Þul Trollkvenna 2^III

Gjalp, Hyrrokkin,         Hengikepta,
Gneip ok Gnepja,         Geysa, hála,
Hǫrn ok Hrúga,         Harðgreip, Forað,
Hrygða, Hveðra         ok Hǫlgabrúðr.

Gjalp, Hyrrokkin, Hengikepta, Gneip ok Gnepja, Geysa, hála, Hǫrn ok Hrúga, Harðgreip, Forað, Hrygða, Hveðra ok Hǫlgabrúðr.

Gjálp, Hyrrokkin, Hengikepta, Gneip and Gnepja, Geysa, ogress, Hǫrn and Hrúga, Harðgreip, Forað, Hrygða, Hveðra and Hǫlgabrúðr.

Mss: R(42r), Tˣ(44r), C(11r), A(17v), B(8r) (SnE)

Readings: [1] Gjalp: so C, A, B, Gjǫlp R, Tˣ;    Hyrrokkin: ‘hyrokkin’ A, ‘hýrkínn’ B    [2] Hengikepta: hengikjapta C, B    [3] ok: om. Tˣ    [4] Geysa: ‘geusa’ Tˣ, ‘gessa’ C    [5] Hrúga: so Tˣ, A, B, ‘hryga’ R, C    [7] Hrygða: ‘hrydga’ Tˣ, hryða A, ‘hrydía’ B    [8] ok: om. Tˣ

Editions: Skj AI, 656, Skj BI, 659, Skald I, 324; SnE 1848-87, I, 551-2, II, 471, 554, 615, SnE 1931, 195, SnE 1998, I, 112.

Notes: [1] Gjalp: Lit. ‘yelper’ (cf. the weak verb gjálpa ‘yelp’; CVC: Gjálp). This troll-woman, daughter of Geirrøðr and sister of Greip, was killed by Þórr (Skm, SnE 1998, I, 25). The name also occurs in the variant form Gjǫlp (so R, Tˣ; cf. Vetrl Lv 1/4 and Vilhjálms saga sjóðs, Loth 1962-5, IV, 67), and it is used in skaldic kennings (LP: Gjǫlp). Gjálp is one of the god Heimdallr’s nine mothers (cf. Hyndl 37/1). — [1] Hyrrokkin: The troll-woman summoned by the gods to launch Baldr’s funeral ship (Gylf, SnE 2005, 46). According to Þdís Þórr 2/6 (see Note there), she was killed by Þórr. Perhaps ‘one withered by fire’ or ‘fire-wrinkled’ (from hyrr m. ‘fire’ and hrokkin ‘curled’, p. p. of the strong verb hrøkkva ‘wriggle, curl’; cf. Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 305; Motz 1981, 503). — [2] Hengikepta: Or Hengikjapta (so C, B). Lit. ‘one with a dewlap or drooping jaw’ (cf. hengi- ‘hanging’, a prefix in compounds (CVC: hengi-), and kjaptr m. ‘mouth, jaw’). This must be the same as the troll-woman Hengjankjapta, who, according to Þdís Þórr 2/5, was killed by Þórr. Cf. also Skitinkjapta ‘Dirty-jaw’ and Gullkjapta ‘Gold-jaw’ in Vilhjálms saga sjóðs (Loth 1962-5, IV, 66-7). — [3] Gneip: Possibly ‘tall one’ (cf. gnípa f. ‘peak’; Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 305). A troll-woman of this name is known from Ǫrvar-Odds saga (FSN II, 517-19). — [3] Gnepja: This name probably has the same meaning as the preceding heiti (cf. the weak verb gnapa ‘jut out, stoop forward’; Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 305). Gnepja is a heiti for ‘axe’ (Þul Øxar l. 5), but as a name for a troll-woman and as a heiti for ‘axe’ it does not occur elsewhere. Sǫgubrot af fornkonungum (ÍF 35, 61, 68) mentions Gnepja kappi ‘Champion’ and Gnepi inn gamli ‘the Old’, two of the champions of  King Haraldr hilditǫnn ‘War-tooth’ at the battle of Brávellir. — [4] Geysa: A hap. leg. Lit. ‘one rushing furiously’ (cf. the weak verb geysa ‘rush furiously, gush’; Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 305; cf. Geysir, the famous hot spring in Iceland). The C variant, gessa, if derived from gassi m. ‘noisy fellow’, means ‘noisy one’. — [4] hála ‘ogress’: Used elsewhere as a common noun, a poetic term for ‘troll-woman’ (HHj 16/2, 18/1; HHund I 54/7). — [5] Hǫrn: Hǫrn is another name for Freyja (Þul Ásynja 3/4, see Note there), but a troll-woman of this name is not mentioned elsewhere. — [5] Hrúga: Lit. ‘heap’ (f.). The name does not occur in other sources. — [6] Harðgreip: Lit. ‘hard-grip’ (from the adj. harðr and greip f. ‘grip, the space between the thumb and the other fingers’). In Saxo (Saxo 2005, I, 1, 6, 2-6, pp. 104-11), Harthgrepa is a daughter of the giant Vagnhǫfði and the foster-mother of Haddingr, who later became her lover (see also Harðgreipr, Þul Jǫtna II 1/9 and Note there). The name is not attested in other poetic sources. — [6] Forað: This may be a common noun meaning ‘ogre, monster’ (forað n. lit. ‘danger’, ‘evil, destructive creature’), but it is also the name of a troll-woman, the opponent of the protagonist in Ketils saga hœngs (ch. 5, FSN II, 127-31, spelled Forat; see also Forað Lv 1/1^VIII (Ket 17)). In Gylf (SnE 2005, 27, 166), Forað is a dangerous place, the threshold in the hall of Hel (Fallanda Forað n. ‘pitfall, stumbling block’). — [7] Hrygða: A hap. leg., or Hryggða (LP: Hryggða; Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 306). The form is not clear; cf. the ms. variants ‘hrydga’ Tˣ, hryða A and ‘hrydía’ B. The latter, normalised hryðja (so Skj B and Skald), is derived from hryðja f. ‘rough weather, tempest’ (ÍO: hryðja 3). Hryg(g)ða may be connected with the adj. hryggr ‘grieved, distressed’, hryggð f. ‘grief, sorrow’ (hence ‘one who brings sorrow or fear’; so Motz 1981, 504) or with the weak verb hrygla ‘wheeze’ (so ÍO: hrygða). — [7] Hveðra: The origin of this name is obscure. It is possibly the same word as ModIcel. hveðra ‘restless creature, noisy woman’ (ÍO: hveðra 1; cf. Hveðrungr, Þul Jǫtna I 1/7). See also Hveðra in a kenning for ‘axe’ in Bragi Rdr 11/2. — [8] Hǫlgabrúðr: Lit. ‘bride of Hǫlgi’. The nickname of Þorgerðr, daughter of the mythical king Hǫlgi from Hålogaland, Norway. That name is also found with the variants Hǫlda-, Hǫrga- or Hǫrða-, and the second element is sometimes replaced by -troll. Þorgerðr was a heathen goddess or troll-woman worshipped by Hákon jarl of Hlaðir (see Jómsvíkinga saga chs 32-4, Jvs 1962, 36-9, 51-2 and Note to Bjbp Jóms 32/2^I).

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. 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.
7. CVC = Cleasby, Richard, Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and W. A. Craigie. 1957. An Icelandic-English Dictionary. 2nd edn. Oxford: Clarendon.
8. ÍO = Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon. 1989. Íslensk orðsifjabók. Reykjavík: Orðabók Háskólans.
9. ÍF 35 = Danakonunga sǫgur. Ed. Bjarni Guðnason. 1982.
10. SnE 1931 = Snorri Sturluson. 1931. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar. Ed. Finnur Jónsson. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
11. SnE 1998 = Snorri Sturluson. 1998. Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2 vols. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
12. Saxo 2005 = Friis-Jensen, Karsten, ed. 2005. Saxo Grammaticus: Gesta Danorum / Danmarkshistorien. Trans. Peter Zeeberg. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Det danske sprog- og litteraturselskab & Gads forlag.
13. SnE 2005 = Snorri Sturluson. 2005. Edda: Prologue and Gylfaginning. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2nd edn. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
14. Jvs 1962 = Blake, N. F., ed. and trans. 1962. The Saga of the Jomsvikings. London etc.: Nelson.
15. Loth, Agnete, ed. 1962-5. Late Medieval Icelandic Romances. 5 vols. EA B 20-4. Copenhagen: Munksgaard.
16. Finnur Jónsson. 1934-5. ‘Þulur: Søkonge- og jættenavneremserne’. APS 9, 289-308.
17. Motz, Lotte. 1981. ‘Giantesses and Their Names’. FS 15, 495-511.
18. Internal references
19. 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Ǫrvar-Odds saga’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 804. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=35> (accessed 20 April 2024)
20. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Jómsvíkinga saga’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=51> (accessed 20 April 2024)
21. 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Ketils saga hœngs’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 548. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=71> (accessed 20 April 2024)
22. (forthcoming), ‘ Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál’ 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=112> (accessed 20 April 2024)
23. (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 20 April 2024)
24. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Jǫtna heiti I 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. 707.
25. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Jǫtna heiti II 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. 719.
26. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Ásynja 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. 768.
27. Emily Lethbridge (ed.) 2012, ‘Bjarni byskup Kolbeinsson, Jómsvíkingadrápa 32’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 987.
28. Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2017, ‘Bragi inn gamli Boddason, Ragnarsdrápa 11’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 43.
29. Not published: do not cite ()
30. Not published: do not cite ()
31. Not published: do not cite ()
32. Elena Gurevich 2017, ‘ Anonymous, Øxar 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. 813. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=3195> (accessed 20 April 2024)
33. Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2017, ‘Þorbjǫrn dísarskáld, Poem about Þórr 2’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 471.
34. R. D. Fulk (ed.) 2017, ‘Vetrliði Sumarliðason, Lausavísa 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. 425.
35. Beatrice La Farge (ed.) 2017, ‘Ketils saga hœngs 17 (Forað, Lausavísur 1)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 567.
36. Not published: do not cite ()