Heimdal

1) dispenser of fate, ruler, judge;

2) bane, death (sverð heitir manns m.);

3) = mjötviðr.

* * *

m., spelt mjotviðr, Vsp. 2, which form can only be an error of the transcriber, for both passages, verses 2 and 47, represent the same word; [A. S. metoð; Hel. metod; by which word the A. S. homilies, as well as the Heliand, denote God, prop. the ‘Meter,’ Dispenser]; the word itself is of heathen origin: in the Icel. it only occurs in old poets, and there in but a few passages, all of which agree, if rightly interpreted, with the A. S. use of the word. It occurs twice in the Vsp.; in verse 47,—Leika Míms synir, en mjötuðr kyndisk, but the meotud is kindled, lighted, where it seems to be applied to the god Heimdal, (the dawn in the Eastern sky, the morning star? see Prof. Bergmann in his Ed. of Gm. 1871, p. 169); in verse 2,—níu man ek heima, níu íviðjur, mjötuð mæran fyrir mold neðan, I mind the nine abodes, the nine giantesses (the nine mothers of Heimdal?), the worthy Dispenser beneath earth; this ‘meotud beneath earth’ seems here to represent the god of the nether world, the Pluto of the Northern mythology, with whom all things above originated (Heimdal?); somewhat similar views are expressed in the Platonic Dialogue Axiochus, ch. 12 and 13.

2. sá er hann með mönnum mjötuðr, such a guardian (helper) is he among men, Fsm.

II. metaph. and in an evil sense, weird, bane; mjtuðr is glossed by bani ( a bane), Edda (Gl.) ii. 494; mjötuðr Heimdals, the bane of Heimdal = the head; Heimdalar höfuð heitir sverð … sverð heitir manns-mjötuðr, a sword is the bane of men, Edda 55, from a myth that Heimdal was pierced by a head (used as a bolt): nema mjötuðr spilti, unless death spoiled her, unless she died, Og. 14; ef mér meirr m. málrúm gæfi, if death would give me more time for speech (says the dying Brynhild), Skv. 3. 71; sá manns mjötuðr, this bane of men, of a charmed, poisoned sword, Fas. i. (in a verse). The word is found only in the above passages; the explanation given in Lex. Poët. can hardly be the true one. For Hm. 60 see mjöt above.

m., with single l, not Heimdallr, as shewn from the gen. -dalar, not -dalls; a later form used in the Rímur was Heimdæl-l, Þrymlur 1. 8:—the god Heimdal, Edda, whence the poem Heimdalar-galdr, m. id. The etymology has not been made out: Heimdal was the heavenly watchman in the old mythology, answering to St. Peter in the medieval legends; respecting him vide Edda 17 (Sksm.) and passim, Gm. 13: he was also regarded as the father and founder of the different classes of mankind, see Rm. and Vsp. 1,—meiri ok minni mögu Heimdalar, the higher and lower sons of H., i. e. all men.

II. a ram in Edda (Gl.) is called heimdali.

* * *

(veld, olla or volda, valdit), v.

1) to wield, with dat.; ef ek em svá ústerkr, at ek má eigi v. sverðinu, that I cannot wield the sword;

2) to rule over; en þar Heimdall kveða v. véum, there they say H. rules over the fane;

3) to cause, be the cause of, with dat. or absol. (eigi vissu menn, hvat því olli); þessu mun Svanr v., this must be Swan’s doing.

* * *

pres. veld, pl. völdum, valdit, valda: pret. olli, ollir, olli; olli ofrausn stillis, in a verse of A. D. 1066, as also by Ari, Íb. 7: in alliteration as a vowel, einn þú því ollir, ekki …, Am. 80; a pret. voldi or oldi also occurs, for references see B: subj. ylli, also voldi, vildi, see B; imperat. vald: with neg. suff. vald-at-tu, cause thou not, Gísl. (in a verse); veldr-at, Nj. 61: part. valdit: a mod. verb has been formed from the pret. olli,—olla, olli, ollat, olla being used of to cause, valda to be able: [Ulf. waldan, ga-waldan = to rule; A. S. wealdan; Engl. wield; O. H. G. waltan; Germ. walten; Dan. vold; cp. Lat. valere.]

B. To wield, with dat.; ef ek em svá ústerkr, at ek má eigi valda sverðinu, if I be so weak that I cannot wield the sword, Ó. H. 209; þær byrðar er vér megum eigi valda, Greg. 65; meðan ek má vápnum valda, Ld. 170; hvern þann mann er vápnum mátti valda, Stj. 611.

2. to rule; en þar Heimdal kveða valda véum, where Heimdal reigns, resides, Gm. 13 (cp. Ulf. garda waldands = οἰκοδεσπότης).

II. to cause, with dat. or absol.; ok þat olli, Íb. 7; vér því völdum er þú velli hélt, Hkm. 12; ekki veldr því, Stor. 2; Þorvaldr veldr því, Nj. 18; þessu mun Svanr valda, 21; hvat þat valdit mundu hafa, at …, 75; spurði hvat vyldi úgleði hans, Fms. vii. 106 (olli, v. l.); þeir hinir sömu er því voldu, ix. 280; eigi vissu menn hvat því voldi, 282; spurði hvat úgleði hans ylli, Eg. 322; spurði hverr því olli, Ísl. ii. 160; olli þat því, at …, Eg. 400; hón frétti hvat voldi hans úgleði, Art. 5; þat voldi því, at …, Stj. 91; því voldi breiskleikr, 548, Post. (Unger) 21; spurði hverr því volli, Sturl. ii. 60; sá er úskilum volli, Hom. 45; at þeir hefði mestu um valdit, Hkr. ii. 395; þau ullu (i. e. ollu) lífláti hans, Rb. 414; þeir vissu hverir valdit (ollat Ed. from a paper MS.) höfðu, Lv. 8; þat oldi úgagni því er vér fengum, Blanda (vellum); ok voldi þat því mest, at …, Fms. viii. 197, 292; þat voldi at íss var í stallinum, ix. 386 (volli and olli, v. l.): sayings, sjaldan veldr einn ef tveir deila, 508; eigi veldr sá er varar annan (veldrat sá er varir, Nj.), Hrafn. 6; sá veldr mestu er upphafinu veldr; sá skal hýðing valda ( execute) er heimskastr er á þingi, N. G. L. i. 349.

III. part. valdandi, a wielder, ruler; Dróttinn sá er alls er valdandi, Hom. 100; hvárki vitandi né valdandi þessa verks, Fms, ix. 42; alls-valdandi, yfir-valdandi; [cp. A. S. Bret-walda.]

m. [cp. Fr. braise], fire, poët.,—an interesting mythol. word, now unknown in Icel., except in the adj. brís-heitr, fire-hot, used in the same connection as fun-heitr, q. v. In Norway brising is any beacon or bale-fire, e. g. Jonsoko-brising = the fire kindled on the 24th of June, (in the Alps called Johannis-feuer.) In olden times the necklace of Freyja was called Brísinga-men, n. the flame-necklace; it was said to be hidden in the deep sea; Loki and Heimdal fought at the rock Singa-stone for this necklace; this ancient legend was represented on the roof of the hall at Hjarðarholt, and treated in the poem Húsdrápa, Ld., Edda.

1) great-grandmother;

2) the name of the book Edda, written by Snorri Sturluson, c. 1220.

* * *

u, f. a great-grandmother, Rm. 2. 4; móðir ( mother) heitir ok amma (grandmother), þriðja edda (the third is edda), Edda 108: this sense is obsolete.

II. metaph. the name of the book Edda, written by Snorri Sturluson, and containing old mythological lore and the old artificial rules for verse making. The ancients only applied this name to the work of Snorri; it is uncertain whether he himself called it so; it occurs for the first time in the inscription to one of the MSS. of Edda, viz. the Ub., written about fifty or sixty years after Snorri’s death: Bók þessi heitir Edda, hann hefir saman setta Snorri Sturlusonr eptir þeim hætti sem hér er skipat (viz. consisting of three parts, Gylfagynning, Skáldskaparmál, and Háttatal), Edda ii. 250 (Ed. Arna-Magn.); sva segir í bók þeirri er Edda heitir, at sá maðr sem Ægir hét spurði Braga …, 532 (MS. of the 14th century); hann (viz. Snorri) samansetti Eddu, he put together the Edda, Ann. 1241 (in a paper MS., but probably genuine). As the Skáldskaparmál ( Ars Poëtica) forms the chief part of the Edda, teaching the old artificial poetical circumlocutions (kenningar), poetical terms and diction, and the mythical tales on which they were founded, the Edda became a sort of handbook of poets, and therefore came gradually to mean the ancient artificial poetry as opposed to the modern plain poetry contained in hymns and sacred poems; it, however, never applies to alliteration or other principles of Icel. poetry: reglur Eddu, the rules of Edda, Gd. (by Arngrim) verse 2, Lil. 96, Nikulas d. 4; Eddu list, the art of Edda, Gd. (by Arni) 79;—all poems of the 14th century. The poets of the 15th century frequently mention the Edda in the introduction to their Rímur or Rhapsodies, a favourite kind of poetry of this and the following time, Reinalds R. I. 1, Áns R. 7. 2, Sturlaugs R., Sigurðar þögla R. 5. 4, Rimur af Ill Verra og Vest, 4, 3, Jarlmanns R. 7. 1, 5, II. 3, Dímis R. 2. 4, Konraðs R. 7. 5;—all these in vellum and the greater part of them belonging to the 15th century. Poets of the 16th century (before 1612), Rollants R. 9. 6, 12. 1, Pontus R. (by Magnus Gamli, died 1591), Valdimars R., Ester R. 2. 2, 6. 3, Sýraks R. 1. 2, 6. 2, Tobias R. I. 2; from the first half of the 17th century, Grett. R., Flores R. 6. 3, 9. 2, Króka Refs R. 1. 7, Lykla Pétrs R. 4. 2, 12. 1, Apollonius R. 1. 5, Flovents R. 6. 3, Sjö Meistara R. 1. 7, 2. 1, 3. 8;—all in MS. In these and many other references, the poets speak of the art, skill, rules, or, if they are in that mood, the obscure puerilities and empty phrases of the Edda, the artificial phraseology as taught and expounded by Snorri; and wherever the name occurs (previous to the year 1643) it only refers to Snorri’s book, and such is still the use of the word in Icel.; hence compd words such as Eddu-lauss, adj. void of Eddic art; Eddu-borinn, part. poetry full of Eddic phrases; Eddu-kenningar, f. pl. Eddic circumlocutions, Kötlu Draumr 85, e. g. when the head is called the ‘sword of Heimdal,’ the sword the ‘fire or torch of Odin,’ etc.; Eddu-kendr = Edduborinn; Eddu-bagr, adj. a bungler in the Eddic art, etc. The Icel. bishop Brynjolf Sveinsson in the year 1643 discovered the old mythological poems, and, led by a fanciful and erroneous suggestion, he gave to that book the name of Sæmundar Edda, the Edda of Sæmund; hence originate the modern terms the Old or Poetical and New or Prose Edda; in foreign writers Eddic has been ever since used in the sense of plain and artless poetry, such as is contained in these poems, opposed to the artificial, which they call Scaldic (Skald being Icel. for a poet); but this has no foundation in old writers or tradition. Further explanation of this subject may be seen in Ersch and Gruber’s Encyclopedia, s. v. Graagaas.

n. the horn of Heimdal, Edda, Vsp.

* * *

n. grass, herbage, herb.

* * *

n. [Ulf. gras = χόρτος, λάχανον; A. S. græs and gærs; Engl. grass; Germ. gras; Swed. and Dan. gras]:—grass, herbage, opp. to wood, trees, Vsp. 3, Fm. 25, Hm. 20; hrísi ok grasi, 120; grös ok viðu, Rb. 78; fölr sem gras, Nj. 177; góðir landa-kostir at grösum ok skógum, Fs. 26; svá er sagt, at á Grænlandi eru grös góð, good pastures, Sks. 44 new Ed.; reyta gras, to pick grass, Nj. 118; þar var náliga til grass at ganga (better görs), Ld. 96; bíta gras, to graze, Grág. ii. 299; gras grær, grass grows, Edda 145 (pref.); tak af reiðinginn ok fær hestinn á gras, Sturl. iii. 114; þú ætlaðir mik þat lítilmenni at ek munda hirða hvar hestar þínir bitu gras, Fs. 57; þar þótti Grelöðu hunangs-ilmr ór grasi, Landn. 140: vegetation, in such phrases as, þar sem mætist gras ok fjara, grass and beach, Dipl. iii. 11: the grassy earth, opp. to a wilderness or the sea, þat var í ofanverðum grösum, high up, near the wilderness, Dropl. 33; allt austr undir jökla sem grös eru vaxin, Landn. 65:—phrases, hníga í gras, to bite the dust, Ísl. ii. 366; mun ek hafa mann fyrir mik áðr ek hníga at grasi, Njarð. 378; lúta í gras, id., Fbr. 90 new Ed.; heyra gras gróa, to hear the grass grow (of the god Heimdal), cp. Edda 17: sugared language is said to make the grass grow, við hvert orð þótti grös gróa, Clar.; þau vóru orðin, at gróa þóttu grösin við, Mirm.: ganga eptir e-m með grasið í skónum, to go after one with grass in one’s shoes, i. e. to beg hard, intercede meekly with one who is cross and angry.

2. a herb, a kind of grass; ek hefi þat eitt gras, etc., Fms. ix. 282; af grasi því er vér köllum hvann-njóla, x. 336: esp. in plur. herbs with healing powers, þau grös sem mandragore heita, Stj. 175; afl dauðfærandi grasa, Johann. 26; með góðum grösum, Blas. 43; ilmuð grös, sweet herbs, Bb. 2. 20; tína grös, to clean grass, pick the moss clean:—botan. in plur., Iceland moss, Jb. 310; and in composition, brönu-grös, mandrake; esp. of lichens, fjalla-grös, fell lichen, Lichen Islandicus; fjöru-grös, seaweeds, sea-wrack; Gvendar-grös, id.; Mariu-grös, lichen nivalis; Munda-grös, lichen coacervatus edilis; trölla-grös, lichen albus.

COMPDS: grasafjall, grasafó1k, grasagrautr, grasaleit, grasamjólk, grasapoki.

a, m. gold-teeth, name of the god Heimdal, Edda.

a, m., poët. a ram, Edda (Gl.): name of the god Heimdal, Edda, vide Lex. Poët.

(kveð; kvað, kváðum; kveðinn), v.

1) to say, utter;

hann kvað eigi orð, he did not utter a word;

kveða gleði-orð, to say a cheerful word;

with infin., hann kvað þat satt vera, he said it was true;

kveða at orði, to express oneself, say, speak;

2) to (compose and) say aloud (hann kvað vísu);

to recite, repeat (S. bað hann þá kveða kvæðit þat, er hann hafði ort);

3) with preps.:

kveða at, to say, state;

gramm. to pronounce, sound;

kveða e-t at e-m, to inflict on;

mikill harmr er at oss kveðinn, great grief has been sent on us;

kveða á, to fix, determine (kveða á stefnudag);

impers. to state;

kveðr þar skýrt á þetta, it is there expressly stated;

to cancel, object to (kveða á gögn, to cancel the evidence) to make up one’s mind, resolve;

kveða e-t upp, to recite, declare (þat skulu lög vera, sem hann kveðr upp);

kveða við, to reply, answer (hitki hann veit, hvat hann skal við kveða, ef);

to utter a cry, etc. (hundrinn kvað við hátt);

to sound (því næst kvað lúðr við);

4) refl., kveðast, to say of oneself;

þeir er biskupar kváðust vera, who said they were bishops;

hann kveðst eigi ríða mundu, he said he would not ride;

impers., mér kveðsk = ek kveð mér;

Kára kvaðsk (= Kári kvað sér) önnur ferð betri þykkja, K. said he thought another course preferable;

kveðast at, to exchange verses or songs.

* * *

sing. kveðr, pret. kvað, 2nd pers. kvatt, kvattú, Fms. vi. 386, pl. kváðu, kvóðu, and kóðu, Ls. 24, Hom. 12, Ó. H. 48, Fms. viii. 71, xi. 107; pret. subj. kvæði; imperat. kveð, kveð-þú, kvettú, vi. 361, mod. kveddu; with neg. suff., pres. kveðk-a-ek, I say not, Ýt. 7: [Ulf. qiþan = λέγειν, εἰπειν, ἐρειν; A. S. cweðan; Engl. quoth; O. H. G. quedan; Swed. quäda; Dan. kvæde; cp. Lat. in-quit]:—to say; né því er kveðr kona, nor what a woman says, Hm. 83; at þú Frey kveðir úleiðastarr lifa, Skm. 19; kveða ( dicunt) Heimdal valda véum, Gm. 13: in an epic sense, to say, orð kvað þá Vingi, Am. 37, 38; Glaumvör kvað at orði, 30, 32; ok hann þat orða, alls fyrst um kvað = Homer’s καί μιν φωνήσας …, Þkv. 2, 3, 9, 12; or, þá kvað þat Heimdalr; Þá kvað þat Þórr; þá kvað þat Þrymr, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 25, 30; Egill fékk úgleði mikla svá at hann kvað eigi orð, Eg. 518; k. gleði-orð, to say a cheerful word, Vígl. 89 new Ed.; þeir kvóðu ekki gott orð at honum, 655 vii. 3; er hann hafði þat mælt, þá kvað hann úti annat orð, Fms. xi. 16; hverr þessa stafa, ef hann verðr í nef kveðinn, if he is nasal in sound, Skálda 162; lýsingar-váttar Marðar kváðu svá at orði, Nj. 233; til báls ok til brands kveðr at fornu máli, as it is said in old saws, N. G. L. i. 50; Rannveig kvað vel at hann færi útan, Nj. 111:—with infin., hón kvad þar eigi kvenna-vist, Fms. vii. 274; kveðum þá mæla ( let them speak) á várar tungur, 656 C. 6: the pret. kvað (proncd. kvu) as adv. or absol., ‘tis said, they say, það kvað (kvu) vera, they say so.

2. with prep.; kveða at, adverb. so to say; svá mátti at kveða, id., Fms. xi. 72; er svá mun mega at k. at líf manna lægi við, Nj. 78; kveðr svá at, it is so said, Ver. 83; þá er svá at kveðit, 3; lögsögumaðr skal ráða ok at kveða ( determine) hvar hvergi dómr skal sitja, Grág. i. 27: gramm. to pronounce, sound, Skálda 165; mikill harmr er at oss kveðinn, mickle harm is doomed us, Nj. 201; mikit er at Kjartani kveðit (there’s mickle said against K., i. e. he is a doomed man), ok mun úhægt vera at göra við forlögum þeirra, Ld. 190: það kveðr mikið (lítið) að e-u, to be of great ( small) influence or importance:—kveða á, to fix, determine, Grág. i. 35, 39, Nj. 90, Ld. 74; var kveðit á brullaups-stefnu, Nj. 40; var gört um málit ok kveðit á fégjöld, 111, Fs. 68: to state, kveðr þar skýrt á þetta, it is expressly stated there, Ld. 334: a law term, to cancel, object to, kveða á gögn, to cancel the evidence, Grág. i. 67, 106: to fix, make up one’s mind, resolve, 100, Nj. 3, 252: part. ákveðinn, fixed, appointed, 256: fated, eigi má saka þik um þetta, segir Njáll, þvíat slíkt er mjök ákveðit, 166: ákveðin orð, an agreement, stipulation, Hkr. ii. 372; með ákveðnum orðum, in express words, Grett. 89; vant er mér þat at skýra með ákveðnum orðum, Sks. 660; með ákveðnu, id., K. Á. 208; mun ek ákveðit göra, hverir þar skulu vera, Ísl. ii. 346: ákveðin orð, pointed, libellous words, Bjarn. 57:—kveða við, to reply, Hm. 26:—k. upp, to pronounce, make known, Gísl. 10, Fms. vii. 88.

II. to sing; hón bað Þorstein kveða nokkut, Grett. 159; skemti Stúfr ok kvað flokk einn, ok er lokit var bað konungr hann enn k.—Hversu mörg hefir þú nú kvæðin kveðit? … hví kveðr þú flokka eina? Fms. vi. 391; skyldi ok engi kveða vísurnar, Nj. 71; Egill orti alla drápuna, ok hafði fest svá at hann mátti kveða um morguninn, Eg. 421; k. kvæði, Ísl. ii. 232; þótt hann kveði út kvæði þetta, Fms. v. 175; konungr mælti, tel þú oss kvæði nokkut,—Þormóðr settisk upp ok kvað hátt mjök, svá at heyrði um allan herinn, hann kvað Bjarka-mál en fornu, Ó. H. 207; harm hóf upp kvæðit ok kvað hátt, Eg. 427; slógu þá konur hring umhverfis hjallinn, en Þorbjörg sat uppi á seiðhjallinum, kvað Guðríðr þá kvæðit svá fagrt ok vel, at engi þóttisk heyrt hafa með fegri rödd kvæði kveðit, Þorf. Karl. 378: in mod. usage kveða is used of the rhapsodic delivery of a ballad (ríma), half reciting half singing, thus Icel. say, kveða rímur, to recite a ballad, as also kveða vel, to recite, sing well; hann er góðr kvæða-maðr, he is a good ballad-singer, but never of a hymn or full melody; þeir riðu um bygðina kveðandi um daginn, Fms. xi. 376; þá ferr hann með fjölkyngi, ef hann kveðr þat eða kennir, K. Þ. K.; nú eru Háva-mál kveðin, Háva höllu í, Hm. 165; ok Austmarr jöfri Sænskum gýmis ljóð at gamni kveðr, Ýt. 18; þar sat kona við kvern ok kvað forkunnar fagrt, Fms. vii. 233.

2. to make a verse; kvettú nú, Þjóðólfr, um deild þeirra, … Þjóðólfr kvað (and the verse follows), Fms. vi. 361; kveða vísu, to make a ditty, Fms., Nj. passim; kvæðit var mjök kveðit, Fms. v. 173; þessi vísa var ílla ort ok skal ek kveða aðra betri, hann kvað, vi. 416; heyr þjóðskáldit! kvattú svá, gröm, skömm? ekki eru þær hendingar jafnhávar, 386:—kveða á e-n, to challenge one in a song; kalla þær sé kveðit sik á | af kærleiks elsku-fundum, Skíða R. 3.

3. kveða við, to scream; kvað sá við í því er kesjan stóð á honum miðjum, Fms. viii. 354; hundrinn kvað við hátt, Nj. 114: to sound, því næst kvað lúðr við, the trumpet sounded, Fms. vi. 16, vii. 288; þeir létu kveða við lúðra sína, ix. 527; í því kvað við klokka, Fb. i. 417, Fms. iii. 60, ix. 510.

III. reflex. to say of oneself; þeir er biskupar kváðusk vera, who said they were bishops, Íb. 13; hann kveðsk eigi ríða mundu, Nj. 12; Njáll kvaðsk með því einu fara myndu, 105; þeir kváðusk eigi vita hverju gegndi, Fms. vii. 272; þeir er sét kveðask hafa seglin, 322; þeir kóðusk koma mundu, xi. 107; hann kvaðsk þess albúinn, Nj. 100; Óttarr kvaðsk eigi vara, at …, Fs. 87.

2. also impers., mér kveðsk = eg kveð mér; er þér kveðsk þá þykkja gott at deyja, Fms. xi. 153; hafði hann fátt um í fyrstu, en kvaðsk þetta (= kvað sér þetta) þó vel líka, ix. 291; Kára kvaðsk (i. e. Kári kvað sér) önnur ferð betri þykkja, K. said he would like better to take another course, Nj. 139; herfiligt kveðsk honum þykkja at hokra þar fyrir stokkum eða steinum, Fas. ii. 505; Glúmi kveðsk því betr þykkja, Rd. 286; kvaðsk þeim horfin-heilla at þykkja, Fms. vii. 272; honum kveðsk vel á lítask, vi. 99; þeim kvaðsk þykkja sér vandalaust, 107; Vigdísi kvaðsk eigi vera um lygi, Ld. 44; honum kvaðsk meira um at halda fram, Fb. iii. 447; honum kvaðsk svá hugr um segja, Sturl.

3. kveðask at, recipr. to exchange songs, a game played at a wake or dance; sá leikr var mönnum tíðr, at kveðask skyldu at, karlmaðr at konu, ok kona at karlmanni, Bs. i. 165: in mod. usage, kveðast á, to cap verses, each party in turn replying in a verse beginning with the letter with which the preceding one ends; Komdú nú að kveðast á | kvæðin okkar stór og smá, a ditty, cp. kveða á II. 2. above.

(-s, -ar), m. stud, nail.

* * *

m. a stud, nail; knébjargir með stálhörðum nöddum, Sks. 405; nadda á umgjörðinni, Fms. vi. 212; hann hnitar saman penninginn, ok eru tuttugu naddar á, Gísl. 14; nadda borð, a ‘stud-board’, poët. for a shield from its being ornamented with metal studs, see Fms. vii. 323: in poetry, nadda él, róg, as also nadd-él, -fár, -skúr, -regn, -hríð, -veðr, = a battle, Lex. Poët. nadd-göfugr, adj. ‘stud-glorious,’ an epithet of Heimdal, Hdl. 34, with reference to the beams of dawn (studs of light?); as an epithet of a giant, the father of Men-glöð, Gg. 14.

m. the name of the hero of the poem Rígs-þula, in the Edd. erroneously called Rígs-mál, Edda ii. 496, a poem which traces the origin of royalty to king Ríg as the ancestor of all kings. This myth belonged to Heimdal, Vsp. 1; it is very likely that the Ríg of the poem is an invented name, a poetical disguise, borrowed from the Gaelic word Righ, which means a king; Rígs-þula would therefore literally mean Konungs-þula = the King’s Lay.

* * *

m. musical sound, tone.

* * *

f., this word (like nagl, q. v.) was originally a masc. tann or tannr, like maðr, mannr, of which gender there are remnants in pr. names, Hildi-tannr, gen. Hildi-tanns, Edda (in a verse); dat. Hildi-tanni, see hildr B; it then became fem. tönn, gen. tannar, dat. acc. tönn, gen. pl. tanna, dat. tönnum; nom. pl. tenn (as if from maðr), skakkar tenn rhymes with menn, Skíða R. 5, 9; litlar tenn, Al. 3; with article, tennrnar, Fms. xi. 139; brjóta tenn ór höfði manns, Grág. ii. 11; acc. tennar, Bs. i. 641, l. 21 (perh. an error); old poët. pl. teðr rhyming with veðr, Lex. Poët.; mod. plur. is tönnur: [a word common to all Indo-Germ. languages; Goth. tunþus; A. S. tóð; Engl. tooth, pl. teeth; O. H. G. zand; Germ. zahn; Dan. and Swed. tand; Lat. dent-is; Gr. ὀ-δόντ-ος]:—a tooth, including the sense of tusk; teðr hans, Eluc. 49; ór tönnum, Nj. 185; með tönnum, Eg. 233: phrases, glotta um tönn, or við tönn, to grin scornfully, Edda 30, Nj. 182, Ó. H. 114; rjóða tönn á e-m, to redden one’s teeth, taste blood, metaph. from a beast of prey; hefi ek nú nakkvat roðit tönn á þeim er ek tók höndum Hákon jarl, Ó. H. 32: allit., tönn ok tunga, hafa tönn og tungu á öllu, to have tooth and tongue on everything, of a quick-witted child learning to speak; tungan vefst um tönn, see tunga; tungan leikr við tanna sár, the tongue touches on the tooth-wound, a saying, Mkv.; tæja tanna, see tæja; fram-tennr, the front teeth.

2. a tusk (of the walrus), Krók. ch. 9, Bs. i. 641; biskups-staf af tönn görvan … grafa tönn, to carve, Bs. i. 143, cp. Skíða R. 199: a thing worked in walrus-tusk, Máríu-skript með tönn …, húslker með tönn, Vm. 22, 54; buðkr með tönn, B. K. 84: in Icel. an ivory box, scent-box, snuff-box, or the like, is called tönn.

3. metaph. the tooth or iron of a plane, hefil-tönn: poët., lagar-tönn, ‘sea-tooth’ = a stone; foldar tönn, ‘earth-tooth,’ id., Lex. Poët.: the golden teeth of Heimdal, the Lucifer of the Northern mythology, represent the rays of the dawn.

4. hildi-tönn, a dog-tooth, usually called víg-tönn; skögul-tönn or skæl-tönn, a tusk; cp. tann-.

COMPDS: tannafar, tannagangr, tannagnastran, tannagnistran.

(i. e. Vind-hler), m. the ‘wind-listener,’ i. e. the god Heimdal, Edda.

m., gen. varðar, dat. verði, pl. verðir, acc. vörðu (mod. verði); [varða; Ulf. wards, in daura-wards = θυρωρός, and wardia = κουστωδία, Matth. xxvii. 65; A. S. weard; Engl. ward, warden; Germ. wart]:—a warden, warder, Lat. custos; vörðr goða, of Heimdal, Gm.; hann hafði fengit njósn hvar verðir þeirra vóru, Fms. viii. 354: myrkvastofu-vörðr. Post. 645. 89, Stj. 200; Heimdalr, hann er vörðr goða, Edda; vita-vörðr, hús-vörðr, dyra-vörðr, land-vörðr. qq. v.

2. a guard, watch and ward, Lat. custodia; ganga á vörðinn, Eg. 88; ef hundr er bundinn til varðar, Grág. ii. 119; halda vörð, i. 32 (varð-hald); hafa vörðu á e-m, of a prisoner, Fas. ii. 230; svá mikla vörð(u) hélt hann á þeim, iii. 529; gefa vörð móti e-u, to give ward, protect, Sks. 300 B; veita e-u vörð, to keep, take care of, Grág. ii. 409 (hence varð-veita, q. v.)

m. poet. prince, king.

* * *

m. [A. S. þengel, from þing], prop. captain of a þing (?), a king, prince, only in poets, Edda i. 516, Hkv. 1. 22, Skv. 1. 25; manna-þengill, the peace-maker of man, of Heimdal, Gm.; stól-þengill, Fms. vi. (in a verse).

II. a pr. name, Landn.

* * *

1) the horn (trumpet) of Heimdal;

2) the drinking horn used by Mimir.