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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Rv Lv 21II

Judith Jesch (ed.) 2009, ‘Rǫgnvaldr jarl Kali Kolsson, Lausavísur 21’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 599-600.

Rǫgnvaldr jarl Kali KolssonLausavísur
202122

Skalkak ‘I shall not be’

(not checked:)
skulu (verb): shall, should, must

[1] Skalkak (‘skalka ek’): so R702ˣ, skal ek ei Flat

Close

í ‘in’

(not checked:)
í (prep.): in, into

Close

hreggi ‘the storm’

(not checked:)
hregg (noun n.): storm

Close

Hlín ‘Hlín’

(not checked:)
Hlín (noun f.): Hlín

kennings

Hlín svalteigar,
‘Hlín of the cool plot, ’
   = WOMAN

the cool plot, → SEA
Hlín of the SEA → WOMAN

notes

[2, 4] Hlín svalteigar ‘Hlín <goddess> of the cool plot [SEA > WOMAN]’: Svalteigr ‘cool plot’ is very clearly a kenning for ‘sea’, albeit an unusual one, since the determinant would normally be a noun referring to an attribute of the sea such as a sea-king, sea-creature or waves (Meissner 92-8). Bibire 1988 links this with hreggi ‘storm’ in l. 1 and leaves the goddess-name Hlín isolated as a heiti for ‘woman’; such half-kennings are uncharacteristic of Rǫgnvaldr. Skj B solves the problem by emending Hlín to a verb hvínn (3rd pers. sg. pres. indic. of hvína ‘squeak’) and construing the cl. differently (svǫrðr hvínn ‘the hawser squeaks’). The interpretation here follows ÍF 34: while the woman-kenning Hlín svalteigar ‘goddess of the cool plot (of ground)’ is unparalleled, it appears to belong to a type identified by Meissner in which a word for ‘fire, light’ has been omitted and which eventually becomes a recognised type (Meissner 419). It is possible that at some stage in its textual history the st. may have become irretrievably corrupted by association with a woman-kenning such as Hlín valteigar ‘goddess of the falcon-plot (arm)’, which is of a common type (cf. LP: Hlín), but is impossible here since it would not provide the requisite alliteration.

Close

meðan ‘as long as’

(not checked:)
meðan (conj.): while

Close

strengr ‘the rope’

(not checked:)
strengr (noun m.; °-jar; -ir): string, rope, bow-string

notes

[2-3] strengr ok lína, svǫrðr fyr barði snekkju ‘the rope and the line, the hawser before the craft’s prow’: All of these refer to the anchor-rope.

Close

ok ‘and’

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

notes

[2-3] strengr ok lína, svǫrðr fyr barði snekkju ‘the rope and the line, the hawser before the craft’s prow’: All of these refer to the anchor-rope.

Close

lína ‘the line’

(not checked:)
lína (noun f.; °-u; ur): [line]

notes

[2-3] strengr ok lína, svǫrðr fyr barði snekkju ‘the rope and the line, the hawser before the craft’s prow’: All of these refer to the anchor-rope.

Close

svǫrðr ‘the hawser’

(not checked:)
svǫrðr (noun m.; °svarðar, dat. sverði; sverðir, acc. svǫrðu): scalp

[3] svǫrðr: suðr Flat, ‘svirdur’ R702ˣ

notes

[2-3] strengr ok lína, svǫrðr fyr barði snekkju ‘the rope and the line, the hawser before the craft’s prow’: All of these refer to the anchor-rope. — [3] svǫrðr ‘the hawser’: This reading is found in 762ˣ (Skj A), but is presumably the scribe’s conjecture rather than a variant, since this ms. is a copy of 702ˣ.

Close

svǫrðr ‘the hawser’

(not checked:)
svǫrðr (noun m.; °svarðar, dat. sverði; sverðir, acc. svǫrðu): scalp

[3] svǫrðr: suðr Flat, ‘svirdur’ R702ˣ

notes

[2-3] strengr ok lína, svǫrðr fyr barði snekkju ‘the rope and the line, the hawser before the craft’s prow’: All of these refer to the anchor-rope. — [3] svǫrðr ‘the hawser’: This reading is found in 762ˣ (Skj A), but is presumably the scribe’s conjecture rather than a variant, since this ms. is a copy of 702ˣ.

Close

fyr ‘before’

(not checked:)
fyr (prep.): for, over, because of, etc.

notes

[2-3] strengr ok lína, svǫrðr fyr barði snekkju ‘the rope and the line, the hawser before the craft’s prow’: All of these refer to the anchor-rope.

Close

snekkju ‘the craft’s’

(not checked:)
snekkja (noun f.; °-u; -ur): warship

[3] snekkju: so R702ˣ, ‘suediu’ Flat

notes

[2-3] strengr ok lína, svǫrðr fyr barði snekkju ‘the rope and the line, the hawser before the craft’s prow’: All of these refer to the anchor-rope.

Close

barði ‘prow’

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

notes

[2-3] strengr ok lína, svǫrðr fyr barði snekkju ‘the rope and the line, the hawser before the craft’s prow’: All of these refer to the anchor-rope.

Close

sval ‘of the cool’

(not checked:)
svalr (adj.): cool < svalteigr (noun m.)

[4] sval‑: sal R702ˣ

kennings

Hlín svalteigar,
‘Hlín of the cool plot, ’
   = WOMAN

the cool plot, → SEA
Hlín of the SEA → WOMAN

notes

[2, 4] Hlín svalteigar ‘Hlín <goddess> of the cool plot [SEA > WOMAN]’: Svalteigr ‘cool plot’ is very clearly a kenning for ‘sea’, albeit an unusual one, since the determinant would normally be a noun referring to an attribute of the sea such as a sea-king, sea-creature or waves (Meissner 92-8). Bibire 1988 links this with hreggi ‘storm’ in l. 1 and leaves the goddess-name Hlín isolated as a heiti for ‘woman’; such half-kennings are uncharacteristic of Rǫgnvaldr. Skj B solves the problem by emending Hlín to a verb hvínn (3rd pers. sg. pres. indic. of hvína ‘squeak’) and construing the cl. differently (svǫrðr hvínn ‘the hawser squeaks’). The interpretation here follows ÍF 34: while the woman-kenning Hlín svalteigar ‘goddess of the cool plot (of ground)’ is unparalleled, it appears to belong to a type identified by Meissner in which a word for ‘fire, light’ has been omitted and which eventually becomes a recognised type (Meissner 419). It is possible that at some stage in its textual history the st. may have become irretrievably corrupted by association with a woman-kenning such as Hlín valteigar ‘goddess of the falcon-plot (arm)’, which is of a common type (cf. LP: Hlín), but is impossible here since it would not provide the requisite alliteration.

Close

sval ‘of the cool’

(not checked:)
svalr (adj.): cool < svalteigr (noun m.)

[4] sval‑: sal R702ˣ

kennings

Hlín svalteigar,
‘Hlín of the cool plot, ’
   = WOMAN

the cool plot, → SEA
Hlín of the SEA → WOMAN

notes

[2, 4] Hlín svalteigar ‘Hlín <goddess> of the cool plot [SEA > WOMAN]’: Svalteigr ‘cool plot’ is very clearly a kenning for ‘sea’, albeit an unusual one, since the determinant would normally be a noun referring to an attribute of the sea such as a sea-king, sea-creature or waves (Meissner 92-8). Bibire 1988 links this with hreggi ‘storm’ in l. 1 and leaves the goddess-name Hlín isolated as a heiti for ‘woman’; such half-kennings are uncharacteristic of Rǫgnvaldr. Skj B solves the problem by emending Hlín to a verb hvínn (3rd pers. sg. pres. indic. of hvína ‘squeak’) and construing the cl. differently (svǫrðr hvínn ‘the hawser squeaks’). The interpretation here follows ÍF 34: while the woman-kenning Hlín svalteigar ‘goddess of the cool plot (of ground)’ is unparalleled, it appears to belong to a type identified by Meissner in which a word for ‘fire, light’ has been omitted and which eventually becomes a recognised type (Meissner 419). It is possible that at some stage in its textual history the st. may have become irretrievably corrupted by association with a woman-kenning such as Hlín valteigar ‘goddess of the falcon-plot (arm)’, which is of a common type (cf. LP: Hlín), but is impossible here since it would not provide the requisite alliteration.

Close

teigar ‘plot’

(not checked:)
teigr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -/-i; -ar, acc. -a/-u): field, land < svalteigr (noun m.)

kennings

Hlín svalteigar,
‘Hlín of the cool plot, ’
   = WOMAN

the cool plot, → SEA
Hlín of the SEA → WOMAN

notes

[2, 4] Hlín svalteigar ‘Hlín <goddess> of the cool plot [SEA > WOMAN]’: Svalteigr ‘cool plot’ is very clearly a kenning for ‘sea’, albeit an unusual one, since the determinant would normally be a noun referring to an attribute of the sea such as a sea-king, sea-creature or waves (Meissner 92-8). Bibire 1988 links this with hreggi ‘storm’ in l. 1 and leaves the goddess-name Hlín isolated as a heiti for ‘woman’; such half-kennings are uncharacteristic of Rǫgnvaldr. Skj B solves the problem by emending Hlín to a verb hvínn (3rd pers. sg. pres. indic. of hvína ‘squeak’) and construing the cl. differently (svǫrðr hvínn ‘the hawser squeaks’). The interpretation here follows ÍF 34: while the woman-kenning Hlín svalteigar ‘goddess of the cool plot (of ground)’ is unparalleled, it appears to belong to a type identified by Meissner in which a word for ‘fire, light’ has been omitted and which eventually becomes a recognised type (Meissner 419). It is possible that at some stage in its textual history the st. may have become irretrievably corrupted by association with a woman-kenning such as Hlín valteigar ‘goddess of the falcon-plot (arm)’, which is of a common type (cf. LP: Hlín), but is impossible here since it would not provide the requisite alliteration.

Close

teigar ‘plot’

(not checked:)
teigr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -/-i; -ar, acc. -a/-u): field, land < svalteigr (noun m.)

kennings

Hlín svalteigar,
‘Hlín of the cool plot, ’
   = WOMAN

the cool plot, → SEA
Hlín of the SEA → WOMAN

notes

[2, 4] Hlín svalteigar ‘Hlín <goddess> of the cool plot [SEA > WOMAN]’: Svalteigr ‘cool plot’ is very clearly a kenning for ‘sea’, albeit an unusual one, since the determinant would normally be a noun referring to an attribute of the sea such as a sea-king, sea-creature or waves (Meissner 92-8). Bibire 1988 links this with hreggi ‘storm’ in l. 1 and leaves the goddess-name Hlín isolated as a heiti for ‘woman’; such half-kennings are uncharacteristic of Rǫgnvaldr. Skj B solves the problem by emending Hlín to a verb hvínn (3rd pers. sg. pres. indic. of hvína ‘squeak’) and construing the cl. differently (svǫrðr hvínn ‘the hawser squeaks’). The interpretation here follows ÍF 34: while the woman-kenning Hlín svalteigar ‘goddess of the cool plot (of ground)’ is unparalleled, it appears to belong to a type identified by Meissner in which a word for ‘fire, light’ has been omitted and which eventually becomes a recognised type (Meissner 419). It is possible that at some stage in its textual history the st. may have become irretrievably corrupted by association with a woman-kenning such as Hlín valteigar ‘goddess of the falcon-plot (arm)’, which is of a common type (cf. LP: Hlín), but is impossible here since it would not provide the requisite alliteration.

Close

eigi ‘does not’

(not checked:)
3. eigi (adv.): not

Close

réðk ‘is what I’

(not checked:)
ráða (verb): advise, rule, interpret, decide

[5] Því réðk (‘þui red ek’): so R702ˣ, ‘beint nam ek’ Flat

Close

hvítri ‘to the pale’

(not checked:)
hvítr (adj.; °-an; -ari, -astr): white

[5] hvítri: hvít at R702ˣ

Close

heita ‘promised’

(not checked:)
2. heita (verb): be called, promise

Close

hǫr ‘linen’

(not checked:)
hǫrr (noun m.): linen < hǫrskorð (noun f.)

kennings

hǫrskorð,
‘linen-prop, ’
   = WOMAN

linen-prop, → WOMAN
Close

skorð ‘prop’

(not checked:)
skorð (noun f.): prop < hǫrskorð (noun f.)

kennings

hǫrskorð,
‘linen-prop, ’
   = WOMAN

linen-prop, → WOMAN
Close

es ‘when’

(not checked:)
2. er (conj.): who, which, when

Close

norðan ‘from the north’

(not checked:)
norðan (adv.): from the north

Close

vindr ‘the wind’

(not checked:)
1. vindr (noun m.; °-s/-ar; -ar): wind

Close

snart ‘briskly’

(not checked:)
snarr (adj.): gallant, bold

Close

at ‘towards’

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

notes

[7] at sundi ‘towards the strait’: Judging from the prose context, this refers to the Straits of Gibraltar (cf. also Oddi Lv 3).

Close

sundi ‘the strait’

(not checked:)
sund (noun n.; °-s; -): sound, strait; swimming

notes

[7] at sundi ‘towards the strait’: Judging from the prose context, this refers to the Straits of Gibraltar (cf. also Oddi Lv 3).

Close

súð ‘the plank’

(not checked:)
súð (noun f.; °-ar; gen. -a): planking, ship < súðmarr (noun m.)

kennings

súðmar
‘the plank-horse ’
   = SHIP

the plank-horse → SHIP
Close

mar ‘horse’

(not checked:)
2. marr (noun m.): horse < súðmarr (noun m.)

[8] ‑mar: ‘manz’ R702ˣ

kennings

súðmar
‘the plank-horse ’
   = SHIP

the plank-horse → SHIP
Close

prúðri ‘the splendid’

(not checked:)
prúðr (adj.; °superl. -astr): magnificent, proud

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Sailing down the west coast of Spain, the crusaders suffer a storm, during which they spend three days at anchor, fearing that their ships will be wrecked.

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