Anon Líkn 19VII
George S. Tate (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Líknarbraut 19’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 250.
Hvat ‘What’
(not checked:)
hvat (pron.): what
megi ‘could be’
(not checked:)
mega (verb): may, might
heldr ‘more’
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heldr (adv.): rather
of ‘to’
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4. of (particle): (before verb)
græta ‘make weep’
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grœta (verb): weep
hvern ‘each’
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2. hverr (pron.): who, whom, each, every
mann ‘man’
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maðr (noun m.): man, person
er ‘who’
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
þat ‘it’
[2] þat: ‘þ[...]’ B, ‘þạṭ’ 399a‑bˣ
kannar ‘ponders’
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3. kanna (verb): know, be able
notes
[2] kannar ‘ponders’: The usual meaning of the verb is to search through/out something in order to gain knowledge of it (Fritzner). Here the sense seems to be ‘to ponder, contemplate’, perhaps even imaginatively to share in the sufferings of Christ through compassion. The verb is used again in 22/4 in the sense ‘to explore, search out’ with reference to the Harrowing of Hell.
röðla ‘of suns’’
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rǫðull (noun m.; °dat. rǫðli): heavenly body
kennings
ríks ræsis röðla býs,‘of the mighty ruler of suns’ dwelling, ’
= God
suns’ dwelling, → SKY/HEAVEN
the mighty ruler of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[3] ræsis röðla býs ‘of the ruler of suns’ dwelling [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)]’: Cf. Has 59/3-4 and Kálf Kátr 39/3-4. The gen. pl. röðla ‘of suns’ (contrasting with the sg. in Has 59/4) is attested elsewhere; the extended sense is probably ‘heavenly bodies’, i.e. sun and stars. (Guðrún Nordal 2001, 292 translates it as sg. ‘lord of the dwelling of the sun’, and indeed pl. forms can substitute for sg. in skaldic poetry.)
röðla ‘of suns’’
(not checked:)
rǫðull (noun m.; °dat. rǫðli): heavenly body
kennings
ríks ræsis röðla býs,‘of the mighty ruler of suns’ dwelling, ’
= God
suns’ dwelling, → SKY/HEAVEN
the mighty ruler of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[3] ræsis röðla býs ‘of the ruler of suns’ dwelling [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)]’: Cf. Has 59/3-4 and Kálf Kátr 39/3-4. The gen. pl. röðla ‘of suns’ (contrasting with the sg. in Has 59/4) is attested elsewhere; the extended sense is probably ‘heavenly bodies’, i.e. sun and stars. (Guðrún Nordal 2001, 292 translates it as sg. ‘lord of the dwelling of the sun’, and indeed pl. forms can substitute for sg. in skaldic poetry.)
býs ‘dwelling’
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býr (noun m.; °býjar/bjár/bjór/bjárs, dat. -; gen. býa/bjá, dat. bjóm/bjám, acc. býi/býa/bjá): dwelling, down
kennings
ríks ræsis röðla býs,‘of the mighty ruler of suns’ dwelling, ’
= God
suns’ dwelling, → SKY/HEAVEN
the mighty ruler of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[3] ræsis röðla býs ‘of the ruler of suns’ dwelling [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)]’: Cf. Has 59/3-4 and Kálf Kátr 39/3-4. The gen. pl. röðla ‘of suns’ (contrasting with the sg. in Has 59/4) is attested elsewhere; the extended sense is probably ‘heavenly bodies’, i.e. sun and stars. (Guðrún Nordal 2001, 292 translates it as sg. ‘lord of the dwelling of the sun’, and indeed pl. forms can substitute for sg. in skaldic poetry.)
býs ‘dwelling’
(not checked:)
býr (noun m.; °býjar/bjár/bjór/bjárs, dat. -; gen. býa/bjá, dat. bjóm/bjám, acc. býi/býa/bjá): dwelling, down
kennings
ríks ræsis röðla býs,‘of the mighty ruler of suns’ dwelling, ’
= God
suns’ dwelling, → SKY/HEAVEN
the mighty ruler of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[3] ræsis röðla býs ‘of the ruler of suns’ dwelling [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)]’: Cf. Has 59/3-4 and Kálf Kátr 39/3-4. The gen. pl. röðla ‘of suns’ (contrasting with the sg. in Has 59/4) is attested elsewhere; the extended sense is probably ‘heavenly bodies’, i.e. sun and stars. (Guðrún Nordal 2001, 292 translates it as sg. ‘lord of the dwelling of the sun’, and indeed pl. forms can substitute for sg. in skaldic poetry.)
en ‘than’
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4. en (conj.): than
ræsis ‘ruler’
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ræsir (noun m.): ruler
kennings
ríks ræsis röðla býs,‘of the mighty ruler of suns’ dwelling, ’
= God
suns’ dwelling, → SKY/HEAVEN
the mighty ruler of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[3] ræsis röðla býs ‘of the ruler of suns’ dwelling [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)]’: Cf. Has 59/3-4 and Kálf Kátr 39/3-4. The gen. pl. röðla ‘of suns’ (contrasting with the sg. in Has 59/4) is attested elsewhere; the extended sense is probably ‘heavenly bodies’, i.e. sun and stars. (Guðrún Nordal 2001, 292 translates it as sg. ‘lord of the dwelling of the sun’, and indeed pl. forms can substitute for sg. in skaldic poetry.)
ríks ‘of the mighty’
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ríkr (adj.): mighty, powerful, rich
kennings
ríks ræsis röðla býs,‘of the mighty ruler of suns’ dwelling, ’
= God
suns’ dwelling, → SKY/HEAVEN
the mighty ruler of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
píningar ‘torments’
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píning (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -u; -ar): torment
slíkar ‘such’
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2. slíkr (adj.): such
er ‘when’
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
dýrr ‘the precious’
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dýrr (adj.; °compar. -ri/-ari, superl. -str/-astr): precious
kennings
dýrr, hreinn siklingr hauðrfjörnis‘the precious, pure king of earth’s helmet ’
= God
earth’s helmet → SKY/HEAVEN
the precious, pure king of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
á ‘upon’
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3. á (prep.): on, at
sik ‘himself’
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sik (pron.; °gen. sín, dat. sér): (refl. pron.)
sáran ‘bitter’
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sárr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): sore, painful; wounded
siklingr ‘king’
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siklingr (noun m.; °; -ar): king, ruler
kennings
dýrr, hreinn siklingr hauðrfjörnis‘the precious, pure king of earth’s helmet ’
= God
earth’s helmet → SKY/HEAVEN
the precious, pure king of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
ept ‘after’
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eptir (prep.): after, behind
kvöl ‘torture’
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kvǫl (noun f.; °-ar; -ar/-ir): torment, torture
mikla ‘great’
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mikill (adj.; °mikinn): great, large
hreinn ‘pure’
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2. hreinn (adj.; °compar. hreinari/hreinni, superl. hreinastr/hreinstr): pure
kennings
dýrr, hreinn siklingr hauðrfjörnis‘the precious, pure king of earth’s helmet ’
= God
earth’s helmet → SKY/HEAVEN
the precious, pure king of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
til ‘for’
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til (prep.): to
hjálpar ‘the salvation [lit. help]’
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hjǫlp (noun f.; °hjalpar; hjalpir/hjalpar): help, salvation
notes
[7] hjálpar (gen. sg.) ‘salvation [lit. help]’: The extended sense of hjálp ‘help’ as ‘salvation’ occurs also in 24/4, 32/2 and 41/3.
mönnum ‘of men’
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maðr (noun m.): man, person
hauðr ‘of earth’s’
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hauðr (noun n.): earth, ground < hauðrfjǫrnir (noun m.): [earth-helmet]
kennings
dýrr, hreinn siklingr hauðrfjörnis‘the precious, pure king of earth’s helmet ’
= God
earth’s helmet → SKY/HEAVEN
the precious, pure king of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
hauðr ‘of earth’s’
(not checked:)
hauðr (noun n.): earth, ground < hauðrfjǫrnir (noun m.): [earth-helmet]
kennings
dýrr, hreinn siklingr hauðrfjörnis‘the precious, pure king of earth’s helmet ’
= God
earth’s helmet → SKY/HEAVEN
the precious, pure king of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
fjörnis ‘helmet’
(not checked:)
fjǫrnir (noun m.): helmet < hauðrfjǫrnir (noun m.): [earth-helmet]
kennings
dýrr, hreinn siklingr hauðrfjörnis‘the precious, pure king of earth’s helmet ’
= God
earth’s helmet → SKY/HEAVEN
the precious, pure king of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
fjörnis ‘helmet’
(not checked:)
fjǫrnir (noun m.): helmet < hauðrfjǫrnir (noun m.): [earth-helmet]
kennings
dýrr, hreinn siklingr hauðrfjörnis‘the precious, pure king of earth’s helmet ’
= God
earth’s helmet → SKY/HEAVEN
the precious, pure king of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
tók ‘took’
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2. taka (verb): take
dauða ‘death’
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dauði (noun m.; °-a; -ar): death
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
|
Hvat megi heldr of græta |
What could be more able to make weep each man who ponders it than such torments of the mighty ruler of suns’ dwelling [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)], when the precious, pure king of earth’s helmet [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)] took bitter death upon himself after great torture for the salvation [lit. help] of men?
The two kennings of this st. emphasise the theological point that humans crucified God himself when Jesus died on the Cross.
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