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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Anon Kúgdr 1III

Tarrin Wills (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Poems, Kúgadrápa 1’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 535.

Anonymous PoemsKúgadrápa1

text and translation

Meginhræddir ’ró menn við Kúga;
meiri estu hverjum þeira.

Menn ’ró meginhræddir við Kúga; estu meiri hverjum þeira.
 
‘Men are very afraid of Kúgi; you are more than any of them.

notes and context

Cited as an example of ironia (irony) in the form of mock-praise (TGT 1927, 85): Ironia gerir gagnstaðligt mál því, er hon vill merkja ‘Irony gives the opposite meaning to what is intended’.

Óláfr (TGT 1927, 85) states: Hér er óeiginlig framfæring ok líking, þvíat lof er fyrir háð sett. Þessi fígúra er jafnan sett í skáldskap ‘Here is an improper transfer and comparison, because praise is used for mockery. This figure is often used in poetry’. This is strongly reminiscent of Snorri’s preface to Hkr, regarding incorrectly attributing achievements to rulers (ÍF 26, 5): Þat væri þá háð, en eigi lof ‘That would then be mockery and not praise’. See also Eldj Lv 2II for a similar example.

sources

Text is based on reconstruction from the base text and variant apparatus and may contain alternative spellings and other normalisations not visible in the manuscript text. Transcriptions may not have been checked and should not be cited.

editions and texts

Skj: Anonyme digte og vers [XII], A. 4. Kúgadrápa: AI, 590, BI, 591, Skald I, 288; SnE 1818, 332, SnE 1848, 198, SnE 1848-87, II, 178-9, 425, TGT 1884, 30, 113, 231, TGT 1927, 85, 108.

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