Re: _In Stahlgewittern_ - Origin of Booktitle

[Bertil Haggman <bertil.haggman@helsingborg.se>]

Thomas Mosch wrote:

> I would like to contribute to this discussion with a quite different
> approach to the origin of the title "in Stahlgewittern" (although Gary and
> Bertil  slightly changed the topic of the discussion already ;-)).

Thanks for the thoughtful comments.
Grateful for any input on this.

> No matter whether the Edda talks of a "Storm of Steel" or rather a
> "Thunderstorm of Steel" or whatever, EJ seems to have got the first idea
> for the
> title from it (as he stated in "Siebzig verweht V") but turned it later
> into "In Stahlgewittern".

One Old Norse kenning of interest is 'o,rvadrif n.' 
that would translate into 'Pfeilengewitter' in 
German and could possibly be regarded as equi-
-valent to 'Stahlgewitter'.

" Gripe kvad:
23 Ditt liv skall icke lastas av naagon -
hoer och laer det, herrlige hjaelte:
lika laenge lever ditt namn
som vaerlden staar, staalstorms-vaeckare".

The above text is from Gripe's Prophecy
in Edda in Swedish and would translate something
like this in English (pardon my poetry):

Gripe wrote:
23   Your life shall not be burdened by anybody -
     hear and learn it, glorious hero:
     your name 
     will live as long as the world stands,
     waker of storm of steel."
 
And here is the original in Edda Grípisspá #23 
where the term is 'naddél':
Þvíat uppi mun,    meðan o,ld lifir,
naddéls boði,      nafn Þitt vera.

Naddels bodhi is most likely "shower of
points" (lance points that is).
 
Don't know how great the interest is
in Old Norse poetry on this list but
underneath a few kennings with relation
to 'Stahl' in other literary works
in Old Norse:


Tormod kolbrunarskald:     2, 16  - sta'lregn (rain of steel)
                           2, 6   - sta'ls e'l
Arnorr Tordarson:          6, 13  - sta'ls e'l
Hallfredr vandroedaska'ld: 3, 22  - sta'la e'l
Ha'ttatal (Snorri):        55     - sta'la sku'r (shower of steel)
Jo'msvi'kingadra'pa (Haukr Valdi'sarson): 27 - sta'la e'l
Tordr Kolbeinsson:         Lv 9   - sta'lgaldr
Sigvatr Tordararson:       12, 10 - sta'lgustr
                            1, 3  - sta'ls hri'd
Anonymous (xiii):          B 21   - sta'lhri'd
Ha'llalykill (Ro"gnvaldr-Hallr): 15 b  - sta'lgo,ll
Hofgardarefr ska'ld:       2, 1   - sta'ls regn
Einarr Sku'lason:          6, 55  - sta'ls regn

 
> To my mind there are two reasons for it:
> 
> 1. What are the images you have in mind when thinking of a thunderstorm?
> Personally I connect bright flashes and loud thunders to it which fit quite
> well to the images of the battles of WW1. With a storm I connect the image
> of heavy winds which is quite far away from my image of WW1.

Yes, you reasoning is well founded.
However, I think if one wants to keep
closer to the Edda 'storm' would be
more appropriate thinking for instance
of the sound a shower of arrows create
in the wind - similar to the sound of storm.

> 2. Another reason might be that the word "Stahlsturm" is a composite of two
> one-syllable-words both beginning with "st" (therefore building an
> alliteration). For me as a German the word "Stahlsturm" has a rather
> static, monolithic sound. "Stahlgewitter" has a quite more dynamic melody
> and is therefore more fitting to the subject of the book.

Alliteration is highly favoured in
Old Norse literature. A closer
relation to the Edda would have
favoured 'Stahlsturm' (Swedish
staalstorm). In my opinion a
beautiful kenning complete
with alliteration. But I can
see the argument for the more
dynamic 'Gewitter'.
 
> Finally "Sturm" as well as "Gewitter" are often used metaphors of German
> expressionist poetry of that time. So the choice of the title of EJs book
> might also be influenced by that (By the way: are there any statements from
> EJ about expressionism?).

You are probably right here.
Any good examples ?

Greetings

Bertil Haggman