Cookies on our website

We use cookies on this website, mainly to provide a secure browsing experience but also to collect statistics on how the website is used. You can find out more about the cookies we set, the information we store and how we use it on the cookies page.

Continue

skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

Menu Search

Rv Lv 7II/6 — gag ‘of the backward-bending’

Hengik hamri kringðan
(hanga rjúfum) tangar
(Grímnis sylg) á galga
ginnungs brúar linna.
Svá hefr glóraddar gladdan,
gagfellis, mik þella,
lóns, at leikk við mínar
lautir, hellis Gauta.

Hengik linna brúar ginnungs, kringðan hamri, á galga tangar; rjúfum sylg Grímnis hanga. Þella glóraddar Gauta hellis hefr gladdan mik svá, at leikk við mínar lautir gagfellis lóns.

I hang a snake of the bridge of the hawk [ARM > ARM-RING], made round by the hammer, on the gallows of the tongs [ARM]; we [I] reveal the drink of the Grímnir <giant> of hanged ones [= Óðinn > POETRY]. The fir-tree of the gleaming-voice of the Gautar of the cave [GIANTS > GOLD > WOMAN] has gladdened me so much, that I play with my hollows of the backward-bending feller of the lagoon [OAR > HANDS].

readings

[6] gag‑: galg R702ˣ

notes

[6] gagfellis ‘of the backward-bending feller’: This refers to a sword, which is pulled up and back before striking the blow that fells. Cf. gagr adj. ‘bent or thrown backwards’, and fellir as a sword-heiti in Þul Sverða 6/1III, 9/1III.

kennings

grammar

Close

Log in

This service is only available to members of the relevant projects, and to purchasers of the skaldic volumes published by Brepols.
This service uses cookies. By logging in you agree to the use of cookies on your browser.

Close

Word in text

This view shows information about an instance of a word in a text.