Nuces Skaldicae: Kennings and their Contexts in alausavísainGísla saga Súrssonar

Abstract

One of the verses spoken by the protagonist in Gisla saga Surssonar is of potential interest for comparative literature, since it appears to reflect the association found in medieval Continental European and English texts between hazelnuts and sexual dalliance. The verse can be shown to be part of a celebrated sequence of verses in which the protagonist describes a series of dreams that come to him as his life approaches its end. Discussion of the textual cruces in the stanza, its construal, and its dating (the latter a highly controversial issue) is a necessary preliminary to a consideration of the comparative evidence. The invocation of hazelnuts in Gisla saga appears to be figurative and ironical, demonstrating the confidence and flexibility of skaldic poetry in adapting international motifs and ideas to local uses.