), this word created problems for the scribes. It is taken here (as in NN §558 and ÍF 29) as a kenning for ‘skerry’, serving as a determinant for trǫð ‘path’ (l. 6), hence á trǫð fjarðmývils ‘onto the path of the fjord-lump [SKERRY > SEA]’. For the form mývill (< Proto-Nordic *mūwilaʀ), see AEW: mýll.

fjarð ‘of the fjord’

(not checked:)
fjǫrðr (noun m.): fjord < fjarðmývill (noun m.)fjǫrðr (noun m.): fjord < fjarðmikill (adj.)fjǫrðr (noun m.): fjord < fjarðmýill (noun m.)fjǫrðr (noun m.): fjord < fjarðrefill (noun m.): fjord-tapestry

[5] fjarð‑: fjar‑ 54, Bb

kennings

notes

[5] fjarðmývils ‘of the fjord-lump [SKERRY]’: As the many variants show (see Readings above), this word created problems for the scribes. It is taken here (as in NN §558 and ÍF 29) as a kenning for ‘skerry’, serving as a determinant for trǫð ‘path’ (l. 6), hence á trǫð fjarðmývils ‘onto the path of the fjord-lump [SKERRY > SEA]’. For the form mývill (< Proto-Nordic *mūwilaʀ), see AEW: mýll.

mýivls ‘’

refil ‘’

(not checked:)
refill (noun m.; °; reflar/reflir): [wallhangings] < fjarðrefill (noun m.): fjord-tapestry

mýils ‘’

(not checked:)
mýill (noun m.) < fjarðmýill (noun m.)

mykils ‘’

(not checked:)
mikill (adj.; °mikinn): great, large < fjarðmikill (adj.)

mývils ‘lump’

(not checked:)
-mývill (noun m.): [lump] < fjarðmývill (noun m.)-mývill (noun m.): [lump] < fjármývill (noun m.)

[5] ‑mývils: so 61, 54, Flat, ‘‑mykils’ FskAˣ, ‑mýils Holm18, ‑refil 310, ‘‑myivls’ Bb

kennings

notes

[5] fjarðmývils ‘of the fjord-lump [SKERRY]’: As the many variants show (see Readings above), this word created problems for the scribes. It is taken here (as in NN §558 and ÍF 29) as a kenning for ‘skerry’, serving as a determinant for trǫð ‘path’ (l. 6), hence á trǫð fjarðmývils ‘onto the path of the fjord-lump [SKERRY > SEA]’. For the form mývill (< Proto-Nordic *mūwilaʀ), see AEW: mýll.

mývils ‘lump’

(not checked:)
-mývill (noun m.): [lump] < fjarðmývill (noun m.)-mývill (noun m.): [lump] < fjármývill (noun m.)

[5] ‑mývils: so 61, 54, Flat, ‘‑mykils’ FskAˣ, ‑mýils Holm18, ‑refil 310, ‘‑myivls’ Bb

kennings

notes

[5] fjarðmývils ‘of the fjord-lump [SKERRY]’: As the many variants show (see Readings above), this word created problems for the scribes. It is taken here (as in NN §558 and ÍF 29) as a kenning for ‘skerry’, serving as a determinant for trǫð ‘path’ (l. 6), hence á trǫð fjarðmývils ‘onto the path of the fjord-lump [SKERRY > SEA]’. For the form mývill (< Proto-Nordic *mūwilaʀ), see AEW: mýll.

fœrðu ‘’

(not checked:)
2. fœra (verb): bring

fórut ‘’

(not checked:)
fara (verb; ferr, fór, fóru, farinn): go, travel

fœrðuð ‘you brought’

(not checked:)
2. fœra (verb): bring

[5] fœrðuð: fœrðu 310, fórut Flat

ok ‘’

(not checked:)
3. ok (conj.): and, but; also

folkharðr ‘war-hard one’

(not checked:)
folkharðr (adj.): [war-hard one]

[6] folkharðr: folkharðr ok Bb

at ‘’

(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to

á ‘onto’

(not checked:)
3. á (prep.): on, at

[6] á: at 54, Bb

við ‘’

(not checked:)
1. viðr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. -i/-; -ir, acc. -u/-i): wood, tree

mið ‘’

(not checked:)
miðr (adj.): middle, less, hardly

trǫð ‘the path’

(not checked:)
trǫð (noun f.; °traðar; traðir): path

[6] trǫð: mið 61, við 54, Bb

kennings

Barða ‘Barði (‘Prow’)’

(not checked:)
barð (noun n.): prow, stern (of a ship)

notes

[6] Barða ‘Barði (“Prow”)’: See Note to st. 3/5.

lítt ‘hardly’

(not checked:)
lítill (adj.; °lítinn): little

vas ‘was’

(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am

sæfar ‘’

(not checked:)
sœfa (verb): die, kill

sævar ‘’

(not checked:)
sjór (noun m.): sea

Sifjar ‘of Sif’

(not checked:)
2. Sif (noun f.): Sif

[7] Sifjar: sævar 310, 61, Bb, Flat, ‘sæfar’ 54

kennings

notes

[7] Sóti Sifjar ‘the Sóti <horse> of Sif <goddess> [WOLF]’: Sóti is the name of a horse (see Anon Þorgþ I 1/6^III and Note there), and, since it is evidently the base-word of a kenning for ‘wolf’ here we should expect the determinant to be the name of, or a heiti for, a ‘troll-woman’ or ‘giantess’ (Meissner 124-5). Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) accordingly adds the determinant fjarðmývils ‘of the fjord-lump [ROCK]’ (l. 5) and construes Sóti Sifjar fjarðmývils ‘the Sóti of the Sif of the fjord-lump [ROCK > GIANTESS > WOLF]’. While that interpretation yields a perfectly acceptable wolf-kenning, it results in an unprecedented tripartite Type C-line (l. 5) and leaves trǫð ‘path’ (l. 6) without a determinant. Kock (NN §558) adopts the variant sævar ‘of the sea’ (so 310, 61, Bb, Flat; 54 has ‘sæfar’) as a determinant in a ship-kenning. He translates Sóti sævar vas lítt svangr as mager var ej havets häst ‘the horse of the sea was not lean’ without further comment. It is not clear how a ship can be ‘not lean’ (or ‘not hungry’), and both FskAˣ and Holm18 have Sifjar, which must be regarded as the lectio difficilior. Not much is known about the goddess Sif, wife of Þórr (see ARG II, 124; Note to Þul Kvenna II 1/4^III), but it is doubtful whether she was of giant lineage. According to Snorri (Gylf, SnE 2005, 5), Þórr met Sif in the northern hemisphere, and he adds that Engi kann at segja ætt Sifjar ‘Nobody knows the lineage of Sif’. Hence it could be that Halldórr nodded here or, alternatively, that he had other and different information about Sif (cf. his nickname ókristni ‘Un-Christian’).

sótta ‘’

(not checked:)
sœkja (verb): seek, attack

Sóti ‘the Sóti’

(not checked:)
Sóti (noun m.; °-a): Sóti

[7] Sóti: sótta 61

kennings

notes

[7] Sóti Sifjar ‘the Sóti <horse> of Sif <goddess> [WOLF]’: Sóti is the name of a horse (see Anon Þorgþ I 1/6^III and Note there), and, since it is evidently the base-word of a kenning for ‘wolf’ here we should expect the determinant to be the name of, or a heiti for, a ‘troll-woman’ or ‘giantess’ (Meissner 124-5). Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) accordingly adds the determinant fjarðmývils ‘of the fjord-lump [ROCK]’ (l. 5) and construes Sóti Sifjar fjarðmývils ‘the Sóti of the Sif of the fjord-lump [ROCK > GIANTESS > WOLF]’. While that interpretation yields a perfectly acceptable wolf-kenning, it results in an unprecedented tripartite Type C-line (l. 5) and leaves trǫð ‘path’ (l. 6) without a determinant. Kock (NN §558) adopts the variant sævar ‘of the sea’ (so 310, 61, Bb, Flat; 54 has ‘sæfar’) as a determinant in a ship-kenning. He translates Sóti sævar vas lítt svangr as mager var ej havets häst ‘the horse of the sea was not lean’ without further comment. It is not clear how a ship can be ‘not lean’ (or ‘not hungry’), and both FskAˣ and Holm18 have Sifjar, which must be regarded as the lectio difficilior. Not much is known about the goddess Sif, wife of Þórr (see ARG II, 124; Note to Þul Kvenna II 1/4^III), but it is doubtful whether she was of giant lineage. According to Snorri (Gylf, SnE 2005, 5), Þórr met Sif in the northern hemisphere, and he adds that Engi kann at segja ætt Sifjar ‘Nobody knows the lineage of Sif’. Hence it could be that Halldórr nodded here or, alternatively, that he had other and different information about Sif (cf. his nickname ókristni ‘Un-Christian’).

svangr ‘hungry’

(not checked:)
2. svangr (adj.): hungry

viðr ‘’

(not checked:)
1. viðr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. -i/-; -ir, acc. -u/-i): wood, tree

við ‘against’

(not checked:)
2. við (prep.): with, against

[8] við: so all others, viðr FskAˣ

ormin ‘’

(not checked:)
ormr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): serpent

Orm ‘Ormr’

(not checked:)
ormr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): serpent

[8] Orm inn: so 310, 61, 54, Bb, ‘ormin’ FskAˣ, Holm18, Flat

notes

[8] Orm inn langa ‘Ormr inn langi (“the Long Serpent”)’: See Note to st. 3/4.

inn ‘inn’

(not checked:)
2. inn (art.): the

[8] Orm inn: so 310, 61, 54, Bb, ‘ormin’ FskAˣ, Holm18, Flat

notes

[8] Orm inn langa ‘Ormr inn langi (“the Long Serpent”)’: See Note to st. 3/4.

langa ‘langi (‘the Long Serpent’)’

(not checked:)
langr (adj.; °compar. lengri, superl. lengstr): long

notes

[8] Orm inn langa ‘Ormr inn langi (“the Long Serpent”)’: See Note to st. 3/4.