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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Hfr Óldr 2I/6 — laust ‘less’

Hættr vas hersa dróttinn
hjǫrdjarfr Gota fjǫrvi;
gollskerði frák gerðu
geirþey á Skáneyju.
Bǫðserkjar hjó birki
barklaust í Danmǫrku
hleypimeiðr fyr Heiða-
hlunnviggja -bý sunnan.

Hjǫrdjarfr dróttinn hersa vas hættr fjǫrvi Gota; frák gollskerði gerðu geirþey á Skáneyju. Hleypimeiðr hlunnviggja hjó barklaust birki bǫðserkjar í Danmǫrku fyr sunnan Heiðabý.

The sword-bold lord of hersar [RULER] was dangerous to the life of the Gotar; I have learned that the gold-diminisher [GENEROUS MAN] made spear-breeze [BATTLE] in Skåne. The impelling tree of the roller-steeds [SHIPS > SEAFARER] cut down the barkless birches of the battle-shirt [MAIL-SHIRT > WARRIORS] in Denmark south of Hedeby.

readings

[6] ‑laust: ‑rjóðr J1ˣ

notes

[5, 6] barklaust birki bǫðserkjar ‘the barkless birches of the battle-shirt [MAIL-SHIRT > WARRIORS]’: Birki n. is a collective noun, hence the sg. refers in this kenning to several warriors. The epithet barklaust ‘barkless’ helps to clarify the referent: not trees but men, but it may also imply that the victorious Óláfr strips the enemy of their armour like a tree of its bark (so ÍF 26; ÍF 29; Hkr 1991). 

kennings

grammar

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