LEGEND OF SIGURD & GUDRÚN - NOTES

Euphonious = pleasing to the ear
ultra vires = beyond the powers (as opposed to intra vires)

rowel = dentate wheel on a spur
Flaggelum Dei = Scourge of God


lissome

THE POETIC EDDA

Rifacimento - A remaking, recasting; adaptation esp. of lit. work/musical composition.
Thorp - M.E. term for hamlet/small village. (O.N. þorp). 
Guerdon - A reward/recompense
Thurs
Flitches
Quern
Habrok - ("high-kleg") = "best of hawks" (p. 62)
Mjulnir = Thor's hammer
cymric
pars pro toto
ashiepattle
intercalated
Arvel

GEORGE SAUNDERS, SEMPLICA-GIRL DIARIES

After my roommate sent me this interview of George Saunders, read The Semplica-Girl Diaries over at the NYer. Roomie calls it the best out of the recently released Tenth of December collection. Interesting narrative voice. Apparently he uses a similar technique/voice in his other stories.  I'll try and read Tenth of December por el verano, si posible.

For now, reading thru The Poetic Edda (trans. Hollander). Hollander's translation seems almost grotesquely contorted to me at pts., but it's still a great read. Heaps of fun! Hope to read in O.N. eventually, though. Finals are coming up in a week, so found this bit quite relevant:

54.) Middling wise - every man should be: / beware of being too wise; / happiest in life - most likely he / who knows not more than is needful.

55.) Middling wise - every man should be: / beware of being too wise; / for wise man's heart - is happy seldom, / if too great the wisdom he won.

- taken from The Sayings of Hár (Hávamál)

Orig. ON (acc. to heimskringla.no):

54.
Meðalsnotr
skyli manna hverr;
æva til snotr sé;
þeim er fyrða
fegrst at lifa,
er vel margt vitu.

55.
Meðalsnotr
skyli manna hverr,
æva til snotr sé;
því at snotrs manns hjarta
verðr sjaldan glatt,
ef sá er alsnotr, er á.

Coup du lapin

The French term for 'whiplash' literally means "rabbitpunch". Coup du lapin. This is hysterical.

Misc Notes

Music of the Spheres
-Boethius De Musica: a.) musica mundana/musica universalis, b.) musica humana, c.) musica quae in quibusdam constitua est instrumentis
/*/
*Diapason - 1) A full, rich outpouring of harmonious sound, 2) The entire range of an instrument/voice. Or: A burst of sound
as v.): To resound sonorously.

i.) Ostler - (Archaic) Stableman [Var. of hostler, from hostel]

ii.) *Thrasonical - Bragging, boastful

iii.) Avoirdupois: 1.) Weight, 2.) Heaviness, especially: personal weight


iv.) Sneaped - 1.) To check, to reprimand, to rebuke, to chide,2.) To nip, blast, blight

v.) Quillet - A subtle distinction: quibble. Also: a small tract of land

In the reproof of chance / lies the true proof of men

Best Shakespearean Oath

"'Slid', i.e. " God's eyelid"

Cool Word of the Day

Ne plus ultra - The highest poiint, as of excellence or achievement; the ultimate. 2) The most profound degree. The acme.

Mercutio. The pox of such antick, lisping, affecting fantasticoes, these new tuners of accents! -- 'By Jesu, a very good blade! -- a very tall man! a very good whore.' -- Why, is not this a lamentable thing, grandsire, that we should thus afflicted with these strange flies, these fashion-mongers, these pardonnez-mois, who stand so much on the nw form that they cannot site at ease on the old bench? O, their bons, their bons!