Refr Þorst 2III/1 — gœðis ‘promoter’
Alls bǫðgœðis bjóða
— bǫrr ræðr til þess hjǫrva —
ógnstǫðvar hefk ægi
einráðit Þórsteini.
Alls hefk einráðit bjóða Þórsteini ægi ógnstǫðvar bǫðgœðis; bǫrr hjǫrva ræðr til þess.
Since I have decided to offer Þorsteinn the ocean of the terror-place [BREAST] of the battle-promoter [= Óðinn > POEM]; the tree of swords [WARRIOR] [I] begins to work on this.
readings
[1] ‑gœðis: ‘‑ǫgþi’ R, ‑goði Tˣ, ‑gœði W, A, 2368ˣ, ‑geði U, ‘‑auglis’ C
notes
[1] bǫðgœðis ‘of the battle-promoter [= Óðinn]’: The emendation (addition of -s) is necessary because a gen. is needed to integrate the word in the kenning for ‘poem’. The kenning ‘battle-promoter’ is a traditional warrior-kenning, but the context shows that it can only refer to Óðinn here, because ægi ógnstǫðvar ‘the ocean of the terror-place [BREAST]’ must be supplemented by ‘Óðinn’ to fit the pattern ‘liquid of Óðinn’s breast [POEM]’ (on the use of warrior-kennings for Óðinn, see Meissner 253). As the god of war, Óðinn continually ‘promoted’ battle by causing strife among warriors (cf. Hárb 24, HHund II, 34 and ARG II, 57 for more examples).
kennings
- bǫðgœðis; — of the battle-promoter; [= Óðinn]
- ægi ógnstǫðvar bǫðgœðis; — the ocean of the terror-place of the battle-promoter; [POEM]
grammar
case: gen.