Need help with a specific Kenning (norse sagas)

[Kyriakos]

A kenning is a characteristic type of circumlocution (or periphrasis) found in nordic poems like the icelandic sagas about vikings. It is generally formed in a blunt manner, consisting of typically two nouns, and describes simple words (eg wind, ship, sword) by listing one noun as either contained in or being influenced in some way by the other. For example:
"Feast of crows" are the corpses, "Storm of swords" is a battle, "Lord of the rings" is a king.

I was reading an article by Borges - who after losing his eyesight had to bother with learning something new, so got someone to read him those sagas - and there he made a list of a few kennings. One of those caught my attention, and it was the following:

"The wolf of the rope".

Now, according to Borges in his article, this refers to the wind. I suppose it is presented as a wolf of the ropes because it makes ropes move violently, as if they are trying to avoid a wolf hunting them. But googling the phrase I saw other interpretations for this phrase... In some links they define it as "ship", tying it to the rope of the anchor and (I suppose) the ferociousness of the warship.

Given I might use the phrase "wolf of the rope" in a story, as part of an enigma, I'd like to establish what it originally meant, so any nordics or others are free to help Let me summon, through Odin, a few. @Valka D'Ur ,@leif erikson , @Cheetah , @Snerk .

Maybe @Traitorfish can help too, given he has a significant beard By the way, I read that "beard" has the kenning "forest of the jaw"

 

[Valka D'Ur]

A kenning is a characteristic type of circumlocution (or periphrasis) found in nordic poems like the icelandic sagas about vikings. It is generally formed in a blunt manner, consisting of typically two nouns, and describes simple words (eg wind, ship, sword) by listing one noun as either contained in or being influenced in some way by the other. For example:
"Feast of crows" are the corpses, "Storm of swords" is a battle, "Lord of the rings" is a king.

I was reading an article by Borges - who after losing his eyesight had to bother with learning something new, so got someone to read him those sagas - and there he made a list of a few kennings. One of those caught my attention, and it was the following:

"The wolf of the rope".

Now, according to Borges in his article, this refers to the wind. I suppose it is presented as a wolf of the ropes because it makes ropes move violently, as if they are trying to avoid a wolf hunting them. But googling the phrase I saw other interpretations for this phrase... In some links they define it as "ship", tying it to the rope of the anchor and (I suppose) the ferociousness of the warship.

Given I might use the phrase "wolf of the rope" in a story, as part of an enigma, I'd like to establish what it originally meant, so any nordics or others are free to help Let me summon, through Odin, a few. @Valka D'Ur ,@leif erikson , @Cheetah , @Snerk .

Maybe @Traitorfish can help too, given he has a significant beard By the way, I read that "beard" has the kenning "forest of the jaw"

Is there any context given? I've been doing some Googling, and ended up with everything from battles to fishing line (rope) to some really gruesome torture methods.

"Wolf" obviously is some sort of predator or associated with killing. Maybe it refers to someone who's really good at fishing?

 

[Kyriakos]

I don't know where the line appears...

 

[Snerk]

I don't know where the line appears...

Seems like it appears in Olavsdråpa, (Dirge of Olav (Tryggvason)) by Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Óláfsdrápa_Tryggvasonar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallfreðr_vandræðaskáld

https://books.google.no/books?id=6DIDBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA131&lpg=PA131&dq="The+wolf+of+the+rope"&source=bl&ots=ApkLkBdKyU&sig=ACfU3U0an-_op9WSJPvyuJ5crFbdavibzA&hl=no&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwidwpWGk9PmAhWPw4sKHdp7AIkQ6AEwAHoECAIQAQ#v=onepage&q="The wolf of the rope"&f=false

 

[Phrossack]

"Wolf" and "giant" are used to mean things that are enemies or threats, so "wolf of the rope" should describe something harmful to ropes, most likely at sea.

 

[Patine]

"Wolf" and "giant" are used to mean things that are enemies or threats, so "wolf of the rope" should describe something harmful to ropes, most likely at sea.

So, out of curiosity, how would you refer to lupine animals or people of unusually large size without an inherent indication of animosity or adversity?

 

[Kyriakos]

"Wolf" and "giant" are used to mean things that are enemies or threats, so "wolf of the rope" should describe something harmful to ropes, most likely at sea.

I think they are used like that in other kenning(s), but specifically for the "wolf of the rope" one I only saw it defined as "wind" and "ship". The latter may also refer to the ship having an anchor (including rope), cause only the larger viking ships seem to have had one. But Borges says the phrase means "wind", so there's also that.

 

[Berzerker]

doesn't the wolf devour the sun and/or moon on the day of Ragnarok or end times battle?

thru 540 doors will go 800 warriors to battle the wolf

432,000

 

[Snerk]

I think they are used like that in other kenning(s), but specifically for the "wolf of the rope" one I only saw it defined as "wind" and "ship". The latter may also refer to the ship having an anchor (including rope), cause only the larger viking ships seem to have had one. But Borges says the phrase means "wind", so there's also that.

It has to be the ship. But I can't find that particular kenning in the Norwegian or Danish translations.

Basically the protagonist leaves the battle by swimming away from the ship (wolf of the rope) after he ses that the battle is lost.

 

[Zkribbler]

By the way, I read that "beard" has the kenning "forest of the jaw"

In French, it's "fur on the face."