Eyv Lv 12I/1 — Svǫlnis ‘of Svǫlnir’
Snýr á Svǫlnis vôru
— svá hǫfum inn sem Finnar
birkihind of bundit
brums — at miðju sumri.
Snýr á vôru Svǫlnis at miðju sumri; hǫfum of bundit birkihind brums inn svá sem Finnar.
It is snowing on the spouse of Svǫlnir <= Óðinn> [= Jǫrð (jǫrð ‘earth’)] in the middle of summer; we have tied up the bark-stripping hind of the bud [GOAT] inside just like the Saami.
readings
[1] Svǫlnis: ‘Svalnis’ FskAˣ
notes
[1] Svǫlnis ‘of Svǫlnir <= Óðinn>’: Finnur Jónsson (Hkr 1893-1901, IV) suggests that choice of this Óðinn heiti plays ironically on the adj. svalr ‘cool’. — [1] vôru Svǫlnis ‘the spouse of Svǫlnir <= Óðinn> [= Jǫrð (jǫrð “earth”)]’: This kenning clearly belongs to the type denoting Jǫrð as the consort of Óðinn, who is named Svǫlnir in two other examples: see Meissner 87. However, vôru is unusual. It seems to be a common noun meaning ‘spouse’, and may be connected with várar (f. pl.) ‘pledges’ and with Vôr, the name of the goddess of pledges between men and women (on Vôr, see Note to Þul Ásynja 2/5III). Nom. sg. *vára is assumed in LP: Svǫlnir, but there is no separate entry for it in LP, and no evidence for the form.
kennings
- vôru Svǫlnis — the spouse of Svǫlnir <= Óðinn> [= Jǫrð]