Þul Þorgþ II 1III/5 — Himinhrjóðr ‘Himinhrjóðr’
Gamalla øxna nǫfn hefk gǫrla fregit:
þeira Rauðs ok Hœfis, Rekinn ok Kýrr,
Himinhrjóðr ok Apli, Arfr ok Arfuni.
Hefk gǫrla fregit nǫfn gamalla øxna: þeira Rauðs ok Hœfis, Rekinn ok Kýrr, Himinhrjóðr ok Apli, Arfr ok Arfuni.
I have learned precisely the names of ancient oxen: of Rauðr and Hœfir, Rekinn and Kýrr, Himinhrjóðr and Apli, Arfr ok Arfuni.
readings
[5] Himinhrjóðr: so C, himins hrjótr R, himins rjótr Tˣ, himinrjóðr U
notes
[5] Himinhrjóðr: Most likely identical with Himinhrjótr in Gylf (SnE 2005, 44), where it is the largest ox in the giant Hymir’s herd. In the mss this name is recorded in a number of variants: (a) Himinhrjóðr (so C and adopted in Skj B, Skald and the present edn), which can be translated as ‘sky-devastator’ with the second element derived from the strong verb hrjóða ‘strip, clear’ (so Kahle 1903, 173-4; Finnur Jónsson (LP: Himinhrjóðr) interprets the name as ‘one with horns so high that they pierce the sky’). (b) Himin(s)hrjótr (so R and ms. Tˣ of Þul Øxna 2/1 as well as Gylf) from the strong verb hrjóta ‘fall, fly, be flung’, hence ‘one who is throwing himself towards the sky’, or from the strong verb (h)rjóta ‘snore, rumble, grunt’ (cf. ms. Tˣ and himinrjótr in ms. R of Þul Øxna 2/1), perhaps ‘sky-snorter’ (see SnE 1998, II, 475). (c) Himinrjóðr (so U) lit. ‘sky-reddener’ and (d) himinbrjótr ‘sky-destroyer’ (so ms. A of Þul Øxna). None of these variants occurs in poetic sources other than the þulur.