Orð og tunga - 01.06.2010, Page 123

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Kirsten Wolf: Green and Yellow
2.2 Green and yellow in skaldic poetry
The early skaldic poems yield only one example oígulr: to describe the
color of a forest (viðr) in a lausavísa by Bjgrn Ásbrandsson Breiðvík-
ingakappi (1.1; Skjaldedigtning 1:125). 8 In the approximately seven
hundred and fifty stanzas or stanza fragments dated to the ninth and
tenth centuries grœmz appears on six occasions: to describe a headland
(trjóna) in Goþþormr sindri's Hákonardrápa (2.3; Skjaldedigtning 1:55);
the homes of the gods (heimar goða) in Eyvindr Finnsson skáldaspillir's
Hákonarmál (13.3; Skjaldedigtning 1:59); Hlgðyn (a mythical name for
the earth) in a drápa by Vglu-Steinn (2.3; Skjaldedigtnmg 1:93); a fence
(garðr) in a lausavísa by Víga-Glúmr Eyjólfsson (1.3; Skjaldedigtning
1:112); the paths (hrautir) to Geirroðr's home in Eilífr Goðrúnarson's
Þórsdrápa (1.5; Skjaldedigtning 1:139); and Óláfr Tryggvason's cloak
(ólpa) in one of Eilífr's lausavísur (1.1; Skjaldedigtning 1:144), which,
then, presents the first usage of the color term grænn to describe an
object not associated with the natural world.
In the almost eight hundred stanzas or stanza fragments assigned
to the eleventh century, there are no occurrences oígulr. Grœnn is used
twice to describe land or pasture (Lindisey, grund): in Óttarr svarti's
Knútsdrápa (5.1; Skjaldedigtning 1:273) and in Bglverkr Arnórsson's
drápa about Haraldr harðráði (7.3; Skjaldedigtning 1:356). Twice it is
used to describe vegetation (eik, lyng): in a lausavísa by Óláfr Haralds-
son (11.3; Skjaldedigtnmg 1:212) and in a lausavísa by Þorfinnr munnr
(1.6; Skjaldedigtning 1:292). Twice the color term is used to describe the
sea (salt, grœðir): in Sigvatr Þórðarson's Austrfararvísur (21.8; Skjalde-
digtnmg 1:225) and in Amórr Þórðarson's Erfidrápa about King Har-
aldr harðráði (5.3; Skjaldedigtning 1:323).9 The use of algrœnn in one
of Óláfr Haraldsson's lausavísur (4.8; Skjaldedigtning 1:211) appears to
be an abstract use of the adjective, and the phrase "standa algrœnn"
should, as suggested by Finnur Jónsson, be rendered as "flourish."
The over twelve hundred stanzas and stanza fragments from the
twelfth century contain three occurrences of gulr. One is in Þorkell
hamarskáld's Magnúsdrápa, where the color term describes the claw
8While the demands of alliteration should not be overlooked, the example is po-
tentially interesting in light of the fact that *ghel- in some languages suggests green or
green-yellow (see n. 2).
9Grœnn is equated with the sea also in Hauksbók: "um haustit er hann grœnn sem
sjór" (151.25).