Þul Sverða 10III/8 — folk ‘army’
Oddr, blóðvarta ok benknúar,
blóðrefill, blóðvarp ok blóðiða,
blóðvaka, ljúgfengr ok blóðhnefi,
iðvarp ok brandr, eggteinar, folk.
Oddr, blóðvarta ok benknúar, blóðrefill, blóðvarp ok blóðiða, blóðvaka, ljúgfengr ok blóðhnefi, iðvarp ok brandr, eggteinar, folk.
Point, blóðvarta and wound-knuckles, sword-point, blood-warp and blood-eddy, blood-wake, fail-striking one and blood-fist, repeated-warp and blade, edge-rims, army.
notes
[8] folk (n.) ‘army’: This is probably not a term for a part of a sword, and perhaps the implied meaning of this heiti is ‘sword’ (or it might be an error). It is difficult to explain the semantic development of folk ‘army, warriors’ > ‘sword’, which does not fit the common pattern of pars pro toto (for the discussion of this heiti, see Richardson 1975 and Faulkes in SnE 2007, 65 n. 60/8). Richardson and Faulkes believe that the compiler of the þula may have included this word in the list of sword-heiti owing to a misunderstanding of the line folk í dreyra ‘the army in blood’ in GunnLeif Merl I 66/6VIII, where folk most likely means ‘army’ and not ‘sword’. See also folk ‘war’ (Þul Orrostu 1/8).