Þjóðólfr Frag 1^III/2 — heiðsæi ‘reverence’

notes

[2] heiðsæi ‘reverence’: Heiðsæi is an abstract f. noun derived from the adj. heiðsær, attested only once, as an epithet for Óláfr Haraldsson (Jǫk Lv 2/8^I). The noun heiðsæi is otherwise found only in Christian contexts (cf. ONP: heiðsæi): Anon Hsv 5/3^VII renders the Lat. verecundiam serva ‘preserve modesty’ as halt þú heiðsæi ‘preserve your reverence’. The word also occurs in prose sources as veita heiðsæi ‘show reverence’ (Lat. timor) (Benedikts saga; Unger 1877, I, 194); meþ litillǽte micklo, oc meþ frambære (h)eiþsæi ‘with great humility and proper reverence’ (HómÍsl 1872, 130). The phrases halda heiðsæi ‘preserve reverence’ and veita heiðsæi ‘show reverence’ used in these sources are comparable to drýgja heiðsæi ‘show reverence’ (lit. ‘perform reverence’) (Detter 1896, 211). The interpretations of drýgja heiðsæi in LP: heiðsæi as udføre hæderfulde handlinger ‘perform honourable actions’ and in LP: drýgja 3. as udøve gavmildhet ‘show generosity’ contradict both one another and the previously mentioned attestations. Apparently the translations in LP were prompted by the assumption that this helmingr was part of Yt. Bugge (1894, 129) interpreted heiðsæi as a Christian word and believed that the helmingr must have been composed in a Christian context. Detter (1896, 211), Storm (1899, 138) and Finnur Jónsson (LP: heiðsær) raised objections to the helmingr’s alleged Christian character, but they ignored the fact that the word heiðsæi is otherwise attested only in Christian contexts.

grammar