Þul Orma 3III/1 — Níðhǫggr ‘Níðhǫggr’
Níðhǫggr, náinn, niðr, holdvari,
langbarðr, lýðir, linnr, heiðbúi,
strykr, steinbúi, stýrir, Sváfnir,
snákr, scorpion, sneldingr, naðra.
Níðhǫggr, náinn, niðr, holdvari, langbarðr, lýðir, linnr, heiðbúi, strykr, steinbúi, stýrir, Sváfnir, snákr, scorpion, sneldingr, naðra.
Níðhǫggr, corpse-like one, descendant, flesh-wary one, long-bearded one, lýðir, serpent, heath-dweller, striped one, stone-dweller, ruler, Sváfnir, snake, scorpion, wicked one, viper.
notes
[1] Níðhǫggr: Lit. ‘wicked-striker’, from níð n. ‘libel, slander’ and the strong verb hǫggva ‘strike, bite’ (cf. hǫggormr ‘viper’; see CVC: höggormr). This is another mythical serpent that gnaws on the root of the ash Yggdrasill (Grí 32/6, 35/6; Gylf, SnE 2005, 17-9). In Vsp, Níðhǫggr is also combined with nái (see the next heiti) as in the present list: Vsp 39/7-8 (NK 9) þar saug Níðhǫggr | nái framgengna ‘there Níðhǫggr sucked corpses of the dead’; Vsp 66/7 (NK 15) Níðhǫggr, nái ‘Níðhǫggr, corpses’. The heiti does not occur in skaldic verse, but it is listed among other orma heiti in Skm (SnE 1998, I, 90) and also found in Þul Sverða 9/8 and Þul Dverga 2/2.