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.
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skulu (verb): shall, should, must
[1] Skalkak (‘skalka ek’): so R702ˣ, skal ek ei Flat
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2. hryggr (adj.; °-van/-jan; compar. -vari/-ari/-ri; superl. -astr): sorrowful, sad
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í (prep.): in, into
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hregg (noun n.): storm
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Hlín (noun f.): Hlín
[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.
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meðan (conj.): while
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strengr (noun m.; °-jar; -ir): string, rope, bow-string
[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.
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
[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.
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lína (noun f.; °-u; ur): [line]
[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.
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svǫrðr (noun m.; °svarðar, dat. sverði; sverðir, acc. svǫrðu): scalp
[3] svǫrðr: suðr Flat, ‘svirdur’ R702ˣ
[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.
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svǫrðr (noun m.; °svarðar, dat. sverði; sverðir, acc. svǫrðu): scalp
[3] svǫrðr: suðr Flat, ‘svirdur’ R702ˣ
[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.
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fyr (prep.): for, over, because of, etc.
[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.
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snekkja (noun f.; °-u; -ur): warship
[3] snekkju: so R702ˣ, ‘suediu’ Flat
[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.
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barð (noun n.): prow, stern (of a ship)
[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.
[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.
[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.
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teigr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -/-i; -ar, acc. -a/-u): field, land < svalteigr (noun m.)
[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.
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teigr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -/-i; -ar, acc. -a/-u): field, land < svalteigr (noun m.)
[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.
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1. bresta (verb; °brestr; brast, brustu; brostinn): burst, split
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3. eigi (adv.): not
[5] Því réðk (‘þui red ek’): so R702ˣ, ‘beint nam ek’ Flat
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ráða (verb): advise, rule, interpret, decide
[5] Því réðk (‘þui red ek’): so R702ˣ, ‘beint nam ek’ Flat
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2. heita (verb): be called, promise
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hǫrr (noun m.): linen < hǫrskorð (noun f.)
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skorð (noun f.): prop < hǫrskorð (noun f.)
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
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fara (verb; ferr, fór, fóru, farinn): go, travel
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norðan (adv.): from the north
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1. vindr (noun m.; °-s/-ar; -ar): wind
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3. bera (verb; °berr; bar, báru; borinn): bear, carry
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snarr (adj.): gallant, bold
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3. at (prep.): at, to
[7] at sundi ‘towards the strait’: Judging from the prose context, this refers to the Straits of Gibraltar (cf. also Oddi Lv 3).
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sund (noun n.; °-s; -): sound, strait; swimming
[7] at sundi ‘towards the strait’: Judging from the prose context, this refers to the Straits of Gibraltar (cf. also Oddi Lv 3).
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súð (noun f.; °-ar; gen. -a): planking, ship < súðmarr (noun m.)
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kona (noun f.; °-u; -ur/-r(KlmA1980 116¹¹), gen. pl. kvenna/kvinna): woman
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prúðr (adj.; °superl. -astr): magnificent, proud
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
I shall not be upset in the storm, Hlín <goddess> of the cool plot [SEA > WOMAN], as long as the rope and the line, the hawser before the craft’s prow, does not break. That is what I promised to the pale linen-prop [WOMAN], the splendid woman, when I headed from the north; the wind carries the plank-horse [SHIP] briskly towards the strait.
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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