Ótt Óldr 5III/2 — mun ‘the love’
Vísi tekr víg-Freys
víst austr munlaust
(aldar hefr allvaldr)
óskvíf (gótt líf).
Vísi tekr víst munlaust óskvíf víg-Freys austr; allvaldr aldar hefr gótt líf.
The ruler takes for certain the loveless chosen wife of the battle-Freyr <god> [= Óðinn > = Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] in the east; the mighty ruler of men leads a good life.
readings
[2] mun‑: so 744ˣ, C, munn‑ R, Tˣ
notes
[2] munlaust ‘loveless’: So mss 744ˣ and C; mss R and Tx read munnlaust ‘mouthless’. The land might be munlaust for two reasons: (a) It might be bereaved, and lacking a strong ruler (cf. munar lausasta ‘most bereaved of love’, Guðr I 4/4, NK 202). The adv. víst ‘for certain, certainly’ in the same line strongly suggests that the land’s loveless condition will be remedied by Óláfr’s military might. (b) The adj. qualifies a kenning for ‘Jǫrð’ (lit. ‘Earth’, Óðinn’s consort and mother of his son Þórr), who may have been abandoned when Óðinn left her for Frigg (see McKinnell 2005, 152-6, and see also Faulkes, SnE 1998, II, 358, who compares Hfr Hákdr 3/4 biðkván Þriðja ‘waiting wife of Þriði <= Óðinn> [= Jǫrð (jǫrð (‘earth’)]’). Kock (NN §3396N; Skald) emends instead to mundlaust ‘without a bride-price’ and compares ómyndr ‘lacking bride-payment’ in a similar ofljóst play on Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’) in ÞjóðA Sex 3/4II. McKinnell (2005, 155) suggests that munlaust has the colourless meaning ‘without doubt’, but this would seem pleonastic following víst ‘for certain’.
kennings
- munlaust óskvíf víg-Freys — the loveless chosen wife of the battle-Freyr <god> [= Jǫrð]