Þul Sverða 11^III

Emjar ‘Howls’

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emja (verb; °-að-): howl

notes

[1] emjar ‘howls’: A hap. leg. The word is either f. pl. (-ar) or possibly m. sg. (-arr), an agent noun derived from the weak verb emja ‘howl’ (see Falk 1914b, 49). Although the word is listed among names for parts of the sword, it must be rather a sword-heiti invented according to a semantic pattern (‘noise-maker’) widely used in the þulur (cf. such similar names for sword as gellir ‘yeller’ and gjallr ‘clamouring one’  (st. 1/5-6), galmr ‘clanging one’ (st. 2/5), gelmingr ‘clamourer’ (st. 12/1).

þremjar ‘cutters’

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þremjar (noun f.): parts of a sword?

[1] þremjar: fremjar C

notes

[1] þremjar (f. pl.) ‘cutters’: A poetic name for a part of the sword, which probably denotes a double-edged blade (cf. þrǫmr m. ‘edge, rim’, but see Finnur Jónsson 1917, 191). The C variant fremjar is most likely a scribal error (cf. the weak verb fremja ‘further’; but cf. ÍO: fremjar). Þremjar occurs frequently in sword-kennings and sometimes it is possibly used as pars pro toto for ‘sword’ (cf. stormr þremja ‘storm of cutters [BATTLE]’, HSt Rst 21/4^I; see Falk 1914b, 16).

ok ‘and’

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

[2] ok: om. Tˣ

Ǫlrøðarnautr ‘Ǫlrøðr’s gift’

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ǫlrøðarnautr (noun m.)

[2] Ǫlrøðarnautr: ǫlrøðanautar C, ‘ø̨lræða nꜹtr’ A

notes

[2] Ǫlrøðarnautr ‘Ǫlrøðr’s gift’: A hap. leg. and the name of a sword received from a person whose name was Ǫlrøðr (= Alfred). The second element of the cpd, ‑nautr m. ‘gift, possession’ is found in many sword-names (cf. Konungsnautr ‘King’s gift’ and Aðalráðsnautr ‘Æthelred’s gift’ in Gunnl chs 7, 12, ÍF 3, 73, 102; Falk 1914b, 57; see also l. 7). An object is called the nautr (nautr also means ‘mate, fellow, giver’) of the person from whom it comes as a gift or is taken as booty.

merki ‘mark’

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1. merki (noun n.; °-s: -): banner, sign

notes

[3] merki (n.) ‘mark’: Perhaps a smith’s signature on a sword-blade, a decoration or an inscription (see Falk 1914b, 33; cf. also SnE 1998, II, 355). The word is not otherwise attested in poetry as a heiti for ‘sword’.

véttrim ‘battle-rim’

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véttrim (noun f.): sword

[3] véttrim: so Tˣ, B, vættrim R, C, A

notes

[3] véttrim (f.) ‘battle-rim’: Or vætt-. The first element is from vétt- ‘battle’ (used only in compounds; cf. the strong verb vega ‘fight’). According to CVC: vætt-rim, it is the term for a ridge that runs along the sword-blade, leaving a hollow in the middle. Falk (1914b, 28-9), however, argues that véttrim is a metal hub on a hilt (cf. Korm ch. 10, ÍF 8, 238 and n. 3; cf. also valbǫst ‘slain-bast’, l. 8). The word is used in sword-kennings. See also Notes to Bkrepp Magndr 10/8^II and Esk Geisl 47/4^VII.

ok ‘and’

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

[4] ok: om. Tˣ

missifengr ‘mis-hitting one’

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missifengr (adj.)

notes

[4] missifengr (m.) ‘mis-hitting one’: A substantivised adj. (missifengr ‘one missing his aim’; see also the adj. misfengr with the same meaning). Although it is recorded among the heiti for parts of the sword, it is probably a sword-heiti (Falk 1914b, 56). Just like the semantically similar sword-heiti ljúgfengr ‘fail-striking one’ (st. 10/5; see Note there), missifengr does not occur elsewhere as a term for ‘sword’.

ónn ‘ónn’

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ónn (noun m.): sword

[5] ónn: ‘ann’ B

notes

[5] ónn (m.): An undefined part of a sword. Cf. the man-kenning Tý ónhjalta ‘the Týr of sword-hilts’ in Þorm Lv 16/2^I  (see Note there). According to Falk (1914b, 19), the word is identical with ModSwed. dialectal ån (cf. MHG jān) ‘row of mown grass or reaped grain’ and denotes the decoration on a sword, perhaps the patterning on the sword-blade. See also the Note to Þul Dverga 3/4.

ok ‘and’

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

[5] ok: om. Tˣ

skafningr ‘polished one’

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skafningr (noun m.)

notes

[5] skafningr (m.) ‘polished one’: Probably a sword’s blade (so SnE 1998, II, 388), or maybe a sword-heiti. The word is not attested elsewhere. See also Skǫfnungr (st. 7/4).

undir ‘under’

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undir (prep.): under < undirdregningr (noun m.)

notes

[6] undirdregningr (m.) ‘under-drawn one’: A hap. leg. According to Falk (1914b, 62), this cpd is derived from draga undir sik ‘draw under oneself, embezzle’, whereas Finnur Jónsson (1917, 191) interprets it as ‘sharpened’. This word is more likely to be a sword-heiti than a term for a part of the sword.

dregningr ‘drawn one’

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dregningr (noun m.) < undirdregningr (noun m.)

[6] ‑dregningr: so Tˣ, C, ‘‑dregnigr’ R, ‘‑drengingr’ A, ‘‑dregingr’ B

notes

[6] undirdregningr (m.) ‘under-drawn one’: A hap. leg. According to Falk (1914b, 62), this cpd is derived from draga undir sik ‘draw under oneself, embezzle’, whereas Finnur Jónsson (1917, 191) interprets it as ‘sharpened’. This word is more likely to be a sword-heiti than a term for a part of the sword.

vargr ‘wolf’

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vargr (noun m.; °dat. -i; -ar): wolf

notes

[7] vargr (m.) ‘wolf’: This is probably a sword-heiti derived from sword-kennings with vargr as a base-word (cf. HSt Frag 6/4 benvargr ‘wound-wolf [SWORD]’). Cf. such similar heiti in this þula as verulfr ‘man-wolf’ (st. 4/3) and vitnir ‘wolf’ (st. 6/7). None of these words occurs as poetic terms for ‘sword’ (see also Falk 1914b, 62).

ok ‘and’

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

[7] ok: om. all others

Kaldhamarsnautr ‘Kaldhamarr’s gift’

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kaldhamarsnautr (noun m.)

[7] Kaldhamarsnautr: ‘kalldhamarr nautr’ C, ‘kallhamarr ok’ A, ‘kallhamarsnautr’ B

notes

[7] Kaldhamarsnautr (m.) ‘Kaldhamarr’s gift’: A sword-heiti (see Bjhít Lv 20/6^V (BjH 30), where this word denotes a sword). Finnur Jónsson (LP: Kaldhamarsnautr) takes Kaldhamarr as a pers. n. and argues that the heiti means ‘the gift of Kaldhamarr’, an explanation which is supported by other compounds with ‑nautr as the second element (see Note to l. 2 above, and adopted in Skj B, Skald, SnE 1998 and in the present edn). Bugge (1875, 231) identifies this Kaldhamarr as Kaldamarr (or rather Kaldimarr, changed by analogy with Valdimarr), a champion whom Bjǫrn Hítdœlakappi Arngeirsson defeated at the court of the Russian king Valdimarr (BjH ch. 4, ÍF 3, 120-2). If so, Kaldhamarsnautr (< Kaldamarsnautr) is most likely to be another name for Bjǫrn’s sword Mæringr, previously owned by Kaldimarr (Mæringr is not included in the present list). According to Falk (1914b, 53), the first element of the cpd is derived from the weak verb kaldhamra ‘hammer iron cold’ and hence ‘a product of cold hammering’, which is unlikely given the established pattern of compounds in which a pers. n. is coupled with the noun ‑nautr.

valbǫst ‘sword-hilt panel’

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valbǫst (noun f.): [sword-hilts]

[8] valbǫst: ok valbǫst C, ‘valbæst’ A, valbast B

notes

[8] valbǫst (f.) ‘sword-hilt panel’: A poetic term for parts of a sword, probably thin decorative metal plates on sword hilts (see Graham-Campbell 1980, 243-6). The first element is val- ‘the slain’ and the second from bast, a thin metal plate decorating the hilt (so Falk 1914b, 29-31; see also Kommentar V, 555). Cf. Sigrdr 6/3-5 (NK 191): oc rísta [sigrúnar] á hialti hiǫrs, | sumar á véttrimom, | sumar á valbǫstom ‘and carve [runes of victory] on the sword’s hilt, some on the battle-rims, some on the sword-hilt panels’. See also Egill Lv 42/8^V (Eg 122) eld valbasta ‘fire of sword-hilt panels [SWORD]’.

ok ‘and’

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

[8] ok herðr: herðr C

herðr ‘shoulder’

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herðr (noun f.; °-ar(Thom² 447¹³); -ar): shoulder

[8] ok herðr: herðr C

notes

[8] herðr (f.) ‘shoulder’: This is the term for a part of the sword’s hilt created in analogy with (knífs) ǫxl ‘shoulder of a knife’ (i.e. where blade and haft join), since herðr is a synonym of ǫxl (Falk 1914b, 18; SnE 1998, II, 307). The word is not used in poetry as a term for ‘sword’ or for a part of the sword.