Note to Þul Óðins 4^III

[1] Hléfǫðr: This cpd is not found elsewhere, which is also the case with the variant reading Hleifruðr (‘Hleífrudr’) in B. The LaufE mss have (normalised) Hléfróðr. The B variant is adopted in Skj B and Skald (but rejected in LP: Hléfǫðr). According to von Friesen (1900, 197), the form Hleifruðr could have resulted from reinterpretation of *Hleiforðr (= OE hlāford ‘lord, master’) in analogy with other Óðinn-names ending in ‑uðr (e.g. Geiguðr, Dǫrruðr). The reading Hléfǫðr, on the other hand, is supported by a number of Óðinn-names with the second element -fǫðr (reinterpreted as ‘father’; see Note to st. 1/4 above), as well as by other names with the first element Hlé-: e.g. the Óðinn-name Hléfreyr in st. 5/3 below, the giant-name Hlébarðr in Hárb 20/5, Hlévangr, a dwarf-name in Vsp 15/4, the f. pers. n. Hlédís gyðia ‘Hlédís the sorceress’ in Hyndl 13/4 (NK 290), etc. The meaning of this Hlé- element is disputed. According to Falk (1924, 17-18), hlé- may be identical either with hlé n. ‘lee, shelter protecting from bad weather’ (hence Hléfǫðr means ‘lee-father’) or with the name of the sea-god Hlér, also used as a term for ‘sea’ (hence ‘a storm-quieting god’). He suggests that the name might refer to Óðinn as a sea-god, since he is known for taking on the names and functions of other gods. In LP: Hléfǫðr, however, hlé- is interpreted as ‘famous’ (cf. the runic name Hlewagastiʀ in the Gallehus inscription (Run DR 12^VI (KJ43)), whose first part is often connected with the adj. hléðr ‘famous’). On this heiti, see also Strandberg (2008, 109-11).

References

1. Bibliography
2. Skj B = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1912-15b. Den norsk-islandske skjaldedigtning. B: Rettet tekst. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Villadsen & Christensen. Rpt. 1973. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde & Bagger.
3. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
4. LP = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1931. Lexicon poeticum antiquæ linguæ septentrionalis: Ordbog over det norsk-islandske skjaldesprog oprindelig forfattet af Sveinbjörn Egilsson. 2nd edn. Copenhagen: Møller.
5. NK = Neckel, Gustav and Hans Kuhn (1899), eds. 1983. Edda: Die Lieder des Codex Regius nebst verwandten Denkmälern. 2 vols. I: Text. 5th edn. Heidelberg: Winter.
6. Falk, Hjalmar. 1924. Odensheite. Skrifter utg. av Videnskapsselskapet i Kristiania. II. Hist.-filos. kl. 1924, 10. Kristiania (Oslo): Dybwad.
7. Friesen, Otto von. 1900. ‘Till tolkningen af Tune-stenen’. ANF 16, 191-200.
8. Strandberg, Mathias. 2008. ‘On the Etymology of Compounded Old Icelandic Óðinn names with the Second Component -fǫðr’. SI 59, 93-120.
9. Internal references
10. Not published: do not cite ()
11. Not published: do not cite ()
12. Not published: do not cite ()
13. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Laufás Edda’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=10928> (accessed 19 May 2024)