A ship is periphrased as the 'horse', 'beast' or 'ski' of sea-kings or of the sea — wave-horse, Geitir's steed, Sveiði's reindeer, sea-bear, hart, elk, otter, wolf, ox, ski and wagon. Twelve verse examples (Hornklofi, Þórðr Sjáreksson, King Haraldr Sigurðarson and others).

Hvernig skal kenna skip? Svá, at kalla hest eða dýr eða skíð sækonunga eða sævar eða skipreiða eða veðrs. Báru fákr, sem Hornklofi kvað:

How shall a ship be periphrased? Thus: by calling it the horse or beast or ski of sea-kings or of the sea or of the ship's rigging or of the wind. Wave-horse, as Hornklofi spoke:

Geitis marr, svá kvað Erringar-Steinn:

Geitir's steed [ship], thus Erringar-Steinn spoke:

Sveiða hreinar:

Sveiði's reindeer [ships]:

Svá kvað Hallvarðr. Hér er ok kölluð sunds dýr ok særinn Sölsa bekkr. Svá kvað Þórðr Sjáreksson:

Thus spoke Hallvarðr. Here [ships] are also called the beasts of the sound, and the sea Sölsi's bench. Thus spoke Þórðr Sjáreksson:

Hér er skip kallat sólborðs hestr ok sær Gylfa land, sæðings slóð særinn ok hestr skipit ok enn lauks hestr. Laukr heitir siglutré. Ok enn sem Markús kvað:

Here a ship is called the horse of the plank-side, and the sea Gylfi's land, the track of the sea-swallow the sea, and the horse the ship, and again the leek-horse. Laukr [leek] means the mast-tree. And again as Markús spoke:

Hér er skip kallat björn rasta. Björn heitir vetrliði ok íugtanni ok bersi, ok björn skorðu er hér kallat. Skip er ok kallat hreinn, svá kvað Hallvarðr, sem áðr er ritat, ok hjörtr, sem kvað Haraldr konungr Sigurðarson:

Here a ship is called the bear of the currents. A bear is called vetrliði and íugtanni and bersi, and the bear of the prop is here so called. A ship is also called a reindeer, as Hallvarðr spoke, as written before, and a hart, as King Haraldr Sigurðarson spoke:

Ok elgr, sem Einarr kvað:

And an elk, as Einarr spoke:

Otr, sem Máni kvað:

An otter, as Máni spoke:

Vargr, sem kvað Refr:

A wolf, as Refr spoke:

Ok oxi. Skip er kallat skíð eða vagn eða reið. Svá kvað Eyjólfr dáðaskáld:

And an ox. A ship is called a ski or wagon or chariot. Thus spoke Eyjólfr dáðaskáld:

Svá kvað Styrkárr Oddason:

Thus spoke Styrkárr Oddason:

Ok sem Þorbjörn kvað:

And as Þorbjörn spoke:

Skaldic quotations

Þorbjörn Hornklofi (skepp = báru fákr, vågfåle)

Hrjóðr lét hæstrar tíðar harðráðr skipa börðum báru fáks ins bleika barnungr á lög þrungit.

The hard-ruling destroyer, young in years, drove the pale wave-horse's [ship's] stems onto the sea at the highest tide.

Erringar-Steinn (skepp = Geitis marr, Geitirs häst)

En þótt ófrið sunnan öll þjóð segi skaldi, hlöðum Geitis mar grjóti, glaðir nennum vér, þenna.

And even though all the people from the south tell the skald of war, glad we load this steed of Geitir [ship] with stones; we do not hold back.

Hallvarðr (skepp = Sveiða hreinar, Sveiðis renar)

Súðlöngum komt sveiða, sunds liðu dýr frá grundu, sigrakkr, Sölsa bekkjar, Sveins mögr, á tröð hreinum.

Victory-bold son of Sveinn, you brought the long-planked reindeer of Sveiði [ships] onto the path of Sölsi's bench [the sea] — the beasts of the sound [ships] glided from the ground.

Þórðr Sjáreksson (skepp = sólborðs hestr, bordläggningens häst)

Sveggja lét fyr Siggju sólborðs goti norðan. Gustr skaut Gylfa rastar glaumi suðr fyr Aumar En slóðgoti síðan sæðings fyr skut bæði, hestr óð lauks fyr Lista, lagði Körmt ok Agðir.

The horse of the plank-side [ship] made its way past Siggja from the north; the gust drove the joy of Gylfi's current [ship] south past Aumar; and the track-steed of the sea-swallow [ship] waded past Lista and laid Körmt and Agðir behind it.

Markús Skeggjason (skepp = rasta björn, strömmarnas björn)

Fjarðlinna óð fannir fast vetrliði rastar. Hljóp of húna gnípur hvals rann íugtanni. Björn gekk fram á fornar flóðs hafskíða slóðir. Skúrörðigr braut skorðu skers glymfjötur bersi.

The winter-farer of the current [ship] waded fast the fjord-serpent's drifts [waves]; the tusk-bearer of the whale's house [ship] ran over the mast-top peaks [waves]; the bear [ship] went forward on the ancient tracks of the sea-skis [the sea]; the shower-steep bruin of the prop [ship] broke the skerry's clashing-fetter [the sea].

Haraldr Sigurðarson (skepp = vengis hjörtr, däckets hjort)

Sneið fyr Sikiley víða súð, várum þá prúðir. Brýnt skreið vel til vánar vengis hjörtr und drengjum.

The planking [ship] cut past broad Sicily — we were proud then; well sped the hart of the deck [ship], as hoped, beneath the men.

Einarr Skúlason (skepp = flóðs elgr, flodens älg)

Baugs, getr með þér þeygi, þýðr, drengr vera lengi, elg búum flóðs, nema fylgi, friðstökkvir, því nökkut.

Ring-gentle warrior, you do not get to be a man for long among the people unless something [good] follows; we make ready the elk of the flood [ship], O peace-scatterer.

Máni (skepp = hafs otr, havets utter)

Hvat munt hafs á otri, hengiligr, með drengjum, karl, því at kraftr þinn förlask, kinngrár, mega vinna?

What can you do on the otter of the sea [ship] among the men, you drooping, grey-cheeked old man, since your strength is failing?

Refr (skepp = hlunnvitnir, rullbänksvargen)

En hoddvönuðr hlýddi, hlunnvitnis em ek runni hollr til hermðar-spjalla heinvandils, Þórsteini.

And the hoard-diminisher [generous man] listened — I am loyal to Þorsteinn for words of grief — I am a tree of the roller-wolf [ship] of the hone-wand [sword].

Eyjólfr dáðaskáld (skepp = Meita skíð, Meitis skida)

Meita fór at móti mjök síð of dag skíði ungr með jöfnu gengi útvers frömum hersi.

Very late in the day the young man went with an even following to meet the valiant hersir on the ski of Meiti [the sea-king — the ship] of the outer fishing-ground.

Styrkárr Oddason (skepp = hlunns vagnar, rullbänkens vagnar)

Ok eft ítrum stökkvi ók Högna lið vögnum hlunns á Heita fannir hyrjar flóðs af móði.

And after the glorious launcher [prince], Högni's troop drove the wagons of the roller [ships] onto Heiti's drifts [the sea's waves] with the wrath of the flood's fire [gold].

Þorbjörn (skepp = hafreið hlunns, rullbänkens sjövagn)

Hafreiðar var hlæðir hlunns í skírnar brunni, Hvíta-Krists sá er hæsta hoddsviptir fekk giftu.

The loader of the roller's sea-carriage [ship] was in the well of baptism — the hoard-spender who received the highest grace of White-Christ.