Anon Líkn 15VII
George S. Tate (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Líknarbraut 15’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 246.
Þoldi ‘endured’
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þola (verb): suffer, endure
hals ‘neck’
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hals (noun m.; °hals, dat. -i; -ar): neck < halshǫgg (noun n.)
högg ‘blows’
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hǫgg (noun n.; °-s, dat. hǫggvi/hǫggi; -): blow < halshǫgg (noun n.)
hölda ‘of men’
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hǫlðr (noun m.; °-s; -ar): man
kennings
Hildingr hölda‘The king of men ’
= RULER = Christ
The king of men → RULER = Christ
hildingr ‘The king’
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hildingr (noun m.; °; -ar): king, ruler
kennings
Hildingr hölda‘The king of men ’
= RULER = Christ
The king of men → RULER = Christ
notes
[2] hildingr ‘king [lit. warrior (< hildr ‘battle, din’)]’: The usage is ironic in its pathos; the ‘warrior-king’ passively endures disgrace and torment.
með ‘along with’
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með (prep.): with
spýtingum ‘spittings’
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spýting (noun f.; °; -ar): [spittings]
vörðr ‘guardian’
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vǫrðr (noun m.; °varðar, dat. verði/vǫrð; verðir, acc. vǫrðu): guardian, defender
kennings
fróns vörðr‘earth’s guardian ’
= RULER = Christ
earth’s guardian → RULER = Christ
notes
[3] fróns vörðr ‘earth’s guardian [RULER = Christ]’: Elsewhere kennings employing vörðr ‘guardian’ as base-word and some form of ‘land’ or ‘earth’ as determinant (e.g. vörðr foldar ‘guardian of the earth’, vörðr grundar ‘guardian of the plain’, landvörðr ‘land-guardian’, láðvörðr ‘land-guardian’) refer only to earthly kings. On the need for context to determine whether such a kenning refers to Christ or an earthly king, see Snorri Sturluson’s discussion in Skm (SnE 1998 1, 78). Typically when vörðr is used in a God-kenning it is combined with ‘heaven’ or a heaven-kenning, as in Geisl 19/3, Leið 10/1, Has 30/4. The poet uses the latter in 29/3-4 (vörðr sólar slóðar ‘guardian of the sun’s track [SKY/HEAVEN > = God]’). The poet’s choice of two kennings for ruler in this st. is probably intended to point up a contrast between the true status of Christ and his humiliation during the Flagellation. His humanity is underscored by the omission of kenning ornament in the second helmingr and by the repetition of the plain pron. hann, which is, however, unmetrical in l. 7. Stylistically the helmingr, like Christ at the Flagellation, is ‘bare’.
hlaut ‘received’
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hljóta (verb): alot, gain
fróns ‘earth’s’
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2. frón (noun n.): earth, land
kennings
fróns vörðr‘earth’s guardian ’
= RULER = Christ
earth’s guardian → RULER = Christ
notes
[3] fróns vörðr ‘earth’s guardian [RULER = Christ]’: Elsewhere kennings employing vörðr ‘guardian’ as base-word and some form of ‘land’ or ‘earth’ as determinant (e.g. vörðr foldar ‘guardian of the earth’, vörðr grundar ‘guardian of the plain’, landvörðr ‘land-guardian’, láðvörðr ‘land-guardian’) refer only to earthly kings. On the need for context to determine whether such a kenning refers to Christ or an earthly king, see Snorri Sturluson’s discussion in Skm (SnE 1998 1, 78). Typically when vörðr is used in a God-kenning it is combined with ‘heaven’ or a heaven-kenning, as in Geisl 19/3, Leið 10/1, Has 30/4. The poet uses the latter in 29/3-4 (vörðr sólar slóðar ‘guardian of the sun’s track [SKY/HEAVEN > = God]’). The poet’s choice of two kennings for ruler in this st. is probably intended to point up a contrast between the true status of Christ and his humiliation during the Flagellation. His humanity is underscored by the omission of kenning ornament in the second helmingr and by the repetition of the plain pron. hann, which is, however, unmetrical in l. 7. Stylistically the helmingr, like Christ at the Flagellation, is ‘bare’.
af ‘from’
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af (prep.): from
fyrðum ‘men’
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2. fyrðr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -): man
flest ‘extreme’
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fleiri (adj. comp.; °superl. flestr): more, most
skaup ‘mockery’
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2. skaup (noun n.): mockery
ok ‘and’
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
kinn ‘’
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kinn (noun f.; °dat. -/-u; kinnr/kiðr): cheek < kinnhestr (noun m.)
hesta ‘slaps’
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hestr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): horse, stallion < kinnhestr (noun m.)
Hann ‘He’
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
bar ‘bore’
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3. bera (verb; °berr; bar, báru; borinn): bear, carry
hneyxl ‘disgrace’
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hneyksl (noun n.): [disgrace]
af ‘from’
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af (prep.): from
mönnum ‘men’
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maðr (noun m.): man, person
hverja ‘in every’
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2. hverr (pron.): who, whom, each, every
lund ‘way’
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lund (noun f.; °-ar; -ir/-ar(Rém 301³¹)): mind, way
ok ‘and’
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
stundir ‘hours’
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stund (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -u/-; -ir): time, hour
píndr ‘tortured’
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3. pína (verb): torture, torment
var ‘was’
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
hann ‘he’
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
berr ‘bare’
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2. berr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): bare
ok ‘and’
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
bundinn ‘bound’
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binda (verb; °bindr; batt/bant(cf. [$332$]), bundu; bundinn): bind, tie
barðr ‘beaten’
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2. berja (verb; °barði; barðr/bariðr/barinn): fight
við ‘of mis’
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2. við (prep.): with, against < viðfǫr (noun f.)
farar ‘treatment’
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fǫr (noun f.): journey, fate; movement < viðfǫr (noun f.)
harðar ‘hard’
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harðr (adj.; °comp. -ari; superl. -astr): hard, harsh
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
The st. is remarkably similar to a passage from the OIcel. Lenten sermon (HómÍsl 1993, 49v; HómÍsl 1872, 109): oc hann þolþe bǫnd. oc hálshogg. kiɴhesta. oc hrækingar. oc bardaga ‘and he endured binding, and neck-blows, slaps, and spittings, and beating’.
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