I think part of the problem I'm having is that many of these words don't appear
in Zoega or Cleasby. For example, "skára" for "hay-harvest" isn't listed, nor
"fish" for "seiði" (although I've since found the latter in a Modern Icelandic
dictionary). That kennings list you sent is helpful, but still doesn't have the
tricky ones I've had trouble with. I suppose part of the difficulty is that the
texts are a bit late for standard Old Icelandic, and too early for Modern
Icelandic - is there such a thing as Middle Icelandic?

I've found the Page book, but I'm still reading through it.

Dan

Haukur Thorgeirsson wrote:

> <irony>Who needs discussions when you can have spoon feeding?</irony>
>
> The One Without Name sent me this translation of the
> first three strophes of the Icelandic rune poem.
>
> Haukur
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
> THE ICELANDIC RUNE POEM: TEXT AND TRANSLATION
> - with selected variants (after Page 1999) -
>
> No definitive text is possible. The variants are too
> extensive. Below, only those variants have been included
> which provide reasonable sense.
>
> The below is a simplified version of Page's attempt at
> a text, with selected variants in square brackets. The
> translation is mostly Page's, although its accuracy has
> been slightly improved.
>
> 01:1 F er frænda róg
> 01:2 ok fyrða gaman [flæðar viti A ; Fáfnis bani JOa ; Fáfnis beðr OV]
> 01:3 ok grafseiðs gata. [grafþvengs gata B ; þegna þræta JOa]
>
> 01:1 F is kinsmen's strife
> 01:2 and men's delight [flood-tide's beacon, Fáfnir's bane, Fáfnir's bed]
> 01:3 and grave-fish's path. [grave-thong's path, thains' quarrel]
>
> 02:1 U er skýja grátr
> 02:2 ok skára þverrir [skarar þverrir?]
> 02:3 ok hirðis hatr. [versta veðr OV]
>
> 02:1 U is clouds' tears
> 02:2 and hay's destroyer [ice-rim's diminisher?]
> 02:3 and herdsman's hate. [foul weather]
>
> 03:1 Þ er kvenna kvöl
> 03:2 ok kletta íbúi
> 03:3 ok Valrúnar verr. [Varðrúnar verr C+ ; síðförull seggr B ; hamra
> heimramr RJ]
>
> 03:1 Þ is women's torment
> 03:2 and cliffs' inhabitant
> 03:3 and Valrún's husband. [Varðrún's husband, late-night traveller, mighty
> crag-dweller]
>
>
> Sumir hafa kvæði...
> ...aðrir spakmæli.
>
> - Keth
>
> Homepage: http://www.hi.is/~haukurth/norse/
>
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--
Daniel Bray
dbray@...
School of Studies in Religion A20
University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia