Anon Líkn 23VII
George S. Tate (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Líknarbraut 23’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 253-4.
Lík ‘body’
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1. lík (noun n.; °-s; -): body, shape
fór ‘went’
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fara (verb; ferr, fór, fóru, farinn): go, travel
kennir ‘The knower’
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kennir (noun m.): teacher
kennings
Kennir krapts‘The knower of strength ’
= POWERFUL MAN
The knower of strength → POWERFUL MAN
notes
[1, 2] kennir krapts ‘knower of strength [POWERFUL MAN = Christ]’: The agent noun kennir occurs only in poetry; of God elsewhere only in Pl 8/1 kennir engla ‘knower of the angels’. Besides ‘knower’ kennir (from kenna) might also mean ‘perceiver’, ‘tester’, ‘announcer’, or ‘teacher’. The kenning is a variation on a common type, in which a man is described as a kennir of gold, battle, weapons, etc.
keykja ‘to quicken’
(not checked:)
2. kveikja (verb): kindle
notes
[1] keykja ‘to quicken’: Skj B and Skald emend to the usual keykva. The -ja form does not appear in LP, CVC, or Fritzner but occurs as a headword in AEW. This is the only occurrence of either in ON poetry. The verb is rich in christological significance; cf., with respect to Resurrection, Lat. vivifico (Gk ζωοποιέω) ‘to quicken, give life’ in such passages as John V.21, Rom. IV.17, and VIII.11.
krapts ‘of strength’
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1. kraftr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/- ; -ar): power
kennings
Kennir krapts‘The knower of strength ’
= POWERFUL MAN
The knower of strength → POWERFUL MAN
notes
[1, 2] kennir krapts ‘knower of strength [POWERFUL MAN = Christ]’: The agent noun kennir occurs only in poetry; of God elsewhere only in Pl 8/1 kennir engla ‘knower of the angels’. Besides ‘knower’ kennir (from kenna) might also mean ‘perceiver’, ‘tester’, ‘announcer’, or ‘teacher’. The kenning is a variation on a common type, in which a man is described as a kennir of gold, battle, weapons, etc.
með ‘with’
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með (prep.): with
önd ‘spirit’
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2. ǫnd (noun f.; °andar, dat. ǫnd/ǫndu; andir): soul, breath
til ‘to’
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til (prep.): to
graptar ‘the grave’
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grǫftr (noun m.): [grave, mining]
sitt ‘his’
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3. sinn (pron.; °f. sín, n. sitt): (refl. poss. pron.)
ok ‘and’
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
sæll ‘the blessed’
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sæll (adj.): happy, blessed
kennings
sæll dróttinn sólar hauðrs‘the blessed Lord of sun’s land ’
= God
sun’s land → SKY/HEAVEN
the blessed Lord of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[3-4] dróttinn sólar hauðrs reis af dauða ‘the Lord of sun’s land [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)] arose from death’: In combination with the kenning, the verb equates Christ’s Resurrection with the rising of the sun, a common theme in hymns for prime. Line 4 is identical to Leið 31/4, which also concerns the Resurrection.
dróttinn ‘Lord’
(not checked:)
dróttinn (noun m.; °dróttins, dat. dróttni (drottini [$1049$]); dróttnar): lord, master
kennings
sæll dróttinn sólar hauðrs‘the blessed Lord of sun’s land ’
= God
sun’s land → SKY/HEAVEN
the blessed Lord of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[3-4] dróttinn sólar hauðrs reis af dauða ‘the Lord of sun’s land [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)] arose from death’: In combination with the kenning, the verb equates Christ’s Resurrection with the rising of the sun, a common theme in hymns for prime. Line 4 is identical to Leið 31/4, which also concerns the Resurrection.
sólar ‘of sun’s’
(not checked:)
sól (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -u/-; -ir): sun
kennings
sæll dróttinn sólar hauðrs‘the blessed Lord of sun’s land ’
= God
sun’s land → SKY/HEAVEN
the blessed Lord of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[3-4] dróttinn sólar hauðrs reis af dauða ‘the Lord of sun’s land [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)] arose from death’: In combination with the kenning, the verb equates Christ’s Resurrection with the rising of the sun, a common theme in hymns for prime. Line 4 is identical to Leið 31/4, which also concerns the Resurrection.
sólar ‘of sun’s’
(not checked:)
sól (noun f.; °-ar, dat. -u/-; -ir): sun
kennings
sæll dróttinn sólar hauðrs‘the blessed Lord of sun’s land ’
= God
sun’s land → SKY/HEAVEN
the blessed Lord of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[3-4] dróttinn sólar hauðrs reis af dauða ‘the Lord of sun’s land [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)] arose from death’: In combination with the kenning, the verb equates Christ’s Resurrection with the rising of the sun, a common theme in hymns for prime. Line 4 is identical to Leið 31/4, which also concerns the Resurrection.
hauðrs ‘land’
(not checked:)
hauðr (noun n.): earth, ground
kennings
sæll dróttinn sólar hauðrs‘the blessed Lord of sun’s land ’
= God
sun’s land → SKY/HEAVEN
the blessed Lord of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[3-4] dróttinn sólar hauðrs reis af dauða ‘the Lord of sun’s land [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)] arose from death’: In combination with the kenning, the verb equates Christ’s Resurrection with the rising of the sun, a common theme in hymns for prime. Line 4 is identical to Leið 31/4, which also concerns the Resurrection.
hauðrs ‘land’
(not checked:)
hauðr (noun n.): earth, ground
kennings
sæll dróttinn sólar hauðrs‘the blessed Lord of sun’s land ’
= God
sun’s land → SKY/HEAVEN
the blessed Lord of the SKY/HEAVEN → God
notes
[3-4] dróttinn sólar hauðrs reis af dauða ‘the Lord of sun’s land [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)] arose from death’: In combination with the kenning, the verb equates Christ’s Resurrection with the rising of the sun, a common theme in hymns for prime. Line 4 is identical to Leið 31/4, which also concerns the Resurrection.
af ‘from’
(not checked:)
af (prep.): from
notes
[3-4] dróttinn sólar hauðrs reis af dauða ‘the Lord of sun’s land [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)] arose from death’: In combination with the kenning, the verb equates Christ’s Resurrection with the rising of the sun, a common theme in hymns for prime. Line 4 is identical to Leið 31/4, which also concerns the Resurrection.
dauða ‘death’
(not checked:)
1. dauðr (noun m.; °-s): death
notes
[3-4] dróttinn sólar hauðrs reis af dauða ‘the Lord of sun’s land [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)] arose from death’: In combination with the kenning, the verb equates Christ’s Resurrection with the rising of the sun, a common theme in hymns for prime. Line 4 is identical to Leið 31/4, which also concerns the Resurrection.
Urðu ‘became’
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1. verða (verb): become, be
allir ‘All’
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allr (adj.): all
fyrðar ‘men’
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2. fyrðr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -): man
angr ‘at the harm’
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1. angr (noun m.; °angrs, dat. angri/angr): grief < angrhegnandi (noun m.)
kennings
angrhegnanda,‘at the harm-suppressor, ’
= God
at the harm-suppressor, → God
hegnanda ‘suppressor’
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hegnandi (noun m.): [suppressor] < angrhegnandi (noun m.)
kennings
angrhegnanda,‘at the harm-suppressor, ’
= God
at the harm-suppressor, → God
fegnir ‘glad’
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2. feginn (adj.; °compar. fegnari, superl. fegnastr): glad, happy
áðr ‘earlier’
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áðr (adv.; °//): before
er ‘whom’
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2. er (conj.): who, which, when
elsku ‘of love’
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1. elska (noun f.; °-u): love
kennings
aldyggs fæðis elsku‘of the fully loyal nourisher of love ’
= God
the fully loyal nourisher of love → God
notes
[7] fæðis elsku ‘of the nourisher of love [= God (= Christ)]’: Fæðir might have the extended sense here of ‘creator’; cf. líknfæðir ‘author of grace’ 47/8 and fæðir fremðarráðs ‘nourisher of propitious counsel’ 26/7. Both senses play off the theme of abundance in the poem.
fæðis ‘nourisher’
(not checked:)
fœðir (noun m.): feeder, nourisher
kennings
aldyggs fæðis elsku‘of the fully loyal nourisher of love ’
= God
the fully loyal nourisher of love → God
notes
[7] fæðis elsku ‘of the nourisher of love [= God (= Christ)]’: Fæðir might have the extended sense here of ‘creator’; cf. líknfæðir ‘author of grace’ 47/8 and fæðir fremðarráðs ‘nourisher of propitious counsel’ 26/7. Both senses play off the theme of abundance in the poem.
al ‘of the fully’
(not checked:)
al- ((prefix)): very < aldyggr (adj.): very excellent
kennings
aldyggs fæðis elsku‘of the fully loyal nourisher of love ’
= God
the fully loyal nourisher of love → God
dyggs ‘loyal’
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dyggr (adj.; °dyggvan/dyggan; compar. -vari/-ari/-ri, superl. -vastr/-astr/-str): trustworthy < aldyggr (adj.): very excellent
kennings
aldyggs fæðis elsku‘of the fully loyal nourisher of love ’
= God
the fully loyal nourisher of love → God
notes
[8] bani (nom.) ‘the death, slayer of’: Ms. bana. All subsequent eds accept the emendation of Sveinbjörn Egilsson, which is supported, as he notes, by the similar nom. dauði ‘the death of’ in Has 28/7, a st. also on the Resurrection and which employs in its final l., as here, the rhyme aldygg- : hryggði (l. 8), as well as fegn- : áðr þá in the same positions in ll. 6-7.
hryggði ‘grieved’
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hryggja (verb): distress
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
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Lík fór kennir keykja |
The knower of strength [POWERFUL MAN] went to the grave to quicken his body with spirit, and the blessed Lord of sun’s land [SKY/HEAVEN > = God (= Christ)] arose from death. All men became glad at the harm-suppressor [= God (= Christ)], those whom the death of the fully loyal nourisher of love [= God (= Christ)] earlier grieved.
[5-8]: Generally analogous to the second helmingr is a passage from the OIcel. Resurrection homily: Sa vas oc margfaldr fǫgnoþr i þessom heime af upriso criz es tóko ástmeɴ hans. þeir áþr vǫro hryɢver oc daprer af dauþa hans ‘Thus there was also manifold happiness in this world at the Resurrection of Christ when he met his beloved [followers]; they were before despondent and downcast at his death’ (HómÍsl 1993, 34r; HómÍsl 1872, 72).
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