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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Anon (StSt) 2VIII (StSt 2)/1 — helju ‘Hel’

Skal hann í helju         hvíldar njóta
ok margskonar         meina kenna.
Þá mun Sturlaugr         inn starfsami
með góma kvern         grafinn í stykki.

Hann skal njóta hvíldar í helju ok kenna margskonar meina. Sturlaugr inn starfsami mun þá grafinn í stykki með kvern góma.

He shall enjoy rest in Hel and experience many kinds of injuries. Then Sturlaugr inn starfsami (‘the Industrious’) will be torn to shreds with the hand-mill of the gums [TEETH].

notes

[1] í helju ‘in Hel’: As the priestess is a pagan, the Hel referred to here is probably that of Old Norse myth, though a connection with the punishments of the Christian Hell would have likely been in the poet’s and audience’s minds. The rest (hvíld) she speaks of is doubtless ironically meant. Some eds (e.g. StSt 1694) follow 30ˣ and 56ˣ in reading í hömlu ‘in a strap, oar-loop’ instead of í helju.

grammar

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