Ótt Knútdr 6I
Matthew Townend (ed.) 2012, ‘Óttarr svarti, Knútsdrápa 6’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 774.
Ungr ‘Young’
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ungr (adj.): young
fylkir ‘ruler’
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fylkir (noun m.): leader
lézt ‘you caused’
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láta (verb): let, have sth done
Engla ‘English’
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Englar (noun m.): English people
allnær ‘very near’
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allnær (adv.): very near, very close
notes
[2] Thesu ‘the Tees’: A river in northern England. The initial <Th> spelling in most mss is curious (and not matched in English sources), and is possibly attributable to Latin influence (see Townend 1998, 85). A battle by the Tees is not mentioned in the ASC (s.a. 1016), though it is plausible (see Poole 1987, 273).
falla ‘to fall’
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falla (verb): fall
flóði ‘flowed’
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3. flóa (verb): flood, flow
[3] flóði: ‘flædi’ JÓ, ‘fløði’ 20dˣ, 873ˣ, 41ˣ
notes
[3] flóði ‘flowed’: There are two weak verbs of similar meaning: flóa (pret. flóði) and flœða (pret. flœddi). The ms. readings might seem to indicate the latter, but this would mean there is no skothending in the line. Skj B, Skald, Knýtl 1919-25, and ÍF 35 accordingly all print flóði (and see also LP: 2. flóa).
djúpt ‘the deep’
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djúpr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): deep
of ‘over’
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3. of (prep.): around, from; too
dík ‘ditch’
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dík (noun n.): [ditch]
Norðimbra ‘Northumbrians’
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norðymbri (noun m.): [Northumbrians]
[4] Norðimbra: ‘Nordumbra’ 873ˣ
notes
[4] Norðimbra ‘Northumbrians’: The inhabitants of Northumbria, the most northerly Anglo-Saxon kingdom.
líkum ‘the bodies’
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1. lík (noun n.; °-s; -): body, shape
Svefn ‘the sleep’
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svefn (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): sleep
braut ‘broke’
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brjóta (verb; °brýtr; braut, brutu; brotinn): to break, destroy
svǫrtum ‘of the dark’
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svartr (adj.): black
hrafni ‘raven’
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hrafn (noun m.; °hrafns; dat. hrafni; hrafnar): raven
sunnarr ‘further south’
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sunnar (adv.): further south
kennings
Hvǫtuðr gunnar‘The urger of battle ’
= WARRIOR
The urger of battle → WARRIOR
notes
[6] hvǫtuðr gunnar ‘the urger of battle [WARRIOR]’: A typical kenning problem arises, as to whether the locution here involves the abstract noun gunnr ‘battle’ (so JÓ, 873x, Knýtl 1919-25, and ÍF 35) or the valkyrie-name Gunnr (so 20dx, Skj B and Skald). Since Óttarr is otherwise sparing in his use of mythological figures in this poem, the former view is preferred here. Emendation to the agent noun hvǫtuðr ‘urger’ seems necessary to make sense of the ms. reading ‘hautudr’ (normalised hǫtuðr ‘hater’), and all eds emend here.
gunnar ‘of battle’
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gunnr (noun f.): battle
kennings
Hvǫtuðr gunnar‘The urger of battle ’
= WARRIOR
The urger of battle → WARRIOR
notes
[6] hvǫtuðr gunnar ‘the urger of battle [WARRIOR]’: A typical kenning problem arises, as to whether the locution here involves the abstract noun gunnr ‘battle’ (so JÓ, 873x, Knýtl 1919-25, and ÍF 35) or the valkyrie-name Gunnr (so 20dx, Skj B and Skald). Since Óttarr is otherwise sparing in his use of mythological figures in this poem, the former view is preferred here. Emendation to the agent noun hvǫtuðr ‘urger’ seems necessary to make sense of the ms. reading ‘hautudr’ (normalised hǫtuðr ‘hater’), and all eds emend here.
olli ‘made’
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valda (verb): cause
sókn ‘an attack’
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sókn (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): attack, fight
inn ‘the’
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2. inn (art.): the
kennings
inn snjalli mǫgr Sveins‘the bold son of Sveinn ’
= Knútr
the bold son of Sveinn → Knútr
snjalli ‘bold’
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snjallr (adj.): quick, resourceful, bold
kennings
inn snjalli mǫgr Sveins‘the bold son of Sveinn ’
= Knútr
the bold son of Sveinn → Knútr
Sveins ‘of Sveinn’
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2. Sveinn (noun m.): Sveinn
kennings
inn snjalli mǫgr Sveins‘the bold son of Sveinn ’
= Knútr
the bold son of Sveinn → Knútr
notes
[8] mǫgr Sveins ‘the son of Sveinn [= Knútr]’: As Frank (1994b, 112) points out, Knútr’s poets frequently characterise him as being his father’s son. The same phrase is also found, in identical position, in Hallv Knútdr 1/4III.
mǫgr ‘son’
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mǫgr (noun m.; °; megir, acc. mǫgu): son, boy
kennings
inn snjalli mǫgr Sveins‘the bold son of Sveinn ’
= Knútr
the bold son of Sveinn → Knútr
notes
[8] mǫgr Sveins ‘the son of Sveinn [= Knútr]’: As Frank (1994b, 112) points out, Knútr’s poets frequently characterise him as being his father’s son. The same phrase is also found, in identical position, in Hallv Knútdr 1/4III.
at ‘at’
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3. at (prep.): at, to
Skorsteini ‘Sherston’
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Skorsteinn (noun m.): [Sherston]
notes
[8] Skorsteini ‘Sherston’: In Wiltshire (OE Sceorstan), site of a major battle between Knútr and Eadmund Ironside in 1016 (see ASC s. a.).
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
The stanza follows a prose account of the battle of Skorsteinn (Sherston).
[1-2]: Steinn Óldr 2/1-2II, lines about a battle in 1066 by a different river, the Yorkshire Ouse (Úsa), are closely similar. — [5-8]: The question as to whether or not Óttarr alternates in this poem between 2nd and 3rd pers. narration is especially pressing here. (a) In the mss both verbs in the second helmingr are in the 3rd pers. (braut ‘broke’, olli ‘made’), and so are retained here, as also by Kock (NN §737 and Skald, followed by ÍF 35), this being the only point in the poem where he retains the 3rd pers. (b) Skj B and Knýtl 1919-25 emend to 2nd pers. forms. Although the use of the def. art. in inn snjalli mǫgr Sveins ‘the bold son of Sveinn’ may suggest that this phrase is a 3rd pers. subject rather than an apostrophe, Óttarr does use the def. art. in a 2nd pers. context in st. 10/1-2.
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