Dǫglingr fekk at drekka
danskt blóð ara jóði;
hirð hykk hilmi gerðu
Hugins jól við nes Þjólar.
Ætt spornaði arnar
allvítt við valfalli;
hold át vargr, sem vildi,
— vel njóti þess — Jóta.
Dǫglingr fekk jóði ara danskt blóð at drekka; hykk hilmi gerðu hirð Hugins jól við Þjólarnes. Allvítt spornaði ætt arnar við valfalli; vargr át hold Jóta, sem vildi; vel njóti þess.
The lord gave the brood of eagles Danish blood to drink; I believe the ruler prepared a yule-feast for the retinue of Huginn <raven> [RAVENS] by Þjólarnes. Far and wide the kin of the eagle trod on the fallen carrion; the wolf ate the flesh of the Jótar as it pleased; may it truly enjoy that.
[4] Hugins jól við ‑nes: ‘[…]’ B, ‘hugins hiol ' es’ 744ˣ
[3, 4] hirð Hugins ‘for the retinue of Huginn <raven> [RAVENS]’: This is an unusual kenning for ‘ravens’, because such circumscriptions normally have a base-word that is a kinship term (see Meissner 119; but see ferð gylðis ‘the company of the wolf’ in ESk Run 9/2). However, hirð Hugins ‘the retinue of Huginn’ neatly parallels jóði ara ‘the brood of eagles’ (l. 2) and ætt arnar ‘the kin of the eagle’ (l. 5). Earlier eds construe Hugins with jól (jól Hugins ‘yule-feast of Huginn’), which could be taken quite literally (Haraldr fed the ravens) or else as a kenning for ‘carrion’ (so SnE 1998, II, 480). Huginn was one of Óðinn’s ravens (see SnE 1998, I, 91).