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Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Sturl Hrafn 12^II

Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Sturla Þórðarson, Hrafnsmál 12’ 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, p. 737.

Sturla Þórðarson Hrafnsmál

Bauð ‘offered’

(not checked:)
bjóða (verb; °býðr; bauð, buðu; boðinn (buð- Thom¹ 5²n.)): offer, order, invite

inn ‘The’

(not checked:)
2. inn (art.): the

kennings

Inn böðfróði sigrmagnaðr bragna
‘The war-crafty victory-augmenter of men ’
= WARRIOR = Hákon
The war-crafty victory-augmenter of men → WARRIOR = Hákon

böð ‘war’

(not checked:)
bǫð (noun f.; °-s; -): battle < bǫðfróðr (adj.)

[1] böð‑: bók Flat

kennings

Inn böðfróði sigrmagnaðr bragna
‘The war-crafty victory-augmenter of men ’
= WARRIOR = Hákon
The war-crafty victory-augmenter of men → WARRIOR = Hákon

fróði ‘crafty’

(not checked:)
fróðr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): wise < bǫðfróðr (adj.)

kennings

Inn böðfróði sigrmagnaðr bragna
‘The war-crafty victory-augmenter of men ’
= WARRIOR = Hákon
The war-crafty victory-augmenter of men → WARRIOR = Hákon

bragna ‘of men’

(not checked:)
bragnar (noun m.): men, warriors

kennings

Inn böðfróði sigrmagnaðr bragna
‘The war-crafty victory-augmenter of men ’
= WARRIOR = Hákon
The war-crafty victory-augmenter of men → WARRIOR = Hákon

sigr ‘victory’

(not checked:)
sigr (noun m.; °sigrs/sigrar, dat. sigri; sigrar): victory < sigrmǫgnuðr (noun m.)

[2] sigr‑: sig‑ 304ˣ

kennings

Inn böðfróði sigrmagnaðr bragna
‘The war-crafty victory-augmenter of men ’
= WARRIOR = Hákon
The war-crafty victory-augmenter of men → WARRIOR = Hákon

magnaðr ‘augmenter’

(not checked:)
mǫgnuðr (noun m.): increaser < sigrmǫgnuðr (noun m.)

[2] ‑magnaðr: magna Flat

kennings

Inn böðfróði sigrmagnaðr bragna
‘The war-crafty victory-augmenter of men ’
= WARRIOR = Hákon
The war-crafty victory-augmenter of men → WARRIOR = Hákon

austan ‘from the east’

(not checked:)
austan (adv.): from the east

orrostu ‘battle’

(not checked:)
orrusta (noun f.; °-u; -ur): battle

optar ‘often’

(not checked:)
opt (adv.): often

[4] optar: odda 304ˣ, optaz Flat

notes

[4] optar (comp.) ‘often’: Lit. ‘more often’.

spjót ‘to the spear’

(not checked:)
spjót (noun n.; °-s; -): spear < spjóthroptr (noun m.)

kennings

spjót-Hroptum
‘to the spear-Hroptar. ’
= WARRIORS
to the spear-Hroptar. → WARRIORS

notes

[4] spjót-Hroptum ‘to the spear-Hroptar <= Óðinns> [WARRIORS]’: So NN §109. The emendation is conjectural. The reading of F, spjótskoptar ‘spear-forelocks’ makes no sense in the context. Flat has ‘sko᷎ptum’, i.e. sköptum ‘shafts’ which could be construed as a dat. instr. ‘with the spear-shafts’. However, the internal rhyme (aðalhending) requires the stressed syllable -opt- (not -öpt-). Hroptr is a heiti for ‘Óðinn’. Odda spjótbroddum ‘with the spear-points of the points’ (so 304ˣ) cannot be construed in any meaningful way.

Hroptum ‘Hroptar’

(not checked:)
Hroptr (noun m.): [Hroptr, Hroptar] < spjóthroptr (noun m.)

[4] Hroptum: skoptum F, broddum 304ˣ, ‘sko᷎ptum’ Flat

kennings

spjót-Hroptum
‘to the spear-Hroptar. ’
= WARRIORS
to the spear-Hroptar. → WARRIORS

notes

[4] spjót-Hroptum ‘to the spear-Hroptar <= Óðinns> [WARRIORS]’: So NN §109. The emendation is conjectural. The reading of F, spjótskoptar ‘spear-forelocks’ makes no sense in the context. Flat has ‘sko᷎ptum’, i.e. sköptum ‘shafts’ which could be construed as a dat. instr. ‘with the spear-shafts’. However, the internal rhyme (aðalhending) requires the stressed syllable -opt- (not -öpt-). Hroptr is a heiti for ‘Óðinn’. Odda spjótbroddum ‘with the spear-points of the points’ (so 304ˣ) cannot be construed in any meaningful way.

Þorðut ‘did not dare’

(not checked:)
þora (verb): dare

þrek ‘the powerful’

(not checked:)
þrekr (noun m.): powerful < þrekstœrðr (adj.)

kennings

þrekstærðan útverja bjórs blikrýri.
‘flash-diminisher of the beer of fishing-stations’
= GENEROUS MAN
the beer of fishing-stations. → SEA
the flash of the SEA → GOLD
the powerful diminisher of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[5] þrekstærðan ‘powerful’: Lit. ‘power-increased’. Þrekstirðan ‘power-firm’ (so Flat) is also possible.

stærðan ‘’

(not checked:)
stœra (verb): increase, strengthen < þrekstœrðr (adj.)

[5] ‑stærðan: ‘stordann’ 304ˣ, stirðan Flat

kennings

þrekstærðan útverja bjórs blikrýri.
‘flash-diminisher of the beer of fishing-stations’
= GENEROUS MAN
the beer of fishing-stations. → SEA
the flash of the SEA → GOLD
the powerful diminisher of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[5] þrekstærðan ‘powerful’: Lit. ‘power-increased’. Þrekstirðan ‘power-firm’ (so Flat) is also possible.

þegnar ‘warriors’

(not checked:)
þegn (noun m.; °dat. -/-i; -ar): thane, man, franklin

ó ‘The un’

(not checked:)
ó- ((prefix)): un- < ófeginn (adj./verb p.p.): [unhappy]

fegnir ‘happy’

(not checked:)
2. feginn (adj.; °compar. fegnari, superl. fegnastr): glad, happy < ófeginn (adj./verb p.p.): [unhappy]

[6] ‑fegnir: ‑gegnir 304ˣ

bjórs ‘of the beer’

(not checked:)
1. bjórr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -): beer

kennings

þrekstærðan útverja bjórs blikrýri.
‘flash-diminisher of the beer of fishing-stations’
= GENEROUS MAN
the beer of fishing-stations. → SEA
the flash of the SEA → GOLD
the powerful diminisher of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

bjórs ‘of the beer’

(not checked:)
1. bjórr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -): beer

kennings

þrekstærðan útverja bjórs blikrýri.
‘flash-diminisher of the beer of fishing-stations’
= GENEROUS MAN
the beer of fishing-stations. → SEA
the flash of the SEA → GOLD
the powerful diminisher of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

bjórs ‘of the beer’

(not checked:)
1. bjórr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -): beer

kennings

þrekstærðan útverja bjórs blikrýri.
‘flash-diminisher of the beer of fishing-stations’
= GENEROUS MAN
the beer of fishing-stations. → SEA
the flash of the SEA → GOLD
the powerful diminisher of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

við ‘against’

(not checked:)
2. við (prep.): with, against

blik ‘of the flash’

(not checked:)
blik (noun n.): gleam < blikrýrir (noun m.)

kennings

þrekstærðan útverja bjórs blikrýri.
‘flash-diminisher of the beer of fishing-stations’
= GENEROUS MAN
the beer of fishing-stations. → SEA
the flash of the SEA → GOLD
the powerful diminisher of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[7] blikrýri ‘flash-diminisher’: Blikstýri ‘flash-controller’ (so Flat) is an equally good reading.

blik ‘of the flash’

(not checked:)
blik (noun n.): gleam < blikrýrir (noun m.)

kennings

þrekstærðan útverja bjórs blikrýri.
‘flash-diminisher of the beer of fishing-stations’
= GENEROUS MAN
the beer of fishing-stations. → SEA
the flash of the SEA → GOLD
the powerful diminisher of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[7] blikrýri ‘flash-diminisher’: Blikstýri ‘flash-controller’ (so Flat) is an equally good reading.

rýri ‘diminisher’

(not checked:)
rýrir (noun m.): diminsher, destroyer < blikrýrir (noun m.)

[7] ‑rýri: stýri Flat

kennings

þrekstærðan útverja bjórs blikrýri.
‘flash-diminisher of the beer of fishing-stations’
= GENEROUS MAN
the beer of fishing-stations. → SEA
the flash of the SEA → GOLD
the powerful diminisher of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

notes

[7] blikrýri ‘flash-diminisher’: Blikstýri ‘flash-controller’ (so Flat) is an equally good reading.

berjaz ‘to fight’

(not checked:)
2. berja (verb; °barði; barðr/bariðr/barinn): fight

útverja ‘of fishing-stations’

(not checked:)
útver (noun n.): [fishing-stations]

kennings

þrekstærðan útverja bjórs blikrýri.
‘flash-diminisher of the beer of fishing-stations’
= GENEROUS MAN
the beer of fishing-stations. → SEA
the flash of the SEA → GOLD
the powerful diminisher of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

útverja ‘of fishing-stations’

(not checked:)
útver (noun n.): [fishing-stations]

kennings

þrekstærðan útverja bjórs blikrýri.
‘flash-diminisher of the beer of fishing-stations’
= GENEROUS MAN
the beer of fishing-stations. → SEA
the flash of the SEA → GOLD
the powerful diminisher of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

útverja ‘of fishing-stations’

(not checked:)
útver (noun n.): [fishing-stations]

kennings

þrekstærðan útverja bjórs blikrýri.
‘flash-diminisher of the beer of fishing-stations’
= GENEROUS MAN
the beer of fishing-stations. → SEA
the flash of the SEA → GOLD
the powerful diminisher of the GOLD → GENEROUS MAN

Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses

verse
prose

Hákon wanted to reach an agreement with the Scottish king Alexander (III), and sent Kolbeinn, one of his retainers, to the Scottish court as an envoy. Hákon suggested that the two kings should meet with their armies and settle their dispute either by peaceful means or by battle. Alexander was slow to respond.

Alexander III (r. 1241-86) stalled the negotiations with the Norwegians intentionally in anticipation of the autumn storms which would put the Norw. fleet at a disadvantage.

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