The Holy Cup of the Raven-God
by Benjamin L de Bivort
Answer: TORCH
The Balloon Seller, in the guise of Odin (cluing Norse poetry, as if it wasn't obvious), presents you with a poem of six "stanzas."
Each stanza contains a long sentence/clause that is awkwardly constructed. E.g., lots of x of y of z. After each such sentence is 2–5 lines structured as a relation, by a phrase.
The long sentence is a nested/iterated kenning, a Norse compound noun riddle. The component kennings are all from the real canon. Solving each to the word it clues makes a new kenning. Solving the whole set points to a historical viking. Getting the names of the relations to that person, and indexing in by the number clued by the phrase associated with each relation, gives the following letters: THE DOG STAR IS LOKIS BLANK. This is a clue for TORCH.
Details
Gunnlaug “Serpent-Tongue” Ormstunga
The (fish of the mountains)-(oar of words)
The ((herds of the wave) of the (path of the giants))-((sea thrower) of words) who dueled, in the last of its kind, with the (gull of battle) and found (life-robbery) in it.
The herds of the wave of the path of the giants-sea thrower of words who dueled, in the last of its kind, with the gull of battle and found life-robbery in it.
- His mother’s mother, by Odin’s eyes.
- Thorgerd, 1 = T
- His true love, by Tyr’s hands.
- Helga, 1 = H
- His brother, by those who survive in Hoard-Mimir’s holt.
- Hermund, 2 = E
Audr the Deep-Minded
Prosperous destiny, the deep (gale of the troll-woman), who built a ship and brought Jesus to ice land.
Prosperous destiny, the deep (gale of the (guardian of the corpse-fjord)-(stick of rings)), who built a (whale of the gunwale) and brought (the torment-banisher of men) to (the roof-shingle of the salmon’s hall) land.
Prosperous destiny, the deep gale of the guardian of the corpse-fjord-stick of rings, who built a whale of the gunwale and brought the torment-banisher of men to the roof-shingle of the salmon’s hall land.
- Herself, by the brothers who killed Ymir.
- Aud(r), 3 = D
- Her husband, by the world trees.
- Olaf, 1 = O
- Her father’s father’s father, by the days it took Vali to grow up.
- Grim, 1 = G
Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye
The (ring-coiled salmon of the heath) in the eye
The ((arm-serpent)-coiled salmon of the (path of the pack of wolves)) in the eye
The ((arm-(fish of the dell))-coiled salmon of the (path of the pack of (horses of the giantess))) in the (moon of eyelashes), son of the daughter of the (maiden of the battle-slain).
The arm-fish of the dell-coiled salmon of the path of the pack of horses of the giantess in the moon of eyelashes, son of the daughter of the maiden of the battle-slain.
- His mother, by Odin’s wolves.
- Aslaug, 2 = S
- His father-in-law’s successor, by Sleipnir’s legs.
- Ecgbehrt, 8 = T
- His wife, by the days of licking that freed Buri.
- Blaeja, 3 = A
- His great-grandson, hued skerry of words, by the winters of Fimbulwinter.
- Harald (Bluetooth), 3 = R
Eric Bloodaxe
The (sea of wounds)-(wolf of wounds)
The ((path of ships) of (trails of the edges of the sword))-((horses of the giantess) of (trails of the edges of the sword))
The ((path of (elks of the wave)) of (trails of the edges of the (snake of helmet-trial)))-((horses of the giantess) of (trails of the edges of the (snake of helmet-trial)))
The ((path of (elks of (the hillside of swans))) of (trails of the edges of the ((fish of the dell) of helmet-trial)))-(((saddle beasts) of the giantess) of (trails of the edges of the ((fish of the dell) of helmet-trial))), king of (the rocky seat of sovereigns)
The path of elks of the hillside of swans of trails of the edges of the fish of the dell of helmet-trial-saddle beasts of the giantess of trails of the edges of the fish of the dell of helmet-trial, king of the rocky seat of sovereigns.
- His father’s mother, by the heads of the being begat by Ymir’s legs.
- Ragnhild, 6 = I
- His youngest son, by pieces of whetstone lodged in Thor’s head.
- Sigurd, 1 = S
Ulf Kveldulf “Evening Wolf” Bjalfason
The evening (horse of Gríðr)
The evening ((ship of the league) of Gríðr)
The evening (((horse of cargoes) of the league) of Gríðr)
The evening ((((longship of the swinger of Gungnir) of cargoes) of the league) of Gríðr)
The evening ((((long-(whale of the gunwale) of the swinger of Gungnir) of cargoes) of the league) of Gríðr)
The Evening ((((long-((boar of Vidblindi) of the gunwale) of the swinger of Gungnir) of cargoes) of the league) of Gridr), son of the daughter of ((((long-((boar of Vidblindi) of the gunwale) of the swinger of Gungnir) of cargoes) of the league) of Gridr) the brave.
The evening long-boar of Vidblindi of the gunwale of the swinger of Gungnir of cargoes of the league of Gridr, son of the daughter of long-boar of Vidblindi of the gunwale of the swinger of Gungnir of cargoes of the league of Gridr the brave.
- His mother, by the norns who live at the Well of Fate.
- Hallbera, 3 = L
- His uncle, half-swallower of the wheel of the sky, by the swords juggled by the man in a door of Valhalla.
- Hallbjorn (Halftroll), 7 = O
- His cousin, the salmon, by the sons of the nine sisters.
- Ketil (Haeng/trout/salmon), 1 = K
- His son, bane of the forest of the farmstead of the brain, by the roosters who herald Ragnarok.
- Grim (bane of hair; bald; Skallagrim), 3 = I
- His wife, by Mimir’s heads before the war with the Vanir.
- Salbjorg, 1 = S
Harald Hardrada
The hard (sword-bold lord of hersar)
The hard ((wound-flame)-bold lord of hersar)
The hard (((path of the ((path of the ((path of the sword-blade)-flame)--blade)-flame)-blade)- flame)-bold lord of hersar)
The hard (((path of the ((path of the ((path of the ((path of the sword-blade)-flame)-blade)- flame)--blade)-flame)-blade)-flame)-bold lord of hersar)
The hard (((path of the ((path of the ((path of the ((path of the sword-blade)-flame)-blade)-(strong killer of every tree))-blade)-(strong killer of every tree))-blade)-(strong killer of every tree))-bold lord of hersar)
The hard (((path of the ((path of the ((path of the ((path of the sword-blade)-flame)-blade)- (strong killer of every tree))-blade)-(strong killer of every (ruler of the forest)))-blade)-(strong killer of every (ruler of the forest)))-bold lord of hersar)
The hard (((path of the ((path of the ((path of the ((path of the sword-blade)-flame)-blade)- (strong killer of every tree))-blade)-(strong killer of every (ruler of the forest)))-blade)-(strong killer of every (ruler of the sea-weed of the hill-slope)))-bold lord of hersar), who served in the (Great City), and died of (the hailstone of the bowstring) while wearing the (bear shirt)
The hard path of the path of the path of the path of the sword-blade-flame-blade- strong killer of every tree-blade-strong killer of every ruler of the forest-blade-strong killer of every ruler of the sea-weed of the hill-slope-bold lord of hersar, who died of the hailstone of the bowstring while wearing the bear shirt.
- His mother’s father, by the dwarves who hold up the skull of Ymir.
- Gudbrand, 4 = B
- His son and successor’s successor, by the humans created from trees.
- Olaf, 2 = L
- Himself, by the drips of Draupnir every ninth night.
- Harald Hardrada, 8 = A
- His daughter, peace-bringer among nations, by Odin’s ravens.
- Ingegerd (queen), 2 = N
- His successor’s successor’s successor’s consort’s father’s father, by kings who accompanied Eric Bloodaxe into Valhalla.
- His successor: Magnus II
- His successor’s successor: Olaf III
- His successor’s successor’s successor: Magnus III
- His successor’s successor’s successor’s consort: Margaret of Sweden
- Stenkil, 5 = K
THE DOG STAR IS LOKIS BLANK
The Dog Star (Sirius) is Loki’s Torch (Lokkabrenna)
—-> TORCH