THE POESY OF SKALDS
203
And he sang further:
- O God, guard the glorious
- Kin-Betterer of great Turf-Einarr
- From harm; I pray, show mercy
- To him whom faithful chiefs love.
And Einarr Tinkling-Scale sang:
- The House-Prop of the Kindred
- Of Hilditönn shall not lack
- Hardihood more munificent;
- I am bound to maintain praises.
LIII. "How are the uninvolved terms of poesy made? By calling each thing by its proper name. What are the simple terms for poesy? It is called Poetry, Glorifying, Song, Laud, and Praise. Bragi the Old sang this, when he was travelling through a forest late at evening: a troll woman hailed him in verse, asking who passed:
- 'Trolls do call me
- Moon's . . .
- . . . of the giant,
- Storm-sun's (?) bale,
- Fellow-in-misery of the sibyl,
- Warder of the circled ring-earth,
- Wheel-devourer of the heaven.
- What is the troll but that?'[1]
- ↑ "Eru tröll-kenningar, sumar myrkar." Jónsson, p. 403.
