Eil Þdr 21III/8 — steins ‘of the stone’
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.
notes
[7-8] aldrminkanda aldar Ellu steins ‘the life-diminisher of the people of the Ælla <Northumbrian king> of the stone [GIANT > GIANTS > = Þórr]’: As usual, Þórr is referred to periphrastically by a kenning that describes him as a killer and fighter of giants. The base-word of the giant-kenning, Ella, is unusual because such base-words are otherwise almost always the names of sea-kings or mythical and legendary persons (Meissner 258). It is possible, however, to treat Ella as a legendary-heroic name. The Anglo-Saxon king Ælla was killed in 867 by Danish vikings during the sacking of York. In legendary tradition, his death was the result of the revenge of the sons of Ragnarr loðbrók ‘Shaggy-breeches’ for Ælla’s murdering their father, and that probably was the basis for the development of the legends surrounding Ragnarr loðbrók (de Vries 1923a, 252-3).
kennings
- Ellu steins. — of the Ælla <Northumbrian king> of the stone, [GIANT]
- aldar Ellu steins. — of the people of the Ælla <Northumbrian king> of the stone, [GIANTS]
- liðfǫstum aldrminkanda aldar Ellu steins. — the life-diminisher of the people of the Ælla <Northumbrian king> of the stone, support-strong. [= Þórr]