StarkSt Vík 31^VIII (Gautr 39)

Hér ‘Here’

(not checked:)
hér (adv.): here

notes

[All]: The three final stanzas of Vík (at least as it occurs in 590b-cˣ) are not found in either 152 or papp11ˣ.

settu ‘they set’

(not checked:)
setja (verb): place, set, establish

notes

[All]: There is some resemblance between Vík 31-3 (Gautr 39-41) and part of one of Starkatherus’s poems in Saxo (Saxo 2015, I, vi. 9. 4, pp. 424-6), in which the aged hero contrasts his previously favourable reception at Fróði’s court with his present despised position among the riff-raff in the hall.

mik ‘me’

(not checked:)
ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me

sveina ‘serving men’

(not checked:)
sveinn (noun m.; °sveins; sveinar): boy, servant, attendant

notes

[2] sveina ‘serving men’: Sveinn is probably used here in the sense ‘servant, attendant’ (cf. Fritzner: sveinn 4) rather than ‘youth, lad’, although the latter cannot be ruled out, especially if it has a pejorative edge.

milli ‘between’

(not checked:)
milli (prep.): between

heldr ‘rather’

(not checked:)
heldr (adv.): rather

notes

[3-4] heldr hæðinna ok hvítbránna ‘rather mocking and white-eyelashed’: The two adjectives hæðinn ‘mocking’ and hvítbránn ‘having white eyelashes’ are in the m. nom. sg. in the only ms. of this stanza, but the noun sveina ‘serving men’ (l. 2), which they probably qualify, is m. acc. pl. For this reason, following Edd. Min. (reportedly following a suggestion of Axel Olrik), Skj B and Skald, this edn emends each adj. to m. acc. pl. It is not clear why the serving men should be described as having white eyelashes. However, Án 5 may throw some light on the matter, because the rare conjunction of heldr and hæðinn ‘rather mocking’ occurs there also in l. 7 (cf. LP: hæðinn), as does the adj. hvíthaddaðr ‘fair-haired’ (l. 3). The stanza describes how a group of girls mocks Án Bow-bender because of his outlandish clothing. It is possible that pale hair or eyelashes was somehow associated with mockery, though exactly how or why is unclear.

hæðinna ‘mocking’

(not checked:)
hæðinn (adj.): [mocking]

[3] hæðinna: hæðinn 590b‑cˣ

notes

[3-4] heldr hæðinna ok hvítbránna ‘rather mocking and white-eyelashed’: The two adjectives hæðinn ‘mocking’ and hvítbránn ‘having white eyelashes’ are in the m. nom. sg. in the only ms. of this stanza, but the noun sveina ‘serving men’ (l. 2), which they probably qualify, is m. acc. pl. For this reason, following Edd. Min. (reportedly following a suggestion of Axel Olrik), Skj B and Skald, this edn emends each adj. to m. acc. pl. It is not clear why the serving men should be described as having white eyelashes. However, Án 5 may throw some light on the matter, because the rare conjunction of heldr and hæðinn ‘rather mocking’ occurs there also in l. 7 (cf. LP: hæðinn), as does the adj. hvíthaddaðr ‘fair-haired’ (l. 3). The stanza describes how a group of girls mocks Án Bow-bender because of his outlandish clothing. It is possible that pale hair or eyelashes was somehow associated with mockery, though exactly how or why is unclear.

ok ‘and’

(not checked:)
3. ok (conj.): and, but; also

notes

[3-4] heldr hæðinna ok hvítbránna ‘rather mocking and white-eyelashed’: The two adjectives hæðinn ‘mocking’ and hvítbránn ‘having white eyelashes’ are in the m. nom. sg. in the only ms. of this stanza, but the noun sveina ‘serving men’ (l. 2), which they probably qualify, is m. acc. pl. For this reason, following Edd. Min. (reportedly following a suggestion of Axel Olrik), Skj B and Skald, this edn emends each adj. to m. acc. pl. It is not clear why the serving men should be described as having white eyelashes. However, Án 5 may throw some light on the matter, because the rare conjunction of heldr and hæðinn ‘rather mocking’ occurs there also in l. 7 (cf. LP: hæðinn), as does the adj. hvíthaddaðr ‘fair-haired’ (l. 3). The stanza describes how a group of girls mocks Án Bow-bender because of his outlandish clothing. It is possible that pale hair or eyelashes was somehow associated with mockery, though exactly how or why is unclear.

hvít ‘white’

(not checked:)
hvítr (adj.; °-an; -ari, -astr): white < hvítbránn (adj.)

[4] hvítbránna: hvítbránn 590b‑cˣ

notes

[3-4] heldr hæðinna ok hvítbránna ‘rather mocking and white-eyelashed’: The two adjectives hæðinn ‘mocking’ and hvítbránn ‘having white eyelashes’ are in the m. nom. sg. in the only ms. of this stanza, but the noun sveina ‘serving men’ (l. 2), which they probably qualify, is m. acc. pl. For this reason, following Edd. Min. (reportedly following a suggestion of Axel Olrik), Skj B and Skald, this edn emends each adj. to m. acc. pl. It is not clear why the serving men should be described as having white eyelashes. However, Án 5 may throw some light on the matter, because the rare conjunction of heldr and hæðinn ‘rather mocking’ occurs there also in l. 7 (cf. LP: hæðinn), as does the adj. hvíthaddaðr ‘fair-haired’ (l. 3). The stanza describes how a group of girls mocks Án Bow-bender because of his outlandish clothing. It is possible that pale hair or eyelashes was somehow associated with mockery, though exactly how or why is unclear.

bránna ‘eyelashed’

(not checked:)
-bránn (adj.) < hvítbránn (adj.)

[4] hvítbránna: hvítbránn 590b‑cˣ

notes

[3-4] heldr hæðinna ok hvítbránna ‘rather mocking and white-eyelashed’: The two adjectives hæðinn ‘mocking’ and hvítbránn ‘having white eyelashes’ are in the m. nom. sg. in the only ms. of this stanza, but the noun sveina ‘serving men’ (l. 2), which they probably qualify, is m. acc. pl. For this reason, following Edd. Min. (reportedly following a suggestion of Axel Olrik), Skj B and Skald, this edn emends each adj. to m. acc. pl. It is not clear why the serving men should be described as having white eyelashes. However, Án 5 may throw some light on the matter, because the rare conjunction of heldr and hæðinn ‘rather mocking’ occurs there also in l. 7 (cf. LP: hæðinn), as does the adj. hvíthaddaðr ‘fair-haired’ (l. 3). The stanza describes how a group of girls mocks Án Bow-bender because of his outlandish clothing. It is possible that pale hair or eyelashes was somehow associated with mockery, though exactly how or why is unclear.

Skelkja ‘mock’

(not checked:)
1. skelkja (verb): [you scared]

skatnar ‘The fellows’

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skati (noun m.; °-a; -nar): chieftan, prince

ok ‘and’

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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also

skaup ‘ridicule’

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2. skaup (noun n.): mockery

[6] skaup: ‘skop’ 590b‑cˣ

notes

[6] skaup ‘ridicule’: With Skj B and Skald, this edn adopts CPB’s suggested emendation (CPB II, 548) of the ms.’s ‘skop’, which does not make sense in this context.

draga ‘hold’

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2. draga (verb; °dregr; dró, drógu; dreginn/droget(Hirð NKS 1642 4° 146v²⁹; cf. [$962$])): drag, pull, draw

ófs ‘exceedingly’

(not checked:)
ófs (adv.): excessively

notes

[7] ófs óframir ‘exceedingly cautious’: This edn understands this adjectival phrase, referring to Starkaðr’s insulters, as ironic, possibly litotic. Ófs ‘exceedingly’ is often used as an intensifier with adjectives, while óframr ‘cautious’ is well attested (cf. Sigv Berv 15/3^II). Kock (FF §28) suggests ófs óframir means som stora uslingar ‘as great villains’. The ms.’s ‘öframer’ is interpreted as oframmir by Skj B in the sense ‘very strong’, and the whole phrase understood to mean stærke i deres overdrevne adfærd ‘strong in their exaggerated behaviour’.

óframir ‘cautious’

(not checked:)
óframr (adj.): cautious man, Óframr

notes

[7] ófs óframir ‘exceedingly cautious’: This edn understands this adjectival phrase, referring to Starkaðr’s insulters, as ironic, possibly litotic. Ófs ‘exceedingly’ is often used as an intensifier with adjectives, while óframr ‘cautious’ is well attested (cf. Sigv Berv 15/3^II). Kock (FF §28) suggests ófs óframir means som stora uslingar ‘as great villains’. The ms.’s ‘öframer’ is interpreted as oframmir by Skj B in the sense ‘very strong’, and the whole phrase understood to mean stærke i deres overdrevne adfærd ‘strong in their exaggerated behaviour’.

at ‘up to’

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3. at (prep.): at, to

jöfurs ‘the prince’s’

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jǫfurr (noun m.): ruler, prince

greppi ‘poet’

(not checked:)
greppr (noun m.; °; -ar): poet, man

notes

[8] greppi ‘poet’: This noun sometimes means ‘man’ in poetry, but much more often is one of several terms for ‘poet’; cf., among others, Bragi Troll 1/4^III, Þhorn Harkv 18/3^I and Anon Nkt 1/3^II.