Eil Þdr 12III/7 — Breta ‘Britons’
Ok †sifuna† síðan
sverðs liðhat*ar gerðu
hlífar borðs við Hǫrða
harðgleypnis dyn barða,
áðr hylriðar hæði
hrjóðendr fjǫru þjóðar
við skyld-Breta skytju
skálleik Heðins reikar.
Ok síðan gerðu †sifuna† sverðs liðhat*ar dyn harðgleypnis borðs hlífar við Hǫrða barða, áðr hylriðar, hrjóðendr þjóðar fjǫru, hæði Heðins reikar skálleik við skyld-Breta skytju.
And afterwards the … haters of the help of the sword [= Þórr and Þjálfi] held a din of the harsh swallower of the board of defence [SHIELD > SWORD > BATTLE] against the Hǫrðar of precipices [GIANTS], before the pool-steppers [= Þórr and Þjálfi], the destroyers of the people of the shore [GIANTS], could engage in the game of the bowl of the hair-parting [HAT] of Heðinn <legendary hero> [(lit. ‘bowl-game of the hair-parting of Heðinn’) HELMET > BATTLE] against the kin-Britons of the markswoman [= Skaði] [GIANTS].
readings
[7] Breta: ‘bretia’ Tˣ
notes
[7] skyld-Breta skytju ‘the kin-Britons of the markswoman [= Skaði] [GIANTS]’: Giant-kennings whose base-words are ethnic names (collected in Marold 1990a, 109-10) are characteristic of Eilífr’s style. Skytja could be a f. noun derived from skyti m. ‘marksman’ (NN §457); hence, the meaning would be ‘markswoman’ and could refer to Skaði, daughter of the giant Þjazi, the giantess who hunts with bow and arrow. Skyld- means ‘related by kinship’ (Fritzner: skyldr 5), and those related to Skaði are giants (Marold 1990a, 110 Anm. 8). This is consistent with Geirrøðr being called ‘terrifier of the bowstring’ and ‘god of the bow’ (sts 16/5 and 20/5). Previous eds have either left skytju untranslated (Sveinbjörn Egilsson 1851, 27; Finnur Jónsson 1900b, 390; Skj B) or resorted to emendation. Kock (NN §457) replaces skyld- with skjald- and translates skjald-Breta skytju as ‘giant’s daughter’ without further comment, while Reichardt (1948, 367) emends skytja to skúta and construes the kenning skyld-Bretar skúta ‘the kin-Britons of the cave’.
kennings
- skyld-Breta skytju. — the kin-Britons of the markswoman [= Skaði]. [GIANTS]
grammar
case: acc.
number: pl.