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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Hhárf Snædr 1I/5 — Dvalins ‘of Dvalinn’

Hneggi berk æ ugg
ótta; hlýði mér drótt;
dána vekk dul at mey
drauga á kerlaug.
Drôpu lætk ór Dvalins greip
dynja, meðan framm hrynr
— rekkum býðk Regins drykk
réttan — á bragar stétt.

Berk æ ugg hneggi ótta; drótt hlýði mér; vekk dul at mey dána á kerlaug drauga; lætk drôpu dynja ór greip Dvalins, meðan hrynr framm á stétt bragar; býðk rekkum réttan drykk Regins.

I constantly carry trepidation in the rock of fear [HEART]; let the company hear me; I bring to light a delusion after the maiden’s death in the cup-liquid of the undead [POETRY]; I make the drápa ring out from the grasp of Dvalinn <dwarf> [MOUTH], as it rushes forth on the path of poetry [TONGUE]; I offer men a correct drink of Reginn <dwarf> [POETRY].

readings

[5] Dvalins: ‘duali(er)’(?) Flat

notes

[5] Dvalins ‘of Dvalinn <dwarf>’: The end of the word in Flat appears crammed so as to fit at the right-hand margin and is most straightforwardly read as i followed by the standard er abbreviation. It is copied as ‘dvalis’ in 761bˣ, however, and interpreted as ‑ins in Flat 1860-8, Skj A and Flat 1945, II, 70, and clearly this is required unless we assume an otherwise unattested heiti. The dwarf-name Dvalinn may be related to dvala, dvelja ‘delay’ and hence mean ‘(he who was) delayed’ (Acker 2002, 219, 225 n. 35) or ‘torpid’ (Þul Dverga 2/2III and Note). This and two other poetry-kennings with Dvalins as the determinant (Anon Hafg 1/2IV, HaukrV Ísldr 1/4IV) occur in what seem to have been the openings of drápur, possibly because Dvalinn was associated with occult knowledge and craftsmanship (Acker 2002, 220, 226 n. 43; Reichborn-Kjennerud 1934a, 281; Simek 1993, 67). — [5] greip Dvalins ‘the grasp of Dvalinn <dwarf> [MOUTH]’: This unparalleled kenning can only be tentatively interpreted. The helmingr envisages poetry as mead pouring from a receptacle of some sort, and contextually ‘mouth’ is most likely. Ólafur Halldórsson (1969b, 152) suggests that the kenning could allude to the mythological motif of giants (though not dwarfs) measuring out gold by mouthfulls (SnE 1998, I, 3); the connection with dwarfs rather than giants could reflect a now-lost myth or possibly confusion on the part of the poet. An earlier explanation (Skj B; NN §133) that the reference is literally to Dvalinn’s hand, as having snatched away the poetic mead, does not fit the context.

kennings

grammar

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