Beatrice La Farge (ed.) 2017, ‘Ketils saga hœngs 14 (Ketill hœngr, Lausavísur 9)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 564.
(not checked:)
1. hjalmr (noun m.; °-s, dat. -i; -ar): helmet
[1] Hjálmr … Stafnglámr: The names of the two vikings. Hjálmr means ‘Helmet’; Stafnglámr is attested only in Ket and as a cognomen in Ǫrv (see Lind 1905-15, 943; Lind 1920-1, 354). The first part of the cpd Stafnglámr means ‘stem’ (stafn) in the prow (or stern) of a ship; the second part (-glámr) may be etymologically related to words designating various luminous or shining objects (such as the moon, an eye, horse with a white spot) or meaning ‘stare’ (AEW: glámr; ÍO: gláma). The cpd could be understood as a kenning for ‘shield’, viz. ‘the shining object of the prow’; both names then designate defensive weapons, helmet and shield, and point to the protective role these vikings are supposed to be playing by backing Ketill up. LP: Stafnglámr understands the name to designate someone who keeps a sharp look-out in the prow of a ship. Kahle (1910, 197) regards Stafnglamr (with short a in glamr) as the correct form and considers glamr etymologically related to glam n. ‘noise’; he translates the name Stafnglamr as ‘Stem-noise’, a reference to the noise of waves through which a ship moves.
(not checked:)
3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
(not checked:)
stafnglámr (noun m.)
[1] Hjálmr … Stafnglámr: The names of the two vikings. Hjálmr means ‘Helmet’; Stafnglámr is attested only in Ket and as a cognomen in Ǫrv (see Lind 1905-15, 943; Lind 1920-1, 354). The first part of the cpd Stafnglámr means ‘stem’ (stafn) in the prow (or stern) of a ship; the second part (-glámr) may be etymologically related to words designating various luminous or shining objects (such as the moon, an eye, horse with a white spot) or meaning ‘stare’ (AEW: glámr; ÍO: gláma). The cpd could be understood as a kenning for ‘shield’, viz. ‘the shining object of the prow’; both names then designate defensive weapons, helmet and shield, and point to the protective role these vikings are supposed to be playing by backing Ketill up. LP: Stafnglámr understands the name to designate someone who keeps a sharp look-out in the prow of a ship. Kahle (1910, 197) regards Stafnglamr (with short a in glamr) as the correct form and considers glamr etymologically related to glam n. ‘noise’; he translates the name Stafnglamr as ‘Stem-noise’, a reference to the noise of waves through which a ship moves.
(not checked:)
hlífa (verb): protect
(not checked:)
it (pron.; °gen. ykkar, dat./acc. ykkr): you (two)
(not checked:)
báðir (pron.; °gen. beggja (báðra), nom./acc. n. bǽði): both
(not checked:)
gefa (verb): give
(not checked:)
rúm (noun n.; °-s; -): place
(not checked:)
gamall (adj.; °gamlan; compar. & superl. ellri adj.): old
[3] gömlum (m. dat. sg.) ‘the old one’: Ketill refers to himself in this somewhat self-deprecatory way, which highlights by implication the uselessness of his followers.
(not checked:)
5. at (nota): to (with infinitive)
(not checked:)
2. ganga (verb; geng, gekk, gengu, genginn): walk, go
(not checked:)
fram (adv.): out, forth, forwards, away
(not checked:)
2. hót (noun n.; °; -): a bit
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
This stanza is introduced with the words: Þá kvað Ketill vísu ‘then Ketill spoke a stanza’. The following stanza runs on from this one without a break and with no prose introduction.
It is possible to consider this stanza and the following one as parts of the same poetic utterance. Anderson (1990, 437-8) treats them as one stanza, but other eds separate the first two long-lines from the others. Both stanzas are composed in a mixture of fornyrðislag and málaháttr.
Use the buttons at the top of the page to navigate between stanzas in a poem.
The text and translation are given here, with buttons to toggle whether the text is shown in the verse order or prose word order. Clicking on indiviudal words gives dictionary links, variant readings, kennings and notes, where relevant.
This is the text of the edition in a similar format to how the edition appears in the printed volumes.
This view is also used for chapters and other text segments. Not all the headings shown are relevant to such sections.