A woman is periphrased as the 'willow' (giver) of gold and by all feminine tree-names — forest, pole, prop, support, birch, oak, linden. Nine verse examples; a prose note explains the kenning 'Viðblindi's boars' = whales, and thence the sea's amber = gold.

Kona er kennd til gulls, kölluð selja gulls, sem kvað Hallar-Steinn:

A woman is periphrased by gold, called the willow (selja) of gold, as Hallar-Steinn spoke:

Hér er kallat hvalir Viðblinda geltir. Hann var jötunn ok dró hvali í hafi út sem fiska. Teigr hvala er sær, röf sævar er gull. Kona er selja gulls þess, er hon gefr, ok samheiti við selju er tré, sem fyrr er ritat, at kona er kennd við alls konar trjáheiti kvenkennd. Hon er ok lág kölluð þess, er hon gefr. Lág heitir ok tré þat, er fellr í skógi. Svá kvað Gunnlaugr ormstunga:

Here whales are called Viðblindi's boars. He was a giant and drew whales out of the sea like fish. The strip of the whales is the sea; the amber of the sea is gold. A woman is the willow (selja) of that gold which she gives, and a synonym for selja is 'tree', as written before, that a woman is periphrased by all kinds of feminine tree-names. She is also called the log (lág) of what she gives. Lág also means the tree that falls in the forest. Thus spoke Gunnlaugr ormstunga:

Kona er kölluð mörk. Svá kvað Hallar-Steinn:

A woman is called mörk [forest]. Thus spoke Hallar-Steinn:

Tróða, enn sem kvað Steinn:

Tróða [pole], again as Steinn spoke:

Skorða, svá kvað Ormr Steinþórsson:

Skorða [prop], thus Ormr Steinþórsson spoke:

Stoð, sem Steinarr kvað:

Stoð [support], as Steinarr spoke:

Björk, enn sem Ormr kvað:

Björk [birch], again as Ormr spoke:

Eik, svá sem hér er:

Eik [oak], as here:

Lind, svá sem hér er:

Lind [linden], as here:

Skaldic quotations

Hallar-Steinn (kvinna = selja gulls, guldets pil)

Svalteigar mun selju salts Viðblinda galtar rafkastandi rastar reyrþvengs muna lengi.

The amber-caster [gold-giver — the woman] of the cool strip of the salt current of Viðblindi's boar [the sea — gold] I will long remember.

Gunnlaugr ormstunga (kvinna = lág auðs, rikedomens stock)

Alin var rýgr at rógi, runnr olli því gunnar, lág var ek auðs at eiga óðgjarn, fira börnum.

The woman was born to strife — a tree of battle caused it; I, eager of mind, was the fallen-log of wealth [the woman] to possess, for the children of men.

Hallar-Steinn (kvinna = mörk, skog)

Ek hefi óðar lokri ölstafna Bil skafna, væn mörk skála, verki vandr stef-knarrar branda.

I have with the plane of poetry [my craft] shaved ... the fair forest [woman] of the cups.

Steinn (kvinna = tróða, stör; flóðs fúrs hirðisif = guldkvinnan)

Þú munt, fúrs, sem fleiri, flóðs hirðisif, tróður, grönn, við gæfu þinni grjóts Hjaðninga brjótask.

You, slender guardian-Sif of the fire of the flood [gold — the woman], like more women, will struggle against your luck of the stones of the Hjaðningar [gold].

Ormr Steinþórsson (kvinna = skorða, stötta)

Skorða var í föt færð fjarðbeins afar hrein. Nýri slöng nadd-Freyr nisting of mjaðar Hrist.

The prop [woman], exceedingly pure, of the fjord-bone ... the spear-Freyr [warrior] flung a new [gift] about the mead-Hrist [the woman].

Steinarr (kvinna = stoð, stöd)

Mens hafa mildrar Synjar mjúkstalls logit allir, sjá höfumk veltistoð stilltan straumtungls, at mér draumar.

All have lied about the necklace of the gentle Syn [the woman] ... this whirling-prop of the stream-moon [woman] I have set gently, so that dreams come to me.

Ormr Steinþórsson (kvinna = björk, björk)

Því at hols hrynbáls hramma, þats ek berk fram, Billings á burar full bjarkar hefi ek lagit mark.

For I have laid my mark on the full birch [woman] of Billingr's son's gold, which I bring forth [in praise] for the hands' resounding flame [the gold-ring].

Anonym (kvinna = eik, ek)

Aura stendr fyr órum eik fagrbúin leiki.

The fair-arrayed oak [woman] of wealth stands before our game.

Anonym (kvinna = lind, lind)

Ógnrakkr, skalat okkur, almr dynskúrar malma, svá bauð lind í landi líns, hugrekki dvína.

Battle-bold one, our courage shall not dwindle, elm [warrior] of the din-shower of metals [battle] — so bade the linden [woman] of linen in the land.