Bragi Rdr 6III/3 — flaums ‘of the eddy’
Mjǫk lét stála støkkvir
styðja Gjúka niðja
flaums, þás fjǫrvi næma
Foglhildar mun vildu.
Ok bláserkjar birkis
ballfǫgr gǫtu allir
ennihǫgg ok eggjar
Jónakrs sonum launa.
Støkkvir flaums stála lét mjǫk styðja niðja Gjúka, þás vildu næma mun Foglhildar fjǫrvi. Ok allir launa sonum Jónakrs ballfǫgr ennihǫgg birkis bláserkjar ok gǫtu eggjar.
The impeller of the eddy of steel [BATTLE > WARRIOR = Jǫrmunrekkr] caused the descendants of Gjúki <legendary king> [= Hamðir and Sǫrli] to be greatly pressed, when they intended to deprive the delight of Bird-hildr <= Svanhildr> [= Jǫrmunrekkr] of life. And all repay the sons of Jónakr <legendary king> [= Hamðir and Sǫrli] for the powerfully splendid forehead blows of the birch-branch of the dark shirt [SWORD] and the path of the sword-blade [WOUND].
readings
[3] flaums: glaums Tˣ
notes
[1, 3] støkkvir flaums stála ‘the impeller of the eddy of steel [BATTLE > WARRIOR = Jǫrmunrekkr]’: If flaums ‘torrent, eddy’ (l. 3) is taken as part of a warrior-kenning, it is strictly unnecessary, as støkkvir stáls ‘the impeller of steel’ alone would suffice as a warrior-kenning. However, Bragi uses a similar kenning flaumr sverða ‘the eddy of swords [BATTLE]’ in st. 3/4, so the likelihood that this is a tvíkent kenning, with Jǫrmunrekkr as its referent, is increased. Other attempts to construe flaums with different parts of the first helmingr are all unsatisfactory (see Marold 1983, 71-3 for an assessment).
kennings
- flaums stála — of the eddy of steel [BATTLE]
- Støkkvir flaums stála — The impeller of the eddy of steel [WARRIOR = Jǫrmunrekkr]
grammar
case: gen.