SnSt Ht 49III/2 — brestr ‘breaks’
Hjaldrremmir tekr Hildi
— hringr brestr at gjǫf — festa;
hnígr und Hǫgna meyjar
hers valdandi tjald.
Heðins mála býr hvílu
hjálmlestanda flestum;
morðaukinn þiggr mæki
mund Hjaðninga sprund.
Hjaldrremmir tekr festa Hildi; hringr brestr at gjǫf; valdandi hers hnígr und tjald meyjar Hǫgna. Mála Heðins býr flestum hjálmlestanda hvílu; sprund Hjaðninga þiggr mund, morðaukinn mæki.
The battle-strengthener [WARRIOR] begins to betroth himself to Hildr; the ring breaks as bride-payment; the ruler of the army bends down beneath the tent of Hǫgni’s <legendary hero’s> daughter [= Hildr (hildr ‘battle’) > SHIELD]. Heðinn’s <legendary hero’s> beloved [= Hildr (hildr ‘battle’)] prepares a bed for most helmet-damagers [WARRIORS]; the woman of the Hjaðningar <Heðinn’s followers> [= Hildr (hildr ‘battle’)] receives a bride-payment, a battle-renowned sword.
notes
[2] hringr brestr at gjǫf ‘the ring breaks as bride-payment’: Hringr ‘ring’ can also mean ‘sword’ (the ring at the sword-hilt, pars pro toto for ‘sword’, see LP: 2. hringr and Þul Sverða 7/7), meaning that the sword shatters in battle. If hringr is taken in the meaning ‘vagina’, however, the clause could have a third level of meaning (for other sexual innuendos in connection with Hildr and ‘ring’, see Clunies Ross 1973b).