Þhorn Lv 1I
Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2012, ‘Þorbjǫrn hornklofi, Lausavísa 1’ 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. 117.
Hildr ‘The Hildr’
(not checked:)
2. Hildr (noun f.): Hildr
kennings
Hildr Hǫrngráts‘The Hildr of Hǫrn’s weeping ’
= WOMAN
Hǫrn’s weeping → GOLD
The Hildr of the GOLD → WOMAN
notes
[1, 2] Hildr Hǫrngráts ‘the Hildr <valkyrie> of Hǫrn’s <= Freyja’s> weeping [GOLD > WOMAN]’: The name Hildr, forming the base-word of a woman-kenning, is certain in Hb, and the unnormalised ‘horn gratz’ is agreed on by two of the three witnesses, although only the first two letters of this proposed cpd are now legible in Hb. (a) If the cpd forms a gold-kenning, the uninflected proper name Hǫrn, rather than gen. sg. Hǫrnar, is unusual but not unparalleled (cf. HSt Rst 8/3 Þundregns ‘rain of Þundr <= Óðinn> [BATTLE]’), and this reading has been adopted by Skald (cf. NN §1025) and followed here. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) keeps Hǫrn gráts as two words, but does not indicate how he construes them. (b) Another possible sense, reading horngráts ‘of the horn-weeping’, might be ‘drink’; cf. TorfE Lv 1/6 of kerstraumi ‘over the cup-stream’. Whichever sense is chosen, the cpd forms part of a woman-kenning. In (a) the reference is to the tears of gold Freyja is supposed to have wept as she searched the world for her husband Óðr (cf. SnE 2005, 29), in (b) to a woman’s conventional role as the pourer of ale or wine at feasts.
of ‘’
(not checked:)
4. of (particle): (before verb)
réð ‘arranged it’
(not checked:)
ráða (verb): advise, rule, interpret, decide
því ‘in such a way’
(not checked:)
því (adv.): therefore, because
[1] þvís heldu (‘þvi er helldv’): ‘þvi […]lldv’ Hb, því er heldu 67aˣ, 67bˣ, HbFms n. p., HbSnE, HbFJ
er ‘’
(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
s ‘that’
(not checked:)
2. er (conj.): who, which, when
[1] þvís heldu (‘þvi er helldv’): ‘þvi […]lldv’ Hb, því er heldu 67aˣ, 67bˣ, HbFms n. p., HbSnE, HbFJ
heldu ‘’
(not checked:)
halda (verb): hold, keep
heldu ‘withheld’
(not checked:)
halda (verb): hold, keep
[1] þvís heldu (‘þvi er helldv’): ‘þvi […]lldv’ Hb, því er heldu 67aˣ, 67bˣ, HbFms n. p., HbSnE, HbFJ
Horn ‘’
Hǫrn ‘of Hǫrn’s’
(not checked:)
2. Hǫrn (noun f.): [Hörn, Hǫrn] < hǫrngrátr (noun m.)
[2] Hǫrngráts: ‘ho[…]’ Hb, ‘horn […]’ HbFms n. p., Horngráts HbSnE, HbFJ
kennings
Hildr Hǫrngráts‘The Hildr of Hǫrn’s weeping ’
= WOMAN
Hǫrn’s weeping → GOLD
The Hildr of the GOLD → WOMAN
notes
[1, 2] Hildr Hǫrngráts ‘the Hildr <valkyrie> of Hǫrn’s <= Freyja’s> weeping [GOLD > WOMAN]’: The name Hildr, forming the base-word of a woman-kenning, is certain in Hb, and the unnormalised ‘horn gratz’ is agreed on by two of the three witnesses, although only the first two letters of this proposed cpd are now legible in Hb. (a) If the cpd forms a gold-kenning, the uninflected proper name Hǫrn, rather than gen. sg. Hǫrnar, is unusual but not unparalleled (cf. HSt Rst 8/3 Þundregns ‘rain of Þundr <= Óðinn> [BATTLE]’), and this reading has been adopted by Skald (cf. NN §1025) and followed here. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) keeps Hǫrn gráts as two words, but does not indicate how he construes them. (b) Another possible sense, reading horngráts ‘of the horn-weeping’, might be ‘drink’; cf. TorfE Lv 1/6 of kerstraumi ‘over the cup-stream’. Whichever sense is chosen, the cpd forms part of a woman-kenning. In (a) the reference is to the tears of gold Freyja is supposed to have wept as she searched the world for her husband Óðr (cf. SnE 2005, 29), in (b) to a woman’s conventional role as the pourer of ale or wine at feasts.
Hǫrn ‘of Hǫrn’s’
(not checked:)
2. Hǫrn (noun f.): [Hörn, Hǫrn] < hǫrngrátr (noun m.)
[2] Hǫrngráts: ‘ho[…]’ Hb, ‘horn […]’ HbFms n. p., Horngráts HbSnE, HbFJ
kennings
Hildr Hǫrngráts‘The Hildr of Hǫrn’s weeping ’
= WOMAN
Hǫrn’s weeping → GOLD
The Hildr of the GOLD → WOMAN
notes
[1, 2] Hildr Hǫrngráts ‘the Hildr <valkyrie> of Hǫrn’s <= Freyja’s> weeping [GOLD > WOMAN]’: The name Hildr, forming the base-word of a woman-kenning, is certain in Hb, and the unnormalised ‘horn gratz’ is agreed on by two of the three witnesses, although only the first two letters of this proposed cpd are now legible in Hb. (a) If the cpd forms a gold-kenning, the uninflected proper name Hǫrn, rather than gen. sg. Hǫrnar, is unusual but not unparalleled (cf. HSt Rst 8/3 Þundregns ‘rain of Þundr <= Óðinn> [BATTLE]’), and this reading has been adopted by Skald (cf. NN §1025) and followed here. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) keeps Hǫrn gráts as two words, but does not indicate how he construes them. (b) Another possible sense, reading horngráts ‘of the horn-weeping’, might be ‘drink’; cf. TorfE Lv 1/6 of kerstraumi ‘over the cup-stream’. Whichever sense is chosen, the cpd forms part of a woman-kenning. In (a) the reference is to the tears of gold Freyja is supposed to have wept as she searched the world for her husband Óðr (cf. SnE 2005, 29), in (b) to a woman’s conventional role as the pourer of ale or wine at feasts.
gráts ‘’
gráts ‘weeping’
(not checked:)
grátr (noun m.): weeping, crying < hǫrngrátr (noun m.)
[2] Hǫrngráts: ‘ho[…]’ Hb, ‘horn […]’ HbFms n. p., Horngráts HbSnE, HbFJ
kennings
Hildr Hǫrngráts‘The Hildr of Hǫrn’s weeping ’
= WOMAN
Hǫrn’s weeping → GOLD
The Hildr of the GOLD → WOMAN
notes
[1, 2] Hildr Hǫrngráts ‘the Hildr <valkyrie> of Hǫrn’s <= Freyja’s> weeping [GOLD > WOMAN]’: The name Hildr, forming the base-word of a woman-kenning, is certain in Hb, and the unnormalised ‘horn gratz’ is agreed on by two of the three witnesses, although only the first two letters of this proposed cpd are now legible in Hb. (a) If the cpd forms a gold-kenning, the uninflected proper name Hǫrn, rather than gen. sg. Hǫrnar, is unusual but not unparalleled (cf. HSt Rst 8/3 Þundregns ‘rain of Þundr <= Óðinn> [BATTLE]’), and this reading has been adopted by Skald (cf. NN §1025) and followed here. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) keeps Hǫrn gráts as two words, but does not indicate how he construes them. (b) Another possible sense, reading horngráts ‘of the horn-weeping’, might be ‘drink’; cf. TorfE Lv 1/6 of kerstraumi ‘over the cup-stream’. Whichever sense is chosen, the cpd forms part of a woman-kenning. In (a) the reference is to the tears of gold Freyja is supposed to have wept as she searched the world for her husband Óðr (cf. SnE 2005, 29), in (b) to a woman’s conventional role as the pourer of ale or wine at feasts.
gráts ‘weeping’
(not checked:)
grátr (noun m.): weeping, crying < hǫrngrátr (noun m.)
[2] Hǫrngráts: ‘ho[…]’ Hb, ‘horn […]’ HbFms n. p., Horngráts HbSnE, HbFJ
kennings
Hildr Hǫrngráts‘The Hildr of Hǫrn’s weeping ’
= WOMAN
Hǫrn’s weeping → GOLD
The Hildr of the GOLD → WOMAN
notes
[1, 2] Hildr Hǫrngráts ‘the Hildr <valkyrie> of Hǫrn’s <= Freyja’s> weeping [GOLD > WOMAN]’: The name Hildr, forming the base-word of a woman-kenning, is certain in Hb, and the unnormalised ‘horn gratz’ is agreed on by two of the three witnesses, although only the first two letters of this proposed cpd are now legible in Hb. (a) If the cpd forms a gold-kenning, the uninflected proper name Hǫrn, rather than gen. sg. Hǫrnar, is unusual but not unparalleled (cf. HSt Rst 8/3 Þundregns ‘rain of Þundr <= Óðinn> [BATTLE]’), and this reading has been adopted by Skald (cf. NN §1025) and followed here. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) keeps Hǫrn gráts as two words, but does not indicate how he construes them. (b) Another possible sense, reading horngráts ‘of the horn-weeping’, might be ‘drink’; cf. TorfE Lv 1/6 of kerstraumi ‘over the cup-stream’. Whichever sense is chosen, the cpd forms part of a woman-kenning. In (a) the reference is to the tears of gold Freyja is supposed to have wept as she searched the world for her husband Óðr (cf. SnE 2005, 29), in (b) to a woman’s conventional role as the pourer of ale or wine at feasts.
finn ‘’
(not checked:)
2. finna (verb): find, meet
fyr ‘’
fyr ‘from’
(not checked:)
fyr (prep.): for, over, because of, etc.
[2] fyr mér *látri: fyr mér hlátri Hb, HbSnE, HbFJ, ‘finn hl[…]t[…]’ HbFms n. p.
mér ‘me’
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
[2] fyr mér *látri: fyr mér hlátri Hb, HbSnE, HbFJ, ‘finn hl[…]t[…]’ HbFms n. p.
hlátri ‘’
(not checked:)
hlátr (noun m.; °hlátrs/hlátrar, dat. hlátri): laughter
*látri ‘a bed’
(not checked:)
látr (noun n.; °; dat. -um): lair
[2] fyr mér *látri: fyr mér hlátri Hb, HbSnE, HbFJ, ‘finn hl[…]t[…]’ HbFms n. p.
notes
[2] *látri ‘a bed’: The word látr usually refers to the bed, lair or litter of an animal, but perhaps is used here ironically of the rough treatment Þorbjǫrn is complaining of. The ms. form is hlátri (dat. sg. of hlátr ‘laughter’), but Skj B, Skald and this edn emend to avoid double alliteration in an even line.
því ‘for that reason’
emk ‘I am’
(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
lystr ‘keen’
(not checked:)
lystr (adj.): eager
[3] lystr at lasta: ‘lystr at la[…]’ Hb, lystr at lasta HbFms n. p., HbSnE, HbFJ
at ‘to’
(not checked:)
5. at (nota): to (with infinitive)
[3] lystr at lasta: ‘lystr at la[…]’ Hb, lystr at lasta HbFms n. p., HbSnE, HbFJ
lasta ‘’
(not checked:)
lasta (verb): blame, deride
lasta ‘criticize’
(not checked:)
lasta (verb): blame, deride
[3] lystr at lasta: ‘lystr at la[…]’ Hb, lystr at lasta HbFms n. p., HbSnE, HbFJ
lestundir ‘’
†lestundir† ‘…’
[4] †lestundir†: ‘[…]d[…]’ Hb, ‘lest[…]d’ HbFms n. p., lestundir HbSnE, HbFJ
notes
[4] †lestundir† ‘…’: The meaning of this cpd is uncertain, LP: lestundir declaring it incomprehensible. The second element is possibly stundir ‘times, hours’. Guðmundur Finnbogason (1928, 225) suggested the first element might have been læ ‘deception, harm, poison’, but this destroys the skothending between les- : þes-. Kock (Skald and NN §1025) emended to lestandar, which he suggested is the inflected pl. of the pres. part. of the verb lesta ‘to injure, damage’ in the sense ‘injurers, damagers’.
fǫr ‘journey’
(not checked:)
fǫr (noun f.): journey, fate; movement
Ok ‘And’
(not checked:)
3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
liðbjúgrar ‘…’
leigrar ‘’
leigrar† ‘’
[5] †leigrar†: ‘[…]’ Hb, leigrar HbFms n. p., HbSnE, HbFJ
lét ‘made’
(not checked:)
láta (verb): let, have sth done
[6] lét æva mik †sævar†: ‘let […]’ Hb, lét æva mik sævar HbFms n. p., HbSnE, HbFJ
æva ‘’
(not checked:)
æva (adv.): (n)ever
æva ‘never’
(not checked:)
æva (adv.): (n)ever
[6] lét æva mik †sævar†: ‘let […]’ Hb, lét æva mik sævar HbFms n. p., HbSnE, HbFJ
mik ‘’
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
mik ‘me’
(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
[6] lét æva mik †sævar†: ‘let […]’ Hb, lét æva mik sævar HbFms n. p., HbSnE, HbFJ
sævar ‘’
(not checked:)
sjór (noun m.): sea
†sævar† ‘…’
(not checked:)
sjór (noun m.): sea
[6] lét æva mik †sævar†: ‘let […]’ Hb, lét æva mik sævar HbFms n. p., HbSnE, HbFJ
ermuness ‘’
eigi ‘’
eigi ‘not’
(not checked:)
3. eigi (adv.): not
[7] eigi mun * við ekkju: ‘[…]’ Hb, ‘ermuness vid ekkju’ HbFms n. p., eigi mun oss við ekkju HbSnE, eigi mun enn við ekkju HbFJ
mun ‘’
mun ‘will’
(not checked:)
munu (verb): will, must
[7] eigi mun * við ekkju: ‘[…]’ Hb, ‘ermuness vid ekkju’ HbFms n. p., eigi mun oss við ekkju HbSnE, eigi mun enn við ekkju HbFJ
enn ‘’
oss ‘’
(not checked:)
vér (pron.; °gen. vár, dat./acc. oss): we, us, our
* ‘’
(not checked:)
(non-lexical)
[7] eigi mun * við ekkju: ‘[…]’ Hb, ‘ermuness vid ekkju’ HbFms n. p., eigi mun oss við ekkju HbSnE, eigi mun enn við ekkju HbFJ
við ‘’
við ‘to the’
(not checked:)
2. við (prep.): with, against
[7] eigi mun * við ekkju: ‘[…]’ Hb, ‘ermuness vid ekkju’ HbFms n. p., eigi mun oss við ekkju HbSnE, eigi mun enn við ekkju HbFJ
ekkju ‘’
ekkju ‘widow’
(not checked:)
1. ekkja (noun f.; °-u; -ur, gen. ekkna): widow, woman
[7] eigi mun * við ekkju: ‘[…]’ Hb, ‘ermuness vid ekkju’ HbFms n. p., eigi mun oss við ekkju HbSnE, eigi mun enn við ekkju HbFJ
aust ‘of the Easterners’
(not checked:)
2. austr (noun n.; °-s): the east < austmaðr (noun m.): easterner
[8] austmanna fǫr sannask: ‘[…]a for s[…]na[…]’ Hb, ‘aust […] f[…]anar’ HbFms n. p., austmanna fǫr sannask HbSnE, HbFJ
notes
[8] fǫr austmanna ‘the journey of the Easterners’: The term austmaðr usually refers to a Norwegian in Icelandic and Orcadian texts (cf. Þfagr Sveinn 8/2II and Note), and is so understood in Þhorn Harkv 9/3 in this volume, where the term occurs in a kenning for Haraldr hárfagri, allvaldr austmanna ‘sovereign of the Norwegians’. Here, however, Þorbjǫrn may be referring to himself and his two companions as Easterners, suggesting their regional affiliation, possibly in contrast to the people of Nordmøre, where the encounter with the widow takes place.
austmanna ‘’
(not checked:)
austmaðr (noun m.; °·manns, dat. ·manni; ·menn): easterner
manna ‘’
(not checked:)
maðr (noun m.): man, person < austmaðr (noun m.): easterner
[8] austmanna fǫr sannask: ‘[…]a for s[…]na[…]’ Hb, ‘aust […] f[…]anar’ HbFms n. p., austmanna fǫr sannask HbSnE, HbFJ
notes
[8] fǫr austmanna ‘the journey of the Easterners’: The term austmaðr usually refers to a Norwegian in Icelandic and Orcadian texts (cf. Þfagr Sveinn 8/2II and Note), and is so understood in Þhorn Harkv 9/3 in this volume, where the term occurs in a kenning for Haraldr hárfagri, allvaldr austmanna ‘sovereign of the Norwegians’. Here, however, Þorbjǫrn may be referring to himself and his two companions as Easterners, suggesting their regional affiliation, possibly in contrast to the people of Nordmøre, where the encounter with the widow takes place.
sannask ‘’
(not checked:)
2. sanna (verb): prove
fǫr ‘the journey’
(not checked:)
fǫr (noun f.): journey, fate; movement
[8] austmanna fǫr sannask: ‘[…]a for s[…]na[…]’ Hb, ‘aust […] f[…]anar’ HbFms n. p., austmanna fǫr sannask HbSnE, HbFJ
notes
[8] fǫr austmanna ‘the journey of the Easterners’: The term austmaðr usually refers to a Norwegian in Icelandic and Orcadian texts (cf. Þfagr Sveinn 8/2II and Note), and is so understood in Þhorn Harkv 9/3 in this volume, where the term occurs in a kenning for Haraldr hárfagri, allvaldr austmanna ‘sovereign of the Norwegians’. Here, however, Þorbjǫrn may be referring to himself and his two companions as Easterners, suggesting their regional affiliation, possibly in contrast to the people of Nordmøre, where the encounter with the widow takes place.
sannask ‘come to pass’
(not checked:)
2. sanna (verb): prove
[8] austmanna fǫr sannask: ‘[…]a for s[…]na[…]’ Hb, ‘aust […] f[…]anar’ HbFms n. p., austmanna fǫr sannask HbSnE, HbFJ
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
For the full context, see Introduction to Auðunn Lv 2. Þorbjǫrn and two other poets, Auðunn illskælda and Ǫlvir hnúfa, have been tricked out of a night’s sexual enjoyment with a handsome widow, and have been forced to spend the night outdoors in a yard surrounded by a paling fence, whose gate has been locked. Each man composes a stanza about his plight.
As with the other two stanzas on fol. 102r of Hb, it is very difficult to read much of the text today, although the first helmingr is better preserved than the second. It is clear from their transcriptions that the C19th eds could read somewhat more of the text, and hence their readings are cited above, but some readings were even then very tentative. Fms 3 only gives the first line. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) did not attempt a close translation but offered the following paraphrase: Kvinden opfordrede til denne færd – derfor vil jeg dadle hende … ‘The woman invited [me] to this journey – therefore I shall blame her …’. — [5-6]: One can only guess at the meaning of these lines. Various emendations have been proposed to make them comprehensible. Sævar ‘of the sea’ (l. 7) has been emended to form an inf. verb, dependent on lét ‘made, caused’. SnE 1848-87, III proposes sævaz ‘to be killed, expire’, while Kock (Skald) has svæfa ‘to lull, calm’. Kock also emended liðbjúgrar leigrar to liðbjúgrar leygi, with the adj. liðbjúgr ‘limb-lithe’ used substantivally of the woman, and leygr ‘fire, flame’, giving the sense in ll. 5-6 ‘and I could never calm the fire [of desire] of the lithe-limbed woman’. — [7]: This line is hypermetrical if the enn ‘still, yet’ of HbFJ (Hb 1892-6) is included.
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