SnSt Ht 83III/2 — eyðir ‘Destroyer’
Naðrs gnapa ógn alla,
eyðir baugvalla,
hlunns of hástalla
hestar svanfjalla.
Orms es glatt galla
með gumna spjalla;
jarl fremr sveit snjalla;
slíkt má skǫrung kalla.
Eyðir baugvalla, hestar svanfjalla gnapa of hástalla hlunns alla ógn naðrs. Es glatt með spjalla gumna galla orms; jarl fremr snjalla sveit; slíkt má kalla skǫrung.
Destroyer of shieldboss-meadows [SHIELDS > WARRIOR = Skúli], horses of swan-mountains [WAVES > SHIPS] tower in the tall foundations of the roller throughout the entire terror of the adder [WINTER]. It is cheerful with the confidant of men [RULER] during the destruction of the snake [WINTER]; the jarl advances the clever company; such [a one] one must call an outstanding person.
notes
[2] eyðir baugvalla ‘destroyer of shieldboss-meadows [SHIELDS > WARRIOR = Skúli]’: Eyðir (m. nom. sg.) ‘destroyer’ can only be construed as a form of address (so also SnE 1848-87). As Faulkes (SnE 2007, 71) points out, forms of address are usually accompanied by the imp. in the other stanzas of Ht, and most earlier eds therefore emend to eyðis (m. gen. sg.) ‘of the destroyer’ (an emendation first suggested by Rask in SnE 1818, 264 n. 1), as an attributive to hestar svanfjalla ‘horses of the swan-mountains’ (l. 4): hestar svanfjalla eyðis baugvalla ‘the horses of the swan-mountains [WAVES > SHIPS] of the destroyer of shieldboss-meadows [SHIELDS > WARRIOR]’. Both mss do have the nom. form eyðir, however, and an emendation does not appear to be warranted.
kennings
- Eyðir baugvalla, — Destroyer of shieldboss-meadows, [WARRIOR = Skúli]
grammar
case: nom.