Skáldskaparmál
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LXXI. Úlfs heiti, bjarnar ok hjartar "It is correct to periphrase blood or carrion in terms of the beast which is called Strangler," by calling them his Meat and Drink; it is not correct to express them in terms of other beasts. The Strangler is also called Wolf. As Thjódólfr sang: Enough guesting to the Ravener Here he is called Ravener also. Greedy One, as Egill sang: The Greedy One gashed Witch-Beast, as Einarr sang: The Götha, cold with venom, She-Wolf, as Arnórr sang: The She-Wolf's evil Kindred Strangler, as Illugi sang: There was happiness for the Strangler Thus sang Hallr: He sated the Heath-Beasts' Hunger: And again, as Thórdr sang: In blood Gjálp's Stud-Horse waded, The bear is called Wide-Stepper, Cub, Winterling, Ourse, Gib-Cat, Tusker, Youngling, Roarer, Jölfudr (?), Wilful-Sharp, She-Bear, Horse-Chaser, Scratcher, Hungry One, Blómr,[1] Bustler. The hart is called Módrödnir ("Angry-minded?") Dalarr (?), Dalr, (?), Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr, Durathrór. *(Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr and Durathrór are the names of the harts that feed on the leaves of the Ash Yggdrasil)
These are the names of horses enumerated in the Rhymes of Thorgrímr: Hrafn ("Raven") and Sleipnir, Vigg ("Carrier") and Stúfr ("Stump") Blódughófi ("Bloody-Hoof") hight a horse These also are recorded in Kálfsvísa: Dagr rode Drösull ("Roamer"), Vésteinn rode Valr, And Morginn on Vakr ("Watchful, Nimble, Ambling, or perhaps Hawk"); Björn rode Blakkr, Arvakr ("Early-Wake") and Alsvidr ("All-Swift") draw the Sun, as is written before; Hrímfaxi ("Frosty-Mane") or Fjörsvartnir ("Swart-Life") draw the Night; Skinfaxi ("Shining-Mane") and Gladr ("Bright, or Glad") are the Day's horses.
LXXIII. Oxn, ormar, sauðir, svín "These names of oxen are in Thorgrímr's Rhymes: Of all oxen the names These are names of serpents: Dragon, Fáfnir, Mighty Monster, Adder, Nídhöggr, Lindworm, She-Adder, Góinn (Grafvitnir's son), Móinn (Grafvitnir's son), Grafvitnir, Grábakr, Ófnir, Sváfnir, Hooded One. Neat-Cattle: Cow, calf, oxen, heifer, yearling, steer, bull. Sheep: Ram, buck, ewe, lamb, wether. Swine: Sow, she-pig, boar, hog, suckling.
"What are the names of the air and of the winds? Air is called Yawning Void and Middle World, Bird-Abode, Wind-Abode. Wind is called Storm, Breeze, Gale, Tempest, Gust, Blowing. Thus does one read in Alsvinnsmál: Wind 't is called among menfolk, The Wind is also called Blast.
"Two are those birds which there is no need to periphrase otherwise than by calling blood and corpses their Drink and Meat: these are the raven and the eagle. All other male birds may be periphrased in metaphors of blood or corpses; and then their names are terms of the eagle or the raven. As Thjódólfr sang: The Prince with Eagle's Barley These are names of the raven: Crow, Huginn, Muninn, Bold of Mood, Yearly Flier, Year-Teller, Flesh-Boder. Thus sang Einarr Tinkling-Scale: With flesh the Host-Convoker Thus sang Einarr Skúlason: He who gluts the Gull of Hatred, And as he sang further: But the King's heart swelleth, As Víga-Glúmr sang: When stood the shielded Maidens As Skúli Thorsteinsson sang: Not the hindmost in the hundred The erne is called Eagle, Old One, Storm-Shearer, Inciter, Soarer, Wound-Shearer, Cock. As Einarr sang: With blood the lips he reddened As Ottarr sang: The Erne swills corpse-drink, As Thjódólfr sang: The Spoiler of the Lady And as stands here: With skill will I rehearse And again as Skúli sang: Early and late with sobbing
"What are the names of the Sea? It is called Ocean, Main, Wintry, Lee, Deep, Way, Weir, Salt, Lake, Furtherer. As Arnórr sang, and as we have written above: Let men hear how the Earls' King, Here it is named Sea, and Main also. "Ocean, as Hornklofi sang: When the man-scathing Meeter In the following verse it is called Lake as well: thus sang Einarr: The Lake doth bathe the vessel, Here it is called Flood also. Thus sang Refr, as was said before: Wintry One's wet-cold Spae-Wife Deep, as Hallvardr sang: The Sword-Shaker bids be pointed Way, as here: On our course from land we glided; Weir, as Egill sang: I sailed o'er the Weir Ocean, as Einarr sang: Many a day the cold Ocean Salt, as Arnórr sang: The hardy King the Salt plowed Furtherer, as Bölverkr sang: Thou didst summon from fair Norway Wide One, as Refr sang: To its breast the Stay's steed taketh Dusky One, as Njáll of the Burning sang: We sixteen pumped, my Lady, These are other names for the Sea, such as it is proper to use in periphrasing ships or gold. "Rán, it is said, was Ægir's wife, even as is written here: To the sky shot up the Deep's Gledes, The daughters of Ægir and Rán are nine, and their names are recorded before: Himinglæva, Dúfa, Blódughadda, Hefring, Udr, Hrönn, Bylgja, Dröfn, Kólga. Einarr Skúlason recorded the names of six of them in this stanza, beginning: Himinglæva sternly stirreth, Welling Wave, as Valgardr sang: Foam rested in the Sea's bed: Billow, as Ottarr the Swarthy sang: Ye shear with shaven rudder Foam-Fleck, as Ormr sang: The hawk-like, heedful Lady Wave-Borne, as Thorleikr the Fair sang: The sea walls, and the Wave-Borne Shoal, as Einarr sang: Nor met the Forward-Minded, Fullness, as Refr sang: Downward the Fells of Fullness Comber, as here: The Comber fell headlong o'er me; Breaker, as Óttarr sang: In burst the ship-sides thin; Wave, as Bragi sang: The Giver of the Wave's Coals, Sound, as Einarr sang: I sheared the Sound Fjord, as Einarr sang: Next I see a serpent Wetness, as Markús sang: I'll not lampoon the Chatterer,
"What are the names of fire? Even as is written here: Not seldom does the fire blaze Glow, as Valgardr sang: Fierce Glow, with red-hot embers, Bale, as here: Haki was burned on Bale, Gledes, as Grani sang: I think the Gledes diminished . . . Embers, as Atli sang: With blood the axe is reddened, Here fire is called Gem also. Vapor, as here: Half-built, by the Nid's side Hot Ashes, as Arnórr sang: The Isle-Danes' wrathful Harmer Flames, as Einarr sang: Flame soon was alight, Flare, as Valgardr sang: The sturdy king's bright Flare soared Lowe, as Haldórr sang: There did ye share their jewels,
"These are time-names: Cycle, Days of Yore, Generation, Lang-Syne, Year, Season, Winter, Summer, Spring, Autumn, Month, Week, Day, Night, Morning, Eve, Twilight, Early, Soon, Late, Betimes, Day before Yesterday, Yester Eve, Yesterday, To-morrow, Hour, Moment. These are more names of Night in Alsvinnsmál: Night 't is called among men, ["It is autumn from the equinox till the time when the sun sets three hours and a half after noon; then winter endures till the equinox; then it is spring till the moving-days; then summer till the equinox. The month next before winter is called Harvest-Month; the first in winter is the Month of Cattle-Slaughter; then Freezing Month, then Rain-Month, then the Month of Winter's Wane, then Gói; then Single Month, then Cuckoo-Month and Seed-Time, then Egg-time and Lamb-Weaning-Time; then come Sun-Month and Pasture Month, then Haying-Season; then Reaping Month.]
"What are the simple terms for men? Each, in himself, is Man; the first and highest name by which man is called is Emperor; next to that, King; the next thereto, Earl: these three men possess in common all the following titles: All-Ruler, as this song showeth: I know all All-Rulers Here he is called War-Prince also; for this reason he is called All-Ruler, that he is sole Ruler of all his realm. Host-Arrayer, as Gizurr sang: The Host-Arrayer feedeth "A King is called Host-Arrayer because he divides his war-host into companies. Leader, as Ottarr the Swarthy sang: The Leader taketh Lord or Lording, as Arnórr sang: The Lord of Hjaltland, highest An earl is called Host-Duke, and a king also is so termed, forasmuch as he leads his host to battle. Thus sang Thjódólfr: He who put to shame the Host-Duke Signor, or Señor, as Sigvatr sang: O Norway's gracious Signor, Munificent One, as Markús sang: The Munificent Prince brought fire's destruction Illustrious One, as Hallvardr sang: No Illustrious One nearer Land-Driver, as Thjódólfr sang: The guileless Land-Driver sprinkles as was written before; he is called so because he drives his host about the lands of other kings, or drives a host out of his own land.
LXXX. Frá Halfdani gamla ok konungaættum "There was a king named Hálfdan the Old, who was most famous of all kings. He made a great sacrificial feast at mid-winter, and sacrificed to this end, that he might live three hundred years in his kingdom; but he received these answers: he should not live more than the full life of a man, but for three hundred years there should be no woman and no man in his line who was not of great repute. He was a great warrior, and went on forays far and wide in the Eastern Regions (That is, in the lands bordering the Baltic): there he slew in single combat the king who was called Sigtryggr. Then he took in marriage that woman named Alvig the Wise, daughter of King Eymundr of Hólmgardr (Russia): they had eighteen sons, nine born at one birth. These were their names: the first, Thengill ("Prince" or "King"), who was called Manna-Thengill ("Prince of Men"); the second, Ræsir*; the third, Gramr*; the fourth, Gylfi*; the fifth, Hilmir*; the sixth, Jöfurr*; the seventh, Tyggi*; the eighth, Skyli* or Skúli*; the ninth, Harri*; or Herra.*. These nine brothers became so famous in foraying that, in all records since, their names are used as titles of rank, even as the name of King or that of Earl. They had no children, and all fell in battle. Thus sang Ottarr the Swarthy: *(All of these words are poetic names for a "Prince" or "King") In his youth stalwart Thengill Thus sang Markus: The Ræsir let the Rhine's Sun shimmer Thus sang Egill: The Gramr the hood hath lifted Thus sang Eyvindr: He played with the land-folk Gylfi the gladsome Thus sang Glúmr Geirason: Hilmir beneath the helmet Thus sang Óttarr the Swarthy: Let Jöfurr hear the beginning As Stúfr sang: The glory-ardent Tyggi Thus sang Hallfredr: From Skyli I am parted: Thus sang Markús: I bid the hawklike Danish Harri "Hálfdan and his wife had nine other sons also; these were Hildir, from whom the Hildings are come; Nefir, from whom the Niflungs sprang; Audi, from whom the Ödlungs are come; Yngvi, from whom the Ynglings are descended; Dagr, from whom come the Döglings; Bragi, from whom the Bragnings are sprung (that is the race of Hálfdan the Munificent); Budli, from whom the Budlungs are come (from the house of the Budlungs Atli and Brynhildr descended); the eighth was Lofdi, who was a great war-king (that host who were called Lofdar followed him; his kindred are called Lofdungs, whence sprang Eylimi, Sigurdr Fáfnisbani's mother's sire); the ninth, Sigarr, whence come the Siklings: that is the house of Siggeirr, who was son-in-law of Völsungr,--and the house of Sigarr, who hanged Hagbardr. From the race of Hildings sprang Haraldr the Red-Bearded, mother's father of Hálfdan the Swarthy. Of the Niflung's house was Gjúki; of the house of Ödlings, Kjárr; of the house of the Ylfings was Eiríkr the Wise in Speech. These also are illustrious royal houses: from Yngvi, the Ynglings are descended; from Skjöldr in Denmark, the Skjöldungs are come; from Völsungr in the land of Franks, those who are called Völsungs. One war-king was named Skelfir; and his house is called the House of Skilfings: his kindred is in the Eastern Region. "These houses which were named but now have been used in skaldship for titles of rank. Even as Einarr sang: I learned that the Hildings sallied As Grant sang: The Dögling to eagle's kindred As Gamli Gnævadar-Skald sang: Not long since, the young Ödling As Jórunn sang: The Bragning bade the weapons Thus sang Einarr: The Budlung's blade sheared, Thus sang Arnorr: The Kin of Siklings inureth As Thjódólfr sang: Thus the doughty Sikling ended The folk who were called Lofdar followed King Lofdi. As Arnórr sang: Chief, another Skjöldung higher Völsung, as Thorkell Hamar-Skald sang: The Kin of Völsungs Yngling, as Ottarr the Swarthy sang: In the East no mighty Yngling Yngvi: that too is a king's title, as Markús sang: The age shall hear the praise of Eiríkr: Skilfing, as Valgardr sang: The Skilfing kept a great host Signor, as Sigvatr sang: O Norway's gracious Signor,
Go to: 71 - 72 - 73 - 74 - 75 - 76 - 77 - 78 - 79 - 80 Skáldskaparmál LXXI-LXXX–Old Norse Previous: LXI-LXX
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