Sturl Hrafn 6II
Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Sturla Þórðarson, Hrafnsmál 6’ 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, pp. 732-3.
Fyst ‘First’
(not checked:)
fyrstr (num. ordinal): first
notes
[1] fyst ‘first’: Earlier fyrst. An early example of assimilation rs > ss (see ANG §272.3). See also Sturl Hákfl 8/3 below.
tók ‘took’
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2. taka (verb): take
fjör ‘who ransomed’
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fjǫr (noun n.): life < fjǫrleystr (adj.)
notes
[1] fjörleystum ‘who ransomed their lives’: Lit. ‘life-ransomed’. Hap. leg.
leystum ‘ their lives’
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leysa (verb): release, loosen, redeem < fjǫrleystr (adj.)
[1] ‑leystum: ‑lestir Flat
notes
[1] fjörleystum ‘who ransomed their lives’: Lit. ‘life-ransomed’. Hap. leg.
fróðr ‘the wise’
(not checked:)
fróðr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): wise
kennings
fróðr gætir norðsætra,‘the wise protector of the northern settlements, ’
= NORWEGIAN KING = Hákon
the wise protector of the northern settlements, → NORWEGIAN KING = Hákon
af ‘from’
(not checked:)
af (prep.): from
Nesþjóðum ‘the Ness-people’
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nesþjóð (noun f.): [Ness-people]
notes
[2] Nesþjóðum ‘the Ness-people’: I.e. the people of Caithness, Scotland.
inn ‘the one’
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2. inn (art.): the
griðmildi ‘generous with peace’
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griðmildr (adj.): generous with peace
gætir ‘protector’
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gætir (noun m.): guardian
kennings
fróðr gætir norðsætra,‘the wise protector of the northern settlements, ’
= NORWEGIAN KING = Hákon
the wise protector of the northern settlements, → NORWEGIAN KING = Hákon
norð ‘of the northern’
(not checked:)
norð- ((prefix)): northern, Norwegian < norðsætr (noun n.)
[4] norð‑: vegs Flat
kennings
fróðr gætir norðsætra,‘the wise protector of the northern settlements, ’
= NORWEGIAN KING = Hákon
the wise protector of the northern settlements, → NORWEGIAN KING = Hákon
notes
[4] norðsætra ‘of the northern settlements’: Hap. leg. (but see Sveinn NorðdrIII). Cf. hafsætrum ‘in the sea-settlements’ in st. 11/3 below. The northern settlements refer to Hákon’s dominions (Norway, Iceland, Greenland). See also Sturl Hryn 20.
sætra ‘settlements’
(not checked:)
sætr (noun n.; °-s; -): [seat, settlements] < norðsætr (noun n.)
kennings
fróðr gætir norðsætra,‘the wise protector of the northern settlements, ’
= NORWEGIAN KING = Hákon
the wise protector of the northern settlements, → NORWEGIAN KING = Hákon
notes
[4] norðsætra ‘of the northern settlements’: Hap. leg. (but see Sveinn NorðdrIII). Cf. hafsætrum ‘in the sea-settlements’ in st. 11/3 below. The northern settlements refer to Hákon’s dominions (Norway, Iceland, Greenland). See also Sturl Hryn 20.
Öll ‘All’
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allr (adj.): all
var ‘were’
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
ógnfallin ‘terror-struck’
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ógnfallinn (adj./verb p.p.): [terror-struck]
notes
[5] ógnfallin ‘terror-struck’: Hap. leg.
öld ‘men’
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ǫld (noun f.; °; aldir): people, age
stór ‘the supreme’
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stórr (adj.): large, great < stórvald (noun n.)
notes
[6] stórvöldum ‘by the supreme power’: Lit. ‘by the great powers’. Hap. leg. The translation is conjectural. Konráð Gíslason (1895-7, I, 95) suggests den store magt ‘the great power’ and Skj B gives for den store magt (el. ved den store skyld, de selv havde begåt?) ‘by the great power (or by the great offence they themselves had committed?)’. LP: stórvald has megen magt, overmagt ‘much power, superior force’ with the option megen skyld ‘much guilt, blame’, and Kock (NN §108) provides the translation brott ‘crime’. According to the prose texts Hákon gave the people of Caithness the choice between friðr ‘peace’ or afarkostir ‘harsh conditions, retributions’.
völdum ‘power’
(not checked:)
vald (noun n.; °-s; *-): strength, power < stórvald (noun n.)
[6] ‑völdum: so Flat, veldum F
notes
[6] stórvöldum ‘by the supreme power’: Lit. ‘by the great powers’. Hap. leg. The translation is conjectural. Konráð Gíslason (1895-7, I, 95) suggests den store magt ‘the great power’ and Skj B gives for den store magt (el. ved den store skyld, de selv havde begåt?) ‘by the great power (or by the great offence they themselves had committed?)’. LP: stórvald has megen magt, overmagt ‘much power, superior force’ with the option megen skyld ‘much guilt, blame’, and Kock (NN §108) provides the translation brott ‘crime’. According to the prose texts Hákon gave the people of Caithness the choice between friðr ‘peace’ or afarkostir ‘harsh conditions, retributions’.
hrædd ‘afraid’
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1. hræddr (adj.): afraid
við ‘of’
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2. við (prep.): with, against
herklæddan ‘the war-clad’
(not checked:)
herklæða (verb): [war-clad]
kennings
herklæddan herði böðgerðar.‘the war-clad strengthener of battle. ’
= WARRIOR
the war-clad strengthener of battle. → WARRIOR
herði ‘strengthener’
(not checked:)
herðir (noun m.): sword
kennings
herklæddan herði böðgerðar.‘the war-clad strengthener of battle. ’
= WARRIOR
the war-clad strengthener of battle. → WARRIOR
böðgerðar ‘of battle’
(not checked:)
bǫðgerð (noun f.): [battle]
kennings
herklæddan herði böðgerðar.‘the war-clad strengthener of battle. ’
= WARRIOR
the war-clad strengthener of battle. → WARRIOR
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Hákon sailed from Shetland to Ronaldsay in Orkney, and in early August he sent men to Caithness in Scotland to exact payments from the people there. In return he promised them peace and protection.
[5-8]: The w. o. of the second helmingr follows that of NN §2291. Skj B construes ǫll ǫld var, hrædd af stórvǫldum, ógnfallin við herklæddan… ‘all people were, frightened by the supreme power, terror-struck by the war-clad…’ .
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