Eil Þdr 21III/4 — heims ‘world’
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
[4] alfheims: ‘alf[…]íms’ W
notes
[3, 4] undirfjalfrs bliku alfheims ‘of the low hiding-place of the gleam of the elf-world [SUN > CAVE]’: The only other attestation of fjalfr is in Þjóð Haustl 18/2, where it is also translated as ‘hiding-place’. It is possible that this noun is etymologically related to the strong verb fela ‘hide’. The present kenning, ‘low hiding-place of the sun’, can be interpreted in two different ways. The cave could be the hiding-place of the sun itself (i.e. the place where it stays during the night) or it could be a place to hide from the sun (Reichardt 1948, 390). The latter interpretation is supported by the fact that dwarfs and other mythical beings feared the sun because its rays could turn them to stone (for this motif, see Boberg 1966, 109 and Reichborn-Kjennerud 1934a, 280-3). See also the adj. dagskjarr ‘daylight-shy’ (of a dwarf, Þjóð Yt 2/1I), as well as Alv 35 and HHj 30. — [4] bliku alfheims ‘of the gleam of the elf-world [SUN]’: The interpretation of this sun-kenning (following Reichardt 1948, 390; Kiil 1956, 163) is supported by the cpd alfrǫðull ‘elf-sun, elf-gleam’ (meaning ‘sun’; LP: alfrǫðull). Whereas Finnur Jónsson (1900b, 400; Skj B) leaves bliku unexplained, Kock (NN §469) suggests translating it as ‘gleam’ and combining it with alfheimr ‘elf-world’ to mean ‘gold’. Such a kenning is unparalleled in the extant corpus of skaldic poetry.
kennings
- bliku alfheims — of the gleam of the elf-world [SUN]
- undirfjalfrs bliku alfheims — of the low hiding-place of the gleam of the elf-world [CAVE]
- kalfa undirfjalfrs bliku alfheims — of the calves of the low hiding-place of the gleam of the elf-world [GIANTS]
- 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]