Þul Dverga 4^III

Vindalfr ok Vitr,         Vífir, Óri,
Varr, Gullmævill,         Viðr ok Ǫlni,
Ginnarr ok Þrór,         Gandalfr, Þorinn,
Þekkr, Þrár, Þulinn,         Þrasir ok Fullangr.

Vindalfr ok Vitr, Vífir, Óri, Varr, Gullmævill, Viðr ok Ǫlni, Ginnarr ok Þrór, Gandalfr, Þorinn, Þekkr, Þrár, Þulinn, Þrasir ok Fullangr.

Vindálfr and Vitr, Vífir, Óri, Varr, Gullmævill, Viðr and Ǫlni, Ginnarr and Þrór, Gandálfr, Þorinn, Þekkr, Þrár, Þulinn, Þrasir and Fullangr.

Mss: A(17v), B(8r), 744ˣ(55v) (SnE)

Readings: [1] Vitr: ‘vi[…]’ B, vitr 744ˣ    [2] Vífir Óri: ‘[…]re’ B, ‘vi … are’ 744ˣ    [3] Gullmævill: ‘go᷎ll męvill’ B    [4] Viðr: ‘vi[…]’ B, viðr 744ˣ;    Ǫlni: ‘o᷎ln[…]’ B, ‘ǫlne’ 744ˣ    [5] Ginnarr ok Þrór: ‘[…]r[…] þro[…]’ B, ‘ginnarr ok þrórr’ 744ˣ    [6] Gandalfr: gandalf A, ‘[…] alfr’ B, ‘gannalfr’ 744ˣ    [7] Þulinn: ‘þul[…]’ B, ‘þulenn’ 744ˣ    [8] Þrasir: ‘[…]er’ B, ‘þraseer’ 744ˣ

Editions: Skj AI, 680, Skj BI, 672, Skald I, 336; SnE 1848-87, II, 470, 553.

Notes: [1] Vindalfr: Lit. ‘wind-elf’ (from vindr m. ‘wind’ and álfr m. ‘elf’). The name is also known from Vsp 12/2 and Gylf (SnE 2005, 16).  — [1] Vitr: Lit. ‘wise one’ (cf. the adj. vitr ‘wise’). The name is mentioned in Vsp 12/4 and Gylf (SnE 2005, 16). — [2] Vífir: A hap. leg. The etymology of this name is obscure. According to Gould (1929, 955), it means fututor (‘fucker’; cf. víf n. ‘woman’ and the adj. vífinn ‘uxorious’). It is more likely, however, that the name was derived from a weak verb *vífa ‘cover, wrap’, which in Old Norse is attested only in the adj. svellvífaðr ‘covered with ice’ in FriðÞ Lv 3/8^VIII (Frið 3). See also the weak verb veifa ‘wave’ (AEW: vífa). The LaufE mss give the variant forms ‘Vivor’ (papp10ˣ(39v), 743ˣ(69r) and ‘Wiuór’ 2368ˣ(87), i.e. Vífurr or Víforr). Ms. B was already damaged at the time when it was copied in 744ˣ and the reading cannot be restored. — [2] Óri: According to Motz (1973, 115), the name means ‘raver’ (cf. the weak verb óra ‘be quarrelsome’, the adj. œrr ‘mad, furious’, órar f. pl. ‘fits of madness’). The name Óri is otherwise mentioned in Gylf (SnE 2005, 16, with the variant Órinn in ms. Tˣ(5r); see NK 16) and in Fj 34/4  (one of the builders of Menglǫð’s hall). It is also a heiti for ‘serpent’ (see Þul Orma 1/6). — [3] Varr: Lit. ‘careful one’, ‘warner’ (cf. the adj. varr ‘cautious, wary’). The name is also known from Fj 34/3 and Hrólfs saga kraka (Hrólf chs 4-5, FSN I, 14-15). In the latter source there are two smiths of this name (Var), but there is no indication that they are dwarfs. — [3] Gullmævill: The name does not occur elsewhere in skaldic poetry, but it is attested in the rímur (Finnur Jónsson 1926-8: Gullmævill). Gould (1929, 948) interprets it as ‘rich sea-king’ (cf. gull n. ‘gold’ and Mævill, the name of a sea-king; see Note to Þul Sækonunga 3/4). — [4] Viðr: Lit. ‘tree, log, board, wood’. The name is not attested in other sources, but cf. the similar dwarf-names Blindviðr (st. 1/5), Miðviðr (st. 1/3) listed above.  — [4] Ǫlni: Or, possibly, Ǫlnir. Ms. A has ‘ø̨lni’. The ending in B is illegible (‘o᷎ln[…]’), but 744ˣ has ‘ǫlne’ and the LaufE mss Olni. As a dwarf-name, the heiti does not occur elsewhere, but cf. the name of a son of Óðinn (Þul Ása I l. 7, see variant readings there), which is spelled ‘o᷎lnir’ in B and ‘ø̨lldnir’ in A. Geirǫlnir is also listed among the names of Óðinn (see Note to Þul Óðins 5/6), where ‑ǫlnir is most likely derived from the strong verb ala ‘nourish, feed’ (AEW: ǫlnir). Gould (1929, 956) prefers the reading Ǫlni, which he connects with ǫln f. ‘the forearm from the end of the fingers to the elbow’. — [5] Ginnarr: Lit. ‘deceiver’ (cf. the weak verb ginna ‘dupe, deceive’). The name is otherwise known from Vsp 16/4 and Gylf (SnE 2005, 17). This is also a name for Óðinn and a heiti for ‘hawk’ (Þul Óðins 1/8, Þul Hauks 1/5). — [5] Þrór: Perhaps ‘thriver’ (cf. the weak verb þróask ‘increase, wax, grow’; Gutenbrunner 1955, 66). As a dwarf-name, Þrór is also mentioned in Vsp 12/4 and Gylf (SnE 2005, 16), and as a heiti for other referents it is recorded in Þul Óðins 8/4 (see Note there), Þul Sverða 3/5 and Þul Galtar l. 7. Because Þrór is attested as a heiti for ‘boar’ (but only in the þulur), Gould (1929, 955) and Motz (1973, 115) interpret the dwarf-name Þrór as ‘boar’. — [6] Gandalfr: The first part of the name is illegible in B (‘[…] alfr’) but 744ˣ has ‘gannalfr’, which cannot be interpreted. The LaufE mss give Gunnalfr ‘battle-elf’, which is a lectio facilior. Gandalfr means either ‘elf concerned with magic’ (cf. gandr m. ‘stick, magic wand, magic’ and álfr m. ‘elf’) or ‘wolf-elf’, ‘outlaw-elf’ (cf. gandr = vargr ‘wolf, outlaw’), perhaps an evil elf (both possibilities are considered by Gould 1929, 948). As a dwarf-name, Gandalfr otherwise occurs only in Vsp 12/1 and in Gylf (SnE 2005, 16), but it is attested as a pers. n. in Ynglinga saga and Hálfdanar saga svarta (Gandálfr Álfgeirsson, a king in Vingulmǫrk in southern Norway; Hkr, ÍF 26, 81, 84, 94-5). — [6] Þorinn: Lit. ‘bold one’ (cf. the adj. þorinn ‘bold’, the verb þora ‘dare’ and the noun þoran f. ‘daring’). A dwarf of this name is also mentioned in Vsp 12/4 and Gylf (SnE 2005, 16); see the next heiti. — [7] Þekkr: The name has been interpreted as ‘beloved one’ (Gould 1929, 955) or ‘friendly one’ (Gutenbrunner 1955, 66) from the adj. þekkr ‘liked, pleasant’. Þekkr is paired with Þorinn in Vsp 12/3; it is also a heiti for Óðinn and ‘ship’ (see Þul Óðins 7/3, Þul Skipa 4/7). — [7] Þrár: Lit. ‘stubborn one’ (cf. the adj. þrár ‘stubborn’ and þrá n. ‘hard struggle, obstinacy’). This dwarf-name is also recorded in the Hb version of Vsp 12 (Hb 1892-6, 189), but not known from other sources. — [7] Þulinn: A hap. leg. The name may be connected with the weak verb þylja ‘mumble, speak, chant, recite’. Gould (1929, 955) suggests the translation ‘mumbling one, silly person’, while Motz (1973, 115) interprets the name as ‘chanter’. Finnur Jónsson (Skj B, followed by Skald) emends to Þolinn (= the adj. þolinn ‘enduring’; but see LP: Þulinn). The root vowel <u> is found in all ms. witnesses, however. — [8] Þrasir: Lit. ‘raver, one in rage’ (from the weak verb þrasa ‘rage, rave’; see Gould 1929, 955 and Motz 1973, 115). A dwarf of this name is known only from this þula and Eil Þdr 19/4, but ‑þrasir is the second element in a number of compounds: Dólgþrasir (also a dwarf-name in Vsp 15/2); Lífþrasir (Lífðrasir), the name of one of the two human survivors of Ragnarǫk in Vafþr 45/1 (NK 53); the mythical name Mǫgþrasir in Vafþr 49/3. Other than that, Þrasarr is a name for Óðinn (see Note to Þul Óðins 4/4). — [8] Fullangr: Lit. ‘full-long one’, which perhaps means ‘very tall’ (Motz 1973, 114), from the prefix full-, indicating completion, and the adj. langr ‘long’. The name does not occur elsewhere.

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. 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.
9. NK = Neckel, Gustav and Hans Kuhn (1899), eds. 1983. Edda: Die Lieder des Codex Regius nebst verwandten Denkmälern. 2 vols. I: Text. 5th edn. Heidelberg: Winter.
10. ÍF 26-8 = Heimskringla. Ed. Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson. 1941-51.
11. Hb 1892-6 = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1892-6. Hauksbók udgiven efter de Arnamagnæanske håndskrifter no. 371, 544 og 675, 4° samt forskellige papirshåndskrifter. Copenhagen: Det kongelige nordiske oldskrift-selskab.
12. SnE 2005 = Snorri Sturluson. 2005. Edda: Prologue and Gylfaginning. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2nd edn. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
13. Gould, Chester N. 1929. ‘Dwarf-names: A Study in Old Icelandic Religion’. PMLA 44, 938-67.
14. Gutenbrunner, Siegfried. 1955a. ‘Eddastudien I. Über die Zwerge in der Völuspa Str. 9-13’. ANF 70, 61-75.
15. Motz, Lotte. 1973. ‘New Thoughts on Dwarf-Names in Old Icelandic’. FS 7, 100-17.
16. Internal references
17. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Heimskringla’ 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=4> (accessed 25 April 2024)
18. 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Hrólfs saga kraka’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 539. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=73> (accessed 25 April 2024)
19. (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 25 April 2024)
20. Not published: do not cite ()
21. (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 25 April 2024)
22. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Sækonunga heiti 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. 681.
23. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Óðins nǫfn 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. 732.
24. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Óðins nǫfn 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. 741.
25. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Óðins nǫfn 5’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 743.
26. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Óðins nǫfn 7’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 748.
27. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Óðins nǫfn 8’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 751.
28. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Sverða heiti 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. 794.
29. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Orma 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. 928.
30. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Hauks 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. 941.
31. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Skipa 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. 867.
32. Not published: do not cite ()
33. Edith Marold (ed.) 2017, ‘Eilífr Goðrúnarson, Þórsdrápa 19’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 117.
34. Not published: do not cite ()
35. Not published: do not cite ()
36. 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 25 April 2024)
37. Elena Gurevich 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Galtar heiti’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 900. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=3215> (accessed 25 April 2024)
38. Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2017, ‘Friðþjófs saga ins frœkna 3 (Friðþjófr Þorsteinsson, Lausavísur 3)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 197.
39. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Laufás Edda’ 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=10928> (accessed 25 April 2024)