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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Sturl Hákkv 17II/8 — blóðs ‘of blood’

Flugu hræleiptr
at hjarar leiki
geigurlig
á Gauts himin,
en randálfr
rífandi fór
böðvar ský
blóðs eldingum.

Geigurlig hræleiptr flugu á himin Gauts at leiki hjarar, en randálfr fór rífandi ský böðvar eldingum blóðs.

The frightful corpse-lightnings [SPEARS] flew onto the sky of Gautr <= Óðinn> [SHIELD] in the play of the sword [BATTLE], and the shield-elf [WARRIOR] advanced tearing the cloud of battle [SHIELD] with flashes of blood [SPEARS].

readings

[8] blóðs: blóð Flat

notes

[1, 8] hræleiptr; eldingum blóðs ‘corpse-lightnings [SPEARS]’; ‘with flashes of blood [SPEARS]’: As in st. 16 above (see Note to [All]), these kennings denote ‘spears’. Skj B gives the referent ‘swords’ in both instances. The prose text mentions specifically the throwing of spears, and there was no direct physical contact between the two factions. Moreover, it is not easy to see how swords could fly onto shields while still attached to hands.

kennings

grammar

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