Þul Fugla 7^III

Hrókr, gjóðr, hegri         ok haftyrðill,
brandgás, hroðgás,         brimorri, már,
sendlingr, skrýtingr,         snæfugl, skári,
vakr, valr, dúfa,         vallófr, stari.

Hrókr, gjóðr, hegri ok haftyrðill, brandgás, hroðgás, brimorri, már, sendlingr, skrýtingr, snæfugl, skári, vakr, valr, dúfa, vallófr, stari.

Shag, osprey, heron and little auk, shelduck, barnacle goose, velvet scoter, seagull, sandpiper, skrýtingr, snow-bunting, young seagull, buzzard, falcon, dove, vallófr, starling.

Mss: A(21r) (SnE)

Editions: Skj AI, 688, Skj BI, 677, Skald I, 342; SnE 1848-87, II, 489.

Notes: [All]: Of the seventeen bird names listed in this stanza nine occur in poetry, i.e. hrókr m. ‘shag’, gjóðr m. ‘osprey’, hegri m. ‘heron’ (l. 1), már m. ‘seagull’ (l. 4), skári m. ‘young seagull’ (l. 6), vakr m. ‘buzzard’, valr m. ‘falcon’, dúfa f. ‘dove’ (l. 7), stari m. ‘starling’ (l. 8). — [1] hrókr (m.) ‘shag’: European or common shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), a species of cormorant. — [1] gjóðr (m.) ‘osprey’: Osprey or fish eagle (Pandion haliaetus). — [2] haftyrðill (m.) ‘little auk’: Osprey or fish eagle (Pandion haliaetus). — [3] brandgás (f.) ‘shelduck’: Tadorna tadorna (see st. 3/8 above). — [3] hroðgás (f.) ‘barnacle goose’: The correct form is probably hrotgás (cf. New Norw. rotgås ‘barnacle goose’). If so, hrotgás probably refers to the same bird as hrota ‘barnacle goose’ (see fjallrota, st. 5/6 and Note there). Alternatively, the first element in this name could be derived from hroði m. ‘phlegm’ (see ÍO: hroði 2; Skj B and Skald: hróð-). — [4] brimorri (m.) ‘velvet scoter’: Melanitta fusca, Norw. havorre, sjøorre. — [5] skrýtingr: Most likely the mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus). The name is a hap. leg., but cf. ModEngl. (obsolete) shrite ‘thrush’. The name of the bird allegedly refers to its song (cf. ModNorw. skryte ‘boast, brag’; see ÍO: skrýtingur). — [6] snæfugl (m.) ‘snow-bunting’: A small arctic bird (Plectrophenax nivalis). — [7] valr (m.) ‘falcon’: See st. 2/7 above. — [7] dúfa (f.) ‘dove’: See st. 4/2 above. — [8] vallófr: This name is a hap. leg. and an obscure word. According to de Vries (AEW: vallófr), vallófr is perhaps derived from vǫllr m. ‘field’ and the weak verb ófa (< váfa) ‘hang over’, hence lit. ‘one hanging over the field’. Alternatively ófr < úfr ‘eagle-owl’ (see st. 2/7 above). Cf. also ýfingr ‘young eagle-owl’ in st. 6/5 (see ÍO: vallófr).

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. 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.
4. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
5. AEW = Vries, Jan de. 1962. Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch. 2nd rev. edn. Rpt. 1977. Leiden: Brill.
6. ÍO = Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon. 1989. Íslensk orðsifjabók. Reykjavík: Orðabók Háskólans.