[8] valbǫst (f.) ‘sword-hilt panel’: A poetic term for parts of a sword, probably thin decorative metal plates on sword hilts (see Graham-Campbell 1980, 243-6). The first element is val- ‘the slain’ and the second from bast, a thin metal plate decorating the hilt (so Falk 1914b, 29-31; see also Kommentar V, 555). Cf. Sigrdr 6/3-5 (NK 191): oc rísta [sigrúnar] á hialti hiǫrs, | sumar á véttrimom, | sumar á valbǫstom ‘and carve [runes of victory] on the sword’s hilt, some on the battle-rims, some on the sword-hilt panels’. See also Egill Lv 42/8V (Eg 122) eld valbasta ‘fire of sword-hilt panels [SWORD]’.
References
- Bibliography
- 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.
- Kommentar = See, Klaus von et al. 1997-2012. Kommentar zu den Liedern der Edda. 7 vols. Heidelberg: Winter.
- Falk, Hjalmar. 1914b. Altnordische Waffenkunde. Videnskapsselskapets skrifter, II. Hist.-filos. kl. 1914, 6. Kristiania (Oslo): Dybwad.
- Graham-Campbell, James and Dafydd Kidd. 1980. The Vikings. London: The British Museum and New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Internal references
- Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2022, ‘Egils saga Skalla-Grímssonar 122 (Egill Skallagrímsson, Lausavísur 42)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross, Kari Ellen Gade and Tarrin Wills (eds), Poetry in Sagas of Icelanders. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 5. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 367.
- Not published: do not cite ()