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

Hallv Knútdr 3III/7 — sverð ‘of the sword’

Knútr, lézt framm til Fljóta
— frægr leið vǫrðr of ægi
heiptsnarr hildar leiptra —
harðbrynjuð skip dynja.
Ullar lézt við Ellu
ættleifð ok mô reifðir
sverðmans snyrtiherðir
sundviggs flota bundit.

Knútr, lézt harðbrynjuð skip dynja framm til Fljóta; frægr, heiptsnarr vǫrðr leiptra hildar leið of ægi. Snyrtiherðir Ullar sundviggs, lézt flota bundit við ættleifð Ellu ok reifðir mô sverðmans.

Knútr, you caused your hard-armoured ships to rush forward to Fljót; the famous, battle-bold guardian of the lightnings of battle [SWORDS > WARRIOR] glided across the sea. Splendid strengthener of Ullr’s <god’s> sea-horse [SHIP > SHIELD > WARRIOR], you had your fleet moored in the patrimony of Ælla [= England], and you gladdened the gull of the sword-girl [VALKYRIE > RAVEN/EAGLE].

notes

[7] sverðmans ‘of the sword-girl [VALKYRIE]’: In eds where emendation is made to Ullr sundviggs, and hence the ms. reading snyrti-Gerðar is preserved (see Note to ll. 5-8 above), the reading sverðmanns ‘of the sword-man’ must be preferred, giving the kenning mô snyrti-Gerðar sverðmanns ‘the gull of the splendid Gerðr of the sword-man [WARRIOR > VALKYRIE > RAVEN]’. However, it is debatable whether sverðmaðr is an acceptable warrior-kenning and, at any rate, the emendation Ullar > Ullr results in an unmetrical line (see Note to ll. 5-8 above).

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.