Þjóð Haustl 3III
Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2017, ‘Þjóðólfr ór Hvini, Haustlǫng 3’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 435.
Tormiðlaðr ‘difficult’
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tormiðluðr (noun m.): [difficult]
[1] Tormiðlaðr: so Tˣ(26r), Tˣ(38v), W, U, A, C, tormiðlaðar R(25v), ‘tormildaðr’ R(36v)
notes
[1] tormiðlaðr ‘difficult … to pierce’: Understood here as a hap. leg. adj., comprised of tor- ‘difficult’ plus miðlaðr ‘pierced’, p. p. of miðla ‘pierce’ (for this sense, cf. Sigsk 47/7-8), referring to the gods’ attempt to find out by piercing the meat with a sword or other sharp instrument whether the ox was cooked. Miðla can also mean ‘divide, share’, so the meaning may possibly be ‘difficult to divide’ (because the meat was not cooked).
vas ‘was’
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
tívum ‘for the gods’
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tívar (noun m.): gods
[1] tívum: tívi R(36v), A, C, ‘tauu’ Tˣ(38v)
tal ‘The dung’
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(unknown) < 1. talhreinn (noun m.): dung-reindeer
[2] talhreinn: so R(36v), Tˣ(26r), Tˣ(38v), W, C, tálhrein R(25v), U, A
kennings
Talhreinn‘The dung-reindeer ’
= OX
The dung-reindeer → OX
notes
[2] talhreinn ‘the dung-reindeer [OX]’: The view of Holtsmark (1949, 16) and Marold (1983, 156) that this cpd is an ox-kenning has been adopted here. The first element of the cpd is cognate with ModNorw. talle ‘dung’; cf. ON tað ‘dung, manure’. The kenning doubtless refers to the use of oxen to pull carts laden with dung to the fields in order to fertilise them. Kock (Skald and NN §1015) emended talhreinn to tólhreinn ‘(farming-)tool-reindeer’ and also understood it as an ox-kenning.
hreinn ‘reindeer’
(not checked:)
1. hreinn (noun m.; °; hreinar): reindeer < 1. talhreinn (noun m.): dung-reindeer
[2] talhreinn: so R(36v), Tˣ(26r), Tˣ(38v), W, C, tálhrein R(25v), U, A
kennings
Talhreinn‘The dung-reindeer ’
= OX
The dung-reindeer → OX
notes
[2] talhreinn ‘the dung-reindeer [OX]’: The view of Holtsmark (1949, 16) and Marold (1983, 156) that this cpd is an ox-kenning has been adopted here. The first element of the cpd is cognate with ModNorw. talle ‘dung’; cf. ON tað ‘dung, manure’. The kenning doubtless refers to the use of oxen to pull carts laden with dung to the fields in order to fertilise them. Kock (Skald and NN §1015) emended talhreinn to tólhreinn ‘(farming-)tool-reindeer’ and also understood it as an ox-kenning.
meðal ‘between’
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meðal (prep.): between
kvað ‘said’
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2. kveðja (verb; kvaddi): (dd) request, address, greet
[3] kvað *: ‘q°þo’ R(25v), ‘q’þv’ R(36v), kveðu Tˣ(26r), Tˣ(38v), A, kváðu W, kvað þú U, C
notes
[3] kvað * ‘said’: The verb must be 3rd pers. sg. to agree with the sg. subject hjalmfaldinn snytrir hapta ‘the helmet-capped instructor of the divine powers [= Óðinn]’ (ll. 3-4), but the mss all present various unsuitable forms; the forms in both locations of R are unclearly abbreviated; U and C have 2nd pers. sg. kvað þú ‘you (sg.) said’. which is unlikely in view of the generally 3rd pers. narrative style of Haustl (except for the direct speech in st. 11); other mss’ kveðu, Tˣ (26r), Tˣ (38v) and A, may also be interpreted as imper. sg. with suffixed pron., while W’s kváðu is an unmetrical 3rd pers. pl. pret. indic.
* ‘’
(not checked:)
(non-lexical)
[3] kvað *: ‘q°þo’ R(25v), ‘q’þv’ R(36v), kveðu Tˣ(26r), Tˣ(38v), A, kváðu W, kvað þú U, C
notes
[3] kvað * ‘said’: The verb must be 3rd pers. sg. to agree with the sg. subject hjalmfaldinn snytrir hapta ‘the helmet-capped instructor of the divine powers [= Óðinn]’ (ll. 3-4), but the mss all present various unsuitable forms; the forms in both locations of R are unclearly abbreviated; U and C have 2nd pers. sg. kvað þú ‘you (sg.) said’. which is unlikely in view of the generally 3rd pers. narrative style of Haustl (except for the direct speech in st. 11); other mss’ kveðu, Tˣ (26r), Tˣ (38v) and A, may also be interpreted as imper. sg. with suffixed pron., while W’s kváðu is an unmetrical 3rd pers. pl. pret. indic.
hapta ‘of the divine powers’
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haft (noun n.; °; *-): fetter
[3] hapta: spakra Tˣ(26r), hapt W
kennings
hjalmfaldinn snytrir hapta‘the helmet-capped instructor of the divine powers ’
= Óðinn
the helmet-capped instructor of the divine powers → Óðinn
snytrir ‘instructor’
(not checked:)
snytrir (noun m.): teacher, instructor
[3] snytrir: snyrtir R(36v), W, snyrtir altered to snytrir in scribal hand Tˣ(38v)
kennings
hjalmfaldinn snytrir hapta‘the helmet-capped instructor of the divine powers ’
= Óðinn
the helmet-capped instructor of the divine powers → Óðinn
notes
[3] snytrir ‘instructor’: Lit. ‘one who makes wise’. Base-word of a kenning for the god Óðinn. The alternative ms. reading snyrtir ‘polisher’, often used as a sword-name, is inappropriate in this context.
hjalm ‘the helmet’
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1. hjalmr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): helmet < hjalmfaldinn (adj./verb p.p.): helmet-clad
[4] hjalmfaldinn: hjalmfaldin R(36v); hjalm‑: hjalms Tˣ(26r)
kennings
hjalmfaldinn snytrir hapta‘the helmet-capped instructor of the divine powers ’
= Óðinn
the helmet-capped instructor of the divine powers → Óðinn
faldinn ‘capped’
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2. falda (verb): cover, clothe < hjalmfaldinn (adj./verb p.p.): helmet-clad
[4] hjalmfaldinn: hjalmfaldin R(36v)
kennings
hjalmfaldinn snytrir hapta‘the helmet-capped instructor of the divine powers ’
= Óðinn
the helmet-capped instructor of the divine powers → Óðinn
valda ‘was causing’
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valda (verb): cause
Marg ‘The deeply’
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2. margr (adj.; °-an): many < margspakr (adj.): sagacious, very wise
kennings
Margspakr môr bôru valkastar‘The deeply wise seagull of the wave of the corpse-heap ’
= RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
the wave of the corpse-heap → BLOOD
The deeply wise seagull of the BLOOD → RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
spakr ‘wise’
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spakr (adj.): quiet, gentle, wise < margspakr (adj.): sagacious, very wise
kennings
Margspakr môr bôru valkastar‘The deeply wise seagull of the wave of the corpse-heap ’
= RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
the wave of the corpse-heap → BLOOD
The deeply wise seagull of the BLOOD → RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
of ‘’
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4. of (particle): (before verb)
nam ‘began’
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1. nema (verb): to take
môr ‘seagull’
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már (noun m.): gull
kennings
Margspakr môr bôru valkastar‘The deeply wise seagull of the wave of the corpse-heap ’
= RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
the wave of the corpse-heap → BLOOD
The deeply wise seagull of the BLOOD → RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
val ‘of the corpse’
(not checked:)
1. valr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ir): corpse, the slain < valkǫstr (noun m.): corpse-pile
[6] valkastar: ‘valkast[...]’ W
kennings
Margspakr môr bôru valkastar‘The deeply wise seagull of the wave of the corpse-heap ’
= RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
the wave of the corpse-heap → BLOOD
The deeply wise seagull of the BLOOD → RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
val ‘of the corpse’
(not checked:)
1. valr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ir): corpse, the slain < valkǫstr (noun m.): corpse-pile
[6] valkastar: ‘valkast[...]’ W
kennings
Margspakr môr bôru valkastar‘The deeply wise seagull of the wave of the corpse-heap ’
= RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
the wave of the corpse-heap → BLOOD
The deeply wise seagull of the BLOOD → RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
kastar ‘heap’
(not checked:)
kast (noun n.; °; *-): wood pile < valkǫstr (noun m.): corpse-pile
[6] valkastar: ‘valkast[...]’ W
kennings
Margspakr môr bôru valkastar‘The deeply wise seagull of the wave of the corpse-heap ’
= RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
the wave of the corpse-heap → BLOOD
The deeply wise seagull of the BLOOD → RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
kastar ‘heap’
(not checked:)
kast (noun n.; °; *-): wood pile < valkǫstr (noun m.): corpse-pile
[6] valkastar: ‘valkast[...]’ W
kennings
Margspakr môr bôru valkastar‘The deeply wise seagull of the wave of the corpse-heap ’
= RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
the wave of the corpse-heap → BLOOD
The deeply wise seagull of the BLOOD → RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
kennings
Margspakr môr bôru valkastar‘The deeply wise seagull of the wave of the corpse-heap ’
= RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
the wave of the corpse-heap → BLOOD
The deeply wise seagull of the BLOOD → RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
kennings
Margspakr môr bôru valkastar‘The deeply wise seagull of the wave of the corpse-heap ’
= RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
the wave of the corpse-heap → BLOOD
The deeply wise seagull of the BLOOD → RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi
vasat ‘was not’
(not checked:)
2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
kennings
vinr Hœnis‘the friend of Hœnir ’
= Loki
the friend of Hœnir → Loki
vinr ‘the friend’
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vinr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. -/(-i OsvReyk 92.17); -ir): friend
[7] vinr: so W, ‘vior’ R(25v), ‘[...]nr’ Tˣ(26r)
kennings
vinr Hœnis‘the friend of Hœnir ’
= Loki
the friend of Hœnir → Loki
hônum ‘to him’
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
hollr ‘well-disposed’
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hollr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): loyal
af ‘from’
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af (prep.): from
notes
[8] af fornum þolli ‘from an ancient tree’: In st. 6/3 and in the prose account of Skm the tree is said to be an oak.
fornum ‘an ancient’
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forn (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): ancient, old
notes
[8] af fornum þolli ‘from an ancient tree’: In st. 6/3 and in the prose account of Skm the tree is said to be an oak.
þolli ‘tree’
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þollr (noun m.): fir-tree
notes
[8] af fornum þolli ‘from an ancient tree’: In st. 6/3 and in the prose account of Skm the tree is said to be an oak.
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Tormiðlaðr vas tívum |
The dung-reindeer [OX] was difficult for the gods to pierce between the shanks; the helmet-capped instructor of the divine powers [= Óðinn] said something was causing this. The deeply wise seagull of the wave of the corpse-heap [BLOOD > RAVEN/EAGLE = Þjazi] began to speak from an ancient tree; the friend of Hœnir <god> [= Loki] was not well-disposed to him.
As for st. 1. In addition, ll. 1-4 are cited again in mss R, Tˣ, U, A and C in a section of Skm (SnE 1998, I, 84) exemplifying alternative names for the Old Norse gods, in this case hǫpt ‘fetters’ (hapta, l. 3).
[1-2]: A different construal of these lines is offered by Finnur Jónsson and Faulkes. They take tormiðlaðr beina as ‘a difficult, slow deliverer of service’ or possibly ‘of bones’ (Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 414: tormiðlaðr; cf. LP: tormiðlaðr), referring ironically to the giant Þjazi, and assume a cpd adj. meðaltálhreinn ‘middlingly free of deceit’, hence, with ironic litotes, very deceitful, also describing Þjazi (Skj B and LP: meðaltálhreinn, tálhreinn; Faulkes, ibid., II, 353: meðal, II, 412: tálhreinn). Meðal is displaced by tmesis. Finnur in Skj B further regards meðaltálhreinn as substantivised and translates Den svigfulde var den, som hindrede måltidet for guderne ‘The deceitful one was the one who hindered the gods’ meal’.
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