Edith Marold (ed.) 2017, ‘Úlfr Uggason, Húsdrápa 1’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 405.
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1. hjaldr (noun m.): battle < hjaldrgegnir (noun m.)
[1] Hjaldrgegnis: so U, hoddmildum all others
[1] Hildar hjaldrgegnis ‘of the promoter of the noise of Hildr <valkyrie> [(lit. ‘noise-promoter of Hildr’) BATTLE > = Óðinn]’: On kennings referring to Óðinn as an instigator of battle, see Meissner 253. This expression could also be a warrior kenning used for Óðinn, however; cf. sigrunni ‘victory-tree’ used as an Óðinn-kenning (see st. 10/1 and Note there).
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1. hjaldr (noun m.): battle < hjaldrgegnir (noun m.)
[1] Hjaldrgegnis: so U, hoddmildum all others
[1] Hildar hjaldrgegnis ‘of the promoter of the noise of Hildr <valkyrie> [(lit. ‘noise-promoter of Hildr’) BATTLE > = Óðinn]’: On kennings referring to Óðinn as an instigator of battle, see Meissner 253. This expression could also be a warrior kenning used for Óðinn, however; cf. sigrunni ‘victory-tree’ used as an Óðinn-kenning (see st. 10/1 and Note there).
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1. hjaldr (noun m.): battle < hjaldrgegnir (noun m.)
[1] Hjaldrgegnis: so U, hoddmildum all others
[1] Hildar hjaldrgegnis ‘of the promoter of the noise of Hildr <valkyrie> [(lit. ‘noise-promoter of Hildr’) BATTLE > = Óðinn]’: On kennings referring to Óðinn as an instigator of battle, see Meissner 253. This expression could also be a warrior kenning used for Óðinn, however; cf. sigrunni ‘victory-tree’ used as an Óðinn-kenning (see st. 10/1 and Note there).
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2. gegnir (noun m.): [promoter] < hjaldrgegnir (noun m.)
[1] Hjaldrgegnis: so U, hoddmildum all others
[1] Hildar hjaldrgegnis ‘of the promoter of the noise of Hildr <valkyrie> [(lit. ‘noise-promoter of Hildr’) BATTLE > = Óðinn]’: On kennings referring to Óðinn as an instigator of battle, see Meissner 253. This expression could also be a warrior kenning used for Óðinn, however; cf. sigrunni ‘victory-tree’ used as an Óðinn-kenning (see st. 10/1 and Note there).
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2. gegnir (noun m.): [promoter] < hjaldrgegnir (noun m.)
[1] Hjaldrgegnis: so U, hoddmildum all others
[1] Hildar hjaldrgegnis ‘of the promoter of the noise of Hildr <valkyrie> [(lit. ‘noise-promoter of Hildr’) BATTLE > = Óðinn]’: On kennings referring to Óðinn as an instigator of battle, see Meissner 253. This expression could also be a warrior kenning used for Óðinn, however; cf. sigrunni ‘victory-tree’ used as an Óðinn-kenning (see st. 10/1 and Note there).
[1] telk ‘I recite’: All earlier eds adopt ték ‘I present, I show’, emended from tér (so mss R, Tˣ, W, B). Ms. U offers the semantically more appealing telk (see LP: telja 3), also considered by Faulkes (SnE 1998, I, 163), which does not require emendation. Kreutzer’s material (1977, 149-50, 153) shows also that a skald is more likely to use telja than tjá when introducing poetic recitation.
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2. Hildr (noun f.): Hildr
[1] Hildar hjaldrgegnis ‘of the promoter of the noise of Hildr <valkyrie> [(lit. ‘noise-promoter of Hildr’) BATTLE > = Óðinn]’: On kennings referring to Óðinn as an instigator of battle, see Meissner 253. This expression could also be a warrior kenning used for Óðinn, however; cf. sigrunni ‘victory-tree’ used as an Óðinn-kenning (see st. 10/1 and Note there).
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2. Hildr (noun f.): Hildr
[1] Hildar hjaldrgegnis ‘of the promoter of the noise of Hildr <valkyrie> [(lit. ‘noise-promoter of Hildr’) BATTLE > = Óðinn]’: On kennings referring to Óðinn as an instigator of battle, see Meissner 253. This expression could also be a warrior kenning used for Óðinn, however; cf. sigrunni ‘victory-tree’ used as an Óðinn-kenning (see st. 10/1 and Note there).
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2. Hildr (noun f.): Hildr
[1] Hildar hjaldrgegnis ‘of the promoter of the noise of Hildr <valkyrie> [(lit. ‘noise-promoter of Hildr’) BATTLE > = Óðinn]’: On kennings referring to Óðinn as an instigator of battle, see Meissner 253. This expression could also be a warrior kenning used for Óðinn, however; cf. sigrunni ‘victory-tree’ used as an Óðinn-kenning (see st. 10/1 and Note there).
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hugr (noun m.): mind, thought, courage < hugreifr (adj.): glad-hearted
[2] hug‑: her‑ U
[2] hugreifum ‘glad-hearted’: The variant herreifum lit. ‘troop-happy’ (U) is also possible.
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2. reifr (adj.): happy < hugreifr (adj.): glad-hearted
[2] hugreifum ‘glad-hearted’: The variant herreifum lit. ‘troop-happy’ (U) is also possible.
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Óláfr (noun m.): Óláfr
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hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
[3, 4] vilk kveðja hann at gjǫf Grímnis ‘I want to summon him to the gift of Grímnir <= Óðinn>’: This is a special formula for an invitation to listen to the poem which occurs in several opening stanzas, e.g. in Steinn Frag 1/2 (for other examples see Note there).
[3, 4] vilk kveðja hann at gjǫf Grímnis ‘I want to summon him to the gift of Grímnir <= Óðinn>’: This is a special formula for an invitation to listen to the poem which occurs in several opening stanzas, e.g. in Steinn Frag 1/2 (for other examples see Note there).
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3. at (prep.): at, to
[3, 4] vilk kveðja hann at gjǫf Grímnis ‘I want to summon him to the gift of Grímnir <= Óðinn>’: This is a special formula for an invitation to listen to the poem which occurs in several opening stanzas, e.g. in Steinn Frag 1/2 (for other examples see Note there).
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gjǫf (noun f.): gift
[3, 4] vilk kveðja hann at gjǫf Grímnis ‘I want to summon him to the gift of Grímnir <= Óðinn>’: This is a special formula for an invitation to listen to the poem which occurs in several opening stanzas, e.g. in Steinn Frag 1/2 (for other examples see Note there).
[3] Grímnis ‘of Grímnir <= Óðinn>’: On this name for the god, see Note to Þul Óðins 1/7. — [3, 4] vilk kveðja hann at gjǫf Grímnis ‘I want to summon him to the gift of Grímnir <= Óðinn>’: This is a special formula for an invitation to listen to the poem which occurs in several opening stanzas, e.g. in Steinn Frag 1/2 (for other examples see Note there).
[3] Grímnis ‘of Grímnir <= Óðinn>’: On this name for the god, see Note to Þul Óðins 1/7. — [3, 4] vilk kveðja hann at gjǫf Grímnis ‘I want to summon him to the gift of Grímnir <= Óðinn>’: This is a special formula for an invitation to listen to the poem which occurs in several opening stanzas, e.g. in Steinn Frag 1/2 (for other examples see Note there).
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geð (noun n.): mind < geðfjǫrðr (noun m.)
[4] geðfjarðar ‘of the mind-fjord [BREAST]’: Unlike the other mss, R has ‘geðniarþar’ here. In an attempt to retain the R reading, Faulkes (SnE 1998, II, 285) construes the following poetry-kenning: geð-Njarðar hildar lá ‘liquid of battle-Njǫrðr’s mind (i.e. breast)’. However, literally this kenning translates as ‘the liquid of the mind-Njǫrðr of battle’; to be comprehensible the kenning would need to be rearranged as lá geð(s) Njarðar hildar, which results in an unacceptable word order, because the cpd geð-Njarðar ‘mind-Njǫrðr’ is split and geð- exchanged for the gen. hildar ‘of the battle’. Wisén (1886-9, 19-20) argues that geðfjǫrðr cannot be a kenning for ‘breast’ because base-words in kennings construed according to this pattern always denote a country or a landscape; hence he emends to geðjarðar ‘of the mind-earth’. Fjǫrðr can denote both the watery area of a fjord and the surrounding areas, however (cf. Firðir ‘Fjordane’, a district in Norway).
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geð (noun n.): mind < geðfjǫrðr (noun m.)
[4] geðfjarðar ‘of the mind-fjord [BREAST]’: Unlike the other mss, R has ‘geðniarþar’ here. In an attempt to retain the R reading, Faulkes (SnE 1998, II, 285) construes the following poetry-kenning: geð-Njarðar hildar lá ‘liquid of battle-Njǫrðr’s mind (i.e. breast)’. However, literally this kenning translates as ‘the liquid of the mind-Njǫrðr of battle’; to be comprehensible the kenning would need to be rearranged as lá geð(s) Njarðar hildar, which results in an unacceptable word order, because the cpd geð-Njarðar ‘mind-Njǫrðr’ is split and geð- exchanged for the gen. hildar ‘of the battle’. Wisén (1886-9, 19-20) argues that geðfjǫrðr cannot be a kenning for ‘breast’ because base-words in kennings construed according to this pattern always denote a country or a landscape; hence he emends to geðjarðar ‘of the mind-earth’. Fjǫrðr can denote both the watery area of a fjord and the surrounding areas, however (cf. Firðir ‘Fjordane’, a district in Norway).
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fjǫrðr (noun m.): fjord < geðfjǫrðr (noun m.)
[4] ‑fjarðar: so all others, ‑njarðar R
[4] geðfjarðar ‘of the mind-fjord [BREAST]’: Unlike the other mss, R has ‘geðniarþar’ here. In an attempt to retain the R reading, Faulkes (SnE 1998, II, 285) construes the following poetry-kenning: geð-Njarðar hildar lá ‘liquid of battle-Njǫrðr’s mind (i.e. breast)’. However, literally this kenning translates as ‘the liquid of the mind-Njǫrðr of battle’; to be comprehensible the kenning would need to be rearranged as lá geð(s) Njarðar hildar, which results in an unacceptable word order, because the cpd geð-Njarðar ‘mind-Njǫrðr’ is split and geð- exchanged for the gen. hildar ‘of the battle’. Wisén (1886-9, 19-20) argues that geðfjǫrðr cannot be a kenning for ‘breast’ because base-words in kennings construed according to this pattern always denote a country or a landscape; hence he emends to geðjarðar ‘of the mind-earth’. Fjǫrðr can denote both the watery area of a fjord and the surrounding areas, however (cf. Firðir ‘Fjordane’, a district in Norway).
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fjǫrðr (noun m.): fjord < geðfjǫrðr (noun m.)
[4] ‑fjarðar: so all others, ‑njarðar R
[4] geðfjarðar ‘of the mind-fjord [BREAST]’: Unlike the other mss, R has ‘geðniarþar’ here. In an attempt to retain the R reading, Faulkes (SnE 1998, II, 285) construes the following poetry-kenning: geð-Njarðar hildar lá ‘liquid of battle-Njǫrðr’s mind (i.e. breast)’. However, literally this kenning translates as ‘the liquid of the mind-Njǫrðr of battle’; to be comprehensible the kenning would need to be rearranged as lá geð(s) Njarðar hildar, which results in an unacceptable word order, because the cpd geð-Njarðar ‘mind-Njǫrðr’ is split and geð- exchanged for the gen. hildar ‘of the battle’. Wisén (1886-9, 19-20) argues that geðfjǫrðr cannot be a kenning for ‘breast’ because base-words in kennings construed according to this pattern always denote a country or a landscape; hence he emends to geðjarðar ‘of the mind-earth’. Fjǫrðr can denote both the watery area of a fjord and the surrounding areas, however (cf. Firðir ‘Fjordane’, a district in Norway).
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1. lá (noun f.; °; -r): surf
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2. kveðja (verb; kvaddi): (dd) request, address, greet
[3, 4] vilk kveðja hann at gjǫf Grímnis ‘I want to summon him to the gift of Grímnir <= Óðinn>’: This is a special formula for an invitation to listen to the poem which occurs in several opening stanzas, e.g. in Steinn Frag 1/2 (for other examples see Note there).
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
The helmingr is cited in Skm (SnE) among other stanzas illustrating kennings for ‘poetry’.
Mss R, Tˣ, W and B give a version of the first line (Hoddmildum tér Hildar) that does not generate a poem-kenning, because lô geðfjarðar ‘water of the mind-fjord [BREAST]’ needs a term for Óðinn as determinant, and only hildar ‘of battle’ or ‘of Hildr’ is available. Such a poem-kenning would follow the pattern of Egill Hfl 1/2, 3V (Eg 34) marr munstrandar Viðris ‘sea of the mind-beach [BREAST] of Viðrir <= Óðinn> [POEM]’. Ms. U provides the necessary Óðinn-kenning, hjaldrgegnis Hildar ‘of the promoter of the noise of Hildr <valkyrie> [BATTLE > = Óðinn]’, and the U version has therefore been adopted in the present edn (so also Skj B and Skald). SnE 1998 follows R, but this results in an unacceptable word order (see Note to l. 4 geðfjarðar below). — This stanza has all the characteristics of an opening stanza of a drápa presented to a ruler (cf. Eskál Vell 1I). It addresses the one to be honoured by name, uses a special formula for the invitation to listen to the poem (see Note to ll. 3, 4) and contains one extended poem-kenning as well as another. The theme of the mead of poetry is taken up again in sts 9 and 12.
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