RvHbreiðm Hl 53III
Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Rǫgnvaldr jarl and Hallr Þórarinsson, Háttalykill 53’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 1060.
Ák ‘I must’
(not checked:)
2. eiga (verb; °á/eigr (præs. pl. 3. pers. eigu/eiga); átti, áttu; átt): own, have
frá ‘about’
(not checked:)
frá (prep.): from
Óláfi ‘Óláfr’
(not checked:)
Óláfr (noun m.): Óláfr
eiðar ‘of oath’
(not checked:)
eiðr (noun m.; °-s/-ar, dat. -i/-: -ar): oath
[2] eiðar: auðar papp25ˣ, R683ˣ
notes
[2] eiðar ‘of oath’: In the present edn, auðar (m. gen. sg.) ‘of wealth’ has been emended to eiðar (m. gen. sg.) ‘of oath’ to restore the missing aðalhending, and þrá ‘obstinate, firm’ (adj.) or ‘longing’ (noun) has been emended to þrár (m. nom. sg.; assuming the loss of final -r) ‘obstinate, firm’ (Fritzner: þrár ‘vedholdende, bestemt paa at holde fast ved noget’ ‘persistent, determined to hold on to sth.’). ‘Firm of oath’ then means ‘steadfast’. For the gen. eiðar ‘of oath’, see ANG §358.2. The line has the same structure as ll. 4 and 6.
þrár ‘the one firm’
(not checked:)
2. þrár (adj.): defiant, tenacious
[2] þrár meiðum: þrámeiðum papp25ˣ, þrá meiðum R683ˣ
meiðum ‘trees’
(not checked:)
meiðr (noun m.): beam, tree
[2] þrár meiðum: þrámeiðum papp25ˣ, þrá meiðum R683ˣ
kennings
meiðum mens Selju‘trees of Selja’s necklace ’
= SHIPS
Selja’s necklace → SEA
trees of the SEA → SHIPS
sløngði ‘flung’
(not checked:)
3. sløngva (verb): cast, sling
*á* ‘onto’
(not checked:)
3. á (prep.): on, at
[3] *á* svanvengi: ‘hansvanvenge’ papp25ˣ, ‘hans vanvæingi’ R683ˣ
svan ‘the swan’
(not checked:)
svanr (noun m.; °-s; -ir): swan < svanvengi (noun n.): [swan-meadow]
[3] *á* svanvengi: ‘hansvanvenge’ papp25ˣ, ‘hans vanvæingi’ R683ˣ
kennings
svanvengi.‘the swan-meadow. ’
= SEA
the swan-meadow. → SEA
vengi ‘meadow’
(not checked:)
vengi (noun n.): land, field < svanvengi (noun n.): [swan-meadow]
[3] *á* svanvengi: ‘hansvanvenge’ papp25ˣ, ‘hans vanvæingi’ R683ˣ
kennings
svanvengi.‘the swan-meadow. ’
= SEA
the swan-meadow. → SEA
Selju ‘of Selja’s’
(not checked:)
3. Selja (noun f.; °-u): Selja
kennings
meiðum mens Selju‘trees of Selja’s necklace ’
= SHIPS
Selja’s necklace → SEA
trees of the SEA → SHIPS
notes
[4] mens Selju ‘of Selja’s <island’s> necklace [SEA]’: Selja is an island off the western coast of Norway (see ESk Lv 14/3, Þul Eyja 2/1 and Þul Islands l. 3). It is taken here as a determinant in a kenning for ‘sea’, which again functions as a determinant in the ship-kenning meiðum mens Selju ‘the trees of the necklace of Selja’ (ll. 2-3) (for meiðr ‘tree’ as base-word in kennings for ‘ship’, see Meissner 221). ‘Fling ships onto the sea’ means ‘launch ships’ (see the similar meaning of the verb skjóta lit. ‘shoot’; LP: skjóta 2).
Selju ‘of Selja’s’
(not checked:)
3. Selja (noun f.; °-u): Selja
kennings
meiðum mens Selju‘trees of Selja’s necklace ’
= SHIPS
Selja’s necklace → SEA
trees of the SEA → SHIPS
notes
[4] mens Selju ‘of Selja’s <island’s> necklace [SEA]’: Selja is an island off the western coast of Norway (see ESk Lv 14/3, Þul Eyja 2/1 and Þul Islands l. 3). It is taken here as a determinant in a kenning for ‘sea’, which again functions as a determinant in the ship-kenning meiðum mens Selju ‘the trees of the necklace of Selja’ (ll. 2-3) (for meiðr ‘tree’ as base-word in kennings for ‘ship’, see Meissner 221). ‘Fling ships onto the sea’ means ‘launch ships’ (see the similar meaning of the verb skjóta lit. ‘shoot’; LP: skjóta 2).
mens ‘necklace’
(not checked:)
2. men (noun n.; °; dat. menjum): neck-ring
kennings
meiðum mens Selju‘trees of Selja’s necklace ’
= SHIPS
Selja’s necklace → SEA
trees of the SEA → SHIPS
notes
[4] mens Selju ‘of Selja’s <island’s> necklace [SEA]’: Selja is an island off the western coast of Norway (see ESk Lv 14/3, Þul Eyja 2/1 and Þul Islands l. 3). It is taken here as a determinant in a kenning for ‘sea’, which again functions as a determinant in the ship-kenning meiðum mens Selju ‘the trees of the necklace of Selja’ (ll. 2-3) (for meiðr ‘tree’ as base-word in kennings for ‘ship’, see Meissner 221). ‘Fling ships onto the sea’ means ‘launch ships’ (see the similar meaning of the verb skjóta lit. ‘shoot’; LP: skjóta 2).
mens ‘necklace’
(not checked:)
2. men (noun n.; °; dat. menjum): neck-ring
kennings
meiðum mens Selju‘trees of Selja’s necklace ’
= SHIPS
Selja’s necklace → SEA
trees of the SEA → SHIPS
notes
[4] mens Selju ‘of Selja’s <island’s> necklace [SEA]’: Selja is an island off the western coast of Norway (see ESk Lv 14/3, Þul Eyja 2/1 and Þul Islands l. 3). It is taken here as a determinant in a kenning for ‘sea’, which again functions as a determinant in the ship-kenning meiðum mens Selju ‘the trees of the necklace of Selja’ (ll. 2-3) (for meiðr ‘tree’ as base-word in kennings for ‘ship’, see Meissner 221). ‘Fling ships onto the sea’ means ‘launch ships’ (see the similar meaning of the verb skjóta lit. ‘shoot’; LP: skjóta 2).
telja ‘tell’
(not checked:)
telja (verb): tell, count
Fréttu ‘heard about’
(not checked:)
1. fregna (verb): hear of
fley ‘of the ship’
(not checked:)
2. fley (noun n.; °-s): ship < fleystétt (noun f.)
kennings
Harðir fleystéttar hyr-Nirðir‘ship-path’s fire-Nirðir’
= MEN
the ship-path → SEA
the fire of the SEA → GOLD
Harsh Nirðir of the GOLD → MEN
fley ‘of the ship’
(not checked:)
2. fley (noun n.; °-s): ship < fleystétt (noun f.)
kennings
Harðir fleystéttar hyr-Nirðir‘ship-path’s fire-Nirðir’
= MEN
the ship-path → SEA
the fire of the SEA → GOLD
Harsh Nirðir of the GOLD → MEN
fley ‘of the ship’
(not checked:)
2. fley (noun n.; °-s): ship < fleystétt (noun f.)
kennings
Harðir fleystéttar hyr-Nirðir‘ship-path’s fire-Nirðir’
= MEN
the ship-path → SEA
the fire of the SEA → GOLD
Harsh Nirðir of the GOLD → MEN
stéttar ‘path’
(not checked:)
stétt (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): path < fleystétt (noun f.)
[5] ‑stéttar: so R683ˣ, ‘‑stetar’ papp25ˣ
kennings
Harðir fleystéttar hyr-Nirðir‘ship-path’s fire-Nirðir’
= MEN
the ship-path → SEA
the fire of the SEA → GOLD
Harsh Nirðir of the GOLD → MEN
stéttar ‘path’
(not checked:)
stétt (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): path < fleystétt (noun f.)
[5] ‑stéttar: so R683ˣ, ‘‑stetar’ papp25ˣ
kennings
Harðir fleystéttar hyr-Nirðir‘ship-path’s fire-Nirðir’
= MEN
the ship-path → SEA
the fire of the SEA → GOLD
Harsh Nirðir of the GOLD → MEN
stéttar ‘path’
(not checked:)
stétt (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): path < fleystétt (noun f.)
[5] ‑stéttar: so R683ˣ, ‘‑stetar’ papp25ˣ
kennings
Harðir fleystéttar hyr-Nirðir‘ship-path’s fire-Nirðir’
= MEN
the ship-path → SEA
the fire of the SEA → GOLD
Harsh Nirðir of the GOLD → MEN
fengu ‘received’
(not checked:)
2. fá (verb; °fǽr; fekk, fengu; fenginn): get, receive
gjǫf ‘a gift’
(not checked:)
gjǫf (noun f.): gift
drengir ‘the warriors’
(not checked:)
drengr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -; -ir, gen. -ja): man, warrior
harðir ‘Harsh’
(not checked:)
harðr (adj.; °comp. -ari; superl. -astr): hard, harsh
kennings
Harðir fleystéttar hyr-Nirðir‘ship-path’s fire-Nirðir’
= MEN
the ship-path → SEA
the fire of the SEA → GOLD
Harsh Nirðir of the GOLD → MEN
hyr ‘of the fire’
(not checked:)
hyrr (noun m.): fire < hyrnjǫrðr (noun m.)
[7] hyr‑: her‑ papp25ˣ, R683ˣ
kennings
Harðir fleystéttar hyr-Nirðir‘ship-path’s fire-Nirðir’
= MEN
the ship-path → SEA
the fire of the SEA → GOLD
Harsh Nirðir of the GOLD → MEN
notes
[7] hyr-Nirðir ‘fire-Nirðir <gods>’: Following most earlier eds, her-Nirðir ‘army-Nirðir <gods> [WARRIORS]’ has been emended to hyr-Nirðir as a part of the kenning fleystéttar hyr-Nirðir ‘the Nirðir <gods> of the fire of the ship-path [(lit. ‘ship-path’s fire-Nirðir’) SEA > GOLD > MEN]’. Although her-Nirðir ‘army-Nirðir’ (so SnE 1848, 244) could be taken as a kenning for ‘warriors’, such a kenning would leave a dangling determinant (fleystéttar ‘of the ship-path’, l. 5). For Nirðir ‘gods’ see Note to st. 6/3.
hyr ‘of the fire’
(not checked:)
hyrr (noun m.): fire < hyrnjǫrðr (noun m.)
[7] hyr‑: her‑ papp25ˣ, R683ˣ
kennings
Harðir fleystéttar hyr-Nirðir‘ship-path’s fire-Nirðir’
= MEN
the ship-path → SEA
the fire of the SEA → GOLD
Harsh Nirðir of the GOLD → MEN
notes
[7] hyr-Nirðir ‘fire-Nirðir <gods>’: Following most earlier eds, her-Nirðir ‘army-Nirðir <gods> [WARRIORS]’ has been emended to hyr-Nirðir as a part of the kenning fleystéttar hyr-Nirðir ‘the Nirðir <gods> of the fire of the ship-path [(lit. ‘ship-path’s fire-Nirðir’) SEA > GOLD > MEN]’. Although her-Nirðir ‘army-Nirðir’ (so SnE 1848, 244) could be taken as a kenning for ‘warriors’, such a kenning would leave a dangling determinant (fleystéttar ‘of the ship-path’, l. 5). For Nirðir ‘gods’ see Note to st. 6/3.
Nirðir ‘Nirðir’
(not checked:)
Njǫrðr (noun m.): Njǫrðr < hyrnjǫrðr (noun m.)
kennings
Harðir fleystéttar hyr-Nirðir‘ship-path’s fire-Nirðir’
= MEN
the ship-path → SEA
the fire of the SEA → GOLD
Harsh Nirðir of the GOLD → MEN
notes
[7] hyr-Nirðir ‘fire-Nirðir <gods>’: Following most earlier eds, her-Nirðir ‘army-Nirðir <gods> [WARRIORS]’ has been emended to hyr-Nirðir as a part of the kenning fleystéttar hyr-Nirðir ‘the Nirðir <gods> of the fire of the ship-path [(lit. ‘ship-path’s fire-Nirðir’) SEA > GOLD > MEN]’. Although her-Nirðir ‘army-Nirðir’ (so SnE 1848, 244) could be taken as a kenning for ‘warriors’, such a kenning would leave a dangling determinant (fleystéttar ‘of the ship-path’, l. 5). For Nirðir ‘gods’ see Note to st. 6/3.
hildings ‘the leader’s’
(not checked:)
hildingr (noun m.; °; -ar): king, ruler
fémildi ‘generosity’
(not checked:)
fémildi (noun f.): generousity
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
The heading is Haddarlag (‘Haddar lag’), a metrical variant that corresponds to SnSt Ht 79 (Haðarlag ‘Hǫðr’s metre’). The metre is pentasyllabic málaháttr with internal rhyme, and the second hending in each line falls in penultimate position as in dróttkvætt.
For a discussion of the metre, see Section 4, General Introduction in SkP I. — The stanza is quite garbled in Rugman’s transcriptions, and in papp25ˣ a curly bracket enclosing ll. 1-4 has been added in the right margin along with the abbreviation ‘NB.’. — The identity of ‘Óláfr’ is unclear. Jón Helgason (Hl 1941) suggests Óláfr Bjarnarson, the brother of Eiríkr (see sts 51-2 and Note to st. 51 [All]; ÍF 26, 130), Óláfr sœnski ‘the Swede’, Eiríkr’s son (ÍF 26, passim), or a sea-king named Óláfr (Gautr ch. 11). — [1-4]: Skj B and Skald construe the first helmingr as follows: Ák frá Óláfi | auðar þrámeiðum | sløngði snákvengi | selju mens telja, i.e. ák telja selju mens frá Óláfi; sløngði snákvengi þrámeiðum auðar ‘I must tell the willow of the necklace [WOMAN] about Óláfr; he flung the snake-land [GOLD] to the longing-trees of wealth [MEN]’. However, as Jón Helgason (Hl 1941) points out, this would be the only stanza in Hl in which the poets mention a woman, and st. 54 shows that the intended audience is male. The eds of Hl 1941 admit that Finnur Jónsson’s interpretation is unsatisfactory, but they have no better version to offer. — [3]: As it stands in the mss, the line is hypermetrical, and most earlier eds delete hann (‘han’) ‘he’. Finnur Jónsson and Kock emend ‘svanvenge’ (so papp25ˣ; ‘-s vanvæingi’ R683ˣ) to snákvengi ‘snake-land’, a kenning for ‘gold’ (see Note to ll. 1-4 above). However, it appears that Rugman misread the line much in the same way as he misread the first line of st. 54 (see the Note to st. 54/1), and svanvengi ‘swan-meadow’ also occurs in st. 54/5.
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