Þul Jǫtna I 4^III

Surtr ok Stórverkr,         Sækarlsmúli,
Skorir, Skrýmir,         Skerkir, Salfangr,
Ǫskruðr ok Svartr,         Anduðr, Stúmi,
Alsvartr, Aurnir,         Ámr ok Skalli.

Surtr ok Stórverkr, Sækarlsmúli, Skorir, Skrýmir, Skerkir, Salfangr, Ǫskruðr ok Svartr, Anduðr, Stúmi, Alsvartr, Aurnir, Ámr ok Skalli.

Surtr and Stórverkr, Sækarlsmúli, Skorir, Skrýmir, Skerkir, Salfangr, Ǫskruðr and Svartr, Anduðr, Stúmi, Alsvartr, Aurnir, Ámr and Skalli.

Mss: R(42r), Tˣ(43v), C(11r), A(17v), B(8r), 744ˣ(57r) (SnE)

Readings: [1] ok: om. Tˣ;    Stórverkr: ‘st[…]ruerkr’ B, ‘storuerkr’ 744ˣ    [2] Sækarlsmúli: ‘[…]s[…]muli’ B, ‘se᷎karls mulí’ 744ˣ    [3] Skorir: skorri C, skærir A, ‘sk[…]er ok ste᷎rir’ B, ‘skęrer ok ste᷎rir’ 744ˣ;    Skrýmir: ‘skrý[…]’ B, skrýmir ok 744ˣ    [4] Skerkir: ‘scerfir’ Tˣ;    Salfangr: salfangi Tˣ, ‘sualfanngr’ B    [5] Ǫskruðr: ‘[…]’ B, ‘oskruðr’ 744ˣ;    ok: om. Tˣ, 744ˣ, ‘[…]’ B;    Svartr: ‘[…]uartr’ B, ‘suartr’ 744ˣ    [6] Anduðr: aunduðr Tˣ, ‘aundottr’ C, ǫnduðr A, B    [7] Alsvartr: ‘a[…]artr’ B, ‘alsuartr’ 744ˣ;    Aurnir: ‘[…]rnir’ B, ‘aurnir’ 744ˣ    [8] Ámr: armr C

Editions: Skj AI, 655, Skj BI, 659, Skald I, 323; SnE 1848-87, I, 550, II, 470, 553-4, 615, SnE 1931, 195, SnE 1998, I, 111.

Notes: [1] Surtr: A fire-giant, the guardian of Muspell, the world of fire, and one of the main enemies of the gods. At the end of the world (Ragnarǫk), Surtr will come from the south with a sword of fire and defeat the gods (Gylf, SnE 2005, 9, 50-2; Vsp 52-3; Vafþr 17/4-6, 18, 51/3; Fáfn 14/4-6, etc.). In Hellismanna saga (ch. 13, Guðni Jónsson 1946-9, 2, 426-32), Surtr is a giant who dwells in Surtshellir. Surtr means ‘black one’ (cf. also Svartr and Alsvartr, ll. 5, 7 below), and in skaldic kennings the name occurs as the determinant of various kennings for ‘giant’ in general (LP: Surtr 2). — [1] Stórverkr: Lit. ‘one of great deeds’. He may be the same as Stórvirkr, son of Starkaðr Áludrengr and father of Starkaðr inn gamli ‘the Old’ in Gautreks saga (Gautr 1900, 12-15, 25, 27; see also Introduction to StarkSt Vík^VIII and Note to StarkSt Vík 24/5-6^VIII) and in Saxo (Saxo 2005, I, 6, 5, 1, pp. 380-1). In Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks (FSN I, 412 n. 3) he is the father of Starkaðr Áludrengr. The name is also recorded in Allra flagða þula (see Introduction), but other than in StarkSt Vík 24/6^VIII (in that verse by emendation from ‘Sörverkzson’) it does not occur in poetry. — [2] Sækarlsmúli: An odd cpd of uncertain meaning formed from sækarl m. ‘sea-carl, raftsman’ and múli m. ‘muzzle, snout’ or ‘jutting crag’ between two valleys, fjords, or the like (see CVC: múli). The name can perhaps be translated as ‘seaman’s peak’, and it is not found elsewhere. — [3] Skorir: Or Skærir, the A, B variant adopted in Skj B and Skald. Ms. B has ‘sk[…]er ok ste᷎rir’ (‘skęrer ok ste᷎rir’ 744ˣ), i.e. Skærir ok Stærir, the latter of which is derived from the weak verb stæra ‘grow bigger’ or ‘boast’ (cf. Skrýmir in the same line). Skorir may be formed from the weak verb skora ‘make a score, mark’, ‘challenge’ or from the strong verb skera ‘cut, slaughter’ (if so, lit. ‘cutter, killer’). The name does not occur elsewhere. The C variant Skorri (cf. skorri m. ‘magpie’) is also the name of two slaves in Ldn (ÍF 1, 71, 166-9). — [3] Skrýmir: This is one name of the giant (= Útgarðaloki) in whose glove Þórr spent a night on his way to Útgarðr (Gylf, SnE 2005, 38-9), but in Lok 62/5 Skrýmir is probably the name of Þórr’s knapsack. As to the origin of the name, AEW: skrýmir suggests a connection with New Norw. skrymja, ModSwed. skrymma ‘occupy much space, look big’, but, according to Kahle (1903, 209), the correct form is Skrymir and the heiti may be cognate with skrum n. ‘swaggering talk’, hence ‘boaster’ (?). This explanation is unlikely, however, because the long vowel is secured by the metre here. Skrýmir is also a heiti for ‘sword’ (see Note to Þul Sverða 2/2). The word is not otherwise used in skaldic poetry as a heiti for ‘giant’, but it is attested in the rímur (Finnur Jónsson 1926-8: Skrýmir). — [4] Skerkir: Lit. ‘noise-maker’ (see Note to Þul Sverða 2/1). The name is known only from the þulur, and it is also a heiti for ‘fire’ (Þul Elds 1/6). — [4] Salfangr: A hap. leg. The first element is derived from salr m. ‘hall’, but the second, ‑fangr, is difficult to explain. It may be derived from the strong verb fá ‘take, get’ or from fang n. ‘catch’; perhaps ‘one caught in a hall’. In the B variant Svalfangr, the first element sval- means ‘cool’ (cf. the adj. svalr ‘cool’). — [5] Ǫskruðr: Lit. ‘bellower’ (from the weak verb ǫskra ‘bellow, scream, roar (from pain)’) and unattested in poetry. A giant of this name is known from Egils saga einhenda (chs 12, 14, FSN III, 389, 394). — [5] Svartr: Lit. ‘black one’. Cf. the giant-names Surtr (l. 1), Alsvartr (l. 7) and Ámr (l. 8) also denoting ‘black, dark’. The name Svartr is known from the fornaldarsögur (a monster-like man, the enemy of Oddr in Ǫrvar-Odds saga chs 23, 30, FSN II, 257, 294, 296), but it does not occur elsewhere in poetry. — [6] Anduðr: Or Ǫnduðr. Cf. also Andaðr in Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks (ch. 9, Heiðr 1960, 37) and the minstrel of the same name in Þhorn Harkv 22/4 ^I, 23/1^I. The name is derived from *Anda-haðuz ‘opponent, enemy’ (cf. OHG Anthad), with the Old Norse prefix and- ‘against’ and ‑hǫðr used as a second element in personal names (cf. Niðuðr, Starkaðr). Hǫðr m. is cognate with hǫð f., a poetic term for ‘battle’ (Motz 1987, 309 and Note to Þul Ása I l. 10). The C variant Ǫndóttr does not occur elsewhere, but it must be the same as ǫndóttr ‘fiery’ (a poetic adj. qualifying words for ‘eye’). — [6] Stúmi: The meaning of this heiti is unclear. Cf. ModNorw. stummørk ‘pitch-dark’ and ON stumra ‘stumble’ (see AEW: stúmi), although in Stúmi the root vowel is long. The heiti is also attested in the rímur (Finnur Jónsson 1926-8: stúmi). — [7] Alsvartr: Lit. ‘all-black one’, an adj. qualifying words for ‘ox’ in eddic poetry (Þry 23/3; Hym 18/8). It is also a horse-heiti (Þul Hesta 4/3), but does not occur elsewhere. — [7] Aurnir: Most likely derived from aurr m. ‘clay, mud, wet soil’ (Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 300). Aur- is the first element of other giant-names, e.g. Aurgelmir (st. 5/5) and Aurgrímnir (Þul Jǫtna II 2/4). Aurnir is one of the few names of giants that is used in kennings (LP: Aurnir). — [8] Ámr: Lit. ‘dark one’ (cf. the semantically similar names in ll. 1, 5, 7 above). As a giant-name, Ámr occurs only here and in the rímur (Finnur Jónsson 1926-8: ámr), but it is the name of another legendary person, one of the nine sons of Dagr and Þóra (Hyndl 18/7), also attested in Ættartölur (Flat 1860-8, I, 25). — [8] Skalli: Lit. ‘bald-head’. This giant is not mentioned elsewhere, but Skalli is a wolf in Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks (Heiðr 1960, 81).

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. FSN = Rafn, Carl Christian, ed. 1829-30. Fornaldar sögur nordrlanda. 3 vols. Copenhagen: Popp.
4. SnE 1848-87 = Snorri Sturluson. 1848-87. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar: Edda Snorronis Sturlaei. Ed. Jón Sigurðsson et al. 3 vols. Copenhagen: Legatum Arnamagnaeanum. Rpt. Osnabrück: Zeller, 1966.
5. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
6. AEW = Vries, Jan de. 1962. Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch. 2nd rev. edn. Rpt. 1977. Leiden: Brill.
7. 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.
8. CVC = Cleasby, Richard, Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and W. A. Craigie. 1957. An Icelandic-English Dictionary. 2nd edn. Oxford: Clarendon.
9. Finnur Jónsson. 1926-8. Ordbog til de af samfund til udg. af gml. nord. litteratur udgivne Rímur samt til de af Dr. O. Jiriczek udgivne Bósarímur. SUGNL 51. Copenhagen: Jørgensen.
10. Flat 1860-8 = Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and C. R. Unger, eds. 1860-8. Flateyjarbók. En samling af norske konge-sagaer med indskudte mindre fortællinger om begivenheder i og udenfor Norge samt annaler. 3 vols. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
11. ÍF 1 (parts 1 and 2) = Íslendingabók; Landnámabók. Ed. Jakob Benediktsson. 1968. Rpt. as one volume 1986.
12. SnE 1931 = Snorri Sturluson. 1931. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar. Ed. Finnur Jónsson. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
13. SnE 1998 = Snorri Sturluson. 1998. Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2 vols. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
14. Saxo 2005 = Friis-Jensen, Karsten, ed. 2005. Saxo Grammaticus: Gesta Danorum / Danmarkshistorien. Trans. Peter Zeeberg. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Det danske sprog- og litteraturselskab & Gads forlag.
15. SnE 2005 = Snorri Sturluson. 2005. Edda: Prologue and Gylfaginning. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2nd edn. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
16. Finnur Jónsson. 1934-5. ‘Þulur: Søkonge- og jættenavneremserne’. APS 9, 289-308.
17. Gautr 1900 = Ranisch, Wilhelm, ed. 1900. Die Gautrekssaga in zwei Fassungen. Palaestra 11. Berlin: Mayer & Müller.
18. Kahle, Bernhard. 1903. ‘Altwestnordische Namenstudien’. IF 14, 133-224.
19. Motz, Lotte. 1987. ‘Old Icelandic Giants and Their Names’. FS 21, 295-317.
21. Heiðr 1960 = Tolkien, Christopher, ed. and trans. 1960. Saga Heiðreks konungs ins vitra / The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise. Nelson Icelandic Texts. London etc.: Nelson.
22. Guðni Jónsson, ed. 1946-9. Íslendinga sögur. 13 vols. Reykjavík: Íslendingasagnaútgáfan. Rpt. 1953.
23. Internal references
24. 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Gautreks saga’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 241. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=9> (accessed 18 May 2024)
25. 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 367. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=23> (accessed 18 May 2024)
26. (forthcoming), ‘ Anonymous, Landnámabók’ in Guðrún Nordal (ed.), Poetry on Icelandic History. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 4. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=25> (accessed 18 May 2024)
27. 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Ǫrvar-Odds saga’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 804. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=35> (accessed 18 May 2024)
28. (forthcoming), ‘ Snorri Sturluson, Gylfaginning’ 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=113> (accessed 18 May 2024)
29. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Sverða heiti 2’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 791.
30. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Elds heiti 1’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 921.
31. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Hesta heiti 4’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 939.
32. Not published: do not cite ()
33. Not published: do not cite ()
34. Not published: do not cite ()
35. Not published: do not cite ()
36. Not published: do not cite ()
37. Not published: do not cite ()
38. Not published: do not cite ()
39. Margaret Clunies Ross (forthcoming), ‘ Starkaðr gamli Stórvirksson, Víkarsbálkr’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=3118> (accessed 18 May 2024)
40. Elena Gurevich 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Ása heiti I’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 754. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=3187> (accessed 18 May 2024)
41. R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2012, ‘Þorbjǫrn hornklofi, Haraldskvæði (Hrafnsmál) 22’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 116.
42. Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2017, ‘Gautreks saga 32 (Starkaðr gamli Stórvirksson, Víkarsbálkr 24)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 275.
43. Not published: do not cite ()
44. Not published: do not cite ()