Anon Krm 20VIII
Rory McTurk (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Poems, Krákumál 20’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 757.
Hjuggu ‘hewed’
(not checked:)
hǫggva (verb): to strike, put to death, cut, hew
[1] Hjuggu vér með hjörvi: (?) abbrev. as ‘H . (v) m[…]’ 1824b, (?) abbrev. as ‘(h’) v(’) (m’ h)[…]’ 147, Hjuggum vér með hjörvi 6ˣ, LR, R693ˣ, abbrev. as ‘H v. m h:’ R702ˣ
vér ‘We’
(not checked:)
vér (pron.; °gen. vár, dat./acc. oss): we, us, our
[1] Hjuggu vér með hjörvi: (?) abbrev. as ‘H . (v) m[…]’ 1824b, (?) abbrev. as ‘(h’) v(’) (m’ h)[…]’ 147, Hjuggum vér með hjörvi 6ˣ, LR, R693ˣ, abbrev. as ‘H v. m h:’ R702ˣ
með ‘with’
(not checked:)
með (prep.): with
[1] Hjuggu vér með hjörvi: (?) abbrev. as ‘H . (v) m[…]’ 1824b, (?) abbrev. as ‘(h’) v(’) (m’ h)[…]’ 147, Hjuggum vér með hjörvi 6ˣ, LR, R693ˣ, abbrev. as ‘H v. m h:’ R702ˣ
hjörvi ‘the sword’
(not checked:)
hjǫrr (noun m.): sword
[1] Hjuggu vér með hjörvi: (?) abbrev. as ‘H . (v) m[…]’ 1824b, (?) abbrev. as ‘(h’) v(’) (m’ h)[…]’ 147, Hjuggum vér með hjörvi 6ˣ, LR, R693ˣ, abbrev. as ‘H v. m h:’ R702ˣ
Hárfagran ‘the fine-haired’
(not checked:)
hárfagr (adj.): fine-haired
[2] Hárfagran sá ek: ‘[…] (sa eg)’(?) 147
kennings
hárfagran dreng meyjar‘the fine-haired young knight of a maiden ’
= LOVER
the fine-haired young knight of a maiden → LOVER
ek ‘I’
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
[2] Hárfagran sá ek: ‘[…] (sa eg)’(?) 147
røkkva ‘weaken’
(not checked:)
1. røkkva (verb): grow dark
[2] røkkva (‘hrauckva’): ‘(hr)auckva’(?) 147, ‘raukkva’ R702ˣ, ‘rankva’ LR, ‘ranckua’ R693ˣ
notes
[2] røkkva ‘weaken’: Lit. ‘give way, retreat’. The initial <h> in hrøkkva has been deleted to avoid double alliteration in an even line (cf. first Note to st. 2/10 above) (adopted in previous eds from Finnur Jónsson 1893b).
meyjar ‘of a maiden’
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mær (noun f.; °meyjar, dat. meyju; meyjar): maiden
[3] meyjar dreng at morni: ‘meyiar d[...] at mornj’ 1824b, ‘meyiar […]eíng at mo[…]i’ 147, meyjar dreng enn at morni 6ˣ, ‘Meyar dreing enn vm Morgin’ R702ˣ, ‘meiardreng enn um morgum’ LR, ‘Meÿar dreng enn vm Morgun’ R693ˣ
kennings
hárfagran dreng meyjar‘the fine-haired young knight of a maiden ’
= LOVER
the fine-haired young knight of a maiden → LOVER
dreng ‘young knight’
(not checked:)
drengr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ir, gen. -ja): man, warrior
[3] meyjar dreng at morni: ‘meyiar d[...] at mornj’ 1824b, ‘meyiar […]eíng at mo[…]i’ 147, meyjar dreng enn at morni 6ˣ, ‘Meyar dreing enn vm Morgin’ R702ˣ, ‘meiardreng enn um morgum’ LR, ‘Meÿar dreng enn vm Morgun’ R693ˣ
kennings
hárfagran dreng meyjar‘the fine-haired young knight of a maiden ’
= LOVER
the fine-haired young knight of a maiden → LOVER
‘’
(not checked:)
2. enn (adv.): still, yet, again
[3] meyjar dreng at morni: ‘meyiar d[...] at mornj’ 1824b, ‘meyiar […]eíng at mo[…]i’ 147, meyjar dreng enn at morni 6ˣ, ‘Meyar dreing enn vm Morgin’ R702ˣ, ‘meiardreng enn um morgum’ LR, ‘Meÿar dreng enn vm Morgun’ R693ˣ
at ‘in the’
(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to
[3] meyjar dreng at morni: ‘meyiar d[...] at mornj’ 1824b, ‘meyiar […]eíng at mo[…]i’ 147, meyjar dreng enn at morni 6ˣ, ‘Meyar dreing enn vm Morgin’ R702ˣ, ‘meiardreng enn um morgum’ LR, ‘Meÿar dreng enn vm Morgun’ R693ˣ
notes
[3] at morni ‘in the morning’: So also eds from Rafn (1826) to Wisén (1886-9) (inclusive). Of morgin ‘during the morning’ (mss ‘vm Morgin’, ‘um morgum’, ‘vm Morgun’) has been adopted by eds subsequent to Wisén. The addition of enn in several mss, to give enn at morni ‘still further in the morning’ adds an extra syllable to a six-syllable line.
morni ‘morning’
(not checked:)
morn (noun f.): morning
[3] meyjar dreng at morni: ‘meyiar d[...] at mornj’ 1824b, ‘meyiar […]eíng at mo[…]i’ 147, meyjar dreng enn at morni 6ˣ, ‘Meyar dreing enn vm Morgin’ R702ˣ, ‘meiardreng enn um morgum’ LR, ‘Meÿar dreng enn vm Morgun’ R693ˣ
notes
[3] at morni ‘in the morning’: So also eds from Rafn (1826) to Wisén (1886-9) (inclusive). Of morgin ‘during the morning’ (mss ‘vm Morgin’, ‘um morgum’, ‘vm Morgun’) has been adopted by eds subsequent to Wisén. The addition of enn in several mss, to give enn at morni ‘still further in the morning’ adds an extra syllable to a six-syllable line.
málvini ‘the close friends’
(not checked:)
málvinr (noun m.)
[4] málvini: málvin 147, 6ˣ, R702ˣ, LR, R693ˣ
kennings
málvini ekkju‘the close friends of a widow ’
= LOVERS
the close friends of a widow → LOVERS
notes
[4] málvini ‘close friends’: In poetry this word also occurs in Guðr I 20/3 and Grott 8/3 (cf. de Vries 1964-7, II, 40 n. 69), as well as in Ketilr Lv 1/3V (Vígl 2). The f. málvina is used in KormǪ Lv 65/1III.
ekkju ‘of a widow’
(not checked:)
1. ekkja (noun f.; °-u; -ur, gen. ekkna): widow, woman
[4] ekkju: ‘[…]kíu’ 147
kennings
málvini ekkju‘the close friends of a widow ’
= LOVERS
the close friends of a widow → LOVERS
sem ‘as if’
(not checked:)
sem (conj.): as, which
[5] sem varmar laugar: ‘s(em v)ar(m)ar […]ugar’(?) 147, ‘sem vormar laugur’ LR, R693ˣ
varmar ‘hot’
(not checked:)
varmr (adj.; °compar. -ari): warm
[5] sem varmar laugar: ‘s(em v)ar(m)ar […]ugar’(?) 147, ‘sem vormar laugur’ LR, R693ˣ
laugar ‘baths’
(not checked:)
laug (noun f.; °-ar; dat. -u/-; -ar): bath, hot spring
[5] sem varmar laugar: ‘s(em v)ar(m)ar […]ugar’(?) 147, ‘sem vormar laugur’ LR, R693ˣ
vínkers ‘of the wine-vessel’
(not checked:)
vínker (noun n.)
[6] vínkers: ‘(vínk[…]rs)’(?) 147, ‘vinkiors’ LR
kennings
Njörun vínkers‘a Njǫrun of the wine-vessel ’
= WOMAN
a Njǫrun of the wine-vessel → WOMAN
Njörun ‘a Njǫrun’
(not checked:)
Njǫrun (noun f.): Njǫrun
[6] Njörun: so R702ˣ, LR, R693ˣ, ‘níurn’ 1824b, ‘[…]n’ 147, ‘niurn’ with ‘niorun W.’ in margin 6ˣ
kennings
Njörun vínkers‘a Njǫrun of the wine-vessel ’
= WOMAN
a Njǫrun of the wine-vessel → WOMAN
notes
[6] Njörun ‘Njǫrun <goddess>’: This name, perhaps originally a name for the earth-goddess (see de Vries 1931, 37-8, and cf. LP: Njǫrun), is listed as a goddess-name in Þul Ásynja 1/8III; see further ÍO: Njörn, Njörun. The name is otherwise mainly attested as a base-word in kennings for ‘woman’, as here.
bæri ‘were carrying’
(not checked:)
3. bera (verb; °berr; bar, báru; borinn): bear, carry
notes
[7] í Álasundi ‘in Álasund’: Three possible locations are canvassed here, depending on which of the ms. readings is favoured, viz. Yell Sound in the Shetland Islands, Ålesund in Norway, and the island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides. The Shetland and Hebrides locations would be consistent with the fact that the places mentioned in this part of Krm (sts 11-19; 21, 24) seem to be in the British Isles, and this edn favours identification with Yell Sound. (a) Álasund has been identified with Jalasund, i.e. Yell Sound, the name of the strait running between the islands of Yell and Mainland in the Shetland Isles (recorded in 1512 as Jælaswndh i Hiæltandh ‘Yell Sound in Shetland’; Indrebø 1929, 165). Álasund could be seen as a misspelling or possibly as a Norse form reflecting the loss of initial [j], in Old Norse but not in other Germanic languages, by c. 600 AD, and giving rise to cognates such as ON/ModIcel. ár, ModGer. Jahr ‘year’ (see ANG §231 Anm. 2; LP: Álasund, citing CVC (CVC: I, B. III)). The name Jala f. is recorded in Þul Eyja 4/8III as an island-name, and Jali m. in Þul Fjarða 1/1III as a fjord-name (see also ÍO: 2 Jala for the identification of these names with Yell and Yell Sound, respectively). (b) Álasund could possibly refer to the harbour town of Ålesund in Møre and Romsdal, western Norway. In the entry for Ålesund in Sandnes and Stemshaug (1997, 512), the unrecorded Old Norse form of this name is reconstructed as *Álasund, and the first element in the name is explained as gen. pl. of áll ‘eel’, but no early forms are given – whether because Álasund in the present stanza form was not taken into account, or because it was not believed to refer to Ålesund. (c) Mss R702ˣ, LR and R693ˣ record the form ‘Ilasundi’, a reading chosen only by CPB among earlier eds. ON Íl f. is recorded as the name of the island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland; see Bkrepp Magndr 8/3II, Sturl Hrafn 7/7II and Þul Eyja 5/1III. The name is of uncertain, possibly Celtic origin (see ÍO: Íl). While gen. sg. Ílar- might have been expected as the first element in Ílasund, there can be little difficulty in identifying the name as the Sound of Islay, the narrow strait between Islay and the island of Jura to its east.
Ála ‘Ála’
[7] Ála‑: ‘[…]a’ 147, ‘ila‑’ R702ˣ, LR, ‘Ila’ R693ˣ
notes
[7] í Álasundi ‘in Álasund’: Three possible locations are canvassed here, depending on which of the ms. readings is favoured, viz. Yell Sound in the Shetland Islands, Ålesund in Norway, and the island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides. The Shetland and Hebrides locations would be consistent with the fact that the places mentioned in this part of Krm (sts 11-19; 21, 24) seem to be in the British Isles, and this edn favours identification with Yell Sound. (a) Álasund has been identified with Jalasund, i.e. Yell Sound, the name of the strait running between the islands of Yell and Mainland in the Shetland Isles (recorded in 1512 as Jælaswndh i Hiæltandh ‘Yell Sound in Shetland’; Indrebø 1929, 165). Álasund could be seen as a misspelling or possibly as a Norse form reflecting the loss of initial [j], in Old Norse but not in other Germanic languages, by c. 600 AD, and giving rise to cognates such as ON/ModIcel. ár, ModGer. Jahr ‘year’ (see ANG §231 Anm. 2; LP: Álasund, citing CVC (CVC: I, B. III)). The name Jala f. is recorded in Þul Eyja 4/8III as an island-name, and Jali m. in Þul Fjarða 1/1III as a fjord-name (see also ÍO: 2 Jala for the identification of these names with Yell and Yell Sound, respectively). (b) Álasund could possibly refer to the harbour town of Ålesund in Møre and Romsdal, western Norway. In the entry for Ålesund in Sandnes and Stemshaug (1997, 512), the unrecorded Old Norse form of this name is reconstructed as *Álasund, and the first element in the name is explained as gen. pl. of áll ‘eel’, but no early forms are given – whether because Álasund in the present stanza form was not taken into account, or because it was not believed to refer to Ålesund. (c) Mss R702ˣ, LR and R693ˣ record the form ‘Ilasundi’, a reading chosen only by CPB among earlier eds. ON Íl f. is recorded as the name of the island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland; see Bkrepp Magndr 8/3II, Sturl Hrafn 7/7II and Þul Eyja 5/1III. The name is of uncertain, possibly Celtic origin (see ÍO: Íl). While gen. sg. Ílar- might have been expected as the first element in Ílasund, there can be little difficulty in identifying the name as the Sound of Islay, the narrow strait between Islay and the island of Jura to its east.
sundi ‘sund’
[7] ‑sundi: ‘su[…]i’ 147
notes
[7] í Álasundi ‘in Álasund’: Three possible locations are canvassed here, depending on which of the ms. readings is favoured, viz. Yell Sound in the Shetland Islands, Ålesund in Norway, and the island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides. The Shetland and Hebrides locations would be consistent with the fact that the places mentioned in this part of Krm (sts 11-19; 21, 24) seem to be in the British Isles, and this edn favours identification with Yell Sound. (a) Álasund has been identified with Jalasund, i.e. Yell Sound, the name of the strait running between the islands of Yell and Mainland in the Shetland Isles (recorded in 1512 as Jælaswndh i Hiæltandh ‘Yell Sound in Shetland’; Indrebø 1929, 165). Álasund could be seen as a misspelling or possibly as a Norse form reflecting the loss of initial [j], in Old Norse but not in other Germanic languages, by c. 600 AD, and giving rise to cognates such as ON/ModIcel. ár, ModGer. Jahr ‘year’ (see ANG §231 Anm. 2; LP: Álasund, citing CVC (CVC: I, B. III)). The name Jala f. is recorded in Þul Eyja 4/8III as an island-name, and Jali m. in Þul Fjarða 1/1III as a fjord-name (see also ÍO: 2 Jala for the identification of these names with Yell and Yell Sound, respectively). (b) Álasund could possibly refer to the harbour town of Ålesund in Møre and Romsdal, western Norway. In the entry for Ålesund in Sandnes and Stemshaug (1997, 512), the unrecorded Old Norse form of this name is reconstructed as *Álasund, and the first element in the name is explained as gen. pl. of áll ‘eel’, but no early forms are given – whether because Álasund in the present stanza form was not taken into account, or because it was not believed to refer to Ålesund. (c) Mss R702ˣ, LR and R693ˣ record the form ‘Ilasundi’, a reading chosen only by CPB among earlier eds. ON Íl f. is recorded as the name of the island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland; see Bkrepp Magndr 8/3II, Sturl Hrafn 7/7II and Þul Eyja 5/1III. The name is of uncertain, possibly Celtic origin (see ÍO: Íl). While gen. sg. Ílar- might have been expected as the first element in Ílasund, there can be little difficulty in identifying the name as the Sound of Islay, the narrow strait between Islay and the island of Jura to its east.
áðr ‘before’
(not checked:)
áðr (adv.; °//): before
Örn ‘Ǫrn’
(not checked:)
1. ǫrn (noun m.; °arnar, dat. erni; ernir, acc. ǫrnu): eagle
[8] Örn (‘aurn’): ‘[…]’ 147, ‘auru’ LR
notes
[8] Örn ‘Ǫrn’: Nothing is known of this King Ǫrn, though the name, meaning ‘eagle’, may suggest some association with the god Óðinn, one of whose many names was Ǫrn, and with whom eagles were associated in a number of ways (see ARG I, 411-12; II, 64, 66-7, 69-71, 76, 139-40; Gräslund 2006, 127-9).
konungr ‘King’
(not checked:)
konungr (noun m.; °dat. -i, -s; -ar): king
[8] konungr felli: ‘(konungur f)[…]lli’(?) 147
Varat ‘It was not’
(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
[9, 10] Varat sem unga ekkju í öndvegi kyssa: ‘vara[...] (s)em u(n)ga eckíu [...]g kyssa’(?) 147, ‘Baud ma̋na sa ek bresta Bra þad fi̋ra lide’ 6ˣ, ‘bꜽd mana sa ek bresta bra þad fira lifi’ R702ˣ, LR, R693ˣ
sem ‘like’
(not checked:)
sem (conj.): as, which
[9, 10] Varat sem unga ekkju í öndvegi kyssa: ‘vara[...] (s)em u(n)ga eckíu [...]g kyssa’(?) 147, ‘Baud ma̋na sa ek bresta Bra þad fi̋ra lide’ 6ˣ, ‘bꜽd mana sa ek bresta bra þad fira lifi’ R702ˣ, LR, R693ˣ
unga ‘a young’
(not checked:)
ungr (adj.): young
[9, 10] Varat sem unga ekkju í öndvegi kyssa: ‘vara[...] (s)em u(n)ga eckíu [...]g kyssa’(?) 147, ‘Baud ma̋na sa ek bresta Bra þad fi̋ra lide’ 6ˣ, ‘bꜽd mana sa ek bresta bra þad fira lifi’ R702ˣ, LR, R693ˣ
ekkju ‘woman’
(not checked:)
1. ekkja (noun f.; °-u; -ur, gen. ekkna): widow, woman
[9, 10] Varat sem unga ekkju í öndvegi kyssa: ‘vara[...] (s)em u(n)ga eckíu [...]g kyssa’(?) 147, ‘Baud ma̋na sa ek bresta Bra þad fi̋ra lide’ 6ˣ, ‘bꜽd mana sa ek bresta bra þad fira lifi’ R702ˣ, LR, R693ˣ
í ‘in’
(not checked:)
í (prep.): in, into
[9, 10] Varat sem unga ekkju í öndvegi kyssa: ‘vara[...] (s)em u(n)ga eckíu [...]g kyssa’(?) 147, ‘Baud ma̋na sa ek bresta Bra þad fi̋ra lide’ 6ˣ, ‘bꜽd mana sa ek bresta bra þad fira lifi’ R702ˣ, LR, R693ˣ
notes
[10] í öndvegi ‘in the high seat’: On this phrase, which in the present instance probably means little more than ‘in a seat at a banquet’, see Note to st. 29/6 below, with references.
öndvegi ‘the high seat’
(not checked:)
ǫndvegi (noun n.)
[9, 10] Varat sem unga ekkju í öndvegi kyssa: ‘vara[...] (s)em u(n)ga eckíu [...]g kyssa’(?) 147, ‘Baud ma̋na sa ek bresta Bra þad fi̋ra lide’ 6ˣ, ‘bꜽd mana sa ek bresta bra þad fira lifi’ R702ˣ, LR, R693ˣ
notes
[10] í öndvegi ‘in the high seat’: On this phrase, which in the present instance probably means little more than ‘in a seat at a banquet’, see Note to st. 29/6 below, with references.
kyssa ‘kissing’
(not checked:)
kyssa (verb): kiss
[9, 10] Varat sem unga ekkju í öndvegi kyssa: ‘vara[...] (s)em u(n)ga eckíu [...]g kyssa’(?) 147, ‘Baud ma̋na sa ek bresta Bra þad fi̋ra lide’ 6ˣ, ‘bꜽd mana sa ek bresta bra þad fira lifi’ R702ˣ, LR, R693ˣ
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
We hewed with the sword. I saw the fine-haired young knight of a maiden [LOVER] and the close friends of a widow [LOVERS] weaken in the morning. It was not as if a Njǫrun <goddess> of the wine-vessel [WOMAN] were carrying hot baths for us in Álasund, before King Ǫrn fell. It was not like kissing a young woman in the high seat.
In 147, R702ˣ, LR, R693ˣ and 6ˣ the present stanza and st. 19 appear in reverse order. — [2-7]: Lines 2-4, with their possible implication that dalliance with women leads to weakness in battle, prepare the way for the implied contrast in ll. 5-7 of fighting in battle with having hot baths prepared for one by women, a contrast which early translators of Krm failed to notice; see further the Note to l. 5 below. There is a similarity with Frið 6 and 9 (see Notes to [All] in both stanzas), which may be due to influence from Krm. — [3-4]: Whereas in l. 9 below, the word ekkja ‘widow’ probably means little more than ‘woman’, its use here with reference to a widow’s ‘close friends’ (málvinir), i.e. ‘speech-friends, lovers’, following the reference to ‘the young knight of a maiden’ (drengr meyjar) in l. 2, is probably intended to give the impression that warriors both young and old are in question. The kennings drengr meyjar ‘the young knight of a maiden’ and má́lvinr ekkju ‘close friend of a widow’ are two of the three cases, listed by Meissner 351, as unique in skaldic poetry, of kennings meaning ‘lover’ being used where warrior-kennings would be expected. The third is ástvinr meyja ‘dear friend of maidens [LOVER]’, at st. 23/7 below; see Note there. — [5-6]: For parallels to these lines in Krm and elsewhere in skaldic poetry, see the Introduction. — [7]: In 147 (108v, ll. 15-16) the ‘su’ of Álasundi appears in l. 15 and what can be read of the remainder of the word (‘[…]i’, see Readings, above) appears at the beginning of l. 16. Thus interrupted by a line break, the word is also interrupted by the words Stakk ek á storðar … ‘I thrust at the earth’s…’ (i.e. all but the final word of st. 1/9), which appear at the end of l. 15. See first Note to st. 1/9-10. — [9-10]: As the Readings above indicate, R702ˣ, LR and 6ˣ have, in place of these two lines as preserved in 1824b and 147, what are printed in the present edn (with some modification in l. 9) as ll. 9-10 of st. 14; see the Notes to those lines, above, and the Introduction.
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