Anon Líkn 38VII
George S. Tate (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Líknarbraut 38’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 273.
Snjallr ‘power’
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snjallr (adj.): quick, resourceful, bold
ert ‘you have’
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
orðinn ‘attained’
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2. vinna (verb): perform, work
öllum ‘over all’
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allr (adj.): all
ofr ‘arch’
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ofr- ((prefix)): [too many, arch] < ofrníðingr (noun m.)
níðingum ‘villains’
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níðingr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/-; -ar): villian, scoundrel < ofrníðingr (noun m.)
síðan ‘afterwards’
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síðan (adv.): later, then
djöflum ‘to devils’
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djǫfull (noun m.; °djǫfuls, dat. djǫfli; djǫflar/djaflar): devil
leiðr ‘hateful’
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2. leiðr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): hateful, loathsome
ept ‘since’
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eptir (prep.): after, behind
dauða ‘the death’
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dauði (noun m.; °-a; -ar): death
dýrr ‘Precious’
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dýrr (adj.; °compar. -ri/-ari, superl. -str/-astr): precious
kross ‘Cross’
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kross (noun m.; °-, dat. -i; -ar): cross, crucifix
himin ‘of heaven’s’
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himinn (noun m.; °himins, dat. himni; himnar): heaven, sky < himinstýrir (noun m.)
kennings
himinstýris.‘of heaven’s ruler. ’
= God
heaven’s ruler. → God
notes
[4] himinstýris ‘of heaven’s ruler [= God (= Christ)]’: The kenning occurs elsewhere only in Mdr 40/4, where dýr- and stýr- are again rhymed.
stýris ‘ruler’
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stýrir (noun m.): ruler, controller < himinstýrir (noun m.)
kennings
himinstýris.‘of heaven’s ruler. ’
= God
heaven’s ruler. → God
notes
[4] himinstýris ‘of heaven’s ruler [= God (= Christ)]’: The kenning occurs elsewhere only in Mdr 40/4, where dýr- and stýr- are again rhymed.
Leggr ‘flees’
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leggja (verb): put, lay
notes
[5] leggr undan ... á flótta ‘flees’: Skj B construes undan as prep. with krapti, i.e. ‘under [your] power’, but LP (1860): leggja, translates leggja undan (adv.) á flótta simply as ‘to flee’. The verbal phrase combines leggja undan (e.g. GunnLeif Merl I 18/8VIII) and leggja á flótta (e.g. Geisl 29/5-6), both of which mean ‘to flee’.
andskota ‘The devil’s’
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andskoti (noun m.; °-a; -ar): enemy, devil
notes
[5] andskota ‘the devil’s’: Lit. ‘counter-shooter’; although the noun occurs frequently in the general sense ‘enemy’, it occurs in skaldic poetry only here and in Jón Lv 1/3IV in its theological sense (common in prose) ‘the devil’.
undan ‘’
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undan (adv.): away, away from
notes
[5] leggr undan ... á flótta ‘flees’: Skj B construes undan as prep. with krapti, i.e. ‘under [your] power’, but LP (1860): leggja, translates leggja undan (adv.) á flótta simply as ‘to flee’. The verbal phrase combines leggja undan (e.g. GunnLeif Merl I 18/8VIII) and leggja á flótta (e.g. Geisl 29/5-6), both of which mean ‘to flee’.
ætt ‘clan’
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1. ætt (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): family
fyr ‘before’
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fyr (prep.): for, over, because of, etc.
göfgum ‘noble’
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gǫfugr (adj.; °gǫfgan/gǫfugan; compar. gǫfgari/gǫfugri, superl. gǫfgastr/gǫfugstr/gǫfugastr): noble, glorious
mætti ‘might’
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máttr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. mǽtti/mátt; mǽttir, dat. -um): power
opt ‘often’
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opt (adv.): often
ok ‘and’
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
yðrum ‘your’
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yðvarr (pron.; °f. yður; pl. yðrir): your
krapti ‘power’
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1. kraftr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i/- ; -ar): power
ótta ‘with fear’
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ótti (noun m.; °-a): fear < óttagjarn (adj.)
gjörn ‘eager’
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gjarn (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): eager < óttagjarn (adj.)
á ‘’
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3. á (prep.): on, at
notes
[5] leggr undan ... á flótta ‘flees’: Skj B construes undan as prep. with krapti, i.e. ‘under [your] power’, but LP (1860): leggja, translates leggja undan (adv.) á flótta simply as ‘to flee’. The verbal phrase combines leggja undan (e.g. GunnLeif Merl I 18/8VIII) and leggja á flótta (e.g. Geisl 29/5-6), both of which mean ‘to flee’.
flótta ‘’
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flótti (noun m.): flight, fleeing
notes
[5] leggr undan ... á flótta ‘flees’: Skj B construes undan as prep. with krapti, i.e. ‘under [your] power’, but LP (1860): leggja, translates leggja undan (adv.) á flótta simply as ‘to flee’. The verbal phrase combines leggja undan (e.g. GunnLeif Merl I 18/8VIII) and leggja á flótta (e.g. Geisl 29/5-6), both of which mean ‘to flee’.
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Sts 38-41 (especially 39-40) appear to be based largely on a list of virtues and powers of the Cross in the Icel. homily De sancta cruce (HómÍsl 1993, 18r; HómÍsl 1872, 39; cf. HómNo, 105), beginning with fyr crosse drotteɴs fløia dioflar. hræþesc helvite ‘devils flee before the Cross of the Lord; hell is afraid’. The devils’ fear of, or flight from, the Cross (or its sign) is a common motif. See, e.g., Pseudo-Augustine, Sermo 247 (Auctor incertus [Augustinus Hipponensis?], col. 2203) Hoc signo daemones fugantur ‘At this sign demons are put to flight’, and, from hymns, O crux praeclara, / quam impia / tremunt tartara ‘O famous Cross, which the ungodly, infernal regions fear’ (AH 9, 25); the idea occurs also in the late medieval Icel. Gimsteinn 113/8 enn giædi hans [i.e. krossins] munu dioflaʀ hrædazt ‘but devils will fear its [the Cross’s] virtue’ (ÍM I.2, 329; cf. Máríublóm 18/5-6, ÍM I.2, 176).
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