Þul Orma 2III/2 — Góinn ‘Góinn’
Grafvitnir, fánn, Góinn, holtskriði,
grafningr, grettir, Grábakr, trani,
grímr ok grafþvengr, gargan, eitrungr,
hringr, holdvarinn, haugvarðr, dreki.
Grafvitnir, fánn, Góinn, holtskriði, grafningr, grettir, Grábakr, trani, grímr ok grafþvengr, gargan, eitrungr, hringr, holdvarinn, haugvarðr, dreki.
Grafvitnir, gleaming one, Góinn, grove-slider, digger, grimacer, Grábakr, crane, masked one and digging-belt, shrieking one, poisonous one, ring, flesh-wary one, mound-watcher, dragon.
notes
[2] Góinn: A mythical serpent and son of Grafvitnir (see the preceding heiti, Grí 34/4 and Gylf, SnE 2005, 19). The meaning of this name is not clear, perhaps ‘one living deep in the earth’ (cf. Gk χθών ‘earth’, Goth. gawi ‘land’), which could find support in the name of another mythical serpent, Móinn, derived from mór ‘heath’ (see Móinn in st. 4/7 below; Bugge 1888a, 49; Lid 1928, 250-7). Alternatively, the name could mean ‘yawning’ (cf. gómr ‘palate’; see AEW: góinn and Holthausen 1948, 92; the latter also considers the possibility that Góinn could be related to OHG gāhi ‘swift’). Góinn is mentioned in the list of orma heiti in Skm (SnE 1998, I, 90) and the word is used in skaldic poetry. It is also a heiti for ‘sword’ (Þul Sverða 9/7).