Skáldskaparmál

177


     The vile folk's Desolator
     Dispenseth the Freight of Grani.

Gold-Towerer, as is written here:

     The Gold-Towerer in friendship
     I got, and of the Warrior,
     Son of the glowing War-Blade,
     I make a song of praise.

Woman is periphrased in metaphors of gold, being called Willow or Giver of
Gold, as Hallarsteinn sang:

     He who casts the Amber
     Of Vidblindi's Boar's cool, salt Drink,
     Long will recall the Willow
     Of the Reed-Snake's golden River.

Here the whale is called Boar of Vidblindi; this Vidblindi was a giant who drew
whales out of the sea like fishes. The Drink of Whales is the sea; Amber of the
Sea is gold; woman is the Willow, or Dealer, of that gold which she gives; and
the willow is a tree. Therefore, as is already shown, woman is periphrased with
all manner of feminine tree-names: she is also called User of that which she
gives; and the word for 'user' also signifies a log, the tree which falls in
the forest.
Thus sang Gunnlaugr Serpent's-Tongue:

     That dame was born to stir strife
     Among the Sons of men-folk;
     The War-Bush caused that; madly
     I yearned to have the Wealth-Log.


178

Woman is called Forest; so sang Hallarsteinn:

     With the well-trained Plane of Singing,
     The tongue, I have planed, my Lady,
     Dame of the First Song's ale-vats,
     Forest fair of Flagons.

Fagot, as Steinn sang:

     Thou shalt, O fresh Sif-Tender
     Of the Flood's gold Fire, like other
     Fagots of Hjadnings' gravel,
     Break with thy good fortune.

Prop, as Ormr Steinthórsson sang:

     The Prop of Stone was clothed
     In garments clean and seemly:
     A new cloak did the hero
     Cast o'er the Mead's bright Valkyr.

Post, as Steinarr sang:

     All my dreams of the gracious Goddess
     Of the bracelet-girded soft arms
     Have lied to me; the Stream-Moon's
     Unsteadfast Prop beguiled me.

Birch, as Ormr sang:

     For a mark of the Birch
     Of the bright hollow ring,
     The palm-flame, I laid
     On the dwarf-flagon, my song.


179

Oak, even as stands here:

     The fair shaped Oak of Riches
     Stands, our mirth forestalling.

Linden, even as is written here:

     O dreadful, towering Elm-Tree
     Of the dinning shower of weapons,
     Our courage shall not lessen:
     So bade the Linen's Linden.

Man is periphrased in tree-metaphors, as we have written before; he is called
Rowan, or Tester, of Weapons, or of Combats, of Expeditions and of Deeds, of
Ships, and of all that which he wields and tests; thus sang Úlfr Uggason:

     But the flashing-eyed stiff Edge-Rope
     Of the Earth stared past the gunwale
     At the Rowan-Tree of the people
     Of Stone, the Giant-Tester.

Tree and Beam, as Kormákr sang:

     The Beam of the murdering Sword-Twig
     Is taller than are many
     In the Din of Darts; the sword wins
     The land for dauntless Sigurdr.

Grove, as sang Hallfredr Troublous-Skald:

     The Mighty Grove and Faithful
     Of the Shield-Murderer, budded


180

With hair, stands in the Eastlands Safe with Ullr's Ash-Warriors.

Here he is also called Ash.
Box, as Arnórr sang:

     The Box of Ships bade the Rygir
     Bring the shields together
     At early dusk, through the spear-rain
     Of strife-clouds held the autumn night.

Ash, as Refr sang:

     The Strife-Lord, gracious Giver,
     Sought the Maid's bed gold-sprinkled;
     The Ash of Odin's War-Sleet
     Won the estate of manhood.

Maple, as here:

     'Hail, Maple of the Ice-Lumps
     Of the Hand!' So spake the Birnie.

Tree, as Refr sang:

     Since I have appointed
     To proffer Odin's Breast-Sea,
     The War-God's Verse, to Thorsteinn;
     The Tree of Swords so wills it.

Staff, as Óttarr sang:

     Thou, fierce War-Staff maintainedst
     Maugre two kings, thy borders




                     <<_Previous_Page        Next_Page_>>