Sigv Nesv 7I/5 — þessum ‘these’
Stǫng óð gylld, þars gengum
Gǫndlar serks und merkjum
gnýs, fyr gǫfgum ræsi,
greiðendr á skip reiðir.
Þági vas, sem þessum
þengils, á jó strengjar,
mjǫð, fyr malma kveðju,
mær heiðþegum bæri.
Gylld stǫng óð fyr gǫfgum ræsi, þars gengum, greiðendr gnýs serks Gǫndlar, reiðir á skip und merkjum. Vas þági á jó strengjar fyr kveðju malma, sem mær bæri þessum heiðþegum þengils mjǫð.
The gilded standard advanced before the noble king, where we, suppliers of the din of the shirt of Gǫndul <valkyrie> [MAIL-SHIRT > BATTLE > WARRIORS], went enraged onto the ships under the banners. It was not then on the horse of the rope [SHIP], before the greeting of metal weapons [BATTLE], as if a maiden were bringing these retainers of the prince mead.
readings
[5] þessum: ‘þessor’ 68, þegnum 61
notes
[5] þessum ‘these’: Kock defends the reading þegnum ‘retainers, men’ by positing an apposition with heiðþegum (NN §1859, cf. §1853B), but the reading is poorly supported and can be explained as a scribal anticipation of the postponed indirect object heiðþegum. — [5, 6, 7, 8] sem mær bæri þessum heiðþegum þengils mjǫð ‘as if a maiden were bringing these retainers of the prince mead’: Contrasting the perils of battle with the comforts of the hall (here the woman welcoming victorious warriors) is a favourite skaldic theme. The metaphorical base-words of the battle-kennings in the helmingr may allude to the maiden’s greeting (kveðju, l. 7) to the warrior, who arrives on horseback (jó, l. 6).
grammar
Pronouns and determiners: sjá/þessi (this)
| masc. | fem. | neut. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sing. | N A G D | sjá/þessi þenna/þennan þessa þessum | sjá/þessi þessa þessar þessi/þessari | þetta/þettað |
| pl. | N A G D | þessir þessa þessa þessum | þessar þessar þessa þessum | þessi þessi þessa þessum |