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Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Þul Valkyrja 1III

Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Heiti valkyrja 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. 969.

Anonymous ÞulurHeiti valkyrja
12

Man ‘can’

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munu (verb): will, must

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valkyrjur ‘valkyries’

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valkyrja (noun f.): valkyrie

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Viðris ‘Viðrir’s’

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Viðrir (noun m.): Viðrir

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nefna ‘name’

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2. nefna (verb): mention, name, call

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[2] Viðris ‘Viðrir’s <= Óðinn’s>’: This is a name for Óðinn, which is interpreted as ‘one who rules over the weather (or winds)’. The name is explained in Þáttr Hálfdanar svarta (Flat 1860-8, I, 564): þui er hann kalladr Uidrir at þeir sogdu hann uedrum rada ‘he is called Viðrir because they said that he governs the winds’. See also Falk (1924, 34). Viðrir is frequently used in poetry (see also Lok 26/5, HHund I 13/7, Gylf, SnE 2005, 8), but is mentioned neither in the catalogue of the names of this god in Grí 46-50, 54 nor in Þul Óðins.

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Hrist ‘Hrist’

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Hrist (noun f.): Hrist

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[3] Hrist, Mist: The literal meaning of these names is ‘shaking one’ (cf. the weak verb hrista ‘shake’) and ‘mist’ (probably from mistr m. ‘mist, fog’; see AEW: mistr). As in the present þula, in Grí 36/1 (NK 64) the pair Hrist oc Mist ‘Hrist and Mist’ are mentioned at the very beginning of the list of valkyries who wait on the warriors (einherjar) in Valhǫll (so also Gylf, SnE 2005, 30). Both names are also listed among meyjar Óðins ‘Óðinn’s maids’ in Þul Ásynja (see st. 4/4, 6 and Note to [All] there).

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Mist ‘Mist’

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Mist (noun f.): Mist

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[3] Hrist, Mist: The literal meaning of these names is ‘shaking one’ (cf. the weak verb hrista ‘shake’) and ‘mist’ (probably from mistr m. ‘mist, fog’; see AEW: mistr). As in the present þula, in Grí 36/1 (NK 64) the pair Hrist oc Mist ‘Hrist and Mist’ are mentioned at the very beginning of the list of valkyries who wait on the warriors (einherjar) in Valhǫll (so also Gylf, SnE 2005, 30). Both names are also listed among meyjar Óðins ‘Óðinn’s maids’ in Þul Ásynja (see st. 4/4, 6 and Note to [All] there).

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Herja ‘Herja’

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1. herja (noun f.): Herja, female follower

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[3] Herja: This name may means ‘harrying one’ or ‘one waging war’ (cf. the weak verb herja ‘harry, plunder, wage war’). Herja is used in a kenning for ‘giantess’ in Þjóð Haustl 19/1, but it does not appear to be the name of a valkyrie in that context (see LP: 2. herja). Otherwise the name is not known from other sources.

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Hlǫkk ‘Hlǫkk’

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2. Hlǫkk (noun f.): Hlǫkk

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[4] Hlǫkk: This name translates as ‘scream’ (cf. the common noun hlǫkk f. ‘crash’ and the weak verb hlakka ‘scream, screech’). It is also listed in Grí 36/5 and Þul Ásynja 4/4. The word is frequently used in poetry both as the name of a valkyrie and, less frequently, as a term for ‘battle’.

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Geiravǫr ‘Geiravǫr’

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Geiravǫr (noun f.): Geiravǫr

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[4] Geiravǫr: Lit. ‘spear-Vǫr’. This valkyrie-name does not occur elsewhere. Vǫr is the name of a goddess (see Note to Þul Ásynja 2/4).

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Gǫll ‘Gǫll’

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gǫll (noun f.): shriek

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[5] Gǫll: This name means ‘shriek’. See Note to Þul Orrostu 1/3.

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Hjǫrþrimul ‘Hjǫrþrimul’

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Hjǫrþrimul (noun f.): Hjǫrþrimul

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[5] Hjǫrþrimul: Lit. ‘one who makes noise with a sword’. This valkyrie-name is mentioned in Anon Darr 3/2V (Nj 55) but not found elsewhere. The second part of this cpd, ‑þrimul, is related to þrima f. ‘sound, battle’ (see also Þul Orrostu 2/8 and Hjalmþrimul in st. 2/8 below).

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Guðr ‘Gunnr’

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2. Guðr (noun f.): [Gunnr, Guðr]

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[6] Guðr: Or Gunnr. This valkyrie is a personification of battle, since guðr/gunnr f. is the most common poetic term for ‘battle’. The heiti is conspicuously absent from the þula that enumerates heiti for ‘battle’ (Þul Orrostu), however. As the name of a valkyrie, Guðr/Gunnr is used in kennings for ‘woman’ and ‘battle’; in other types of kennings it is often difficult to determine whether the word denotes ‘valkyrie’ or is a heiti for ‘battle’. This valkyrie is mentioned in Vsp 30/7 and in Gylf (SnE 2005, 30), where it is said that Guðr, together with Rota and Skuld, ride to choose the slain and decide the outcome of battles.

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Herfjǫtur ‘Herfjǫtur’

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Herfjǫtur (noun f.): Herfjǫtur

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[6] Herfjǫtur: Lit. ‘army-fetterer’. The name is also mentioned in Grí 36/5, but it does not occur in other sources. The second part of this cpd name, ‑fjǫtur f., is most likely derived from fjǫturr m. ‘fetter’. Ms. U(10v) of SnE (Gylf) has the variant Herfjǫtra f., which has been adopted in Skj B (but not in Skald).

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Skuld ‘Skuld’

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Skuld (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): Skuld

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[7] Skuld: See Note to Þul Ásynja 4/6.

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Geirǫnul ‘Geirǫnul’

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Geirǫnul (noun f.): Geirǫnul

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[7] Geirǫnul: This name means ‘one rushing ahead with a spear’ (the second element is cognate with ModIcel. ana ‘rush on’; cf. AEW: Geirǫlnir, Geirǫnul). The name is also listed in Grí 36/6 (NK 64), where the second element has a different form (-ǫlul in Codex Regius and -rǫmul in ms. A of SnE). The word is otherwise not attested in poetry.

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Skǫgul ‘Skǫgul’

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Skǫgul (noun f.): Skǫgul

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[8] Skǫgul: This name means ‘projecting one’ (cf. the weak verb skaga ‘project, protude’). Cf. Geirskǫgul in st. 2/2 and Note there. See also Þul Ásynja 4/4 as well as the list of valkyries in Grí 36/3 and Vsp 30/6. Skǫgul is one of the valkyries in Eyv HákI (see Notes to sts 2/1 and 2/2 below).

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ok ‘and’

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3. ok (conj.): and, but; also

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Randgnið ‘Randgnið’

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[8] Randgnið: A hap. leg.; cf. Ráðgnið (st. 2/1). According to Finnur Jónsson (LP: Randgríðr), ‑gnið is a corrupt reading and he suggests Randgríð(r) ‘shield-Gríðr’, based on the pair Randgríð oc Ráðgríð ‘Randgríð and Ráðgríð’ in Grí 36/7 (NK 64). In Skj B, Finnur gives Randgníð, however, and Skald has Randgnið (adopted in the present edn). The second part of the name, ‑gnið f., may be of the same origin as the sea-heiti gniðr m. ‘murmur’ (see Note to Þul Sjóvar 2/7), possibly either connected with the weak verb gniða ‘rub’ or related to gnauða ‘resound, rumble, make noise’ (cf. AEW: gniðr), hence perhaps ‘shield-din’.

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