Emily Lethbridge (ed.) 2012, ‘Þorkell Gíslason, Búadrápa 7’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 948.
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gjalla (verb): to scream, shriek; to repay, return, pay for
[1] haukar hræs ‘the hawks of the corpse [RAVENS/EAGLES]’: This is a common pattern of kenning for a bird of battle. The cpd hregghaukar ‘storm-hawks’ in 53, 54, Bb could stand if hregg ‘storm’ is taken, unusually, as a heiti for ‘battle’ (cf. Note to Jǫk Lv 1/3) and the referent thereby as ravens or eagles.
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1. haukr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-; -ar): hawk
[1] haukar hræs ‘the hawks of the corpse [RAVENS/EAGLES]’: This is a common pattern of kenning for a bird of battle. The cpd hregghaukar ‘storm-hawks’ in 53, 54, Bb could stand if hregg ‘storm’ is taken, unusually, as a heiti for ‘battle’ (cf. Note to Jǫk Lv 1/3) and the referent thereby as ravens or eagles.
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hvass (adj.; °-an; -ari, -astr): keen, sharp
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1. ben (noun f.; °-jar, dat. -; -jar , gen. -a(var. EiðKrC 402¹³: AM 77 4° D)): wound < benlaukr (noun m.): [wound-leeks]
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laukr (noun m.; °-s; -ar): leek, mast < benlaukr (noun m.): [wound-leeks]
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skýfa (verb): cut, slash
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lið (noun n.; °-s; -): retinue, troop
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leggr (noun m.; °-jar, dat. -; -ir): limb
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lemja (verb): beat, make lame
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grjót (noun n.): rock, stone
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seggr (noun m.; °; -ir): man
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gnesta (verb): emit crashing sound
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grár (adj.; °gráan/grán): grey
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malmr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): metal
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2. ganga (verb; geng, gekk, gengu, genginn): walk, go
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í (prep.): in, into
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sundr (adv.): (a)sunder
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1. hjalmr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): helmet
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1. haukr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-; -ar): hawk
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
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friðr (noun m.): peace
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1. fjall (noun n.): mountain
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í (prep.): in, into
[8] stǫllum fjǫrnis ‘the supports of the helmet [HEADS]’: See Note to st. 6/4.
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stallr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): seat, stall, support
[8] stǫllum fjǫrnis ‘the supports of the helmet [HEADS]’: See Note to st. 6/4.
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The battle continues. Although the Jómsvíkingar have bigger ships, both sides fight most boldly. A great number of Hákon jarl’s men are struck down by arrows and stones.
[5-8]: An alternative possibility to the construal here is to read l. 5 as a self-contained clause and ll. 7-8 together, with the sense ‘there was no peace for the mountains of the hawk [ARMS] against the supports of the helmet [HEADS]’, i.e. warriors’ arms were busy in action against enemy heads. Ólafur Halldórsson (2000, 80) presents this alternative in his prose order; the other eds cited take l. 5 together with l. 8 as above.
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