Skáldskaparmál

193


     The Stay's Bear, shower-breasting,
     Broke the Reef's splashing Fetter.

Here the ship is called Winterling of the Stream: a bear-cub is called a
Winterling; and a bear is called Tusker; the Bear of the Stay is a ship.
The ship is also called Reindeer, and so Hallvardr sang, as we have written
before; and Hart, as King Haraldr Sigurdarson sang:

     By Sicily then widely
     The Seam cut: we were stately;
     The Sea-Hart glided swiftly
     As we hoped beneath the heroes.

And Elk, as Einarr sang:

     The ring's mild Peace-Dispenser,
     The princely hero, may not
     Long bide with thee, if something
     Aid not; we boune the Flood's Elk.

And Otter, as Máni sang:

     What, laggard carle with gray cheeks,
     Canst do among keen warriors
     On the Otter of the Sea-Waves?
     For thy strength is ebbing from thee.

Wolf, as Refr sang:

     And the Hoard-Diminisher hearkened
     To Thorsteinn; true my heart is



194

     To the Lord of the Wolf of Billows
     In the baleful Wrath-Wand's conflict.

And Ox also. The ship is called Snowshoe, or Wagon, or Wain. Thus sang Eyjólfr
the Valiant Skald:

     Late in the day the young Earl
     In the Snowshoe of Landless Waters
     Fared with equal following
     To meet the fearless chieftain.

Thus sang Styrkárr Oddason:

     Högni's host drove the Wagons
     Of Rollers o'er Heiti's Snow-Heaps,
     Angrily pursuing
     The great Giver of Flood-Embers.

And as Thorbjörn sang:

     The Freighter of Wave-Crests' Sea-Wain
     Was in the font of christening,
     Hoard-Scatterer, who was given
     The White Christ's highest favor.

LI. "How should one periphrase Christ? Thus: by calling Him Fashioner of Heaven
and Earth, of Angels, and of the Sun, Governor of the World and of the Heavenly
Kingdom and of Jerusalem and Jordan and the Land of the Greeks, Counsellor of
the Apostles and of the Saints. Ancient skalds have written of Him in metaphors
of Urdr's Well and Rome; as Eilífr Gudrúnarson sang:


195

     So has Rome's Mighty Ruler
     In the Rocky Realms confirmed
     His power; they say He sitteth
     South, at the Well of Urdr.

Thus sang Skapti Thóroddsson:

     The King of Monks is greatest
     Of might, for God all governs;
     Christ's power wrought this earth all,
     And raised the Hall of Rome.

King of the Heavens, as Markús sang:

     The King of the Wind-House fashioned
     Earth, sky, and faithful peoples;
     Christ, sole Prince of Mortals,
     Hath power o'er all that liveth.

Thus sang Eilífr Kúlnasveinn:

     The Host of the beaming World's Roof
     And the Band of Illustrious bow down
     To the Holy Cross; than all glory
     Else the Sole Sun's King is brighter.

Son of Mary, as Eilífr sang further:

     The bright Host of Heaven boweth
     To Mary's Bairn: He winneth,
     The Gentle Prince, of glory
     The true might, God and man both.



196

King of Angels, as Eilífr sang again:

     The goodly might of God's friend
     Is better than men guess of;
     Yet the Gracious King of Angels
     Is dearer than all, and holier.

King of Jordan, as Sigvatr sang:

     Four angels the King of Jordan
     Sent long ago through aether
     To earthward; and the stream washed
     The holy head of the World's Lord.

King of Greeks, as Arnórr sang:

     I have lodged for the hero's ashes
     Prayers with the Lordly Warder
     Of Greeks and men of Gardar:
     Thus I pay my Prince for good gifts.

Thus sang Eilífr Kúlnasveinn:

     The Glory of Heaven praises
     Man's Prince: He is King of all things.

Here he called Christ, first, King of Men, and again, King of All. Einarr
Skúlason sang:

     He who compasseth, Bright in Mercy,
     All the world, and gently careth
     For all, caused the realm of Heaven
     To ope for the valiant ruler.




                     <<_Previous_Page        Next_Page_>>