SnSt Ht 15III
Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Snorri Sturluson, Háttatal 15’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 1119.
es ‘which’
(not checked:)
2. er (conj.): who, which, when
grundar ‘of the field’
(not checked:)
grund (noun f.): earth, land
kennings
gjaldseiðs grundar;‘of the compensation-pollack of the field; ’
= SERPENT = Fáfnir
the compensation-pollack of the field; → SERPENT = Fáfnir
notes
[1-2] grímu gjaldseiðs grundar ‘in the helmet of the compensation-pollack of the field [SERPENT = Fáfnir]’: The kenning refers to the dragon Fáfnir and his œgishjálmr ‘helmet of terror’ (see Note to ESk Frag 2/1), but the significance of the first element of the cpd gjaldseiðr ‘compensation-pollack’ is not transparent (see LP: gjaldrseiðr; NN §3260B; SnE 2007, 52, 114). ‘Pollack of the field’ is in itself a kenning for ‘snake’ and Faulkes (SnE 2007, 114) suggests ‘fish of money of ground or fish of the ground where money is buried; fish whose ground is gold’ as possible explanations for the puzzling first element of the cpd. It is more likely that gjald ‘compensation’ refers to the fact that the gold on which Fáfnir lay was the compensation (gjald) for his brother, Otr, which Fáfnir had obtained by killing his own father (see Reg; SnE 1998, I, 45-7; Note to st. 41/2 below; see also Marold 1998).
grímu ‘in the helmet’
(not checked:)
gríma (noun f.; °-u): night, darkness; mask
[1] grímu: grimmu U(47r), U(50r)
notes
[1-2] grímu gjaldseiðs grundar ‘in the helmet of the compensation-pollack of the field [SERPENT = Fáfnir]’: The kenning refers to the dragon Fáfnir and his œgishjálmr ‘helmet of terror’ (see Note to ESk Frag 2/1), but the significance of the first element of the cpd gjaldseiðr ‘compensation-pollack’ is not transparent (see LP: gjaldrseiðr; NN §3260B; SnE 2007, 52, 114). ‘Pollack of the field’ is in itself a kenning for ‘snake’ and Faulkes (SnE 2007, 114) suggests ‘fish of money of ground or fish of the ground where money is buried; fish whose ground is gold’ as possible explanations for the puzzling first element of the cpd. It is more likely that gjald ‘compensation’ refers to the fact that the gold on which Fáfnir lay was the compensation (gjald) for his brother, Otr, which Fáfnir had obtained by killing his own father (see Reg; SnE 1998, I, 45-7; Note to st. 41/2 below; see also Marold 1998).
gjald ‘of the compensation’
(not checked:)
gjald (noun n.): payment, reward, return < gjaldseiðr (noun m.)
kennings
gjaldseiðs grundar;‘of the compensation-pollack of the field; ’
= SERPENT = Fáfnir
the compensation-pollack of the field; → SERPENT = Fáfnir
notes
[1-2] grímu gjaldseiðs grundar ‘in the helmet of the compensation-pollack of the field [SERPENT = Fáfnir]’: The kenning refers to the dragon Fáfnir and his œgishjálmr ‘helmet of terror’ (see Note to ESk Frag 2/1), but the significance of the first element of the cpd gjaldseiðr ‘compensation-pollack’ is not transparent (see LP: gjaldrseiðr; NN §3260B; SnE 2007, 52, 114). ‘Pollack of the field’ is in itself a kenning for ‘snake’ and Faulkes (SnE 2007, 114) suggests ‘fish of money of ground or fish of the ground where money is buried; fish whose ground is gold’ as possible explanations for the puzzling first element of the cpd. It is more likely that gjald ‘compensation’ refers to the fact that the gold on which Fáfnir lay was the compensation (gjald) for his brother, Otr, which Fáfnir had obtained by killing his own father (see Reg; SnE 1998, I, 45-7; Note to st. 41/2 below; see also Marold 1998).
seiðs ‘pollack’
(not checked:)
2. seiðr (noun m.): coalfish < gjaldseiðr (noun m.)
[2] ‑seiðs: ‑seiðr W
kennings
gjaldseiðs grundar;‘of the compensation-pollack of the field; ’
= SERPENT = Fáfnir
the compensation-pollack of the field; → SERPENT = Fáfnir
notes
[1-2] grímu gjaldseiðs grundar ‘in the helmet of the compensation-pollack of the field [SERPENT = Fáfnir]’: The kenning refers to the dragon Fáfnir and his œgishjálmr ‘helmet of terror’ (see Note to ESk Frag 2/1), but the significance of the first element of the cpd gjaldseiðr ‘compensation-pollack’ is not transparent (see LP: gjaldrseiðr; NN §3260B; SnE 2007, 52, 114). ‘Pollack of the field’ is in itself a kenning for ‘snake’ and Faulkes (SnE 2007, 114) suggests ‘fish of money of ground or fish of the ground where money is buried; fish whose ground is gold’ as possible explanations for the puzzling first element of the cpd. It is more likely that gjald ‘compensation’ refers to the fact that the gold on which Fáfnir lay was the compensation (gjald) for his brother, Otr, which Fáfnir had obtained by killing his own father (see Reg; SnE 1998, I, 45-7; Note to st. 41/2 below; see also Marold 1998). — [2] -seiðs ‘-pollack’: See Note to st. 2/8 above.
seiðs ‘pollack’
(not checked:)
2. seiðr (noun m.): coalfish < gjaldseiðr (noun m.)
[2] ‑seiðs: ‑seiðr W
kennings
gjaldseiðs grundar;‘of the compensation-pollack of the field; ’
= SERPENT = Fáfnir
the compensation-pollack of the field; → SERPENT = Fáfnir
notes
[1-2] grímu gjaldseiðs grundar ‘in the helmet of the compensation-pollack of the field [SERPENT = Fáfnir]’: The kenning refers to the dragon Fáfnir and his œgishjálmr ‘helmet of terror’ (see Note to ESk Frag 2/1), but the significance of the first element of the cpd gjaldseiðr ‘compensation-pollack’ is not transparent (see LP: gjaldrseiðr; NN §3260B; SnE 2007, 52, 114). ‘Pollack of the field’ is in itself a kenning for ‘snake’ and Faulkes (SnE 2007, 114) suggests ‘fish of money of ground or fish of the ground where money is buried; fish whose ground is gold’ as possible explanations for the puzzling first element of the cpd. It is more likely that gjald ‘compensation’ refers to the fact that the gold on which Fáfnir lay was the compensation (gjald) for his brother, Otr, which Fáfnir had obtained by killing his own father (see Reg; SnE 1998, I, 45-7; Note to st. 41/2 below; see also Marold 1998). — [2] -seiðs ‘-pollack’: See Note to st. 2/8 above.
ok ‘and’
(not checked:)
3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
vas ‘was’
(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
faldinn ‘clad’
(not checked:)
2. falda (verb): cover, clothe
enn ‘still’
(not checked:)
2. enn (adv.): still, yet, again
þann* ‘that one’
[3] þann*: ‘þannz’ R, ‘þaz’ Tˣ, ‘þats’ W, þess U(50r)
átti ‘’
(not checked:)
2. eiga (verb; °á/eigr (præs. pl. 3. pers. eigu/eiga); átti, áttu; átt): own, have
áðr ‘earlier’
(not checked:)
áðr (adv.; °//): before
hans ‘his’
(not checked:)
hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
notes
[4] faðir hans ‘his father’: Hákon Sverrisson (d. 1 January 1204).
faðir ‘father’
(not checked:)
faðir (noun m.): father
notes
[4] faðir hans ‘his father’: Hákon Sverrisson (d. 1 January 1204).
ráða ‘ruled’
(not checked:)
ráða (verb): advise, rule, interpret, decide
Gunn ‘The battle’
(not checked:)
gunnr (noun f.): battle < gunnhættir (noun m.): [battle-darer]
[5] Gunn‑: í gunn‑ Tˣ
kennings
Gunnhættir‘The battle-darer ’
= WARRIOR
The battle-darer → WARRIOR
hættir ‘darer’
(not checked:)
hættir (noun m.): [darer] < gunnhættir (noun m.): [battle-darer]
[5] ‑hættir: so W, heitir R, ‘hettir’ Tˣ, U(50r)
kennings
Gunnhættir‘The battle-darer ’
= WARRIOR
The battle-darer → WARRIOR
notes
[5] -hættir ‘-darer’: So W(140-141) and, normalised, Tˣ, U. Ms. R has -heitir ‘-threatener, -heater’ which has been altered to ‘-hęttir’ (R*).
grýttu ‘the rocky’
(not checked:)
grýttr (adj.): stony, graveled
kennings
grýttu setri buðlunga;‘the rocky seat of sovereigns; ’
= Norway
the rocky seat of sovereigns; → Norway
gramr ‘the lord’
(not checked:)
1. gramr (noun m.): ruler
þrek ‘endurance’
(not checked:)
þrek (noun n.): courage, strength
stýra ‘governs’
(not checked:)
stýra (verb): steer, control
stórt ‘mightily’
(not checked:)
stórr (adj.): large, great
ræðr ‘rules’
(not checked:)
ráða (verb): advise, rule, interpret, decide
hann ‘he’
(not checked:)
hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
notes
[7] en ‘and’: Altered to þvít ‘because’ in R (R*).
hjarta ‘heart’
(not checked:)
hjarta (noun n.; °-; *-u): heart
hvetr ‘urges [him] on’
(not checked:)
hvetja (verb): incite, urge
buðlunga ‘of sovereigns’
(not checked:)
buðlungr (noun m.; °; -ar): king, prince
kennings
grýttu setri buðlunga;‘the rocky seat of sovereigns; ’
= Norway
the rocky seat of sovereigns; → Norway
setri ‘seat’
(not checked:)
setr (noun n.; °-s; -): seat, abode
kennings
grýttu setri buðlunga;‘the rocky seat of sovereigns; ’
= Norway
the rocky seat of sovereigns; → Norway
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
that one [kingdom] which his father ruled earlier, and was clad in the helmet of the compensation-pollack of the field [SERPENT = Fáfnir]; people remember that one still. The battle-darer [WARRIOR] governs the rocky seat of sovereigns [= Norway]; the lord is imbued with endurance; he rules mightily and his heart urges [him] on.
The stanza illustrates the syntactic variation tiltekit ‘linked’ (see st. 39) or afleiðingum ‘with antecedents’, in which the first helmingr is linked syntactically to the last helmingr of the preceding stanza (st. 14 above). The first word in st. 15, þeim ‘that one’, has as its antecedent the last word in st. 14 (konungdómi ‘kingdom’) (see SnE 2007, 52-3). In TGT the last two lines (ll. 7-8) are given in conjunction with st. 16/1 below to illustrate anadiplosis ‘reduplication’ or ‘linkage of the end of one stanza to the beginning of another’ (ON drǫgur ‘drawings’; see st. 16).
The couplet is attributed to Snorri in both mss of TGT. — The heading is afleiðingum ‘with antecedents’ (U(47r)), but tiltekit ‘linked’ has been added in R (R*). This syntactic variant is otherwise attested only in ESk Geisl 1-2VII (see SnE 2007, 79). — [3]: The line is unmetrical because the syntactic break ought to fall after enn ‘still’ in position 3 and not after position 4. Þann ‘that one’ is unstressed, and it is curious that, in all mss, the word is rendered as a dem. with a cliticised rel. particle (and hence with the syntactic break after enn). It is impossible, however, to obtain a syntactically meaningful reading with a rel. in that position. Skj B emends to þat ‘that’ (‘people still remember that’).
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