Eyv Lv 8I/6 — fá ‘of the little’
Bôrum, Ullr, of alla,
ímunlauks, á hauka
fjǫllum Fýrisvalla
fræ Hôkunar ævi.
Nú hefr folkstríðir Fróða
fáglýjaðra þýja
meldr í móður holdi
mellu dolgs of folginn.
Bôrum fræ Fýrisvalla á fjǫllum hauka of alla ævi Hôkunar, Ullr ímunlauks. Nú hefr folkstríðir of folginn meldr fáglýjaðra þýja Fróða í holdi móður dolgs mellu.
We bore the seed of Fýrisvellir [GOLD] on the mountains of hawks [HANDS] during the whole of Hákon’s lifetime, Ullr <god> of the battle-leek [SWORD > WARRIOR]. Now the afflicter of the people [= Haraldr] has hidden the flour of the little-satisfied bondswomen of Fróði <legendary king> [= Fenja and Menja > GOLD] in the flesh of the mother of the enemy of the giantess [= Þórr > = Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)].
readings
[6] fá‑: fjǫl J1ˣ, J2ˣ, 61, Bb, FskAˣ
notes
[5-7] meldr fáglýjaðra þýja Fróða ‘the flour of the little-satisfied bondswomen of Fróði <legendary king> [= Fenja and Menja > GOLD]’: The reference is to a legend attested in Grott, which is cited following a prose version of the story in Skm (SnE 1998, I, 52-7; and see Meissner 228 for further kennings alluding to this). Two slave-women, Fenja and Menja, are forced to grind gold for Fróði, the king of Denmark celebrated for his long reign of peace and plenty, but eventually sabotage his scheme (in SnE by grinding salt instead). The allusion may be intended as a hint to Haraldr gráfeldr that his oppressive rule could lead to rebellion.
kennings
- fáglýjaðra þýja Fróða — of the little-satisfied bondswomen of Fróði <legendary king> [= Fenja and Menja]
- meldr fáglýjaðra þýja Fróða — the flour of the little-satisfied bondswomen of Fróði <legendary king> [GOLD]