Eil Þdr 21III/1 — blótinn ‘worshipped’
Herblótinn vá hneitir
hógbrotningi skógar
undirfjalfrs af alfi
alfheims bliku kalfa,
né liðfǫstum Lista
látrs val-Rygir môttu
aldrminkanda aldar
Ellu steins of bella.
Herblótinn hneitir kalfa undirfjalfrs bliku alfheims vá hógbrotningi skógar af alfi; né môttu Rygir Lista vallátrs of bella liðfǫstum aldrminkanda aldar Ellu steins.
The people-worshipped vanquisher of the calves of the low hiding-place of the gleam of the elf-world [SUN > CAVE > GIANTS > = Þórr] fought vigorously with the handy weapon of the forest; nor could the Rygir of the Lista of the falcon-lair [(lit. ‘falcon-Rygir of the lair of Lista’) ROCK > MOUNTAINS > GIANTS] resist the life-diminisher of the people of the Ælla <Northumbrian king> of the stone [GIANT > GIANTS > = Þórr], support-strong.
readings
[1] ‑blótinn: so Tˣ, W, blótin R
notes
[1] herblótinn ‘people-worshipped’: Almost all earlier eds have adopted Sveinbjörn Egilsson’s (1851, 10, 19) emendation of helblótinn lit. ‘Hel-worshipped’ (?) (so all mss) to herblótinn, because the former cannot be connected with Þórr in any meaningful way. Frank (1986, 98-9) retains the cpd helblótinn, which she translates as ‘honored with sacrifices in hell (or by Hel)’ and explains (rather unconvincingly) as follows: ‘Geirrøðr’s sunless kingdom … has offered up its calves on the altar of the conquering Thor’.
kennings
- Herblótinn hneitir kalfa undirfjalfrs bliku alfheims — The people-worshipped vanquisher of the calves of the low hiding-place of the gleam of the elf-world [= Þórr]