Þul Bjarnar 1^III

Bjǫrn ‘Bear’

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bjǫrn (noun m.; °bjarnar, dat. birni; birnir, acc. bjǫrnu): bear, Bjǫrn

[1] Bjǫrn: Bjǫrn heitir C, ‘[…]io᷎rn’ B, ‘Bio᷎rn’ 744ˣ

bersi ‘little bear’

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bersi (noun m.): little bear

[1] bersi: ‘bessi’ C, ‘[…]’ B, ‘…’ 744ˣ

bolmr ‘mighty one’

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bolmr (noun m.): [bear, mighty one]

[1] bolmr: so C, blómr all others

notes

[1] bolmr (m.) ‘mighty one’: So C. This poetic word for ‘bear’ occurs in a kenning for ‘giant’ (Þjóð Haustl 18/4). The origin of the heiti is obscure. It could mean ‘mighty one’ (cf. ModSwed. dialects bolmstark ‘very strong’; AEW: bolmr). All other mss have ‘blomr’, presumably with metathesis. Blómr is also recorded in the list of bjarnar heiti in Skm (SnE 1998, I, 88).

bera ‘she-bear’

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1. bera (noun f.; °-u): she-bear, shield

[2] bera: ‘[…]er[…]’ B, ‘bera’ 744ˣ

elg ‘elk’

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elgr (noun m.; °-s; -ir/-ar): elk < elgviðnir (noun m.)

[2] elg‑: él‑ C

notes

[2] elgviðnir (m.) ‘elk-forest-dweller’: A hap. leg. The second element of this cpd is probably derived from viðr m. ‘wood’; cf. viðnir ‘forest-dweller’, a heiti for ‘serpent’, ‘wolf’ and ‘hawk’ (Þul Orma 4/3, Þul Vargs 1/5, Þul Hauks 2/5). The first element is either elgr m. ‘elk’ or, less likely, él n. ‘storm’ (cf. the C variant élviðnir, which translates as ‘storm-forest-dweller’ but has no support in the other mss).

viðnir ‘forest-dweller’

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viðnir (noun m.): forest-dweller < elgviðnir (noun m.)

notes

[2] elgviðnir (m.) ‘elk-forest-dweller’: A hap. leg. The second element of this cpd is probably derived from viðr m. ‘wood’; cf. viðnir ‘forest-dweller’, a heiti for ‘serpent’, ‘wolf’ and ‘hawk’ (Þul Orma 4/3, Þul Vargs 1/5, Þul Hauks 2/5). The first element is either elgr m. ‘elk’ or, less likely, él n. ‘storm’ (cf. the C variant élviðnir, which translates as ‘storm-forest-dweller’ but has no support in the other mss).

blájaxl ‘dark molar’

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blájaxl (noun m.): [dark molar]

notes

[3] blájaxl (m.) ‘dark molar’: From the adj. blár ‘dark, blue’ and jaxl m. ‘molar’; the cpd is not attested elsewhere.

ísolfr ‘ice-wolf’

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ísolfr (noun m.): [ice-wolf]

[3] ísolfr: so all others, ‘isǫlfr’ R

notes

[3] ísolfr (m.) ‘ice-wolf’: From íss m. ‘ice’ and úlfr m. ‘wolf’. As a heiti for ‘bear’ the word is not found elsewhere in Old Norse poetry, but it occurs with that meaning in the later rímur (Finnur Jónsson 1926-8: ísólfr). It is also attested as a m. pers. n. (Ísólfr, Hyndl 21/1).

ok ‘and’

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

[4] ok: om. Tˣ

breið ‘broad’

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breiðr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): broad, wide < breiðvegi (noun m.)

notes

[4] breiðvegi (m.) ‘broad-fighter’: Not attested elsewhere as a cpd. The second element is derived from the strong verb vega ‘fight, kill’ or ‘weigh, lift’ (cf. the C variant breiðvigi).

vegi ‘fighter’

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-vegi (noun n.): [fighter, seat] < breiðvegi (noun m.)

[4] ‑vegi: ‑vigi C, ‘‑[…]ge’ B, ‘‑uege’ 744ˣ

notes

[4] breiðvegi (m.) ‘broad-fighter’: Not attested elsewhere as a cpd. The second element is derived from the strong verb vega ‘fight, kill’ or ‘weigh, lift’ (cf. the C variant breiðvigi).

bestingr ‘haltered one’

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bestingr (noun m.): [haltered one]

[5] bestingr: ‘berstingr’ C, ‘best[…]nn[…]’ B, ‘bestinngr’ 744ˣ

notes

[5] bestingr (m.) ‘haltered one’: Lit. ‘one haltered with a rope of bast’ (see SnE 1998, II, 243). The word is derived from bast n. ‘bast’ and could be a term for a tame bear. In skaldic poetry, this heiti is found in GOdds Lv 8/2^IV.

bassi ‘bassi’

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-bassi (noun m.): [bassi]

[5] bassi: ‘barsi’ C, ‘basi’ A

notes

[5] bassi: Perhaps ‘little bear’. Other than in the present þula the heiti occurs as a second element of the poetic cpd valbassi m. ‘slaughter-bear’ (i.e. ‘boar’), a cpd not attested elsewhere (Þul Galtar l. 5). Bassi has parallels in ModSwed. dialects basse ‘boar’, OSwed., ODan. basse ‘wild boar’ (cf. ModNorw. basse ‘big and stout beast, big man, unruly person’), and ON bassi has been explained as a result of a confusion of two different words, namely, a diminutive of a term for ‘bear’ (cf. bersi or bessi ‘little bear’ in l. 1) and a term for ‘boar’, cf. OE bār, bǣr ‘boar’ (Björkman 1912, 275; AEW: bassi).

balti ‘heavy-stepper’

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balti (noun m.; °-a): [heavy-stepper]

[6] balti: ‘basti’ B

notes

[6] balti (m.) ‘heavy-stepper’: The origin and sense of this word are not clear. Balti could be related to ModIcel. balta ‘totter along, limp’ or allude to the appearance of the beast (ModIcel. balti ‘big tussock, small hill’; ÍO: balti, baltr). For other suggested interpretations, see AEW: balti. Balti is also a nickname (see Balti, Biography, SkP II, 533).

hlébarðr ‘hlébarðr’

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2. hlébarðr (noun m.): bear

notes

[6] hlébarðr (m.): The Old Norse word is a folk-etymological re-interpretation (hlé, barð) of Lat. leopardus ‘leopard’. See Note to Arn Hryn 2/1^II. The word is used as a synonym for the pers. n. Bjǫrn, i.e. ‘bear’, in Grett Ævkv I 3/5^V (Gr 24). Otherwise Hlébarðr is the name of a giant (Hárb 20/5), and the cpd is also listed among the heiti for ‘wolf’ and ‘shield’ (see Þul Vargs 1/6 and Note to Þul Skjaldar 1/3).

úfr ‘gruff one’

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3. úfr (noun m.; °dat. -): bear, gruff one

[7] úfr: ulfr A, ‘vl[…]’ B, ‘vlfr’ 744ˣ

notes

[7] úfr (m.) ‘gruff one’: This heiti is a substantivised adj. (úfr ‘unfriendly’; AEW: úfr 4). As a heiti for ‘bear’ the word is found only in the present þula and in the later rímur (Finnur Jónsson 1926-8: úfr). Mss A and B (744ˣ) have the variant ulfr ‘wolf’ (cf. the next heiti).

frekr ‘greedy one’

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1. frekr (noun m.): [greedy one]

[7] frekr: ‘þrekr’ C, ‘[…]ek[…]’ B, ‘frekr’ 744ˣ

notes

[7] frekr (m.) ‘greedy one’: This word, a substantivised adj. (frekr ‘greedy’), is also listed among the bjarnar heiti in Skm (SnE 1998, I, 88), but is not otherwise used in poetry as a heiti for ‘bear’. Cf. the mythical wolf Freki (Þul Vargs 1/5).

vilnir ‘vilnir’

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vilnir (noun m.): [vilnir]

[7] vilnir: ‘[…]’ B, ‘. . . .’ 744ˣ

notes

[7] vilnir: A hap. leg. and an obscure word. It is possibly an agent noun derived from the weak verb vilna ‘hope for sth.’, hence ‘craver’ or ‘greedy one’ (AEW: vilnir; ÍO: vilnir). Holthausen (1948, 342) argues that the word might be connected with Goth. wilwan ‘rob’. That is unlikely, because the form of the heiti indicates that it must be an Old Norse innovation.

jórekr ‘horse-powerful one’

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Jórekr (noun m.): horse-powerful one, Jórekr

[8] jórekr: ‘[…]órekr’ B, jórekr 744ˣ

notes

[8] jórekr (m.) ‘horse-powerful one’: From jór m. ‘steed’, a poetic term for ‘stallion’, and ‑rekr ‘mighty’ (< *ehwa-rīkaz; AEW: Jórekr). This is also a pers. n. (cf. Jórekr, the name of a sea-king in Þul Sækonunga 4/6) and jórekr is mentioned among the bjarnar heiti in Skm (SnE 1998, I, 88, II, 331). The word does not occur elsewhere as a heiti for ‘bear’.

mǫsmi ‘mǫsmi’

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2. mǫsmi (noun m.): [mǫsmi]

[8] mǫsmi: so Tˣ, mǫsni R, ‘mosne’ C, ‘mosmi’ A, B

notes

[8] mǫsmi: So Tˣ and adopted in Skj B and Skald. This is an obscure word with several variant forms (see Readings above). Mǫsmi might mean ‘slumberer’ and be related to New Norw. masast ‘fall asleep, dream’, OE āmasian ‘confuse, lull to sleep’, ModEngl. amaze (for details, see ÍO: mǫsmi, mǫsni). Mǫsmi is also found as a heiti for ‘bear’ in the rímur (Finnur Jónsson 1926-8: mǫsmi).

fetviðnir ‘fetviðnir’

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fetviðnir (noun m.): [fetviðnir]

notes

[9] fetviðnir (m.): The meaning of this heiti is not clear, and the length of the second vowel is uncertain. The name either translates as ‘step-forest-dweller’, i.e. ‘forest-walker’ (from fet n. ‘pace, step’ and viðr m. ‘forest’; so SnE 1998, II, 272) or as ‘wide-walker’, which may refer to the swinging gait of the beast (if so, the second element is derived from the adj. víðr ‘wide’ and the root vowel is long). Like the other terms for ‘bear’ recorded in ll. 9-12, fetviðnir is also listed among the bjarnar heiti in Skm (SnE 1998, I, 88), but the word does not occur elsewhere. See also elgviðnir ‘elk-forest-dweller’ in l. 2 and Note there.

húnn ‘bear-cub’

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2. húnn (noun m.; °; húnar/húnir, acc. húni): young

fress ‘snarler’

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fress (noun m.; °; gen. -a): [bear, snarler]

[10] fress: ‘‑fres[…]’ B, fress 744ˣ

notes

[10] fress (m.) ‘snarler’: In Old Norse, this word is also a term for ‘cat’, and it is attested in poetry (LP: fress; AEW: fress and fræs; SnE 1998, II, 279).

vetr ‘winter’

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vetr (noun m.; °vetrar/vetrs(HómHauksb³ 173²³), dat. vetri; vetr): winter < vetrliði (noun m.): [bear]

notes

[10] vetrliði (m.) ‘winter-survivor’: This heiti may denote a one-year-old bear (‘winter-passer’, from vetr m. ‘winter’ and a derivative of the strong verb líða ‘pass, go’; cf. vetrungr m. ‘one-year-old beast’, New Norw. vetle ‘one-year-old bear’) or it could refer to hibernation (SnE 1998, I, 88, II, 426). Like the preceding bear-heiti, fress ‘snarler’, this word occurs in poetry (LP: vetrliði). Vetrliði is also a m. pers. n.; cf. the C10th skald Vetrliði Sumarliðason (Vetrl).

liði ‘survivor’

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liði (noun m.; °-a; -ar): companion < vetrliði (noun m.): [bear]

[10] ‑liði: ‘‑l[…]di’ C, ‘‑l[…]’ B, ‘‑lide’ 744ˣ

notes

[10] vetrliði (m.) ‘winter-survivor’: This heiti may denote a one-year-old bear (‘winter-passer’, from vetr m. ‘winter’ and a derivative of the strong verb líða ‘pass, go’; cf. vetrungr m. ‘one-year-old beast’, New Norw. vetle ‘one-year-old bear’) or it could refer to hibernation (SnE 1998, I, 88, II, 426). Like the preceding bear-heiti, fress ‘snarler’, this word occurs in poetry (LP: vetrliði). Vetrliði is also a m. pers. n.; cf. the C10th skald Vetrliði Sumarliðason (Vetrl).

íug ‘greedy’

[11] íug‑: víg‑ Tˣ, B

notes

[11] íugtanni (m.) ‘greedy-toothed one’: This is an obscure word, whose first element is most likely derived from an adj. *íugr ‘greedy’ and the second from tǫnn f. ‘tooth’. Mss Tˣ, B have the variant víg- ‘battle-’ (cf. vígtǫnn in Grett Lv 3/8^V (Gr 11)). See also LP: íugtanni, SnE 1998, II, 329 and Note to Anon (FoGT) 4/2.

tanni ‘toothed one’

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tanni (noun m.; °-a): [toothed one] < íugtanni (noun m.): greedy-toothed one

notes

[11] íugtanni (m.) ‘greedy-toothed one’: This is an obscure word, whose first element is most likely derived from an adj. *íugr ‘greedy’ and the second from tǫnn f. ‘tooth’. Mss Tˣ, B have the variant víg- ‘battle-’ (cf. vígtǫnn in Grett Lv 3/8^V (Gr 11)). See also LP: íugtanni, SnE 1998, II, 329 and Note to Anon (FoGT) 4/2.

jalfuðr ‘roarer’

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jalfaðr (noun m.): [roarer]

[11] jalfuðr: ‘iolfudr’ Tˣ, ‘iafodr’ B

notes

[11] jalfuðr (m.) ‘roarer’: Or jǫlfuðr. The word seems to be derived from a weak verb *jalfa ‘make noise’ (formed from jálfr or jálmr m. ‘noise’) with the suffix ‑uðr, hence ‘roarer’ (AEW: jǫlfuðr). Cf. also the Óðinn name Jǫlfǫðr (Þul Óðins 8/4, see Note there). For a different interpretation, see Falk (1928a, 321-4). See also ÍO: Jálfaður 2; jölfuður.

ifjungr ‘hooded one’

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ifjungr (noun m.): [hooded one]

[12] ifjungr: ‘iftvngr’ A, ‘jfrunng[…]’ B, ‘jfrunngr’ 744ˣ

notes

[12] ifjungr (m.) ‘hooded one’: Ifjungr ‘hooded one’ is also a heiti for ‘hawk’ (Þul Hauks 2/3, see Note there). As applied to a bear, the meaning of this heiti is not clear, and several tentative interpretations have been suggested: ‘hooded one’; ‘haltered one’; ‘unreliable one’ (Falk 1925a, 243; SnE 1998, II, 328). Ifjungr is otherwise not attested in poetry as a heiti for ‘hawk’ or ‘bear’.

vilskarpr ‘bowel-sharp one’

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vilskarpr (noun m.): [bowel-sharp one]

[12] vilskarpr: ‘[…]karp[…]’ B, ‘… skarpr’ 744ˣ

notes

[12] vilskarpr (m.) ‘bowel-sharp one’: This name probably refers to the emptiness of a bear’s guts (vil n. pl.) after hibernation (cf. ‘shrivelled-gut’ suggested in SnE 1998, II, 429). The word is not found other than in the list of bjarnar heiti in Skm (SnE 1998, I, 88) and in the present þula.