Gamlkan Has 44VII/7 — seiðs ‘of the fish’
Leygs hefr dánardœgri
dáðreyndr jǫfurr leynða
svana flugreinar sínu
sviptendr jǫru skriptar,
þvít frónspennir finna
fagrtjalda vill aldri
dœlar seiðs við dauða
dúnmeiða vanbúna.
Dáðreyndr jǫfurr leygs flugreinar svana hefr leynða sviptendr skriptar jǫru dánardœgri sínu, þvít fagrtjalda frónspennir vill aldri finna dœlar seiðs dúnmeiða vanbúna við dauða.
The deed-proven prince of the flame of the flying-land of swans [SKY/HEAVEN > SUN > = God] has concealed from the brisk movers of the icon of battle [SHIELD > WARRIORS] their death-day, because the clasper of the fair tents of the earth [(lit. ‘earth-clasper of the fair tents’) SKY/HEAVEN > = God] wishes never to find the trees of the feather-bed of the fish of the dell [(lit. ‘feather-bed-trees of the fish of the dell’) SNAKE > GOLD > MEN] unprepared for death.
notes
[7] seiðs (gen. sg.) ‘fish’: Specifically, the saithe or coalfish (gadus virens). Both Rydberg and Finnur Jónsson (Skj A) read the initial consonant as <l>, not <s>, and it is easy to see why: the letter in B has an ascender with right-leaning final stroke that is more similar to this scribe’s <l>s than to his <s>s. However, Finnur may have changed his mind, for Skj B has seiðr here.
kennings
- dœlar seiðs — of the fish of the dell [SNAKE]
- dœlar seiðs dún — of the feather-bed of the fish of the dell [GOLD]
- dœlar seiðs dúnmeiða — the trees of the feather-bed of the fish of the dell [MEN]
grammar
case: gen.