Sigv Lv 3I/8 — blóða ‘brother’
Ek tók lystr, né lastak
— leyfð íð es þat — síðan,
sóknar Njǫrðr, við sverði
— sás mínn vili — þínu.
Þollr, fekkt húskarl hollan
— hǫfum ráðit vel báðir —
látrs, en ek lánardróttin,
linns blóða, mér góðan.
Ek tók lystr við sverði þínu, Njǫrðr sóknar, né lastak síðan; sás vili mínn; þat es leyfð íð. Þollr látrs blóða linns, fekkt hollan húskarl, en ek mér góðan lánardróttin; hǫfum báðir ráðit vel.
I accepted, eager, your sword, Njǫrðr <god> of combat [WARRIOR], and I will not find fault with it afterwards; this is what I wish; it is a praiseworthy occupation. Fir-tree of the lair of the serpent’s brother [SERPENT > GOLD > MAN], you got a loyal retainer, and I [got] for myself a good liege lord; we have both decided well.
readings
notes
[8] blóða linns ‘of the serpent’s brother [SERPENT]’: Blóða ‘brother’ adds nothing to the kenning, just as bróðir adds nothing to bróðir gera ‘brother of the wolf/wolves [WOLF]’ (Anon Krm 16/3VIII in AM 6 folˣ), and brœðr adds nothing semantically to brœðr bergrisa ‘giant’s brothers [GIANTS]’ (Grott 9/7, NK 298). The use of ‘brother’ may serve to mark a change of number in some instances including the Grott example, and blóða here could be regarded as gen. pl. In support of that Meissner 239 has several examples of gen. pl. linna ‘of snakes’ as the determinant of gold-kennings, but on the other hand kennings of this type are at least partly motivated by legends of a lone dragon guarding treasure, notably Fáfnir. At all events, linns must not be thought to refer to an earthworm (as by Jón Skaptason 1983, 312-13); linnr alone may refer to a dragon: see LP: 1. linnr.
kennings
- blóða linns, — of the serpent’s brother, [SERPENT]
- látrs blóða linns, — of the lair of the serpent’s brother, [GOLD]
- Þollr látrs blóða linns, — Fir-tree of the lair of the serpent’s brother, [MAN]
grammar
case: gen.