Grani Har 1II/2 — drífu ‘snow-drift’
Lét aldrigi úti
ósvífr Kraka drífu
Hlǫkk í harða þjokkum
Hornskógi brô þorna.
Fila dróttinn rak flótta
fjanda grams til strandar;
auð varð út at reiða
allskjótt faðir Dóttu.
Ósvífr lét aldrigi brô Hlǫkk drífu Kraka þorna úti í harða þjokkum Hornskógi. Dróttinn Fila rak flótta grams fjanda til strandar; faðir Dóttu varð at reiða út auð allskjótt.
The reckless one never let the eyelashes of the Hlǫkk <valkyrie> of Kraki’s <legendary king’s> snow-drift [GOLD > WOMAN] get dry out in the very dense forest at Hornslet. The lord of the Filir [NORWEGIAN KING = Haraldr] chased the fleeing troop of the enemies’ chieftain down to the shore; Dótta’s father [= Þorkell geysa] had to pay out riches very quickly.
notes
[2] drífu Kraka ‘Kraki’s <legendary king’s> snow-drift [GOLD]’: Hrólfr kraki ‘Pole-ladder’ was a legendary Dan. king. The kenning refers to the episode in which Hrólfr, pursued by the Swedes, threw gold on the ground to distract his enemies (see SnE 1998, I, 58-9). For a similar ruse employed by Haraldr harðráði, see Þfagr Sveinn 8. Usually kennings with ‘snow’ or ‘ice’ as a base-word denote ‘silver’, but in this particular case the legendary associations establish that ‘gold’ is meant.
kennings
- drífu Kraka — of Kraki’s <legendary king’s> snow-drift [GOLD]
- Hlǫkk drífu Kraka — of the Hlǫkk <valkyrie> of Kraki’s <legendary king’s> snow-drift [WOMAN]
grammar
case: gen.