Ggnæv Frag 1III/3 — orða ‘the words’
Ǫðlingr drap sér ungum
ungr naglfara á tungu
innanborðs ok orða
aflgerð meðalkafla.
Ungr ǫðlingr drap sér ungum innanborðs á aflgerð tungu naglfara ok orða meðalkafla.
The young ruler launched himself on board ship while young on the powerful activity of the language of the nail-studded one <sword> [BATTLE] and the words of the sword-hilt [BATTLE].
notes
[4] aflgerð ‘the powerful activity’: Aflgerð is a hap. leg. Ms. Tˣ’s aflgjǫrð ‘strength-girdle’ offers a variant form of the second element, as do R’s and C’s ‑gjóðr ‘eagle’. Neither of these variants fits the context. Here the cpd is understood as a metaphorical way of referring to battle, in combination with the two kennings, both of which have base-words meaning ‘language’ or ‘words’. The underlying concept is that of a debate or altercation at a þing or assembly. So both kennings belong to the pattern ‘speech/debate of weapons’ (cf. Meissner 176-8). Marold (1994c, 575) understands a different syntactical arrangement, ungr ǫðlingr drap sér ungum innanborðs naglfara á tungu ok orða aflgerð meðalkafla ‘the young ruler devoted himself in his youth on board ship to the powerful action of speech and of the words of the sword [BATTLE]’.
kennings
- orða meðalkafla. — the words of the sword-hilt. [BATTLE]
grammar
case: gen.
number: pl.