ÚlfrU Húsdr 8^III

Kostigr ríðr at kesti,
kynfróðs þeims goð hlóðu
hrafnfreistaðar, hesti
Heimdallr, at mǫg fallinn.

Kostigr Heimdallr ríðr hesti at kesti, þeims goð hlóðu at {fallinn mǫg {kynfróðs hrafnfreistaðar}}.

Splendid Heimdallr rides a horse to the pyre which the gods erected for {the fallen son {of the kin-wise raven-tester}} [= Óðinn > = Baldr].

Mss: R(21r), Tˣ(21v), W(45), U(26v) (SnE)

Readings: [2] ‑fróðs: ‑góðr U

Editions: Skj AI, 138, Skj BI, 129, Skald I, 72; SnE 1848-87, I, 240-1, II, 304, III, 8, SnE 1931, 90, SnE 1998, I, 10.

Context: The helmingr is cited among stanzas exemplifying kennings for Óðinn in Skm (SnE).

Notes: [2] kynfróðs ‘kin-wise’: All other adjectival compounds with kyn- ‘heritage, kin’ incorporate that word’s meaning into the cpd; cf. e.g. kynstórr ‘of significant ancestry’, kynfrægr ‘famous on account of one’s ancestry’, kynríkr ‘powerful on account of one’s ancestry’. The adj. kynfróðs applied to Óðinn could refer to his maternal descent from giants from whom he acquired the knowledge of such things as magical chants (see Hávm 140-1). Giants are often introduced as possessing special knowledge or other culturally significant items (Schulz 2004, 61, 79-82). Ms. U differs from the other mss and gives kyngóðr (m. nom. sg.) ‘of good ancestry’, which must refer to Heimdallr (m. nom. sg., l. 4). — [3] hrafnfreistaðar ‘raven-tester’: On kennings referring to Óðinn as the raven-god, see Meissner 253. According to Gylf (SnE 2005, 32), the two ravens Huginn and Muninn report to Óðinn every morning what they have witnessed on their flights throughout the world. The word might refer to Óðinn as a wise augur (on bird augury, see Pesch 2003, 136-7; ARG I, 428-9; ARG II, 61-3).

References

1. Bibliography
2. SnE 1848-87 = Snorri Sturluson. 1848-87. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar: Edda Snorronis Sturlaei. Ed. Jón Sigurðsson et al. 3 vols. Copenhagen: Legatum Arnamagnaeanum. Rpt. Osnabrück: Zeller, 1966.
3. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
4. Meissner = Meissner, Rudolf. 1921. Die Kenningar der Skalden: Ein Beitrag zur skaldischen Poetik. Rheinische Beiträge und Hülfsbücher zur germanischen Philologie und Volkskunde 1. Bonn and Leipzig: Schroeder. Rpt. 1984. Hildesheim etc.: Olms.
5. SnE 1931 = Snorri Sturluson. 1931. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar. Ed. Finnur Jónsson. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
6. SnE 1998 = Snorri Sturluson. 1998. Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2 vols. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
7. SnE 2005 = Snorri Sturluson. 2005. Edda: Prologue and Gylfaginning. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2nd edn. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
8. ARG = Vries, Jan de. 1956-7. Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte. 2 vols. 2nd edn. Berlin: de Gruyter.
9. Schulz, Katja. 2004. Riesen: Von Wissenshütern und Wildnisbewohnern in Edda und Saga. Skandinavistische Arbeiten 20. Heidelberg: Winter.
10. Pesch, Alexandra. 2003. ‘Orakel. §§1-5’. In RGA, 22, 134-9.
11. Internal references
12. Edith Marold 2017, ‘Snorra Edda (Prologue, Gylfaginning, Skáldskaparmál)’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols [check printed volume for citation].
13. (forthcoming), ‘ Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=112> (accessed 19 April 2024)
14. (forthcoming), ‘ Snorri Sturluson, Gylfaginning’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=113> (accessed 19 April 2024)
15. Not published: do not cite ()