Kirsten Wolf (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Heilagra meyja drápa 9’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 897-8.
(not checked:)
María (noun f.): Mary
(not checked:)
hljóta (verb): alot, gain
(not checked:)
2. inn (art.): the
(not checked:)
ungr (adj.): young
(not checked:)
1. æra (noun f.; °-u): honour
(not checked:)
2. angr (noun n.): grief, sin
(not checked:)
svífa (verb): sweep
(not checked:)
2. er (conj.): who, which, when
(not checked:)
2. taka (verb): take
(not checked:)
5. at (nota): to (with infinitive)
(not checked:)
2. gifta (verb): marry
(not checked:)
Zebedeus (noun m.): [Zebedee]
(not checked:)
mildr (adj.; °compar. -ri/-ari, superl. -astr): mild, gentle, gracious, generous
(not checked:)
mær (noun f.; °meyjar, dat. meyju; meyjar): maiden
(not checked:)
móðir (noun f.): mother
(not checked:)
2. fá (verb; °fǽr; fekk, fengu; fenginn): get, receive
(not checked:)
3. at (prep.): at, to
(not checked:)
vili (noun m.; °-ja): will, wish
(not checked:)
góðr (adj.): good
(not checked:)
hann (pron.; °gen. hans, dat. honum; f. hon, gen. hennar, acc. hana): he, she, it, they, them...
(not checked:)
sonr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. syni; synir, acc. sonu, syni): son
(not checked:)
mega (verb): may, might
(not checked:)
2. heita (verb): be called, promise
(not checked:)
1. herra (noun m.; °herra; herrar): lord
(not checked:)
harðla (adv.): very, highly, greatly
(not checked:)
kunnr (adj.): known (?)
(not checked:)
2. er (conj.): who, which, when
(not checked:)
1. guð (noun m.; °***guðrs, guðis, gus): (Christian) God
(not checked:)
sonr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. syni; synir, acc. sonu, syni): son
(not checked:)
1. unna (verb): love
(not checked:)
postuli (noun m.; °-a; -ar): apostle
(not checked:)
Jón (noun m.): John, Jón
(not checked:)
2. við (prep.): with, against
(not checked:)
mildleikr (noun m.): [mercifulness]
(not checked:)
meiri (adj. comp.; °meiran; superl. mestr): more, most
(not checked:)
mekt (noun f.; °-ar): might, power < mektarsannr (adj.)
[8] mektarsannr ‘in possession of true might’: In LP it is suggested that the adj. may mean ‘capable of performing miracles’.
(not checked:)
2. sannr (adj.; °-an; compar. -ari, superl. -astr): true < mektarsannr (adj.)
[8] mektarsannr ‘in possession of true might’: In LP it is suggested that the adj. may mean ‘capable of performing miracles’.
(not checked:)
3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
[8] og Jacóbus annarr ‘and the second James’: Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) interprets this phrase to mean ‘and James [was] the other [son]’, but, in view of the poet’s mention of the Apostle James the Less in st. 8/5, it seems more plausible here that he intends to differentiate James the Great, brother of John and son of Zebedee, from James the Less, son of Alpheus.
(not checked:)
Jacobus (noun m.): [James]
[8] og Jacóbus annarr ‘and the second James’: Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) interprets this phrase to mean ‘and James [was] the other [son]’, but, in view of the poet’s mention of the Apostle James the Less in st. 8/5, it seems more plausible here that he intends to differentiate James the Great, brother of John and son of Zebedee, from James the Less, son of Alpheus.
(not checked:)
1. annarr (pron.; °f. ǫnnur, n. annat; pl. aðrir): (an)other, second
[8] og Jacóbus annarr ‘and the second James’: Finnur Jónsson (Skj B) interprets this phrase to mean ‘and James [was] the other [son]’, but, in view of the poet’s mention of the Apostle James the Less in st. 8/5, it seems more plausible here that he intends to differentiate James the Great, brother of John and son of Zebedee, from James the Less, son of Alpheus.
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
The youngest Mary, deprived of sorrow, gained honour when she got married; Zebedee received in marriage the gentle maiden with the good will of her mother. Their son can be called a very famous lord, whom God’s son loved, the Apostle John with the greatest mercifulness, in possession of true might and the second James.
The Apostles James the Great and John are said to be the sons of Zebedee in gospel accounts (Matt. IV.21 and Mark I.19). The notion that John (and therefore James) was the son of the Virgin Mary’s sister is found in many medieval sources and was well known in Iceland; cf. this poem, st. 10/1 and Gamlkan Jóndr 3/1, where John is also called Christ’s systrungr ‘sister’s son, cousin whose mothers are sisters’; see also Jón4 1874, 466 and AÍ I, 56.
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.