SnSt Ht 17III
Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2017, ‘Snorri Sturluson, Háttatal 17’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 1121.
Síks ‘of the brook’
(not checked:)
sík (noun n.; °-s; -): fish, ?channel
kennings
Sœkir glóðar síks‘The attacker of the ember of the brook ’
= GENEROUS MAN = Hákon
the ember of the brook → GOLD
The attacker of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN = Hákon
Síks ‘of the brook’
(not checked:)
sík (noun n.; °-s; -): fish, ?channel
kennings
Sœkir glóðar síks‘The attacker of the ember of the brook ’
= GENEROUS MAN = Hákon
the ember of the brook → GOLD
The attacker of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN = Hákon
glóðar ‘of the ember’
(not checked:)
glóð (noun f.): ember
kennings
Sœkir glóðar síks‘The attacker of the ember of the brook ’
= GENEROUS MAN = Hákon
the ember of the brook → GOLD
The attacker of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN = Hákon
glóðar ‘of the ember’
(not checked:)
glóð (noun f.): ember
kennings
Sœkir glóðar síks‘The attacker of the ember of the brook ’
= GENEROUS MAN = Hákon
the ember of the brook → GOLD
The attacker of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN = Hákon
verr ‘defends’
(not checked:)
3. verja (verb): defend
sœkir ‘The attacker’
(not checked:)
sœkir (noun m.): attacker
kennings
Sœkir glóðar síks‘The attacker of the ember of the brook ’
= GENEROUS MAN = Hákon
the ember of the brook → GOLD
The attacker of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN = Hákon
slétt ‘smoothed’
(not checked:)
sléttr (adj.): level, smooth
notes
[2] skarð jarðar slétt hafi ‘the clefts of the earth [FJORDS], smoothed by the ocean’: Skarð ‘cleft’ is taken as a collective here, based on the prose commentary (SnE 2007, 12): þat eru Firðir, svá heitir fylki í Nóregi ‘those are Fjordane, that is the name of a district in Norway’. The district is Fjordane (ON Firðir ‘the Fjords’), now a part of modern Sogn og Fjordane, located on the western coast of Norway. Konráð Gíslason (1895-7) retained the sg. meaning. He suggested that skarð jarðar ‘the cleft of the earth’ referred to Viken, the areas around Oslofjorden, and that the stanza celebrated Hákon’s victory over the Ribbungar at the battles of Værne and Oslo in 1221 (see Sturl Hákkv 6II and Sturl Hákfl 1-2II).
skarð ‘the clefts’
(not checked:)
skarð (noun n.; °-s; *-): [clefts, a notch]
kennings
skarð jarðar‘the clefts of the earth, ’
= FJORDS
the clefts of the earth, → FJORDS
notes
[2] skarð jarðar slétt hafi ‘the clefts of the earth [FJORDS], smoothed by the ocean’: Skarð ‘cleft’ is taken as a collective here, based on the prose commentary (SnE 2007, 12): þat eru Firðir, svá heitir fylki í Nóregi ‘those are Fjordane, that is the name of a district in Norway’. The district is Fjordane (ON Firðir ‘the Fjords’), now a part of modern Sogn og Fjordane, located on the western coast of Norway. Konráð Gíslason (1895-7) retained the sg. meaning. He suggested that skarð jarðar ‘the cleft of the earth’ referred to Viken, the areas around Oslofjorden, and that the stanza celebrated Hákon’s victory over the Ribbungar at the battles of Værne and Oslo in 1221 (see Sturl Hákkv 6II and Sturl Hákfl 1-2II).
notes
[2] skarð jarðar slétt hafi ‘the clefts of the earth [FJORDS], smoothed by the ocean’: Skarð ‘cleft’ is taken as a collective here, based on the prose commentary (SnE 2007, 12): þat eru Firðir, svá heitir fylki í Nóregi ‘those are Fjordane, that is the name of a district in Norway’. The district is Fjordane (ON Firðir ‘the Fjords’), now a part of modern Sogn og Fjordane, located on the western coast of Norway. Konráð Gíslason (1895-7) retained the sg. meaning. He suggested that skarð jarðar ‘the cleft of the earth’ referred to Viken, the areas around Oslofjorden, and that the stanza celebrated Hákon’s victory over the Ribbungar at the battles of Værne and Oslo in 1221 (see Sturl Hákkv 6II and Sturl Hákfl 1-2II).
jarðar ‘of the earth’
(not checked:)
jǫrð (noun f.; °jarðar, dat. -u; jarðir/jarðar(DN I (1367) 304)): ground, earth
kennings
skarð jarðar‘the clefts of the earth, ’
= FJORDS
the clefts of the earth, → FJORDS
notes
[2] skarð jarðar slétt hafi ‘the clefts of the earth [FJORDS], smoothed by the ocean’: Skarð ‘cleft’ is taken as a collective here, based on the prose commentary (SnE 2007, 12): þat eru Firðir, svá heitir fylki í Nóregi ‘those are Fjordane, that is the name of a district in Norway’. The district is Fjordane (ON Firðir ‘the Fjords’), now a part of modern Sogn og Fjordane, located on the western coast of Norway. Konráð Gíslason (1895-7) retained the sg. meaning. He suggested that skarð jarðar ‘the cleft of the earth’ referred to Viken, the areas around Oslofjorden, and that the stanza celebrated Hákon’s victory over the Ribbungar at the battles of Værne and Oslo in 1221 (see Sturl Hákkv 6II and Sturl Hákfl 1-2II).
hlíf ‘of defence’
(not checked:)
hlíf (noun f.; °-ar; -ar): shield, defence < hlífgrandi (noun m.)
kennings
hlífgranda.‘of defence-damagers. ’
= WEAPONS
defence-damagers. → WEAPONS
notes
[3] hlífgranda ‘of defence-damagers [WEAPONS]’: In R originally written as two separate words but later joined by a hyphen (R*).
granda ‘damagers’
(not checked:)
grandi (noun m.): [damagers] < hlífgrandi (noun m.)
kennings
hlífgranda.‘of defence-damagers. ’
= WEAPONS
defence-damagers. → WEAPONS
notes
[3] hlífgranda ‘of defence-damagers [WEAPONS]’: In R originally written as two separate words but later joined by a hyphen (R*).
rekr ‘drives away’
(not checked:)
2. reka (verb): drive, force
notes
[3] rekr ‘drives away’: The verb reka is taken in the meaning ‘drive away sth. so that it is no longer present’ (see Fritzner: reka 4).
hendir ‘the distributor’
(not checked:)
hendir (noun m.): [distributor]
kennings
hendir loga ǫldu‘the distributor of the flame of the wave ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the flame of the wave → GOLD
the distributor of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
heit ‘threat’
(not checked:)
heit (noun n.; °; -): promise
kǫld ‘the cold’
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kaldr (adj.; °compar. -ari): cold
loga ‘of the flame’
(not checked:)
logi (noun m.; °-a; -ar): flame
kennings
hendir loga ǫldu‘the distributor of the flame of the wave ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the flame of the wave → GOLD
the distributor of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
loga ‘of the flame’
(not checked:)
logi (noun m.; °-a; -ar): flame
kennings
hendir loga ǫldu‘the distributor of the flame of the wave ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the flame of the wave → GOLD
the distributor of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
ǫldu ‘of the wave’
(not checked:)
alda (noun f.; °; *-ur): wave
kennings
hendir loga ǫldu‘the distributor of the flame of the wave ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the flame of the wave → GOLD
the distributor of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
ǫldu ‘of the wave’
(not checked:)
alda (noun f.; °; *-ur): wave
kennings
hendir loga ǫldu‘the distributor of the flame of the wave ’
= GENEROUS MAN
the flame of the wave → GOLD
the distributor of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN
Fljótt ‘quickly’
(not checked:)
2. fljótr (adj.): quick
válkat ‘pondered’
(not checked:)
2. valka (verb): [pondered]
kennings
válkat friðlæ;‘pondered peace-destruction; ’
= BATTLE
pondered peace-destruction; → BATTLE
notes
[5] válkat ‘pondered’: This is the p. p. of the weak verb válka ‘move to and fro, wallow, think about sth., ponder’.
skilr ‘understands’
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1. skilja (verb): separate, understand
fylkir ‘leader’
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fylkir (noun m.): leader
frið ‘peace’
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friðr (noun m.): peace < friðlæ (noun n.)
kennings
válkat friðlæ;‘pondered peace-destruction; ’
= BATTLE
pondered peace-destruction; → BATTLE
læ ‘destruction’
(not checked:)
læ (noun n.): deceit, treachery < friðlæ (noun n.)
kennings
válkat friðlæ;‘pondered peace-destruction; ’
= BATTLE
pondered peace-destruction; → BATTLE
rǫðuls ‘of the sun’
(not checked:)
rǫðull (noun m.; °dat. rǫðli): heavenly body
[6] rǫðuls: so U, rǫðul all others
kennings
frǫmum meiðum rǫðuls sævar.‘for outstanding trees of the sun of the sea. ’
= GENEROUS MEN
the sun of the sea. → GOLD
for outstanding trees of the GOLD → GENEROUS MEN
rǫðuls ‘of the sun’
(not checked:)
rǫðull (noun m.; °dat. rǫðli): heavenly body
[6] rǫðuls: so U, rǫðul all others
kennings
frǫmum meiðum rǫðuls sævar.‘for outstanding trees of the sun of the sea. ’
= GENEROUS MEN
the sun of the sea. → GOLD
for outstanding trees of the GOLD → GENEROUS MEN
sævar ‘of the sea’
(not checked:)
sjór (noun m.): sea
kennings
frǫmum meiðum rǫðuls sævar.‘for outstanding trees of the sun of the sea. ’
= GENEROUS MEN
the sun of the sea. → GOLD
for outstanding trees of the GOLD → GENEROUS MEN
sævar ‘of the sea’
(not checked:)
sjór (noun m.): sea
kennings
frǫmum meiðum rǫðuls sævar.‘for outstanding trees of the sun of the sea. ’
= GENEROUS MEN
the sun of the sea. → GOLD
for outstanding trees of the GOLD → GENEROUS MEN
ránsið ‘to the practice of plundering’
(not checked:)
ránsiðr (noun m.): practice of plundering
ræsir ‘ruler’
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ræsir (noun m.): ruler
stǫðvar ‘puts an end’
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2. steðja (verb): stop, place
reiðr ‘The angry’
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4. reiðr (adj.; °superl. -astr): angry
notes
[8] reiðr; glaðr ‘angry; merry’: Konráð Gíslason (1895-7) and Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) construe these adjectives with ræsir ‘ruler’ (l. 7) and fylkir ‘leader’ (l. 5), which creates an awkward tripartite line (l. 8).
glaðr ‘the cheerful’
(not checked:)
2. glaðr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): cheerful, glad
notes
[8] reiðr; glaðr ‘angry; merry’: Konráð Gíslason (1895-7) and Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) construe these adjectives with ræsir ‘ruler’ (l. 7) and fylkir ‘leader’ (l. 5), which creates an awkward tripartite line (l. 8).
frǫmum ‘for outstanding’
(not checked:)
framr (adj.; °compar. framari/fremri, superl. framastr/fremstr): outstanding, foremost
kennings
frǫmum meiðum rǫðuls sævar.‘for outstanding trees of the sun of the sea. ’
= GENEROUS MEN
the sun of the sea. → GOLD
for outstanding trees of the GOLD → GENEROUS MEN
meiðum ‘trees’
(not checked:)
meiðr (noun m.): beam, tree
kennings
frǫmum meiðum rǫðuls sævar.‘for outstanding trees of the sun of the sea. ’
= GENEROUS MEN
the sun of the sea. → GOLD
for outstanding trees of the GOLD → GENEROUS MEN
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
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Síks glóðar verr sœkir |
The attacker of the ember of the brook [GOLD > GENEROUS MAN = Hákon] defends the clefts of the earth [FJORDS], smoothed by the ocean; the distributor of the flame of the wave [GOLD > GENEROUS MAN] drives away the cold threat of defence-damagers [WEAPONS]. The angry leader quickly understands pondered peace-destruction [BATTLE]; the cheerful ruler puts an end to the practice of plundering for outstanding trees of the sun of the sea [GOLD > GENEROUS MEN].
The structural peculiarity that characterises this stanza is refhvǫrf ‘fox-turns, fox-tricks’, that is, antitheses. Two pairs of words with opposite meaning are juxtaposed at the onset and at the end of each line. The antitheses often depend on puns, i.e. homonyms having a different sense and grammar for the purposes of the antitheses than the ones they have in the poetic context (see also sts 19-23 below). The stanza is paraphrased and explained in the accompanying prose, which calls the variant in mestu refhvǫrf ‘the greatest fox-turns’.
The headings are refhvǫrf x. háttr ‘fox-turns, the tenth verse-form’ (Tˣ) and refhvǫrf (U(47r)). For this variant, see also refrún ‘fox-secret’, RvHbreiðm Hl 39-40, 55-6, 69-70. Snorri apparently did not conceive of this metrical variant in the same way as the poets of Hl (see Notes to RvHbreiðm Hl 39 [All] and 55 [All]). — The words that constitute the antitheses are the following: síks (n. gen. sg.) ‘brook’ : glóðar (f. gen. sg.) ‘ember’; verr ‘defends’ : sœkir ‘attacks’ (taken as 3rd pers. sg. pres. indic. of sœkja ‘attack’ rather than as the noun sœkir ‘attacker’) (l. 1); slétt (n. acc. sg.) ‘smoothed’ : skarð ‘cleft’ (n. acc. sg.; taken as an adj. rather than as a noun); hafi (n. dat. sg.) ‘ocean’ : jarðar (f. gen. sg.) ‘earth’ (l. 2); hlíf- ‘protect’ (taken as imp. sg. of hlífa ‘protect’ rather than as the first element of the cpd hlífgranda ‘of defence-damagers’) : ‑granda ‘damage’ (taken as imp. sg. of granda ‘damage’ rather than as the second element of the previous cpd); rekr ‘drives away’ : hendir ‘catches’ (taken as 3rd pers. sg. pres. indic. of henda ‘catch’ rather than as the agent noun hendir ‘distributor’) (l. 3); heit ‘hot’ (taken as an adj. rather than as the noun heit ‘threat’) : kǫld ‘cold’; loga (m. gen. sg.) ‘flame’ : ǫldu (f. gen. sg.) ‘wave’ (l. 4); fljótt ‘quickly’ : válkat ‘pondered’; skilr ‘divides’ : fylkir ‘marshals’ (taken as 3rd pers. sg. pres. indic. of fylkja ‘marshal’ rather than as the agent noun fylkir ‘leader’) (l. 5); frið ‘peace’ : læ ‘destruction’; rǫðuls (m. gen. sg.) ‘sun’ : sævar (m. gen. sg.) ‘sea’ (l. 6); rán ‘plundering’ : sið ‘accepted practice’; ræsir ‘puts in motion’ (taken as 3rd pers. sg. pres. indic. of ræsa ‘put in motion’ rather than as the agent noun ræsir ‘ruler’) : stǫðvar ‘puts an end to’ (l. 7); reiðr ‘angry’ : glaðr ‘merry’; frǫmum ‘(we) advance’ (taken as 1st pers. pl. pres. indic. of fremja ‘advance’ rather than as the adj. frǫmum m. dat. pl. ‘outstanding’) : meiðum ‘(we) damage’ (taken as 1st pers. pl. pres. indic. of meiða ‘damage’ rather than as the noun meiðum m. dat. pl. ‘trees’) (l. 8).
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