Mark Lv 1III
Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Markús Skeggjason, Lausavísur 1’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 296.
Fjarð ‘of fjord’
(not checked:)
fjǫrðr (noun m.): fjord < fjarðlinni (noun m.): [fjord-snakes]
kennings
fannir fjarðlinna;‘through the snowdrifts of fjord-snakes; ’
= WAVES
fjord-snakes; → FISH
through the snowdrifts of the FISH → WAVES
Fjarð ‘of fjord’
(not checked:)
fjǫrðr (noun m.): fjord < fjarðlinni (noun m.): [fjord-snakes]
kennings
fannir fjarðlinna;‘through the snowdrifts of fjord-snakes; ’
= WAVES
fjord-snakes; → FISH
through the snowdrifts of the FISH → WAVES
linna ‘snakes’
(not checked:)
linnr (noun m.): snake < fjarðlinni (noun m.): [fjord-snakes]
kennings
fannir fjarðlinna;‘through the snowdrifts of fjord-snakes; ’
= WAVES
fjord-snakes; → FISH
through the snowdrifts of the FISH → WAVES
linna ‘snakes’
(not checked:)
linnr (noun m.): snake < fjarðlinni (noun m.): [fjord-snakes]
kennings
fannir fjarðlinna;‘through the snowdrifts of fjord-snakes; ’
= WAVES
fjord-snakes; → FISH
through the snowdrifts of the FISH → WAVES
óð ‘waded’
(not checked:)
vaða (verb): advance, wade
fannir ‘through the snowdrifts’
(not checked:)
fǫnn (noun f.): snow-drift
kennings
fannir fjarðlinna;‘through the snowdrifts of fjord-snakes; ’
= WAVES
fjord-snakes; → FISH
through the snowdrifts of the FISH → WAVES
fast ‘steadily’
(not checked:)
fastr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): firm, fast
vetr ‘The winter’
(not checked:)
vetr (noun m.; °vetrar/vetrs(HómHauksb³ 173²³), dat. vetri; vetr): winter < vetrliði (noun m.): [bear]
[2] vetr‑: so A, corrected from veðr‑ R, veðr‑ Tˣ, W
kennings
Vetrliði rastar‘The winter-survivor of the maelstrom ’
= SHIP
The winter-survivor of the maelstrom → SHIP
liði ‘survivor’
(not checked:)
liði (noun m.; °-a; -ar): companion < vetrliði (noun m.): [bear]
kennings
Vetrliði rastar‘The winter-survivor of the maelstrom ’
= SHIP
The winter-survivor of the maelstrom → SHIP
rastar ‘of the maelstrom’
(not checked:)
2. rǫst (noun f.; °; gen. rasta): current
kennings
Vetrliði rastar‘The winter-survivor of the maelstrom ’
= SHIP
The winter-survivor of the maelstrom → SHIP
hljóp ‘leapt’
(not checked:)
hlaupa (verb): leap, run
of ‘across’
(not checked:)
3. of (prep.): around, from; too
húna ‘of mastheads’
(not checked:)
1. húnn (noun m.; °; húnar): knob
[3] húna: so W, hvíta R, A, hvítar Tˣ
kennings
gnípur húna.‘crags of mastheads. ’
= WAVES
crags of mastheads. → WAVES
notes
[3] gnípur húna ‘crags of mastheads [WAVES]’: So W. The reading of Tˣ, hvítar ‘white’, leaves the kenning without a determinant (hvítar gnípur ‘white crags’), and hvíta m. acc. pl. in R, A is ungrammatical because gnípur is f. acc. pl. For húnn ‘masthead’, see Note to Þul Skipa 7/1. Húnn also means ‘bear-cub’ (see Þul Bjarnar l. 9), and the word could have been chosen in keeping with the bear imagery of this stanza (cf. Frank 1978, 49).
gnípur ‘crags’
(not checked:)
1. gnípa (noun f.): peak
kennings
gnípur húna.‘crags of mastheads. ’
= WAVES
crags of mastheads. → WAVES
notes
[3] gnípur húna ‘crags of mastheads [WAVES]’: So W. The reading of Tˣ, hvítar ‘white’, leaves the kenning without a determinant (hvítar gnípur ‘white crags’), and hvíta m. acc. pl. in R, A is ungrammatical because gnípur is f. acc. pl. For húnn ‘masthead’, see Note to Þul Skipa 7/1. Húnn also means ‘bear-cub’ (see Þul Bjarnar l. 9), and the word could have been chosen in keeping with the bear imagery of this stanza (cf. Frank 1978, 49).
hval ‘of the whale’
(not checked:)
hvalr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-; -ir/-ar): whale < hvalrann (noun n.): [whale-house]
[4] hvalranns íugtanni: hval þann íugtanni R, hval vígtanni Tˣ, hval íugtanni hranna W, hvallands íugtanni A
kennings
íugtanni hvalranns‘the greedy-toothed one of the whale-house ’
= SHIP
the whale-house → SEA
the greedy-toothed one of the SEA → SHIP
notes
[4] hvalranns ‘of the whale-house [SEA]’: The present emendation follows Skj B and Skald. The R reading, þann íugtanni hvals lit. ‘that greedy-toothed one <bear> of the whale’, fails to conform to any known kenning pattern for ‘ship’. The Tˣ variant (hval vígtanni) is hypometrical, and the A variant (hvallands íugtanni) does not contain the required aðalhending. The reading of W (hval íugtanni hranna) is unmetrical with resolution in metrical position 2, and hval m. acc. sg. ‘whale’ cannot be accommodated syntactically. Faulkes (SnE 1998) construes ll. 3-4 as hljóp of *húna ‑gnípur | hvals *rann- íugtanni i.e. íugtanni húna hljóp of ranngnípur hvals ‘the bear of mastheads [SHIP] ran over the peaks of the whale’s house [SEA > WAVES]’, which results in a highly tortuous word order.
hval ‘of the whale’
(not checked:)
hvalr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-; -ir/-ar): whale < hvalrann (noun n.): [whale-house]
[4] hvalranns íugtanni: hval þann íugtanni R, hval vígtanni Tˣ, hval íugtanni hranna W, hvallands íugtanni A
kennings
íugtanni hvalranns‘the greedy-toothed one of the whale-house ’
= SHIP
the whale-house → SEA
the greedy-toothed one of the SEA → SHIP
notes
[4] hvalranns ‘of the whale-house [SEA]’: The present emendation follows Skj B and Skald. The R reading, þann íugtanni hvals lit. ‘that greedy-toothed one <bear> of the whale’, fails to conform to any known kenning pattern for ‘ship’. The Tˣ variant (hval vígtanni) is hypometrical, and the A variant (hvallands íugtanni) does not contain the required aðalhending. The reading of W (hval íugtanni hranna) is unmetrical with resolution in metrical position 2, and hval m. acc. sg. ‘whale’ cannot be accommodated syntactically. Faulkes (SnE 1998) construes ll. 3-4 as hljóp of *húna ‑gnípur | hvals *rann- íugtanni i.e. íugtanni húna hljóp of ranngnípur hvals ‘the bear of mastheads [SHIP] ran over the peaks of the whale’s house [SEA > WAVES]’, which results in a highly tortuous word order.
ranns ‘house’
(not checked:)
rann (noun n.): house, hall < hvalrann (noun n.): [whale-house]
[4] hvalranns íugtanni: hval þann íugtanni R, hval vígtanni Tˣ, hval íugtanni hranna W, hvallands íugtanni A
kennings
íugtanni hvalranns‘the greedy-toothed one of the whale-house ’
= SHIP
the whale-house → SEA
the greedy-toothed one of the SEA → SHIP
notes
[4] hvalranns ‘of the whale-house [SEA]’: The present emendation follows Skj B and Skald. The R reading, þann íugtanni hvals lit. ‘that greedy-toothed one <bear> of the whale’, fails to conform to any known kenning pattern for ‘ship’. The Tˣ variant (hval vígtanni) is hypometrical, and the A variant (hvallands íugtanni) does not contain the required aðalhending. The reading of W (hval íugtanni hranna) is unmetrical with resolution in metrical position 2, and hval m. acc. sg. ‘whale’ cannot be accommodated syntactically. Faulkes (SnE 1998) construes ll. 3-4 as hljóp of *húna ‑gnípur | hvals *rann- íugtanni i.e. íugtanni húna hljóp of ranngnípur hvals ‘the bear of mastheads [SHIP] ran over the peaks of the whale’s house [SEA > WAVES]’, which results in a highly tortuous word order.
ranns ‘house’
(not checked:)
rann (noun n.): house, hall < hvalrann (noun n.): [whale-house]
[4] hvalranns íugtanni: hval þann íugtanni R, hval vígtanni Tˣ, hval íugtanni hranna W, hvallands íugtanni A
kennings
íugtanni hvalranns‘the greedy-toothed one of the whale-house ’
= SHIP
the whale-house → SEA
the greedy-toothed one of the SEA → SHIP
notes
[4] hvalranns ‘of the whale-house [SEA]’: The present emendation follows Skj B and Skald. The R reading, þann íugtanni hvals lit. ‘that greedy-toothed one <bear> of the whale’, fails to conform to any known kenning pattern for ‘ship’. The Tˣ variant (hval vígtanni) is hypometrical, and the A variant (hvallands íugtanni) does not contain the required aðalhending. The reading of W (hval íugtanni hranna) is unmetrical with resolution in metrical position 2, and hval m. acc. sg. ‘whale’ cannot be accommodated syntactically. Faulkes (SnE 1998) construes ll. 3-4 as hljóp of *húna ‑gnípur | hvals *rann- íugtanni i.e. íugtanni húna hljóp of ranngnípur hvals ‘the bear of mastheads [SHIP] ran over the peaks of the whale’s house [SEA > WAVES]’, which results in a highly tortuous word order.
íugtanni ‘the greedy-toothed one’
(not checked:)
íugtanni (noun m.): greedy-toothed one
[4] hvalranns íugtanni: hval þann íugtanni R, hval vígtanni Tˣ, hval íugtanni hranna W, hvallands íugtanni A
kennings
íugtanni hvalranns‘the greedy-toothed one of the whale-house ’
= SHIP
the whale-house → SEA
the greedy-toothed one of the SEA → SHIP
Bjǫrn ‘The bear’
(not checked:)
bjǫrn (noun m.; °bjarnar, dat. birni; birnir, acc. bjǫrnu): bear, Bjǫrn
kennings
Bjǫrn flóðs‘The bear of the flood ’
= SHIP
The bear of the flood → SHIP
gekk ‘went’
(not checked:)
2. ganga (verb; geng, gekk, gengu, genginn): walk, go
framm ‘forward’
(not checked:)
fram (adv.): out, forth, forwards, away
á ‘on’
(not checked:)
3. á (prep.): on, at
fornar ‘the old’
(not checked:)
forn (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): ancient, old
kennings
fornar slóðir hafskíða;‘the old tracks of ocean-skis; ’
= WAVES
ocean-skis; → SHIPS
the old tracks of SHIPS → WAVES
flóðs ‘of the flood’
(not checked:)
2. flóð (noun n.): flood
kennings
Bjǫrn flóðs‘The bear of the flood ’
= SHIP
The bear of the flood → SHIP
haf ‘of ocean’
(not checked:)
haf (noun n.; °-s; *-): sea < hafskíð (noun n.)
kennings
fornar slóðir hafskíða;‘the old tracks of ocean-skis; ’
= WAVES
ocean-skis; → SHIPS
the old tracks of SHIPS → WAVES
notes
[6] hafskíða ‘of ocean-skis [SHIPS]’: This reading is found only in R. Hafskipa ‘of ocean-going ships’ (so all others) is also possible, but looks like a lectio facilior.
haf ‘of ocean’
(not checked:)
haf (noun n.; °-s; *-): sea < hafskíð (noun n.)
kennings
fornar slóðir hafskíða;‘the old tracks of ocean-skis; ’
= WAVES
ocean-skis; → SHIPS
the old tracks of SHIPS → WAVES
notes
[6] hafskíða ‘of ocean-skis [SHIPS]’: This reading is found only in R. Hafskipa ‘of ocean-going ships’ (so all others) is also possible, but looks like a lectio facilior.
skíða ‘skis’
(not checked:)
skíð (noun n.; °; -): ski < hafskíð (noun n.)
[6] ‑skíða: ‑skipa all others
kennings
fornar slóðir hafskíða;‘the old tracks of ocean-skis; ’
= WAVES
ocean-skis; → SHIPS
the old tracks of SHIPS → WAVES
notes
[6] hafskíða ‘of ocean-skis [SHIPS]’: This reading is found only in R. Hafskipa ‘of ocean-going ships’ (so all others) is also possible, but looks like a lectio facilior.
skíða ‘skis’
(not checked:)
skíð (noun n.; °; -): ski < hafskíð (noun n.)
[6] ‑skíða: ‑skipa all others
kennings
fornar slóðir hafskíða;‘the old tracks of ocean-skis; ’
= WAVES
ocean-skis; → SHIPS
the old tracks of SHIPS → WAVES
notes
[6] hafskíða ‘of ocean-skis [SHIPS]’: This reading is found only in R. Hafskipa ‘of ocean-going ships’ (so all others) is also possible, but looks like a lectio facilior.
kennings
fornar slóðir hafskíða;‘the old tracks of ocean-skis; ’
= WAVES
ocean-skis; → SHIPS
the old tracks of SHIPS → WAVES
skúr ‘the storm’
(not checked:)
1. skúr (noun f.; °; -ir): shower < skúrǫrðigr (adj.)
[7] skúr‑: skrúð‑ U
kennings
skúrǫrðigr bersi skorðu‘the storm-battling little bear of the prop ’
= SHIP
the storm-battling little bear of the prop → SHIP
notes
[7] skúrǫrðigr ‘storm-battling’: The sense of the adj. ǫrðigr is ‘standing on end, standing up, tall, steep, upright’, ‘difficult, hard, contrary’, ‘eager, brave’ (see Heggstad et al. 2008: ǫrðigr). In the present context, skúrǫrðigr captures the image of the bucking ship as a bear standing on its hind legs fighting against an enemy, here, skúr ‘shower, storm’.
ǫrðigr ‘battling’
(not checked:)
ǫrðigr (adj.): battling, mounting < skúrǫrðigr (adj.)
[7] ‑ǫrðigr: ǫrðugr Tˣ
kennings
skúrǫrðigr bersi skorðu‘the storm-battling little bear of the prop ’
= SHIP
the storm-battling little bear of the prop → SHIP
notes
[7] skúrǫrðigr ‘storm-battling’: The sense of the adj. ǫrðigr is ‘standing on end, standing up, tall, steep, upright’, ‘difficult, hard, contrary’, ‘eager, brave’ (see Heggstad et al. 2008: ǫrðigr). In the present context, skúrǫrðigr captures the image of the bucking ship as a bear standing on its hind legs fighting against an enemy, here, skúr ‘shower, storm’.
braut ‘broke’
(not checked:)
brjóta (verb; °brýtr; braut, brutu; brotinn): to break, destroy
skorðu ‘of the prop’
(not checked:)
1. skorða (noun f.; °-u; -ur): prop
kennings
skúrǫrðigr bersi skorðu‘the storm-battling little bear of the prop ’
= SHIP
the storm-battling little bear of the prop → SHIP
notes
[7] skorðu ‘of the prop’: One of the wooden posts or props supporting a beached ship.
skers ‘of the skerry’
(not checked:)
sker (noun n.; °-s; -, gen. -ja): skerry
kennings
glymfjǫtur skers.‘the resounding fetter of the skerry. ’
= SEA
the resounding fetter of the skerry. → SEA
glym ‘the resounding’
(not checked:)
glymja (verb): resound < glymfjǫturr (noun m.): [resounding fetter]
[8] glym‑: gunn U
kennings
glymfjǫtur skers.‘the resounding fetter of the skerry. ’
= SEA
the resounding fetter of the skerry. → SEA
fjǫtur ‘fetter’
(not checked:)
fjǫturr (noun m.): fetter < glymfjǫturr (noun m.): [resounding fetter]
kennings
glymfjǫtur skers.‘the resounding fetter of the skerry. ’
= SEA
the resounding fetter of the skerry. → SEA
bersi ‘little bear’
(not checked:)
bersi (noun m.): little bear
kennings
skúrǫrðigr bersi skorðu‘the storm-battling little bear of the prop ’
= SHIP
the storm-battling little bear of the prop → SHIP
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Fjarðlinna óð fannir |
The winter-survivor <bear> of the maelstrom [SHIP] waded steadily through the snowdrifts of fjord-snakes [FISH > WAVES]; the greedy-toothed one <bear> of the whale-house [SEA > SHIP] leapt across crags of mastheads [WAVES]. The bear of the flood [SHIP] went forward on the old tracks of ocean-skis [SHIPS > WAVES]; the storm-battling little bear of the prop [SHIP] broke the resounding fetter of the skerry [SEA].
The kennings in this stanza are given in Skm among the examples of terms for ‘ship’, and bjǫrn flóðs ‘bear of the flood’ illustrates a metaphor for ‘ship’ in TGT.
The heiti for ‘bear’ in this stanza are given in Þul Bjarnar: vetrliði lit. ‘winter-survivor’ (l. 2), íugtanni lit. ‘greedy-toothed one’ (l. 4) and bersi ‘little bear’ (l. 8). See Þul Bjarnar ll. 1, 10, 11 and Notes there. — For an excellent discussion of the imagery contained in this stanza, see Frank (1978, 46-9).
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