Note to Þul Óðins 1III
[3] Auðun: Earlier Auðunn (see AEW: Auðun). An old pers. n. which is not mentioned as an Óðinn-heiti in other poetic sources, aside from a possible allusion to it in an ofljóst construction in Grett Lv 13/3V (Gr 26); see Note there. A possible explanation for why this name is listed among Óðins nǫfn is found in a passage from Ynglinga saga (ch. 7, ÍF 26, 20): Eptir Óðins nafni var kallaðr Auðun ‘Auðun is derived from the name of Óðinn’. However, this is a misinterpretation based on folk etymology, because Auðun is a derivative from auðr m. ‘riches’ and vinr m. ‘friend’ (ÍO: Auðun(n)). Falk (1924, 3-4) believed that the connection between the two names was established rather early and that Auðun as an Óðinn-name might be traced back to a historical person, Audoin (= Ēadwine in the Old English Widsith l. 74), king of the Langobards (C6th), who was said to be of Gautr’s kin (cf. Gautr, l. 6 below).
References
- Bibliography
- AEW = Vries, Jan de. 1962. Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch. 2nd rev. edn. Rpt. 1977. Leiden: Brill.
- ÍO = Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon. 1989. Íslensk orðsifjabók. Reykjavík: Orðabók Háskólans.
- ÍF 26-8 = Heimskringla. Ed. Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson. 1941-51.
- Falk, Hjalmar. 1924. Odensheite. Skrifter utg. av Videnskapsselskapet i Kristiania. II. Hist.-filos. kl. 1924, 10. Kristiania (Oslo): Dybwad.
- Internal references
- 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 April 2024)
- (forthcoming), ‘ Heimskringla, Ynglinga saga’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=158> (accessed 18 April 2024)
- Jonathan Grove (ed.) 2022, ‘Grettis saga Ásmundarsonar 26 (Grettir Ásmundarson, Lausavísur 13)’ 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. 693.