Þul Jǫtna I 3III
Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Jǫtna heiti I 3’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 710.
Geir ‘Geir’
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geirr (noun m.): spear < Geirrøðr (noun m.): Geirrøðr
notes
[1] Geirrøðr: This giant was killed in his own house by Þórr. According to the myth told in Eil Þdr and Skm (SnE 1998, I, 24-5), Geirrøðr imprisoned Loki and compelled him to incite Þórr to visit his home without his girdle of strength and his hammer. Despite these measures, Þórr defeated Geirrøðr and killed him. Geirrøðr is also the name of a giant in Ǫrvar-Odds saga (ch. 23, FSN II, 253-4) and the name of other legendary characters (e.g. Óðinn’s opponent in Grí). The name is derived from Gmc *Gaiza-friduz (OHG Gāri-fred) with the elements ON geirr- ‘spear’ and ‑frøðr (cf. friðr ‘peace’), and it means ‘spear-security’ (Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 303; AEW: geirr). The name occurs in several mythical kennings (LP: Geirrøðr).
røðr ‘røðr’
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-røðr (noun m.): [røðr] < Geirrøðr (noun m.): Geirrøðr
[1] ‑røðr: ‑rauðr C, ‘‑ro᷎[…]’ B, ‘‑ro᷎ðr’ 744ˣ
notes
[1] Geirrøðr: This giant was killed in his own house by Þórr. According to the myth told in Eil Þdr and Skm (SnE 1998, I, 24-5), Geirrøðr imprisoned Loki and compelled him to incite Þórr to visit his home without his girdle of strength and his hammer. Despite these measures, Þórr defeated Geirrøðr and killed him. Geirrøðr is also the name of a giant in Ǫrvar-Odds saga (ch. 23, FSN II, 253-4) and the name of other legendary characters (e.g. Óðinn’s opponent in Grí). The name is derived from Gmc *Gaiza-friduz (OHG Gāri-fred) with the elements ON geirr- ‘spear’ and ‑frøðr (cf. friðr ‘peace’), and it means ‘spear-security’ (Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 303; AEW: geirr). The name occurs in several mythical kennings (LP: Geirrøðr).
Fyrnir ‘Fyrnir’
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Fyrnir (noun m.): Fyrnir
[1] Fyrnir: ‘fvrnir’ A, ‘[…]nir’ B, ‘furnir’ 744ˣ
notes
[1] Fyrnir: A hap. leg. Cf. the weak verb fyrnask ‘get old’ and forn ‘old’, an adj. often applied to giants (Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 300).
notes
[2] Galarr: The name is derived from the strong verb gala ‘crow, chant, sing’. As a giant’s name, the heiti occurs only here. In Skm (SnE 1998, I, 3) Galarr and his brother Fjalarr (see l. 6 below) are the dwarfs associated with the myth of the mead of poetry, but neither name is mentioned in Þul Dverga.
Þrívaldi ‘Þrívaldi’
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Þrívaldi (noun m.): Þrívaldi
[2] Þrívaldi: so Tˣ, 744ˣ, ‘þvivaldi’ R, ‘þrífalldi’ C, ‘þrifalldi’ A, ‘[…]’ B
notes
[2] Þrívaldi: Nothing is known about this giant except that he had nine heads (cf. Bragi Frag 3/2 and Note to ll. 2 and 4) and was killed by Þórr (Skm, SnE 1998, I, 14). The name means either ‘very mighty one’ or ‘one who is as mighty as three others’ (cf. Þrígeitir, st. 2/6).
Fjǫlverkr ‘Fjǫlverkr’
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Fjǫlverkr (noun m.): Fjǫlverkr
[3] Fjǫlverkr: ‘fjo᷎lu[…]’ B, ‘fio᷎luerkr’ 744ˣ
notes
[3] Fjǫlverkr: A hap. leg.; perhaps ‘much-working one’ or ‘one doing many things’. Cf. Harðverkr (st. 2/1).
Geitir ‘Geitir’
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Geitir (noun m.): Geitir
notes
[3] Geitir: Cf. Þrígeitir (st. 2/6). This is also the name of a sea-king (see Þul Sækonunga 1/7), and it is attested in kennings (LP: Geitir 1.).
Fleggr ‘Fleggr’
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fleggr (noun m.): fleggr
[4] Fleggr: flekkr C, ‘flegr’ A, ‘[…]le᷎gr’ B, ‘fle᷎gr’ 744ˣ
notes
[4] Fleggr: The word is possibly derived from flagð, flegða ‘ogre’ (AEW: fleggr) or from *flagjarr (cf. flag n. ‘turfless ground’ and New Norw. flag ‘flat rock’); hence perhaps ‘stone-dweller’ (Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 300). There is only one ambiguous occurrence of this name in poetry (Obreið Illdr 2/6V (Eb 2)).
notes
[4] Blapþvari: A hap. leg. The meaning of blap- is unclear. De Vries (AEW: Blapþvari) suggests that it might be cognate with ModEngl. blab ‘chatter’ (OHG blabbizōn), but that explanation hardly sheds light on the meaning of the name as a whole. The second part, ‑þvari m. ‘borer, gimlet’, is a frequent element in poetic names and heiti. Cf. the horse-heiti bǫlþvari ‘evil borer’ (Þul Hesta 3/5), the dwarf-name Dólgþvari (SnE 2005, 16), the ox-heiti eyþvari ‘island-borer’ (Þul Øxna 1/6), the sword-heiti vindþvari ‘wind-borer’ (Þul Sverða 6/4), etc. The B variant hlap- cannot be construed as an Old Norse word (Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 300).
þvari ‘þvari’
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þvari (noun m.): borer < Blapþvari (noun m.)
notes
[4] Blapþvari: A hap. leg. The meaning of blap- is unclear. De Vries (AEW: Blapþvari) suggests that it might be cognate with ModEngl. blab ‘chatter’ (OHG blabbizōn), but that explanation hardly sheds light on the meaning of the name as a whole. The second part, ‑þvari m. ‘borer, gimlet’, is a frequent element in poetic names and heiti. Cf. the horse-heiti bǫlþvari ‘evil borer’ (Þul Hesta 3/5), the dwarf-name Dólgþvari (SnE 2005, 16), the ox-heiti eyþvari ‘island-borer’ (Þul Øxna 1/6), the sword-heiti vindþvari ‘wind-borer’ (Þul Sverða 6/4), etc. The B variant hlap- cannot be construed as an Old Norse word (Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 300).
Fornjótr ‘Fornjótr’
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Fornjótr (noun m.): Fornjótr
[5] Fornjótr: ‘[…]orniotr’ B, ‘forníotr’ 744ˣ
notes
[5] Fornjótr: Father of the sea-giant Ægir and also the progenitor of wind and fire (Skm, SnE 1998, I, 39 and Notes to Þul Elds 1/3-4, Þul Veðra 1/8, Sveinn Norðrdr 2/2). In Hversu Nóregr byggðisk (Flat 1860-8, I, 21), Fornjótr is mentioned along with his three sons Hlér (= Ægir), Logi (i.e. ‘fire’) and Kári (i.e. ‘wind’). The origin of the name is unclear. Finnur Jónsson (1934-5, 300) takes it to mean ‘desolator’ (the negative prefix for- and the agent noun ‑njótr ‘enjoyer, user’), while Kock (1899, 103-4) derives it from *forn-þjótr ‘old whistler’ (cf. þjótr m. ‘howler’ as a heiti for ‘wind’, Þul Veðra 2/8). Hellquist (1903) argues that the name means Urwesen ‘primeval being’ and he compares this giant with Ymir (see also AEW: Fornjótr). The name is found in poetic sources (LP: Fornjótr).
Sprettingr ‘Sprettingr’
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sprettingr (noun m.): sprettingr
[5] Sprettingr: ‘sp[…]gr’ B, sprettingr 744ˣ
notes
[5] Sprettingr: A hap. leg., most likely from the strong verb spretta ‘spring, run’; hence, ‘runner, sprinter’.
Fjalarr ‘Fjalarr’
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Fjalarr (noun m.): [Fialarr, Fjalarr]
[6] Fjalarr: ‘fial[…]’ B, ‘fíalarr’ 744ˣ
notes
[6] Fjalarr: Perhaps lit. ‘concealer’, from the strong verb fela ‘hide, conceal’. Cf. Fjǫlnir among Óðinn’s names (see AEW: Fjalarr; Noreen 1892, 198; Kahle 1903, 143-4). As a giant-name, Fjalarr occurs twice in eddic poems (as another name for Útgarðaloki in Hárb 26/9 and for Suttungr in Hávm 14/3). It is also the name of other mythical beings, such as a dwarf and a giant’s rooster (Vsp 16/3, 42/8).
Stígandi ‘Stígandi’
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stígandi (noun m.; °-a): walker, Stígandi
[6] Stígandi: ‘[…]g[…]de’ B, ‘stigande’ 744ˣ
notes
[6] Stígandi: Lit. ‘stepping one’ or ‘striding one’ (pres. part. of the strong verb stíga ‘step, stride’). A giant of this name is not mentioned elsewhere, but Stígandi is also a pers. n. (Gǫngu-Hrólfs saga ch. 6, FSN III, 255) and the name of a ship (Vatnsdœla saga ch. 16, ÍF 8, 43-7).
Sómr ‘Sómr’
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sómr (noun m.): honourable
[7] Sómr: samr C, ‘[…]mr’ A, ‘[…]’ B, ‘suámr ok’ 744ˣ
notes
[7] Sómr: Cf. the weak verb sóma ‘beseem’, sómi m. ‘honour’; hence perhaps ‘honourable one’ or ‘seemly one’. It is also a heiti for weapons (a bow in Þul Boga l. 4; cf. sómi, the weak m. form of sómr, a sword-heiti in Þul Sverða 1/8), but none of these heiti appears elsewhere.
ok ‘and’
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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also
Svárangr ‘Svárangr’
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Svárangr (noun m.): Svárangr
[8] Svárangr: ‘[…]nngr’ B, ‘suo᷎ranngr’ 744ˣ
notes
[8] Svárangr: The name is known from Hárb 29/4 (NK 83) where synir Svárangs ‘the sons of Svárangr’ are Þórr’s enemies. The first part of the cpd is derived from the adj. svárr ‘heavy, grave’, while ‑angr must be a suffix (Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 299).
notes
[8] Skrati: Most likely the same word as skratti m. ‘wizard, monster’ (so Tˣ, A, B). It is impossible to say whether Skrat(t)i is a common noun or a proper name here, and a giant of this name is not known from other sources. The C variant skati m. ‘lordly man’ must be a scribal error.
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