Anon Krm 10VIII/7 — kufl ‘cowl’
Hjuggu vér með hjörvi.
Hildr var sýnt í vexti,
áðr Freyr konungr felli
í Flæmingjaveldi.
Náði blár at bíta
blóði smeltr í gyltan
Högna kufl at hjaldri
harðr bengrefill forðum.
Mær grét morginskæru
mörg, þá er tafn fekkz vörgum.
Hjuggu vér með hjörvi. Hildr var sýnt í vexti, áðr Freyr konungr felli í Flæmingjaveldi. Harðr, blár bengrefill, smeltr blóði, náði forðum at bíta í gyltan kufl Högna at hjaldri. Mörg mær grét morginskæru, þá er tafn fekkz vörgum.
We hewed with the sword. The battle was clearly well advanced before King Freyr fell in the realm of the Flemings. The tough, blue wound-digger [SWORD], dripping with blood, succeeded long ago in biting into the gilded cowl of Hǫgni <legendary hero> [ARMOUR] in the conflict. Many a maiden wept early that morning, when prey was obtained for wolves.
readings
[7] kufl: so 6ˣ, R702ˣ, LR, ‘kylf’ 1824b, ‘kulf’ R693ˣ
notes
[7] gyltan kufl Högna ‘the gilded cowl of Hǫgni <legendary hero> [ARMOUR]’: Many kennings for both helmets and mail-coats are formed from base-words for some sort of clothing and the names of legendary warriors as determinants (Meissner 164-5). In this case, it is difficult to decide whether the referent is ‘mail-coat’ or ‘helmet’, though Meissner 165 opts for the former. The Hǫgni in question here is probably one of the protagonists of the Hjaðningavíg ‘the battle of Heðinn’s followers’, a legend alluded to in several stanzas of Krm.
kennings
- gyltan kufl Högna — the gilded cowl of Hǫgni <legendary hero> [ARMOUR]
grammar
case: acc.