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Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Þul Trollkvenna 3III

Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Trollkvenna 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. 727.

Anonymous ÞulurTrollkvenna heiti
234

Hrímgerðr, Hæra,         Herkja, fála,
Imð, Járnsaxa,         Íma, Fjǫlvǫr,
mǫrn, Íviðja,         Ámgerðr, Simul,
Sívǫr, Skríkja,         Sveipinfalda.

Hrímgerðr, Hæra, Herkja, fála, Imð, Járnsaxa, Íma, Fjǫlvǫr, mǫrn, Íviðja, Ámgerðr, Simul, Sívǫr, Skríkja, Sveipinfalda.

Hrímgerðr, Hæra, Herkja, troll-woman, Imð, Járnsaxa, Íma, Fjǫlvǫr, giantess, Íviðja, Ámgerðr, Simul, Sívǫr, Skríkja, Sveipinfalda.

Mss: R(42r), Tˣ(44r), C(11r-v), A(17v), B(8r), 744ˣ(59r) (SnE)

Readings: [1] Hrímgerðr: hrungerðr Tˣ, hungerðr B;    Hæra: herra Tˣ, ‘[…]’ B, ‘he᷎ra’ 744ˣ    [2] Herkja fála: ‘he[…]k[…]ála’ B, ‘herkía fála’ 744ˣ    [3] Járnsaxa: ‘jarnsax[…]’ B, ‘j́arnsaxa’ 744ˣ    [4] Fjǫlvǫr: ‘fjo᷎l[…]r’ B, ‘fio᷎lvór’ 744ˣ    [5] mǫrn: so A, B, njǫrn R, Tˣ, ‘Morun’ C;    Íviðja: ‘juida’ B    [6] Simul: ‘simmul’ C    [7] Sívǫr: ‘síva’ B;    Skríkja: ‘s[…]ikía’ B, ‘skrikia’ 744ˣ    [8] Sveipinfalda: ‘su[…]pi[…]fallda’ B, ‘sueipinfallda’ 744ˣ

Editions: Skj AI, 656, Skj BI, 659, Skald I, 324; SnE 1848-87, I, 552, II, 471, 555, 615, SnE 1931, 196, SnE 1998, I, 112.

Notes: [1] Hrímgerðr: Lit. ‘rime-Gerðr’ or ‘soot-Gerðr’. In HHj 12-30, this is a daughter of the giant Hati (cf. Hrímnir, Þul Jǫtna I 1/5). The variants hrungerðr () and hungerðr (B) must be scribal errors. — [1] Hæra: Lit. ‘one with grey hair’, from hæra f. ‘grey hair’. This troll-woman is not mentioned elsewhere. — [2] Herkja: Lit. ‘tumultuous one’. This is the f. form of the giant-name Herkir (see Þul Jǫtna I 2/3), and the heiti is used in kennings (LP: Herkja 1). Herkja is also the name of Atli’s concubine in Guðr III 2/4, 11/3. — [2] fála ‘troll-woman’: Most likely a common noun (e.g. HHj 13/6, 16/3), which is also a term for a hoydenish woman (CVC: fála), as well as a heiti for ‘axe’ (Þul Øxar l. 6). Cf. also Eisurfála (st. 4/6 below). — [3] Imð: Or Imðr (so HHund I 43/6 and Hyndl 37/7). In Hyndl Imðr is one of nine giant girls (Hyndl 35/7 (NK 294) iǫtna meyiar) who gave birth to ‘one of the race of the divine powers’ (Hyndl 35/4 (NK 294) rǫgna kindar), most likely the god Heimdallr, since he calls himself the son of nine sisters in Heimdallargaldr ‘Incantation of Heimdallr’ (Gylf, SnE 2005, 26). The name is probably derived from íma or ímr ‘dark’ (Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 306), although Motz (1981, 500, 505) connects it with íma f. ‘fight’ (but cf. ÍO: Imd) or ím n. ‘dust, ashes’. See also Note to Þjóð Haustl 2/5-8. — [3] Járnsaxa: Possibly ‘one armed with an iron-sword’, from járn n. ‘iron’ and sax n. ‘short sword’ (Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 306). This is the name of one of Heimdallr’s mothers (Hyndl 37/8; see Note to Imð above), but according to Snorri (Skm, SnE 1998, I, 22, 30), Járnsaxa is also the name of another troll-woman, the mother of Þórr’s son Magni. The name is attested in kennings (LP: járnsaxa). — [4] Íma: The name probably means ‘dusky one’ (cf. Imð in l. 3 above). It does not occur elsewhere in skaldic poetry, but it is used frequently in the rímur (Finnur Jónsson 1926-8: íma). Íma ‘dusky one’ is also a heiti for ‘wolf’ (see Note to Þul Vargs 2/3). — [4] Fjǫlvǫr: Lit. ‘very cautious one’, from the adj.  fjǫlvarr ‘very cautious’ (see also Note to l. 7 below). The name does not occur elsewhere, but cf. the m. form Fjǫlvarr in Hárb 16/1 (NK 80) með Fiǫlvari ‘with Fjǫlvarr’, where it may denote a giant. — [5] mǫrn ‘troll-woman’: So A, B. This is probably a common noun, a term for ‘troll-woman’, perhaps derived from mara f. ‘nightmare, ogress’ (AEW: Mǫrn). See also the discussion of this word in Note to Anon (Vǫlsa) 4/5I. Njǫrn, the R, variant, is otherwise recorded only in Þul Kvenna II 3/5, and it is probably a scribal error here. See also Þjóð Haustl 6/4 and 12/8. — [5] Íviðja: This is an obscure word or a pers. n., presumably formed from the prefix í- ‘in’ and viðr m. ‘wood’, and it might denote a troll-woman dwelling in a forest or a tree (cf. Motz 1981, 501), but that cannot be ascertained. The heiti is also found in Hyndl 48/2 and in Vsp 2/6 (NK 1). — [6] Ámgerðr: Lit. ‘dark Gerðr’. The first element is derived from the poetic adj. ámr ‘black, loathsome’. The name is otherwise attested only in EGils Selv 10/6IV. Cf. also Áma and Ímgerðr (st. 4/3). — [6] Simul: According to Motz (1981, 502), this name is the same as the noun simul f. ‘female reindeer’ (cf. New Norw. sømmøl, sumul ‘female reindeer’; ÍO: simul 1), modelled on the same pattern as the giantess-names Geitla or Hyndla (see Note to st. 1/5 above). As the name of a troll-woman, the heiti does not occur elsewhere, unless it is used with the meaning ‘troll-woman’ in HHund I 42/8 (so S-G II, 95). Bugge (1896b, 248 anm. 3, followed by Finnur Jónsson 1934-5, 307) translates simul, which must be a term of abuse in this context, as ‘cow’ (cf. also simull m. among the heiti for ‘ox’ in Þul Øxna 2/4). Otherwise the word is attested in Gylf (SnE 2005, 14) as the name of a carrying-pole. — [7] Sívǫr: Lit. ‘one who is always cautious’. Attested in this form only in the present stanza, but cf. Svívǫr, a troll-woman killed by Þórr (Þdís Þórr 2/8; see Note there). The second element ‑vǫr occurs in a number of names for troll-women, e.g. Fjǫlvǫr (l. 4 above), Leirvǫr (st. 5/1) and Skjaldvǫr in Þorsteins þáttr uxafóts (Flat 1860-8, I, 257-60). According to Motz (1981, 504; 1984, 185), ‑vǫr probably means ‘guardian’ in all these names. — [7] Skríkja: Lit. ‘twittering one’. A hap. leg. Cf. ModIcel. skríkja ‘twitter (with suppressed laughter)’ (CVC: skríkja). — [8] Sveipinfalda: Lit. ‘swooping-hooded one’, i.e. one wrapped with a faldr, a linen hood (the first element is related to the weak verb sveipa ‘wrap, sweep, swoop’). The name does not occur elsewhere.

References

  1. Bibliography
  2. 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.
  3. Skald = Kock, Ernst Albin, ed. 1946-50. Den norsk-isländska skaldediktningen. 2 vols. Lund: Gleerup.
  4. AEW = Vries, Jan de. 1962. Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch. 2nd rev. edn. Rpt. 1977. Leiden: Brill.
  5. 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.
  6. CVC = Cleasby, Richard, Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and W. A. Craigie. 1957. An Icelandic-English Dictionary. 2nd edn. Oxford: Clarendon.
  7. 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.
  8. Flat 1860-8 = Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and C. R. Unger, eds. 1860-8. Flateyjarbók. En samling af norske konge-sagaer med indskudte mindre fortællinger om begivenheder i og udenfor Norge samt annaler. 3 vols. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
  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. ÍO = Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon. 1989. Íslensk orðsifjabók. Reykjavík: Orðabók Háskólans.
  11. SnE 1931 = Snorri Sturluson. 1931. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar. Ed. Finnur Jónsson. Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
  12. SnE 1998 = Snorri Sturluson. 1998. Edda: Skáldskaparmál. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2 vols. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
  13. SnE 2005 = Snorri Sturluson. 2005. Edda: Prologue and Gylfaginning. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. 2nd edn. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
  14. S-G = Gering, Hugo. 1927-31. Kommentar zu den Liedern der Edda. Nach dem Tode des Verfassers herausgegeben von B. Sijmons. I: Götterlieder. II: Heldenlieder. Halle: Buchhandlung des Waisenhauses.
  15. Finnur Jónsson. 1934-5. ‘Þulur: Søkonge- og jættenavneremserne’. APS 9, 289-308.
  16. Bugge, Sophus. 1896b. Helgedigtene i den ældre Edda, deres hjem og forbindelser. Copenhagen: Gad.
  17. Motz, Lotte. 1981. ‘Giantesses and Their Names’. FS 15, 495-511.
  18. Internal references
  19. (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 28 March 2024)
  20. (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 28 March 2024)
  21. 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.
  22. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Jǫtna heiti I 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. 709.
  23. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Vargs heiti 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. 905.
  24. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Øxna heiti 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. 887.
  25. Elena Gurevich (ed.) 2017, ‘Anonymous Þulur, Kvenna heiti ókend 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. 963.
  26. Not published: do not cite (EGils Selv 10IV)
  27. Not published: do not cite ()
  28. Not published: do not cite ()
  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 28 March 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. Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2017, ‘Þjóðólfr ór Hvini, Haustlǫng 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. 434.
  35. Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2017, ‘Þjóðólfr ór Hvini, Haustlǫng 6’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 440.
  36. Wilhelm Heizmann (ed.) 2012, ‘Anonymous Lausavísur, Lausavísur from Vǫlsa þáttr 4’ 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. 1095.
  37. Not published: do not cite ()
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