middle

m. heathen priest; chief (in Iceland during the republic).

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a, m. [Ulf, renders ἱερεύς by gudja (ufar-gudja, ahumista-gudja, etc.), ἱερατεία by gudjinassus, ἱερατεύειν by gudjinôn; an Icel. gyði, gen. gyðja, would answer better to the Goth. form, but it never occurs, except that the fem. gyðja = goddess and priestess points not to goði, but to a masc. with a suppressed final i, gyði; a word coting occurs in O. H. G. glossaries, prob. meaning the same; and the form guþi twice occurs on Danish-Runic stones in Nura-guþi and Saulva-guþi, explained as goði by P. G. Thorsen, Danske Runem.; (Rafn’s explanation and reading of Nura-guþi qs. norðr á Gauði, is scarcely right): with this exception this word is nowhere recorded till it appears in Icel., where it got a wide historical bearing]:—prop. a priest, sacerdos, and hence a liege-lord or chief of the Icel. Commonwealth.

A. HISTORICAL REMARKS.—The Norse chiefs who settled in Icel., finding the country uninhabited, solemnly took possession of the land (land-nám, q. v.); and in order to found a community they built a temple, and called themselves by the name of goði or hof-goði, ‘temple-priest;’ and thus the temple became the nucleus of the new community, which was called goðorð, n.:—hence hof-goði, temple-priest, and höfðingi, chief, became synonymous, vide Eb. passim. Many independent goðar and goðorð sprang up all through the country, until about the year 930 the alþingi (q. v.) was erected, where all the petty sovereign chiefs (goðar) entered into a kind of league, and laid the foundation of a general government for the whole island. In 964 A. D. the constitution was finally settled, the number of goðorð being fixed at three in each þing ( shire), and three þing in each of the three other quarters, (but four in the north); thus the number of goðar came to be nominally thirty-nine, really thirty-six, as the four in the north were only reckoned as three, vide Íb. ch. 5. On the introduction of Christianity the goðar lost their priestly character, but kept the name; and the new bishops obtained seats in the Lögrétta (vide biskup). About the year 1004 there were created new goðar (and goðorð), who had to elect judges to the Fifth Court, but they had no seats in the Lögrétta, and since that time the law distinguishes between forn ( old) and ný ( new) goðorð;—in Glúm. ch. 1 the word forn is an anachronism. It is curious that, especially in the 12th century, the goðar used to take the lesser Orders from political reasons, in order to resist the Romish clergy, who claimed the right of forbidding laymen to be lords of churches or to deal with church matters; thus the great chief Jón Loptsson was a sub-deacon; at last, about 1185, the archbishop of Norway forbade the bishops of Icel. to ordain any holder of a goðorð, unless they first gave up the goðorð, fyrir því bjóðum vér biskupum at vígja eigi þá menn er goðorð hafa, D. I. i. 291. In the middle of the 13th century the king of Norway induced the goðar to hand their power over to him, and thus the union with Norway was finally brought about in the year 1262; since that time, by the introduction of new codes (1272 and 1281), the name and dignity of goðar and goðorð disappeared altogether, so that the name begins and ends with the Commonwealth.

B. DUTIES.—In the alþingi the goðar were invested with the Lögrettu-skipan (q. v.), that is to say, they composed the Lögrétta (the Legislative consisting of forty-eight members—on the irregularity of the number vide Íb. ch. 5), and were the lawgivers of the country; secondly, they had the dómnefna (q. v.), or right of naming the men who were to sit in the courts, vide dómr:—as to their duties in the quarter-parliaments (vár-þing) vide Grág. Þ. Þ. and the Sagas. The authority of the goðar over their liegemen at home was in olden times somewhat patriarchal, vide e. g. the curious passage in Hænsaþ. S. ch. 2; though no section of law relating to this interesting part of the old history is on record, we can glean much information from the Sagas. It is to be borne in mind that the goðar of the Saga time (10th century) and those of the Grágás and Sturlunga time (12th and 13th centuries) were very different; the former were a kind of sovereign chiefs, who of free will entered into a league; the latter had become officials, who for neglecting their duties in parliament might be fined, and even forfeit the goðorð to their liegemen, vide Grág. Þ. Þ. Neither þing (q. v.) nor goðorð was ever strictly geographical (such is the opinion of Konrad Maurer), but changed from time to time; the very word goðorð is defined as ‘power’ (veldi), and was not subject to the payment of tithe, K. Þ. K. 142. The goðorð could be parcelled out by inheritance or by sale; or they might, as was the case in the latter years of the Commonwealth, accumulate in one hand, vide esp. Sturl. passim, and Grág. The liegemen (þingmenn) were fully free to change their lords (ganga í lög með goða, ganga ór lögum); every franklin (þingmaðr) had in parliament to declare his þingfesti, i. e. to name his liegeship, and say to what goði and þing he belonged, and the goði had to acknowledge him; so that a powerful or skilful chief might have liegemen scattered all over the country. But the nomination to the courts and the right of sitting in the legislative body were always bound to the old names, as fixed by the settlement of the year 964; and any one who sought the name or influence of a goði had first (by purchase, inheritance, or otherwise) to become possessor of a share of one of the old traditionary goðorð; see the interesting chapter in Nj. The three goðar in one þing ( shire) were called sam-goða, joint-goðar; for the sense of allsherjar-goði vide p. 17.

C. NAMES.—Sometimes a chief’s name referred to the god whom he especially worshipped, as Freys-Goði, Hrafn., Gísl., whence Freys-gyðlingar, q. v.; (the ör-goði is dubious); more frequently the name referred to the liegemen or county, e. g. Ljósvetninga-Goði, Tungu-Goði, etc.; but in the Saga time, goði was often added to the name almost as a cognomen, and with some, as Snorri, it became a part of their name (as Cato Censor in Latin); hann varðveitti þá hof, var hann þá kallaðr Snorri Goði, Eb. 42; seg, at sá sendi, er meiri vin var húsfreyjunnar at Fróðá en Goðans at Helgafelli, 332. Names on record in the Sagas:—men living from A. D. 874 to 964, Hallsteinn Goði, Landn., Eb.; Sturla Goði, Landn. 65; Jörundr Goði and Hróarr Tungu-Goði, id.; Ljótólfr Goði, Sd.; Hrafnkell Freys-Goði, Hrafn.; Oddr Tungu-Goði, Landn.; Þormóðr Karnár-Goði, Vd.; Áskell Goði, Rd.; Úlfr Ör-goði, Landn.; Grímkell Goði, Harð. S.; Þorgrímr Freys-goði, Gísl. 100, 110:—964 to 1030, Arnkell Goði, Landn., Eb.; Þorgrímr Goði, Eb.; Geirr Goði, Landn., Nj.; Runólfr Goði, id.; Þóroddr Goði, Kristni S.; Þormóðr Allsherjar-Goði, Landn.; Þorgeirr Goði, or Ljósvetninga-Goði, Nj., Landn.; (Þorkell Krafla) Vatnsdæla-Goði, Vd.; Helgi Hofgarða-Goði, Landn., Eb.; Snorri Hlíðarmanna-Goði, Lv.; Þórarinn Langdæla-Goði, Heiðarv. S.; and last, not least, Snorri Goði:—in the following period goði appears, though very rarely, as an appellative, e. g. Þormóðr Skeiðar-Goði (about 1100):—of the new goðar of 1004, Höskuldr Hvítaness-Goði, Nj.:—used ironically, Ingjaldr Sauðeyja-Goði, Ld.

2. goðorð mentioned by name,—in the south, Allsherjar-goðorð, Landn. (App.) 336; Dalverja-goðorð, Sturl. ii. 48; Lundarmanna-goðorð, i. 223; Reykhyltinga-goðorð, 104, iii. 166, 169; Bryndæla-goðorð, Kjaln. S. 402: in the north, Ljósvetninga-goðorð, Lv. ch. 30; Möðruvellinga-goðorð, Bs. i. 488; Vatnsdæla-goðorð, Fs. 68; Fljótamanna-goðorð, Sturl. i. 138: in the west, Snorrunga-goðorð, 55; Jöklamanna-goðorð, iii. 166; Rauðmelinga-goðorð, Eb. 288; Reyknesinga-goðorð, Sturl. i. 9, 19; Þórsnesinga-goðorð, 198: the new godords of the Fifth Court, Laufæsinga-goðorð, Nj. 151; Melamanna-goðorð, id., Band., Sturl. i. 227. Passages in the Sagas and Laws referring to goðar and goðorð are very numerous, e. g. Íb. ch. 5, Nj. ch. 98, Grág., Lögréttu-þáttr, and Þ. Þ. passim, esp. ch. 1–5, 17, 35, 37, 39, 44, 58, 60, 61, Lv. ch. 4 (interesting), Vd. ch. 27, 41 (in fine), and 42, Vápn., Hrafn. ch. 2, Eb. ch. 10, 56, Sturl. iii. 98, 104, passim; for the accumulation of godords, see i. 227 (3, 22), Bs. i. 54; for the handing over the godords to the king of Norway, D. I. i; and esp. article 3 of the Sáttmáli, D. I. i. 631, 632. The godords were tithe-free, ef maðr á goðorð, ok þarf eigi þat til tíundar at telja, vald er þat en eigi fé:, K. Þ. K. 142.

COMPDS: goðakviðr, goðalýrittr, goðaþáttr.

II. = goð, i. e. good genius, in the Icel. game at dice called goða-tafl, with the formula, heima ræð eg goða minn bæði vel og lengi, … og kasta eg svo fyrir þig, cp. also ást-goði.

adv. only with the prep. í;

1) yesterday (vara þat nú né í gær);

2) poet. tomorrow (þótt nú eðr gær deyjum).

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adv., also spelt gör and gjar, esp. in Norse MSS., but also freq. in Fb., Stj., D. N. passim; [A. S. gestran, gestran dag; Engl. yesterday; O. H. G. gestar; Germ. gestern; Dan. gaar; Swed. går; Lat. heri, hesternus; Gr. χθές; cp. also Engl. yore, answering to the form gör]:—yesterday; only with the prep. í, í gær, Fms. vii, 168, passim.

II. [Ulf. renders αὔριον, Matth. vi. 30, by gestradagis, and that this is no mistake or corruption in the Gothic text is shewn by the fact that in the old Icel. or Scandin. poems gör occurs two or three times in the very same sense]:—to-morrow; in the phrases, nú eða í gör, now or by to-morrow; í dag eðr gör, to-day or to-morrow: hvárt skolum nú eða í gör deyja, whether we are to die now or to-morrow, Hðm. 31; and varat mér ráðinn dauði í dag eða gör, I was not fated to die to-day or to-morrow, Landn. (in a verse composed in Icel. about the middle of the 10th century). Uppström, the learned Swedish editor of Ulfilas, has duly noticed the passage in Hðm. as corroborative of the Gothic text.

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(hefi; hafða, höfðum; hafðr), v.

1) to have (þeir höfðu sjau skip ok flest stór);

hafa elda, to keep up a five;

2) to hold, celebrate (hafa vinaboð, blót, þing);

3) to keep, retain (rifu þær vefinn í sundr, ok hafði hverr þat er hélt á);

4) to use (tvau net eru rý, ok hafa eigi höfð verit);

orð þau sem hann hafði um haft, which he had made use of;

hafa fagrmæli við e-n, to flatter one;

hafa hljóðmæli við e-n, to speak secretly to one;

hafa tvimæli á e-u, to speak doubtfully of a thing;

hafa viðrmæli um e-t, to use mocking words;

hann var mjök hafðr við mál manna, much used to, versed in, lawsuits;

5) to have, hold, maintain;

hafa vináttu við e-n, to maintain friendship with one;

hafa hættumikit, to run a great risk;

hafa heilindi, to have good health;

6) to bring, carry;

hafa e-n heim með sér, to bring one home;

hann hafði lög, út hingat ór Noregi, he brought laws hither from Norway;

hafa sik (to betake oneself) til annara landa;

7) to take, carry off;

troll hafi þik, the trolls take thee;

8) to get, gain, win;

hann hafði eigi svefn, he got no sleep;

hefir sá jafnan, er hættir, he wins that ventures;

hafa gagn, sigr, to gain victor;

hafa meira hlut, to get the upper hand, gain the day;

hafa betr (verr), to get the better (worse) of it;

hafa sitt mál, to win one’s suit;

hafa tafl, to win the game;

hafa erendi, to do one’s errand, succeed;

hafa bana, to suffer death, to die;

hafa sigr, to be worsted;

hafa góðar viðtökur, to be well received;

hafa tíðindi af e-m, to get tidings of, or from, one;

hafa sœmd, óvirðing af e-m, to get honour, disgrace from one;

with gen., hafa e-s ekki, to fail to catch one (hann kemst á skóg undan, ok höfðu þeir hans ekki);

ekki munu vér hans hafa at sinni, we shall not catch him at present;

9) to wear carry (clothes, weapons);

hann hafði blán kyrtil, he wore a blue kirtle;

hafa kylfu í hendi sér, to have a club in one’s hand;

10) to behave, do, or fare, so an so esp. with an adv.;

hafa vel, illa, vetr, to behave (do) well, badly, be worse;

hafa sik vel, to behave;

hafa vel, to be well off or happy;

hafa hart, to be in a wretched plight;

11) with infin., hafa at varðveita, to have in keeping at selja, to have on sale;

lög hafið þér at mæla, you are right;

12) hafa e-n nær e-u, to expose one to (þú hafðir svá nær haft oss úfœru);

hafa nær e-u, to come near to, esp. impers.;

nær hafði okkr nú, it was a narrow escape;

svá nær hafði hausinum, at, the shot so nearly touched the head, that;

ok er nær hafði, skipit mundi fljóta, when the ship was on the point of flloating;

13) as an auxiliary verb, in the earliest time with the pp. of transitive verbs in acc.;

hefir þú hamar um fólginn, hast thou hidden the hammer?;

ek hefi sendan mann, I have sent a man;

later with indecl. neut. pp.;

hefir þú eigi sét mik, hast thou not seen me?;

14) with preps.:

hafa e-t at, to do, act;

hann tók af þér konuna, en þú hafðir ekki at, but thou didst not stir, didst take it tamely;

absol., viltu þess freista, ok vita hvat at hafi, wilt thou try and see what happens?;

hafa e-t at hlífiskildi (skotspœni), to use as a shield (as a target);

hafa e-n háði, hlátri, to mock, laugh at;

hafa e-t at engu, vettugi, to hold for naught, take no notice of;

hafa sakir á e-n have charges against one;

hafa á rás, to take to one’s heels, run off;

hafa e-t eptir, to do or repeat a thing after one;

hafa e-t fram, to produce (vápn þorgils vóru fram höfð); to carry out, hold forth;

hafa mál fram, to proceed with a suit;

var um búit, ekki fram haft, all was made ready but nothing done;

hafa e-t frammi, í frammi, to use, make use of (hafa í frammi kúgan);

ok öll lögmæt skil frammi hafa, and discharge all on official duties;

hafa e-t fyrir satt, to hold for true;

eigi em ek þar fyrir sönnu hafðr, I am not truly aimed for that, it is a false charge;

hafa e-n fyrir sökum um e-t, to charge one with;

hafa í hótum við e-n, to threaten one;

hafa e-t með höndum, to have in hand;

höfum eiai sigrinn ór hendi, let not victory slip out of our hands;

hafa ór við e-n, to behave so and so towards one (hefir þú illa ór haft við mik);

hafa e-t til e-s to use for (höfðu þeir til varnar skot ok spjót); to be a reason or ground for;

vér hyggjum þat til þess haft vera, at þar hafi menn sézt, we believe the foundation of the story is that men have been seen there;

hafa mikit (lítit) til síns máls, to have much (little) in support of one’s case;

hafa e-t til, to have at hand, possess;

orð þau, sem hann hafði um haft, the words which he had used;

keisari hafði fátt um, did not say much;

hafa e-n undir, to get one under, subdue one;

hafa e-t uppi, to take (heave) up (hafa uppi fœri, net);

Skarpheðinn hafði uppi øxina, S. heaved up the axe;

hafa flokk uppi, to raise a party, to rebel;

hafa uppi tafl, to play at a game;

hafa e-n uppi, to bring one to light;

hafa uppi rœður, to begin a discussion;

hafa e-t úti, to have done, finished (hafa úti sitt dagsverk);

hafa við e-m, to be a match for one;

hafa sik við, to exert oneself;

hafa mikit (lítit) við, to make a great (little) display;

hann söng messu ok bafði mikit við, and made much of it;

hann bad jarl leita, bann hafði lítit við þat, he did it lightly;

haf ekki slíkt við, do not say so;

haf þú lítit við at eggja sonu þina, refrain from egging on thy sons;

15) refl., hafast.

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pret. hafði; subj. hefði; pres. sing. hefi (less correctly hefir), hefir, hefir; plur. höfum, hafit, hafa: the mod. pres. sing. is monosyllabic hefr or hefur, and is used so in rhymes—andvara engan hefur | … við glys heims gálaus sefur, Pass. 15. 6, but in print the true old form hefir is still retained; the monosyllabic present is used even by old writers in the 1st pers. before the personal or negative suffix, e. g. hef-k and hef-k-a ek for hefi-g and hefig-a ek, see e. g. Grág. (Kb.) 79, 82, in the old oath formula, hef-k eigi, Hallfred; hef ek, Fms. iii. 10 (in a verse); but not so in 3rd pers., e. g. hefir-a or hefir-at, Grág. l. c.: imperat. haf, hafðu: part. pass. hafðr, neut. haft;—hafat is an απ. λεγ., Vsp. 16, and is prob. qs. hafit from hefja, to heave, lift: [Ulf. haban; A. S. habban; Engl. have; Hel. hebben; Germ. haben; Dutch hebben; Dan. have, Swed. hafva: it is curious the Lat. form habere retains the consonant unchanged, cp. the Romance forms, Ital. avere, Fr. avoir, Span. haber, etc. ☞ Hafa is a weak verb, and thus distinguished from hefja (to lift, begin), which is a strong verb, answering to Lat. capere, incipere; but in sundry cases, as will be seen below, it passes into the sense of this latter word; as also in some instances into that of another lost strong verb, hafa, hóf, to behave, and hœfa, to hit]:—to have.

A. To have; hann hafði með sér ekki meira lið, Fms. i. 39; hafði hverr hirð um sik, 52; höfðu þeir áttján skip, viii. 42; Sverrir hafði tvau hundrað manna, … þeir höfðu annan samnað á landi, 328; hann hafði mikit lið ok frítt, x. 36; þeir höfðu sjau skip ok flest stór, 102; hafa fjölmennar setur, Eb. 22; hann hafði menn sína í síldveri, Eg. 42; mun ek naut hafa þar sem mér þykkir hagi beztr, 716.

II. to hold:

1. to keep, celebrate; hafa ok halda, Dipl. i. 6; hafa átrúnað, 10; hafa dóma, 12; hafa blót, Fms. iv. 254; hafa vina-veizlu, id.; hafa vina-boð, Nj. 2; hafa Jóla-boð, Eg. 516; hafa þing, Fms. ix. 449; hafa haust-boð, Gísl. 27; hafa drykkju, Eb. 154; hafa leik, Fms. x. 201, passim.

2. to hold, observe; hlýðir þat hvergi at hafa eigi lög í landi, Nj. 149; skal þat hafa, er stendr …, Grág. i. 7; skal þat allt hafa er finsk á skrá þeirri …, id.; en hvatki es mis-sagt es í fræðum þessum, þá es skylt at hafa þat (to keep, hold to be true) es sannara reynisk, Íb. 3; ok hafða ek (I kept, selected) þat ór hvárri er framarr greindi, Landn. 320, v. l.

3. to hold, keep, retain; ef hann vill hafa hann til fardaga, Grág. i. 155; skal búandinn hafa hann hálfan mánuð, 154; ok hafði hvárr þat er hélt á, Nj. 279; hitt skal hafa er um fram er, Rb. 56; kasta í burt þrjátigi ok haf þat sem eptir verðr, 494.

4. to hold an office; hafa lögsögu, to hold the office of lögsaga, Íb. passim; hafa jarldóm, konungdóm, passim; þat höfðu haft at fornu Dana-konungar, Eg. 267; þér berit konunga-nöfn svá sem fyrr hafa haft ( have had) forfeðr yðrir, en hafit lítið af ríki, Fms. i. 52; hafa ríki, to reign, Hkr. pref.

5. phrases, hafa elda, to keep a fire, cook, Fms. xi. 129; hafa fjárgæzlu, to tend sheep, Eg. 740; hafa embætti með höndum, Stj. 204; hafa gæzlur á e-u, Fms. ix. 313; hafa … vetr, to have so many winters, be of such an age (cp. Fr. avoir … ans), Íb. 15; margir höfðu lítið fátt þúsund ára, Ver. 7: hafa vörn í máli, Nj. 93; hafa e-t með höndum, to have in hand, Fms. viii. 280, ix. 239; hafa e-t á höndum, Grág. i. 38; hafa fyrir satt, to hold for true, Fms. xi. 10; hafa við orð, to intimate, suggest, Nj. 160; hafa e-t at engu, vettugi, to hold for naught, take no notice of, Fas. i. 318.

6. with prepp. or infin.,

α. with prep.; hafa til, to have, possess; ef annarr þeirra hefir til enn annarr eigi, þá er sá skyldr til at fá honum er til hefir, Grág. i. 33; ef annarr hefir til …, id.; þér ætlið at ek muna eigi afl til hafa, Ld. 28.

β. with infin.; hafa at varðveita, to have in keeping, Eg. 500; lög hafit þér at mæla, you have the law on your tongue, i. e. you are right, Nj. 101; hörð tíðindi hefi ek at segja þér, 64; sá er gripinn hefir at halda, Grág. i. 438; hafa at selja, to have on sale, Ld. 28.

III. to use; var haft til þess sker eitt, Eb. 12; þá höfðu þeir til varnar skot ok spjót, Fms. vii. 193; er þín ráð vóru höfð, that thy advice was taken, Fs. 57; Gríss hafði þessi ráð, Fms. iii. 21; ek vil at þat sé haft er ek legg til, x. 249; þykki mér þú vel hafa ( make good use of) þau tillög er ek legg fyrir þik, xi. 61; til þess alls er jarli þótti skipta, þá hafði hann þessa hluti, 129; tvau ný (net), ok hafa eigi höfð verit ( which have not been used), haf þú ( take) hvárt er þú vilt, Háv. 46; þær vil ek hafa enar nýju, en ek vil ekki hætta til at hafa enar fornu, id.; önnur er ný ok mikil ok hefir ( has) til einskis höfð ( used) verið, id.; buðkr er fyrir húslker er hafðr, Vm. 171; gjalda vápn þau er höfð eru, N. G. L. i. 75; þat hafði hann haft ( used) fyrir skála, Edda 29; þeir vóru hafðir til at festa með hús jafnan, Nj. 118; sá hólmr var hafðr til at …, Fms. i. 218; hann skyldi hafa hinn sama eið, x. 7; orð þau sem hann hafði ( had) um haft ( used), Nj. 56; orð þau er hann hafði ( made use of) í barnskírn, K. Þ. K. 14.

2. more special phrases; hafa fagrmæli við e-n, to flatter one, Nj. 224; hafa hljóðmæli við e-n, to speak secretly to one, 223; allmikil fjölkyngi mun vera við höfð áðr svá fái gört, Edda 27; hafa mörg orð um e-t, Ld. 268; hafa tvímæli á e-u, to discuss, doubt, speak diffidently of a thing, Lv. 52; hafa viðrmæli um e-t, to use mocking words, Nj. 89; hafa nafn Drottins í hégóma, to take the Lord’s name in vain, Fms. i. 310; (hann var) mjök hafðr við mál manna, much used to, versed in lawsuits, Dropl. 8: hafa sik til e-s, to use oneself to a thing, i. e. to do a mean, paltry thing; þeir er til þess vilja hafa sik, at ganga í samkundur manna úboðit, Gþl. 200; ef hann vill sik til þessa hafa, Fms. i. 99: hafa sik við, to exert oneself; skaltú ok verða þik við at hafa um þetta mál, ef þú getr þat af þér fært, Grett. 160: hafa e-n at skotspæni, to use one as a target, Nj. 222; hafa e-n at hlífi-skildi sér, to use one as a shield, 262; hafa e-n at ginningar-fifli, auga-bragði, háði, hlátri, Hm. 133, Nj. 224, passim.

IV. to have, hold, maintain, of a state or condition; hafa vináttu við e-n, to maintain friendship with one, Sks. 662; hafa vanmátt, to continue sick, Eg. 565; hafa hættu-mikit, to run a great risk, Nj. 149; hafa vitfirring, to be insane, Grág. i. 154; hafa heilindi, to have good health, 26, Hm. 67; hafa burði til e-s, to have the birthright to a thing. Eg. 479; hafa hug, áræði, hyggindi, to have the courage …, Hom. 28; hafa vit ( to know), skyn, greind … á e-u, to have understanding of a thing; hafa gaman, gleði, skemtun, ánægju af e-u, to have interest or pleasure in a thing; hafa leiða, ógeð, andstygð, hatr, óbeit á e-u, to dislike, be disgusted with, hate a thing; hafa elsku, mætr, virðing á e-u, to love, esteeem … a thing; hafa allan hug á e-u, to bend the mind to a thing; hafa grun á e-m, to suspect one; hafa ótta, beyg af e-u, to fear a thing; and in numberless other phrases.

2. with prepp.:

α. hafa e-t frammi (fram), to carry out, hold forth; hafa frammi róg, Nj. 166; hafa mál fram, to proceed with a suit, 101; stefnu-för, 78; heitstrengingar, Fms. xi. 103; ok öll lögmælt skil frammi hafa, and discharge all one’s official duties, 232; var um búit en ekki fram haft, all was made ready, but nothing done, viii. 113; beini má varla verða betri en hér er frammi hafðr, xi. 52; hafðú í frammi ( use) kúgan við þá uppi við fjöllin, Ísl. ii. 215; margir hlutir, þó at hann hafi í frammi, Sks. 276.

β. hafa mikit, lítið fyrir e-u, to have much, little trouble about a thing; (hence fyrir-höfn, trouble.)

γ. hafa við e-m (afl or the like understood), to be a match for one, Fms. vii. 170, Lv. 109, Nj. 89, Eg. 474, Anal. 176; hafa mikit, lítið við, to make a great, little display; (hence við-höfn, display, pomp); hann söng messu ok hafði mikit við, he sang mass and made a great thing of it, Nj. 157; þú hefir mikit við, thou makest a great show of it, Boll. 351; hann bað jarl leita, hann hafði lítið við þat, he did it lightly, Nj. 141; haf ekki slíkt við, do not say so, Ld. 182.

B. To take, carry off, win, wield, [closely akin to Lat. capere]:

I. to catch, take, esp. in the phrase, hafa ekki e-s, to miss one; hann kemsk á skóg undan, ok höfðu þeir hans ekki, he took to the forest and they missed him, Nj. 130; ekki munu vér hans hafa at sinni, we sha’nt catch him at present, Fms. vi. 278; hafða ek þess vætki vífs, Hm. 101; þeygi ek hana at heldr hefik, 95: in swearing, tröll, herr, gramir hafi þik, the trolls, ghosts, etc. take thee! tröll hafi líf, ef …, Kormak; tröll hafi Trefót allan! Grett. (in a verse); tröll hafi þína vini, tröll hafi hól þitt, Nj.; herr hafi Þóri til slægan, confound the wily Thorir! Fms. vi. 278, v. l. (emended, as the phrase is wrongly explained in Fms. xii. Gloss.); gramir hafi þik! vide gramr.

II. to carry, carry off, bring; hafði einn hjartað í munni sér, one carried the heart off in his mouth, Nj. 95; hann hafði þat ( brought it) norðan með sér, Eg. 42; hafði Þórólfr heim marga dýrgripi, 4; hann hafði með sér skatt allan, 62; skaltú biðja hennar ok hafa hana heim hingat, Edda 22; fé þat er hann hafði ( had) út haft ( carried from abroad), Gullþ. 13; á fimm hestum höfðu þeir mat, Nj. 74; bókina er hann hafði ( had) út haft, Fms. vii. 156; konungr hafði biskup norðr til Björgynjar með sér, viii. 296; biskup lét hann hafa með sér kirkju-við ok járn-klukku, Landn. 42; hann hafði með sér skulda-lið sitt ok búferli, Eb. 8; hann tók ofan hofit, ok hafði með sér flesta viðu, id.; ok hafa hana í brott, Fms. i. 3; tekr upp barnit, ok hefir heim með sér, Ísl. ii. 20; hann hafði lög út hingat ór Noregi, he brought laws hither from Norway, Íb. 5; haf þú heim hvali til bæjar, Hým. 26; ok hafa hann til Valhallar, Nj. 119.

III. to take, get; hann hafði þá engan mat né drykk, he took no food nor drink, Eg. 602; hann hafði eigi svefn, he got no sleep, Bs. i. 139.

2. to get, gain, win; öfluðu sér fjár, ok höfðu hlutskipti mikit, Eg. 4; eigi þarftú at biðja viðsmjörs þess, þvíat hann mun þat alls ekki hafa, né þú, for neither he nor thou shall get it, Blas. 28; jarl vill hafa minn fund, he will have a meeting with me, 40, Skv. 1. 4: the sayings, hefir sá jafnan er hættir, he wins that risks, ‘nothing venture, nothing have,’ Hrafn. 16; sá hefir krás er krefr, Sl. 29.

3. phrases, hafa meira hlut, to get the better lot, gain the day, Nj. 90, Fms. xi. 93; hafa gagn, sigr, to gain victory, ix. 132, Eg. 7, Hkr. i. 215, Ver. 38; hafa betr, to get the better; hafa verr, miðr, to have the worst of it, Fms. v. 86, Þorst. S. St. 48, passim; hafa mál sitt, to win one’s suit, Grág. i. 7, Fms. vii. 34; hafa kaup öll, to get all the bargain, Eg. 71; hafa tafl, to win the game, Fms. vii. 219; hafa erendi, to do one’s errand, succeed, Þkv. 10, 11, Fas. ii. 517: hafa bana, to have one’s bane, to die, Nj. 8; hafa úsigr, to be worsted, passim; hafa úfrið, to have no peace; hafa gagn, sóma, heiðr, neisu, óvirðing, skömm, etc. af e-u, to get profit, gain, honour, disgrace, etc. from a thing; hafa e-n í helju, to put one to death, Al. 123; hafa e-n undir, to get one under, subdue him, Nj. 95, 128; höfum eigi, sigrinn ór hendi, let not victory slip out of our hands, Fms. v. 294.

4. to get, receive; hann hafði góðar viðtökur, Nj. 4; hón skal hafa sex-tigi hundraða, 3; skyldi Högni hafa land, 118; selja skipit, ef hann hafði þat fyrir ( if he could get for it) sem hann vildi; Flosi spurði í hverjum aurum hann vildi fyrir hafa, hann kvaðsk vildu fyrir hafa land, 259; hafa tíðindi, sögur af e-m, to have, get tidings of or from one, Ld. 28; hafa sæmd, metorð óvirðing, to get honour, disgrace from one’s hands, Nj. 101; hafa bætr, to get compensation, Grág. i. 188; hafa innstæðuna eina, id.; hafa af e-m, to have the best of one, cheat one.

IV. to carry, wear, of clothes, ornaments, weapons:

1. of clothes, [cp. Lat. habitus and Icel. höfn = gear]; hafa hatt á höfði, Ld. 28; hafa váskufl yztan klæða, … þú skalt hafa undir ( wear beneath) hin góðu klæði þín, Nj. 32; hann hafði blán kyrtil, … hann hafði svartan kyrtil, Boll. 358; hafa fald á höfði, to wear a hood; hón hafði gaddan rautt á höfði, Orkn. 304; hann hafði um sik breitt belti, he wore a broad belt, Nj. 91; hafa fingr-gull á hendi, 146: to have about one’s person, vefja saman ok hafa í pungi sínum, Edda 27; hlutir sem mönnum var títt at hafa, Fms. xi. 128.

2. of weapons, to wield, carry; spjót þat er þú hefir í hendi, Boll. 350; hafa kylfu í hendi sér, to have a club in one’s hand, Fms. xi. 129; hafa staf í hendi, to have a stick in the hand, Bárð.; Gunnarr hafði atgeirinn ok sverðit, Kolskeggr hafði saxit, Hjörtr hafði alvæpni, Nj. 93; hann hafdi öxi snaghyrnda, Boll. 358; hann hafði kesjuna fyrir sér, he held the lance in rest, Eg. 532.

V. here may be added a few special phrases; hafa hendr fyrir sér, to grope, feel with the hands (as in darkness); hafa vit fyrir sér, to act wisely; hafa at sér hendina, to draw one’s hand back, Stj. 198; hafa e-t eptir, to do or repeat a thing after one, Konr.; hafa e-t yfir, to repeat (of a lesson): hafa sik, to betake oneself; hafa sik til annarra landa, Grett. 9 new Ed.; hann vissi varla hvar hann átti at hafa sik, he knew not where ( whither) to betake himself, Bs. i. 807; hefir hann sik aptr á stað til munklífisins, Mar.

C. Passing into the sense of hefja (see at the beginning); hafa e-t uppi, to heave up, raise; hafa flokk uppi, to raise a party, to rebel, Fb. ii. 89: hafa uppi færi, net, a fisherman’s term, to heave up, take up the net or line, Háv. 46; Skarphéðinn hafði uppi ( heaved up) öxina, Nj. 144: hafa uppi tafl, to play at a game, Vápn. 29; þar vóru mjök töfl uppi höfð ok sagna-skemtan, Þorf. Karl. 406, v. l.: hafa e-n uppi, to hold one up, bring him to light; svá máttu oss skjótast uppi hafa, Fær. 42: metaph. to reveal, vándr riddari hafði allt þegar uppi, Str. 10.

2. with the notion to begin; Bárðr hafði uppi orð sín ( began his suit) ok bað Sigríðar, Eg. 26, Eb. 142; hafa upp stefnu, to begin the summons, Boll. 350; hafa upp ræður, to begin a discussion; ræður þær er hann hafði uppi haft við Ingigerði, Fms. iv. 144, where the older text in Ó. H. reads umræður þær er hann hafði upp hafit (from hefja), 59; cp. also Vsp., þat langniðja-tal mun uppi hafat (i. e. hafit) meðan öld lifir, 16, (cp. upp-haf, beginning); þó at ek hafa síðarr um-ræðu um hann, better þó at ek hafa (i. e. hefja) síðarr upp ræðu um hann, though I shall below treat of, discuss that, Skálda (Thorodd) 168; er lengi hefir uppi verit haft síðan (of a song), Nj. 135; cp. also phrases such as, hafa á rás, to begin running, take to one’s heels, Fms. iv. 120, ix. 490; næsta morgin hefir út fjörðinn, the next morning a breeze off land arose, Bs. ii. 48: opp. is the phrase, hafa e-t úti, to have done, finished; hafa úti sitt dags-verk, Fms. xi. 431; hafa úti sekt sína, Grett. 149.

D. Passing into the sense of a lost strong verb, hafa, hóf (see at the beginning), to behave, do, act:

I. with an adverb, hafa vel, ílla, or the like, to behave, and in some instances to do well or badly, be happy or unhappy,

α. to behave; en nú vil ek eigi verr hafa en þú, Fms. iv. 342; þeir sögðu at konungr vildi verr hafa en þeir, 313; hefir þú ílla ór (málum or the like understood) haft við mik, Fs. 140; ólikr er Gísli öðrum í þolinmæði, ok hefir hann betr en vér, Gísl. 28.

β. to do so and so (to be happy, unhappy); verr hafa þeir er trygðum slitu, Mkv. 3; ílla hefir sá er annan svíkr, 18; vel hefir sá er þat líða lætr, 6; vel hefir sá ( he is happy) er eigi bíðr slíkt íllt þessa heims, Fms. v. 145; hvílíkt hefir þú, how dost thou? Mar.; hafa hart, to do badly, to be wretched; at sál Þorgils mætti fyrir þær sakir eigi hart hafa, Sturl. iii. 292, Mar.; Ólafr hafði þá hölzti ílla, O. was very poorly, D. N. ii. 156; þykisk sá bezt hafa ( happiest) er fyrstr kemr heim, Fms. xi. 248; þá hefir hann bazt af hann þegir, i. e. that is the best he can do if he holds his tongue, Hm. 19; þess get ek at sá hafi verr ( he will make a bad bargain) er þik flytr, Nj. 128; úlfgi hefir ok vel, the wolf is in a bad plight, Ls. 39; mun sá betr hafa er eigi tekr við þér, id.; betr hefðir þú, ef …, thou wouldest do better, if …, Akv. 16.

γ. adding sik; hafa sik vel, to behave well, Fms. x. 415, Stj. 436.

II. with the prep. at, to do, act, (hence at-höfn, at-hæfi, act, doing); hann lét ekki til búa vígs-málit ok engan hlut at hafa, Nj. 71; en ef þeim þykkir of lítið féit tekit, þá skulu þeir hafa at hit sama, to act in the same way, Grág. ii. 267; hvatki es þeir hafa at, Fms. xi. 132; hann tók af þér konuna, en þú hafðir ekki at, but thou didst not stir, didst take it tamely, Nj. 33; bæði munu menn þetta kalla stórvirki ok íllvirki, en þó má nú ekki at hafa, but there is no help for it, 202; eigi sýnisk mér meðal-atferðar-leysi, at vér höfum eigi at um kvámur hans, i. e. that we submit tamely to his coming, Fs. 32: absol., viltú þess freista, ok vita þá hvat at hafi, wilt thou try and see how it will do? Bjarn. 27; en nú skaltú fara fyrir, ok vita hvat at hafi, Bs. i. 712.

III. phrases, hafa hátt, to be noisy, talk loud, Fms. i. 66; við skulum ekki hafa hátt ( do not cry loud) hér er maðr á glugganum, a lullaby song; hafa lágt, to keep silent; hafa hægt, to keep quiet; hafa sik á (í) hófi, to compose oneself, Ls. 36; hafa í hótum við e-n, to use threatening ( foul) language, Fb. i. 312; hafa í glett við e-n, to banter one, Fms. viii. 289; hafa íllt at verki, to do a bad deed, Ísl. ii. 184.

E. Passing into the sense of the verb hæfa (see at the beginning), to aim at, hit, with dat.:

I. to hit; svá nær hafði hausinum, at …, the shot so nearly hit the head, that …, Fms. ii. 272; þat sama forað, sem henni hafði næst váða, those very precipices from which she had so narrow an escape, Bs. i. 200, Fms. ix. 357; nær hafði nú, at skjótr mundi verða okkarr skilnaðr, Al. 124; nær hafði okkr nú, it struck near us, it was a narrow escape, Fms. viii. 281; kvaðsk svá dreymt hafa ( have dreamed), at þeim mundi nær hafa, ix. 387, v. l.; ok er nær hafði at skipit mundi fljóta, when the ship was on the point of floating, Ld. 58; ok hafði svá nær (it was within a hair’s breadth), at frændr Þorvalds mundu ganga at honum, Nj. 160; ok hafði svá nær at þeir mundi berjask, Íb. 11, cp. Bs. i. 21: the phrase, fjarri hefir, far from it! Edda (in a verse).

2. to charge; eigi em ek þar fyrir sönnu hafðr, I am not truly aimed at for that, ‘tis a false charge, Eg. 64; þeim manni er fyrir sökum er hafðr, i. e. the culprit, Grág. i. 29; cp. the mod. phrase, hafa á e-u, to make a charge of a thing; það varð ekki á því haft, they could not make a case for a charge of it.

II. metaph. to be the ground or reason for, (hence til-hæfa, reason, fact, foundation); til þess ætla vitrir menn þat haft at Ísland sé Tile (i. e. Thule) kallað, at …, learned men suppose that is the reason that Iceland is called Thule, that …, Landn. (pref.); mikit mun til haft, er einmæli er um (there must be some reason for it, because all people say so), Þorgils segir, eigi er fyrir haft ( there is no ground whatever for it), at ek mæla betr fyrir griðum en aðrir menn, Ísl. ii. 379; vér hyggjum þat til þess haft vera, at þar hafi menn sésk, we believe the substance of the story is that men have been seen there, Fms. xi. 158; hvat er til þess haft um þat (what is the truth of the matter?), hefir sundr-þykki orðit með ykkr? Boll. 364: in the saying, hefir hverr til síns ágætis nokkut, every one gets his reputation for something, Nj. 115.

2. to happen, coincide; hefir svá til, at hann var þar sjálfr, Fms. xi. 138, v. l.

β. the phrase, hafa mikit (lítið) til síns máls, to have much ( little) reason for one’s tale, i. e. to be much, little, in the right, Fms. vii. 221, xi. 138 (v. l.), Nj. 88: um þenna hefir svá stórum, it matters so much with this man, (v. l. for mun stórum skipta), Fms. xi. 311.

F. REFLEX. to keep, dwell, abide, but only of a temporary shelter or abode, cp. Lat. habitare, (cp. also höfn, a haven); hann hefsk á náttartíma niðri í vötnum, at night-time he keeps down in the water, Stj. 77: to live, þeir höfðusk mjök í kaupferðum, they spent much of their life in travelling, Hkr. i. 276; hann hafðisk löngum í bænum, Bs. i. 353.

β. with prep. við; hér mun ek við hafask ( I will stay here) en þú far til konungs, Fb. ii. 125; hafðisk hann við á skógum eðr í öðrum fylgsnum, 302; því at hann hafðisk þá á skipum við, Fms. viii. 44; hvílsk heldr ok hafsk við í því landi, rest and stay in that land, Stj. 162; Ásgeirr hafðisk við uppi í dalnum, Sd. 154; hafask lind fyrir, to cover oneself with a shield (?), Vsp. 50; hafask hlífar fyrir, to be mailed in armour, Hkm. 11.

2. hafask at, to do, behave (cp. D. above); vóru þeir þá svá móðir, at þeir máttu ekki at hafask, Fms. ii. 149; en síðan skulut þér at hafa slíkt sem ek kann fyrir segja, i. 158; þat eitt munu við at hafask, at ek mun betr göra en þú, Nj. 19; Lambi sá hvat Steinarr hafðisk at, Eg. 747.

3. hafask vel, to do well, thrive; vaxa ok vel hafask, to wax and do well, Hm. 142; nú er þat bæn mín, at þér hafisk við vel, that you bear yourself well up, Fms. ix. 497; Jungfrúin hafðisk vel við í ferðinni, x. 86; at fé hans mundi eigi hafask at betr at meðal-vetri, Grág. ii. 326.

4. recipr., hafask orð við, to speak to one another; ok er þat ósiðlegt, at menn hafisk eigi orð við, Fs. 14; þar til er þeir hafask réttar tölur við, N. G. L. i. 182.

II. part. hafandi is used in the sense of having conceived, being with child; þá verit hann varr við at hón var hafandi, 656 B. 14; hón skyldi verða hafandi at Guðs syni, id.; generally, allt þat er hafanda var lét burð sinn ok ærðisk, Fms. vii. 187; svá sem hón verðr at honum hafandi, Stj. 178; (hence barns-hafandi, being with child.)

G. The word hafa is in the Icel., as in other Teut. languages, used as an auxiliary verb with a part. pass. of another verb, whereby a compound preterite and pluperfect are formed as follows:

I. in transitive verbs with acc. the participle also was put in acc., agreeing in gender, number, and case with the objective noun or pronoun; this seems to have been a fixed rule in the earliest time, and is used so in all old poems down at least to the middle of the 11th century, to the time of Sighvat (circ. A. D. 990–1040), who constantly used the old form,—átt is an apostrophe for átta in the verse Ó. H. 81:

1. references from poets, Gm. 5, 12, 16; þá er forðum mik fædda höfðu, Vsp. 2; hverr hefði lopt lævi blandit eðr ætt jötuns Óðs mey gefna, 29; þær’s í árdaga áttar höfðu, 60: ek hafða fengna konungs reiði, Ad. 3; en Grjótbjörn um gnegðan hefir, 18; mik hefir marr miklu ræntan, Stor. 10; þó hefir Míms-vinr mér um fengnar bölva bætr, 22: gaupur er Haraldr hafi sveltar, Hornklofi: Loka mær hefir leikinn allvald, Ýt. 7; sá hafði borinn brúna-hörg, 14; jarlar höfðu veginn hann, 15: ek hef orðinn ( found) þann guðföðr (verða is here used as trans.), Hallfred; höfum kera framðan, id.: hann hefir litnar, sénar, hár bárur, Ísl. ii. 223, thus twice in a verse of A. D. 1002; göngu hefik of gengna, Korm. (in a verse); hann hafði farna för, Hkr. i. (Glum Geirason); ek hefi talðar níu orustur, Sighvat; þú hefir vanðan þik, id.; ér hafit rekna þá braut, Ó. H. 63 (Óttar Svarti); hann hefir búnar okkr hendr skrautliga, Sighvat (Ó. H. 13); þeir hafa færð sín höfuð Knúti, id.; hvar hafit ér hugðan mér sess, id.; hafa sér kenndan enn nørðra heims enda, id.; Sighvatr hefir lattan gram, id.; hefir þú hamar um fólginn, Þkv. 7, 8; þú hefir hvatta okkr, Gkv. 6; ek hefi yðr brennda, Am. 39, cp. 56; hefi ek þik minntan, 81; hefir þú hjörtu tuggin, Akv. 36; hefir þú mik dvalðan, Hbl. 51; ek hefi hafðar þrár, I have had throes, Fsm. 51; en ek hann görvan hef-k, svá hefi ek studdan, 12 (verse 13 is corrupt); hann hefir dvalða þik, Hkv. Hjörv. 29; lostna, 30; mik hefir sóttan meiri glæpr, 32; ek hefi brúði kerna, id.; þú hefir etnar úlfa krásir, opt sár sogin, Hkv. 1. 36; sá er opt hefir örnu sadda, 35; hefir þú kannaða koni óneisa, 23; þá er mik svikna höfðut, Skv. 3. 55; hann hafði getna sonu, Bkv. 8; þann sal hafa halir um görvan, Fm. 42; bróður minn hefir þú benjaðan, 25; er hann ráðinn hefir, 37; sjaldan hefir þú gefnar vargi bráðir, Eg. (in a verse).

2. references from prose; this old form has since been turned into an indecl. neut. sing. part. -it. The old form was first lost in the strong verbs and the weak verbs of the first conjugation: in the earliest prose both forms are used, although the indecl. is more freq. even in the prose writers, as Íb., the Heiðarv. S., the Miracle-book in Bs., Njála, Ó. H., (Thorodd seems only to use the old form,) as may be seen from the following references, Björn hafði særða þrjá menn, Nj. 262; hann mundi hana hafa gipta honum, 47; hann hafði þá leidda saman hestana, 264: ek hefi sendan mann, Ísl. (Heiðarv. S.) ii. 333; ek nefi senda menn, id.: hafa son sinn ór helju heimtan, Bs. (Miracle-book) i. 337; en er þeir höfðu niðr settan sveininn, 349; hann hafði veidda fimm tegu fiska, 350: er þér hefir ílla neisu gorva, Ó. H. 107: þá hefi ek fyrri setta þá í stafrófi, Skálda (Thorodd) 161; þar hefi ek við görva þessa stafi fjóra, id.; hafa hann samsettan, 167: góða fylgd hefir þú mér veitta, Þorst Síðu H. 2: sagði, at Ólafr konungr hafði sendan hann, Bs. i. 11: Þyri, er hertogi hafði festa nauðga, Fms. x. 393 (Ágrip): hefi ek þá svá signaða ok magnaða, v. 236: hefir sólin gengna tvá hluti, en einn úgenginn, K. Þ. K. 92 (Lund’s Syntax, p. 12).

β. again, neut. indecl., hana hafði átt fyrr Þoróddr, Ísl. ii. 192: hón hafði heimt húskarl sinn …, Ísl. (Heiðarv. S.) ii. 339; hann hefir ekki svá vel gyrt hest minn, 340; hefir þú eigi séð mik, 341; hve hann hafði lokkat hann. id.; gistingar hefi ek yðr fengit, 343: þeir höfðu haft úfrið ok orrostur, Íb. 12; hann hafði tekið lögsögu, 14: stafr er átt hafði Þorlákr, Bs. (Miracle-book) i. 340; er þær höfðu upp tekit ketilinn ok hafit …, 342; göngu es hann hafði gingit, 344; es sleggjuna hafði niðr fellt, 346; sem maðr hefði nýsett (hana) niðr, id.; jartein þá er hann þóttisk fingit hafa, 347; hafði prestrinn fært fram sveininn, 349: hjálm er Hreiðmarr hafði átt, Edda 73: hafa efnt sína heitstrenging, Fms. (Jómsv. S.) xi. 141: slíkan dóm sem hann hafði mér hugat, Ó. H. 176, etc. passim:—at last the inflexion disappeared altogether, and so at the present time the indecl. neut. sing. is used throughout; yet it remains in peculiar instances, e. g. konu hefi eg mér festa, Luke xiv. 20, cp. Vídal. ii. 21. ☞ This use of the inflexive part. pass. may often serve as a test of the age of a poem, e. g. that Sólarljóð was composed at a later date may thus be seen from verses 27, 64, 72, 73, 75, 79; but this test is to be applied with caution, as the MSS. have in some cases changed the true forms (-inn, -ann, and -it, -an being freq. abbreviated in the MSS. so as to render the reading dubious). In many cases the old form is no doubt to be restored, e. g. in vegit to veginn, Fm. 4, 23; búit to búinn, Hkv. Hjörv. 15; borit to borinn, Hkv. 1. 1; beðit to beðinn, Fsm. 48; orðit to orðin, Og. 23; roðit to roðinn, Em. 5; brotið to brotinn, Vkv. 24, etc.: but are we to infer from Ls. 23, 26, 33, that this poem is of a comparatively late age?

II. the indecl. neut. sing. is, both in the earliest poems and down to the present day, used in the following cases:

1. with trans. verbs requiring the dat. or gen.; ek hefi fengit e-s, hann hafði fengit konu; hafa hefnt e-s, Fms. xi. 25; sú er hafði beðit fjár, Þkv. 32; stillir hefir stefnt mér, Hkv. Hjörv. 33, and so in endless cases.

2. in the reflex. part. pass.; þeir (hann) hafa (hefir) látisk, farisk, sagsk, etc.

3. in part. of intrans. neut. verbs, e. g. þeir þær (hann, hón), hafa (hefir) setið, staðit, gengit, legit, farit, komit, verit, orðit, lifað, dáit, heitið …, also almost in every line both of prose and poetry.

4. in trans. verbs with a neut. sing. in objective case the difference cannot be seen.

☞ The compound preterite is common to both the Romance and Teutonic languages, and seems to be older in the former than in the latter; Grimm suggests that it originated with the French, and thence spread to the Teutons. That it was not natural to the latter is shewn by the facts, that

α. no traces of it are found in Gothic, nor in the earliest Old High German glossaries to Latin words.

β. in the earliest Scandinavian poetry we can trace its passage from declinable to indeclinable.

γ. remains are left in poetry of a primitive uncompounded preterite infinitive, e. g. stóðu = hafa staðit, mundu, skyldu, vildu, etc., see Gramm. p. xxv, col. 2. ☞ We may here note a curious dropping of the verb hefir, at ek em kominn hingat til lands, ok verit áðr ( having been) langa hríð utan-lands, Ó. H. 31, cp. Am. 52; barn at aldri, en vegit slíka hetju sem Þorvaldr var, Glúm. 382. On this interesting matter see Grimm’s remarks in his Gramm. iv. 146 sqq.

(að), v.

1) to manage, arrange, with dat. (svá skulu vér haga inngöngu vorri);

fénu var hagat til gæzlu, the money was taken into keeping;

with adv., hvernig skulum vér þá til haga, how shall we arrange it;

haga svá til, at, to arrange or contrive it so that;

haga e-m til e-s, to turn out so and so for one (þat hagaði Ólafi til mikils harms);

2) to suit, be suitable (skip með þeim farmi, sem ek veit vel hagar til Íslands).

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að, [Hel. bihagan; Germ. behagen], to manage, arrange, with dat.; hversu hann skyldi haga verks-háttum sínum, Eb. 150; svá skulu vér haga inngöngu várri, at …, Fms. i. 16; en nú var oss því hægra at haga kostum þeirra eptir várri vild, vi. 261; at haga svá formælinu, at …, to put the words so, that …, 655 xi. 2; haga sér til sess, to take one’s seat, Ó. H. (in a verse); haga hálft yrkjum, to take the middle course, Am. 57; en fénu var hagat til gæzlu, the money was taken into keeping, Fms. iv. 31; þeim er sólina gerði, ok heiminum hagaði ok hann gerði, Fagrsk. 11.

β. with adv., skal erkibiskup haga svá, at hann hafi lög, N. G. L. i. 145; hvernig skulum vér þá til haga, Fms. vi. 201;.

γ. to conduct oneself, behave; þér hagit yðr verr en annarr lýðr, Stj. 430; ef vegandi hefir sér til óhelgi hagat, Grág. ii. 106; ef hann hagar annan veg ( does otherwise), ok verðr hann útlagr um þrem mörkum, K. Þ. K. 84.

δ. with prep. til, to contrive; svarði hann eiða, at hann skyldi svá til haga, at …, Edda 26; bað Þórir svá til haga, at Egill sé ekki langvistum í mínu ríki, Eg. 237; hagaðu svá til, at þú vitir víst at Hrærekr komi aldregi síðan lífs til Noregs, Ó. H. 75; haga svá (til) sem Jökull vildi, Fs. 10.

2. absol., haga e-m, to turn out so and so for one; en þetta sama hagaði honum til mikils háska, but this turned out to his great peril, Fms. viii. 17; þat hagar okkr til auðar, it falls luckily for us, Gísl. (in a verse); ok hagar þá siðleysi eigi vel fyrir manni, Sks. 280; oss þætti sem þér sé lítt til gamans hagat, Fas. ii. 225; ok hefir vætr meir til úyndis hagat, en þá, i. e. it was a sore calamity, Bs. i. 79; er sálinni hagar til mikils háska, which is fraught with much peril to the soul, Al. 163; þat hagaði Ólafi til mikils harms, Fms. x. 239; í þeim eyri sem okkr bezt hagaði, in the money which suited us best. D. N.; vil ek gefa þér skip þetta með þeim farmi, sem ek veit vel hagar til Íslands, with a cargo which I know is suitable for Iceland, Fms. vi. 305; en mér er eigi um at finna hann, þannig sem til hagat er, as matters stand, Orkn. 428.

II. reflex. (rare), en það hagask svá til ( it so happened) at þeir gengu út fjórir, Sturl. i. 129 (where Bs. i. 434, berr svá til, at …).

III. part., at höguðu, meet, fitting; eigi skiptir þá at höguðu til, ef …, ‘tis not fitting, if …, Fms. ii. 61; cp. at högum, Fs. 99, l. c., and 79 (bottom):—van-haga, impers. to lack, want.

m. hemp.

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m. [this word, like all words in mp (np), is of for. origin; cp. Gr. κάνναβις, whence Lat. cannabis; Germ. hanf; Engl. hemp; Dan. hamp: it scarcely occurs before the middle of the 13th century; hörr, q. v., is the genuine northern word]:—hemp, Sks. 287, H. E. i. 395, N. G. L. ii. 355.

* * *

pers. pron. he.

* * *

pers. pron. masc. he; fem. HÓN or HÚN, she; for the pronunciation of this word see introduction to letter H; as to the inflexion see Gramm. p. xxi; in the MSS. the word is usually abbreviated  = hann; hº or hō = hón; m = hánum; ar = hennar; i or e = henni: the old dat. masc. was hánum, as shewn by rhymes, mána vegr und hánum, Haustl.; but in Icel. it was no doubt sounded h́num, by way of umlaut; it was then sounded hónum with a long vowel, and lastly honum with a short vowel, which also is the mod. form; the old MSS. often spell hánum in full; the spelling hönum in old printed books recalls the old form h́num; from Pass. 9. 7 it may be seen that in the middle of the 17th century the dative was sounded precisely as at present.

2. sing. fem. hón (ho in mod. Norse, hoo in Lancashire) seems to be the older form; the MSS. use both forms hón and hún, but the former is the usual one; it was prob. sounded h́n, which again points to a long root vowel, hánn, hána? [Cp. Ulf. is; Germ. er; A. S., Engl., and Hel. he; old Fris. hi; in the Scandin. idioms with a suffixed demonstrative particle, vide Gramm. p. xxviii; Dan. and Swed. han, hun, etc.]

B. As this word appears almost in every line only special usages need be mentioned, as, ef maðr færir ómaga fram ok beri fé undir hann (acc., sc. ómagi), eðr eigi hann (nom., the same) fé, þá skal hann (nom., sc. maðr) beiða hann (acc., sc. ómagi) með vátta, at hann (nom., the same) seli hánum (dat., sc. maðr) fjár-heimting á hönd þeim mönnum er hann (nom., sc. ómagi) á fé undir, Grág. i. 279; here the context is very perplexing, chiefly owing to the identity of acc. and nom. sing. masc., but also because the pron. is sometimes demonstr., sometimes reflexive; in the latter case an Icel. would now say sér instead of hánum: so also, þá skal hann beiða samþingis-goða, at hanu fái honum (i. e. sibi) mann, 10: again, skal hann selja sókn ok vörn ef hann vill, ok svá varðveizlu fjár síns þess er hann á hér eptir, 146; þá skal hón ráða við ráð frænda síns ( her) nokkurs, 307; Gunnarr kenndi féit at þat var hit sama sem hann (i. e. Njal) hafði honum (i. e. to Gunnar) greitt, Nj. 56.

II. the pers. pron. is often prefixed to a pr. name, as a sign of familiarity; farit upp til hestsins ok gætið hans Kols, Nj. 56; eðr hverr maðr er hann Gunnarr, what sort of a man is Gunnar? 51; ok hleypr á hann Þorkel upp, 114; ok leitið ér at honum Höskuldi, go and look after Hoskuld, 171; sæmd er ek veitta honum Þórólfi bróður þínum, Eg. 112; segir hann Pálnir, Fms. xi. 47; hón Ingibjörg, 49; hann Gísli, Grett. (in a verse); ok berjask við hann Ólaf, Fagrsk. 86; hans Vígólfs, Sól.; svá er, segir hann Þórðr, Ísl. ii. 329:—this has become very freq. in mod. conversational usage, so that a person (nay, even an animal or a ship that has a name) is scarcely ever named without the pron., bidd’ ‘ann Jón að koma, segð’ ‘onum Jóni, vekt’ ‘ana Sigríði; hún Sigga litla, hann Jón litli, etc.; or of ponies, sækt’ ‘ann Brún, legð’ á ‘ana Skjónu; cp. the dialogue in Ísl. Þjóðs. i. 612,—ég skal fylla mína hít, segir ‘ún Hvít, ég ét sem ég þoli, segir ‘ann boli, etc.; or Kvöldv. ii. 197,—taktú þarna frá ‘enni Reyðr og gefð’ ‘enni Hyrnu, hún Húfa hefir flækt sig í niðrbandinu.

III. er hann = who, that; sá maðr er hann vill, Grág. i. 19, 27, 36, vide p. 132.

2. answering to Fr. on, Germ. man, Engl. one; væri sverðit til tækt er hann vildi, when one wished, Eg. 505; but this use is very rare.

n. ‘Hecla-fell’ the name of mount Hecla, Bs., Ann. passim; in mod. usage abbreviated Hekla, prob. called so from its frock or hood of snow. Fourteen eruptions of mount Hecla are recorded, of A. D. 1104, 1158, 1206, 1222, 1300, 1341, 1389, 1440 (the exact year uncertain), 1510, 1597, 1636, 1693, 1766, 1845, besides earthquakes or partial eruptions in the immediate neighbourhood in 1294 and 1554, see Ísl. Ann., Jón Egilsson (Annals), Björn á Skarðsá (Annals). In the Middle Ages Hecla became mythical in Europe, and was regarded as a place of punishment for the damned; the Danes say ‘begone to Heckenfjæld,’ the North Germans ‘to Hackelberg,’ the Scots ‘to John Hacklebirnie’s house,’ cp. the Sks. 154.

* * *

(pl. -ar), f.

1) catching; var í hendingum með þeim, they were near coming to close quarters;

2) rhyme or assonance; rhyming or assonating syllable.

* * *

f. a catching, in the phrase, var í hendingum með þeim, they came to close quarters, of pursuit, Sturl. ii. 66; varð hann skjótastr ok var þá í hendingum með þeim Sveini, Orkn. 336, Grett. 136 new Ed.

2. adverb. hendingum, by chance; veita ansvör sem hendingum væri, Barl. 143; whence the mod. af hendingu, by hap, by chance, cp. Dan. hændelse = a chance, hap.

II. metric. rhymes; the ancient double rhymes were both placed in the same line, so as to ‘catch’ one another: distinction is made between an aðal-henda ( a full rhyme) and a skot-henda ( a half rhyme), thus in Fast orðr skyli fyrða | fengsæll vera þengill,—‘orð fyrð’ are half rhymes, ‘feng þeng’ full rhymes; the first rhyming syllable in the verse (as orð feng) was called frum-hending, head-rhyme, the second (as fyrð þeng) viðr-hending, after-rhyme; if the head-rhyme (as feng in the second verse line above) was placed as the initial syllable it was called odd-hending, edge-rhyme; if in the middle (as orð in the first line), hlut-hending, chance-rhyme, see Edda (Ht.) 121, Skálda 178; the phrase jafnháfar hendingar refers to the final consonants, Fms. vi. 386, Skálda 190: end rhymes, as in mod. poetry, were called Run-henda (or Rím-henda?), but they are extremely rare in old poets: alternate end rhymes began to appear in the Rímur or Rhapsodies of the 14th century, and since that time in hymns;

β. verses gener.; mælti hann (Odin) allt hendingum, svá sem nú er þat kveðit er skáldskapr heitir, Hkr. (Yngl. S.) 10: in mod. usage hending often means the line of a verse or stanza, and hence poët. verses; héðan fagna eg hendingar heim að senda yðr, Núm. 8. 8: names of metres, odd-hending, al-h., used differently from the old sense.

COMPDS: hendingarlaust, hendingarorð, hendingaskipti.

n. the middle of a hay-cock, Ísl. ii. 69.

1) the boss or knob at the end of a sword hilt (eptra, efra hjaltit);

2) the guard between the hilt and blade (fremra hjaltit).

* * *

n. [A. S. and Engl. hilt], the boss or knob at the end of a sword’s hilt; also the guard between the hilt and blade; the former being sometimes distinguished as the eptra or efra hjalt ( hinder or upper, accordingly as the sword was held), and the latter as fremra h., the fore part or guard, where blade and hilt join; or else the plur. hjölt is used; í því gékk hjaltið af sverðinu hit efra ok hljóp þá brandrinn fram ór meðalkafla umgörðinni, Sturl. iii. 283; hjölt ok meðalkafli, Þiðr. 114; eftra hjaltið, opp. to fremra hjaltið, Karl. 124, Korm. ch. 9, Ld. ch. 57, Eb. ch. 13, and Gísl. 72, vide gadd-hjalt, cp. Hkv. Hjörv. 9, Sdm. 6; hjölt ór gulli, Akv. 7; sverð með gulligum hjöltum, Fms. i. 15; nema hjöltin við neðra gómi, Edda 20; sverðit brotnaði undir hjaltinu, Nj. 43, Fms. ii. 484, Gullþ. 18; skaltú nú vera þegn hans er þú tókt við sverði hans at hjöltunum, Fms. i. 15; Helgi hnauð hjalt á sverð, Nj. 66; hann leggr sverðinu á þessum sama flekk ok fellr á hjöltin, Fb. i. 258. ☞ The Engl. hilt is in Icel, called meðal-kafli, ‘middle-piece:’ the Engl. word is derived from the Scandin., but in a different sense.

(-s, -ar), m.

1) helm, helmet;

2) rick (of hay or barley).

* * *

m. [Goth. hilms; A. S., Engl., Hel., O. H. G., and Germ. helm; Dan.-Swed. hjalm; Ital. elmo; old Fr. heaume; a Teut. word prob. derived from hylja, to hide]:—a helm, helmet; distinguished from stálhúfa, a steel hood; luktr hjálmr, a closed, shut helm, only occurs in very late writers, e. g. D. N. i. 321; steyptir hjálmar, Gkv. 2. 19, cannot mean cast-iron helmets, but must be helmets coming over the face, as cast-iron was unknown in the Middle Ages, see Aarb. for Nord. Oldk. 1868, p. 9; aringreypir hjálmar, helms shaped like an eagle’s beak, Akv. 3; gull-h., a gilt helm; ár-hjálmr, a brazen helmet, Hkm.: the word âr is A. S., since helmets were of English workmanship, as is seen also in Valskir hjálmar, foreign helmets, which are mentioned by Sighvat.

2. in the mythology Odin is called Hjálm-beri, a, m. helm-bearer, Gm.; he and the Valkyrias were represented as wearing helmets, Edda, Hkm. 9, Hkv. 1. 15; whence the poets call the helmet the hood of Odin (Hropts höttr): the vault of heaven is called the ‘helm’ of the wind, sun, etc., lopt-h., vind-h., sólar-h., Lex. Poët.: the head is called hjálm-stofn, hjálm-staup, hjálm-stallr, hjálm-setr, the stem, knoll, seat of the helm: the weapons, hjálm-angr, -grand, -gagarr, -gríðr, -reyr, -skass, -svell, are called the bane, ogre, etc. of the helm: battle is hjálm-drífa, -grap, -hríð, -rödd, -skúr, -þrima, the storm, gale of the helm: a warrior is hjálm-lestir, -njótr, -njörðungr, -rækjandi, -stafr, -stýrandi, -týr, -þollr, -þróttr: it appears in adjectives, hjálm-faldinn, helm-hooded; hjálm-göfugr, -prýddr, -samr, -tamiðr, decked with, wearing a helm, Lex. Poët.

3. metaph. and mythol.; huliðs-hjálmr, a ‘hiding-helm,’ cap of darkness, Germ. tarn-kappe, which in the popular tales makes the wearer invisible, in Alm. the clouds are so called; ægis-hjálmr (ýgrs-h.), cp. the Αιγίς of the Greek, helm of terror, properly used of serpents, Sæm. 13 (prose), Edda 73, Fas. i. 175: in the phrase, bera ægishjálm yfir e-m, to bear the ægis over or before another, i. e. to hold him in awe and submission, Fm. 16, 17, Ld. 130, Fms. viii. 101, Fas. i. 162, Sd. 155, Hrafn. 19, cp. Ad. 4: in mod. usage, hafa ægis-hjálm í augum, to have an ægis in one’s eyes, i. e. a magical overawing power of eye; cp. hjalm = horror, Ivar Aasen: in pr. names, Hjálmr, Hjálmarr, Hjálm-geirr, Hjálm-grímr, Hjálm-gunnarr, Hjálm-týr, Hjálmr-gerðr, not freq., Landn., Fbr. iii, Edda; suffixed in Vil-hjálmr, William.

II. of helmet-shaped things:

1. a rick of barley, hay, or the like (bygg-h., hey-h., korn-h., q. v.); hlaða korni í hjálma, Ó. H. 30, Stj. 413, N. G. L. ii. 358: also a hay-house, barn, hjálma ok hús, i. 38; cp. hjálm-hús.

2. kerta-hjálmr, ljósa-h., a chandelier.

n. heathen temple.

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n. [in A. S., Hel., and O. H. G. hof means a hall, Lat. aedes, (whence mod. Germ. hof = a farm, answering to Icel. bær or Norse ból,) and spec. the court or king’s household, (in the old Scandin. languages this sense is unknown); Ulf renders ναός and ἱερόν by alhs; in Danish local names -vé prevails, but in Norse and Icel. Hof still survives in many local names, Hof, Hof-garðr, Hof-staðir, Hofs-fell, Hofs-teigr, Hofs-vágr, Landn., Munch’s Norg. Beskriv.; and as the temple formed the nucleus of the old political life (see goði and goðorð), all these names throw light on the old political geography; cp. Hofland near Appleby in Engl.]:—a temple; distinction is made between hof, a temple ( a sanctuary with a roof), and hörgr, an altar, holy circle, or any roofless place of worship: passages referring to hof and worship are very numerous, e. g. for Norway, Hkr. Yngl. S. ch. 12, Hák. S. Aðalst. ch. 16, Ó. T. ch. 76 (by Odd Munk ch. 41), Ó. H. (1853) ch. 113–115, O. H. L. ch. 36, Fær. ch. 23, Nj. ch. 88, 89, Fas. i. 474 (Hervar. S.); for Iceland, Landn. 1. ch. 11, 21, 2. ch. 12, 3. ch. 16 (twice), 4. ch. 2, 6 (interesting), 7, 5. ch. 3 (p. 284), 8 (interesting), 12, Eb. ch. 3, 4, 10, Glúm. ch. 25, Harð. ch. 19, 37, Vd. ch. 15, 17, Hrafn. ch. 2, Eg. ch. 87, Gullþ. ch. 7, Vápn. pp. 10, 11, Dropl. pp. 10, 11, Kristni S. ch. 2, etc.; cp. also Vsp. 7, Vþm. 38, Hkv. Hjörv. 4: poët., orð-hof, the word’s sanctuary = the mouth, Stor.

2. a hall (as in Germ. and Saxon), Hým. 33 (απ. λεγ.)

COMPDS:

I. with gen., hofs-dyrr, n. pl. temple-doors, Fms. i. 97. hofs-eiðr, m. a temple-oath, Glúm. 388. hofs-goði, a, m. = hofgoði, Eg. 754. hofs-helgi, f. = hofhelgi. hofs-hurð, f. a temple-door ( janua), Fms. i. 302. hofs-höfðingi, a, m. a temple-lord, Post. 645. 90. hofs-mold, f. temple-earth, holy mould, see Landn. 254. hofs-teigr, m. a strip of temple-land, glebe, Landn. 241.

II. hof-garðr, m. a temple-yard, a local name, Landn. hof-goði, a, m. a temple-priest (see goði), Landn. 254, Hkr. i. 6, Eb. 12, 14, 16 new Ed. hof-grið, n. pl. asylum in a sanctuary, Landn. 80, v. l. hof-gyðja, u, f. a priestess, Vápn. 10, Landn. 265, v. l. hof-helgi, f. a temple-holiday, feast; halda h., Ísl. ii. 15: the sanctity of a hof, Bret. 38, Eg. 251. hof-prestr, m. a temple-priest, Stj. hof-staðr, m. a ‘temple-stead,’ sanctuary, Eb. 26, Fms. ii. 73. hof-tollr, m. a temple-toll, rate, Vápn. 10, Eb. 6, 12 new Ed., Bs. i. 6, Gullþ. 11, answering to the modern church-rate.

B. A court, almost solely in compds, and not earlier than the 14th century, from Romances: hof-ferð, f. pride, pomp, Bs. ii. 122. hof-ferðugr, adj. proud. hof-fólk, n. pl. courtiers, Thom. 322, 479, Grett. 161, Karl. 51, Pass. 21. 8. hof-frakt, n. pomp, Fas. i. 46, Snót 86. hof-garðr, m. a lordly mansion, Thom., Bév., Rétt. hof-list, f. pomp, Thom. 479. hof-lýðr, m. = hoffólk, Clar. hof-maðr, m. a courtier; in pl. hofmenn, lords; hertogi greifi ok aðrir hofmenn, Ann. 1303; gentry, chiefly in the ballads of the Middle Ages, Ungan leit eg hofmann, Fkv. In the old dancing parties the leader of the gentlemen was styled hofmann (cp. Germ. Hoffmann). Before dancing began, men and maids having been drawn up in two rows, he went up to the ladies, and the following dialogue ensued: Hér er Hofmann, hér eru allir Hofmanns sveinar.—Hvað vill Hofmann, hvað vilja allir Hofmanns sveinar?—Mey vill Hofmann, mey vilja allir Hofmanns sveinar. Then each dancer engaged his lady for the dance; það var hlaup, og það var hofmanns hlaup, Safn i. 689. A plain in the neighbourhood of the alþingi, where the people met, is still called Hofmanna-flöt, f. ‘Gentry’s Lea.’ hof-móðugr, adj. haughty, Pass. 18. 5. hof-tyft, f. urbanity, Clar. hof-verk, n. a great feat, Safn i. 71. hof-þénari, a, m. a court servant, Fas. iii. 408.

(-jar, -ir), m.

1) backbone, spine;

2) ridge, mountain-ridge.

(acc. -van), a. afflicted, grieved, sad; er þér hryggt í hug, art thou heavy of heart?.

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m., gen. hryggjar, pl. hryggir, [A. S. hrycg; Engl. rigg, ridge (but only in the metaph. sense); O. H. G. hrucki; Germ. rücken; Dan. ryg; Swed. rygg]:—the back, spine, vertebrae dorsi, in men and beasts, the spine of a fish being called dálkr, q. v.; and even used of serpents, orma-h., Vsp. 44, Fms. v. 157, vii. 208, Nj. 129, 155, Gþl. 459, Karl. 426, Bs. i. 354, ii. 167, Grett. 90, 112.

II. metaph. a ridge, Gísl. 34, Landn. 115; fjall-h., a mountain ridge; in local names, as Öldu-hryggr: the middle of a piece of stuff or cloth, opp. to jaðar ( the edge); mæla (klæði) at hrygg eða jaðri, Grág. i. 498; hryggr bréfsins, the back of a letter, D. N. i. 593, v. 839: of an edge of a stud, Þiðr. 73.

COMPDS: hryggjarliðr, hryggjarstykki.

adj., old acc. hryggvan, with a characteristic v; compar. hryggri, Finnb. 224, and hryggvari; superl. hryggvastr: [A. S. hreowig; Engl. rueful]:—afflicted, grieved, distressed, Ls. 31, Gkv. 3. 1, Fms. ii. 290, v. 210, 239, ix. 500, Al. 56, Stj. 520, N. T., Pass., Vídal. passim.

adj. sweet as honey. ☞ In olden times and throughout the Middle Ages, honey was one of the chief exports from England to Scandinavia (Norway and Iceland), see the passages above; as sugar was then unknown, the export of honey far exceeded that of the present day.

m. a house-reading, home-service, family prayers, at which hymns are sung and a sermon or lesson read; such services are held in Icel. on Sundays all the year round, in the middle of the day, for the people who cannot get to church; the húslestr consists of the Gospel for the day and a printed sermon (Vídalíns Postilla), a short prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, and a hymn before and after. During the winter an evening service is held every week day (from November to April), which consists of a brief sermon (hugvekja), a prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, and a hymn: hence hús-lestrar-bók, f. a house-reading-book, a postil or the like; húslestrar-fær, adj. able to read a huslestr, of one who has learnt to read well; vera við húslestr, to attend a h. During Lent the Passíu-Sálmar are by popular consent appointed for the húslestr. This old and pious custom is entirely spontaneous, and not ordered by any church authority.

or hvárr-tveggja; an older form, hvaðar-tveggi, occurs in Hkr. i. 205 (in a verse), and acc. m. hvaðran-tveggja, Korm. 224 (middle of the 10th century).

A. Forms:—the older declension is hvárr-tveggja, originally in two words, of which the latter is a gen. of tveir, literally = uter duorum, whether of twain; this form freq. occurs in old writers, the latter part being indecl., thus, neut. hvárt-tveggja, utrum duorum, Grág. i. 113, Hom. 156, Eg. 61, v. 1.: gen. hvárs-tveggja, Fms. i. 19, Grág. ii. 144: dat. hvárum-tveggja, hváru-tveggja, Fms. ii. 310, vii. 251, x. 304, Hkr. iii. 8, Grág. i. 113, Nj. 64, Eg. 181, Ísl. ii. 332; dat. fem. hvárri-tveggja, Sks. 215 B: acc. hvárn-tveggja, Nj. 145, Fms. i. 12, 13, K. Þ. K. 158: nom. pl. hvárir-tveggja, Sks. 272: gen. pl. hvárra-tveggja, Fms. x. 276.

II. tveggja afterwards took a kind of weak inflexion, viz. tveggi in nom. sing., tveggju in the oblique cases and in plur., in dat. tveggjum, but these forms are often applied with great irregularity; nom. sing. hvárr-tveggi, Grág. i. 6l, Fms. i. 17, 265, x. 249, Nj. 39, 55, 59, Ld. 290, Landn. 47, Ísl. ii. 360, 366, 369, Eg. 765, Js. 8, Hkr. iii. 8, passim: gen. fem. hvarrar tveggju, Boll. 326 C: dat. fem. sing. hvárri-tveggju, Grág. ii. 228, Nj. 210, v. 1.: acc. fem. hvára-tveggju, Fms. i. 62: pl. hvárir-tveggju, 655 xvii. i, Grág. i. 69, 107, Fms. i. 38, Eg. 267, Fb. ii. 103, 211, Fbr. 98, passim: acc. pl. hvára-tveggju, Grág. i. 78, Ld. 210: gen. pl. hvárra-tveggju, Eg. 32, Fms. ii. 14: dat. pl. hvárum-tveggjum, Grág. i. 30, ii. 44, Fms. i. 114, Landn. 160, passim.

2. mixed irreg. forms, nom. pl. hvárir-tveggi, Grág. i. 69; hváru-tveggju (as nom. pl.), Ísl. ii. 254, scarcely occurs in good old MSS., but is freq. in mod. usage even as an indecl. form.

B. Usage:

I. either, each of two, both, Lat. uterque, Gr. ἑκάτερος, used both as adjective and substantive: 1. as adjective; ór hvárritveggju hlustinni, Nj. 210; ór hvárutveggju liðinu, Hkr. iii. 8; hvárumtveggjum leysingjunum, Fms. i. 114; ór hvárutveggja því vatni, vii. 251; hvárrtveggi herrinn, Hkr. iii. 8; um Mæri hváratveggju, Fms. i. 62; at hvárritveggju tiltekju þessi. Grág. ii. 228; á Bálkastöðum hvárumtveggjum, Landn. 160.

2. as substantive, with gen.; hvárrtveggi þeirra, Grág. i. 61; hvárumtveggja þeirra, Nj. 64; hugr hvárstveggja þeirra, Fms. i. 19: with a possess, pron., hvárrtveggi okkarr, Nj. 55.

β. absol., til hvárstveggja, góðs ok ílls, Grág. ii. 144; hvárttveggja, fuglar ok aðrar skepnur, Sks. 103 B; við skaplyndi hvárratveggju, Fms. ii. 14; hvárttveggja, ok þó …, Sks. 351 B; at hvárirtveggi nemi orð annarra, Grág. i. 69.

II. the neut. hvárttveggja, used as adverb, both; þá hefir þat h. tynt góðum siðum ok dugandi mönnum, Sks. 348; very freq. in mod. usage with the particle enda ironically expressing dislike, það er hvortveggja hann kann mikit, enda veit hann af því, ‘tis true he knows much, but he lets it be seen.

* * *

(hvet; hvatta, hvöttum; hvattr), v.

1) to whet, sharpen (h. sverð);

2) to encourage (síðan hvatti hann lið sitt);

hvat hvatti þik hingat? what urged thee to come here?.

* * *

hvatti, hvatt, pres. hvet, part. hvattr, Gh. 6; a middle form hvöttomc, Hom. 29; [A. S. hwettgan; Engl. whet; Germ. wetzen; cp. hvass]:—to whet, sharpen a cutting instrument; h. sverð, Kormak; h. spjót, Fb. i. 189; Skarphéðinn hvatti öxi, Nj. 66, Fs. 72, Landn. 293; h. gadd, Stj. 77.

II. metaph. to make one keen, encourage; þats mik hvatti hugr, Ls. 64; síðan hvatti hann lið sitt, Fms. ix. 509, Hðm. 2; hvat hvatti þik hingat, what urged thee to come here? Nj. 6; h. ok hvessa, Fms. vii. 37; hugr mik hvatti, Fm. 6; heilög ritning hvetr oss opt at fara, Hom. 9, Fs. 6, passim: part, hvetjandi, an inciter, instigator, Mar. 656 A. i. 12: pass, hvatinn, cut; hvatinn spjóti, pierced with a spear, Fas. ii. (in a verse), απ. λεγ.; cp. hvatt (q. v.), of the sheep mark, which seems to point to an affinity between Engl. to cut and Icel. hvetja.

m. pl. great masses or clumps of ice (on a river), when a channel is open in the middle, Fs. 52, Ld. 46, Nj. 142, 144, Sturl. i. 14.

* * *

(høgg; hjó, hjoggum or hjuggum; höggvinn and högginn), v.

1) to strike, smite (with a sharp weapon);

høggr sá, er hlífa skyldi, he strikes who ought to shield;

höggva sverði (or með sverði), to strike with a sword;

höggva e-n bana-högg, to give one his deathblow;

2) to cut down, destroy (þeir hjoggu drekann mjök);

3) to put to death, behead (suma lét hann hengja eða höggva);

to kill, slaughter (höggva hest, búfé, kýr, naut);

4) to fell trees (hann hefir höggvit í skógi mínum);

5) to strike, bite (of a snake, boar);

ormrinn hjó hann til bana, the snake struck him dead;

6) with preps.:

höggva e-t af, to hew or cut off (höggva af kampa ok skegg);

höggva af fé, to kill (slaughter) cattle;

höggva e-t af sér, to ward of;

höggva eptir e-m, to cut at one, = höggva til e-s (hjá eptir honum með sverði);

höggva í höfuð e-m, to give one a blow on the head;

höggva e-t niðr, to cut down (var merki hans niðr höggvit);

to kill, butcher (I. hefir áðr niðr höggvit brœðr sína tvá);

höggva e-t ór, to cut out;

fig. to make even, smooth (láta konung ok erkibisup ór höggva slíkar greinir);

höggva e-t í sundr, to hew asunder;

höggva til e-s, to strike (cut) at one, = höggva eptir e-m;

höggva upp tré, to cut down a tree;

höggva upp skip, to break a ship up;

7) refl. to be cut, hacked (hjást skjöldr Helga);

þótti honum nú taka mjök um at höggvast, things looked hard;

recipr., to exchange blows, fight (þeir hjuggust nökkura stund).

* * *

also spelt heyggva, Sæm. (Kb.); pres. höggr, mod. also heggr; pl. höggum, mod. höggvum; pret. hjó, hjótt, hjó, mod. hjó, hjóst, hjó; pl. hjoggum and hjuggum, mod. only the latter form; a Norse pret. hjoggi = hjó, D. N. ii. 331; pret. subj. hjöggi and heyggi, mod. hjyggi; part. högginn, mod. but less correct, höggvinn, which also is freq. in the Editions; but in the MSS. usually abbreviated, högḡ, höggͭ, = högginn, höggit: [not recorded in Ulf.; A. S. heawan; Engl. hew, hack; Hel. hauwan; O. H. G. houwan; Germ. hauen; Dan. hugge; Swed. hugga]:—höggva denotes to strike with an edged tool, slá and drepa with a blunt one:

1. to strike, smite with a sharp weapon; höggr sá er hlífa skyldi, he strikes who ought to shield, a saying: to deal blows with a weapon, hann görði ymist hjó eða lagði, Nj. 8; hann hjó títt ok hart, passim; höggva báðum höndum, 29; h. sverði, öxi, strike with, i. e. to brandish, a sword, axe, Fms. v. 168, Gs. 6; h. til e-s, to deal a blow to one, smite, Grág. ii. 7, Al. 78; h. e-n bana-högg, to smite with a deathblow, Eg. 220: to cut down, destroy, þeir hjuggu drekann mjök, Fms. vii. 249: to maim, ef maðr höggr hund eða björn til háðungar manni, Grág. ii. 121; h. rauf á hjálmi, Al. 78: the phrases, h. sik í lends manns rétt, Fms. ix. 399: spec. phrases, höggðú allra manna armastr, nú hjóttu Noreg ór hendi mér! Ek þóttumk nú Noreg í hönd þér höggva, Ó. H. 184.

2. to put to death, behead, Fms. vii. 250, 251, xi. 148–152: to kill, högg þú hestinn, Nj. 92: to kill cattle, slaughter, h. bú, búfé, kýr, geitr, naut, Landn. 293, Eg. 532, Fms. vi. 95, xi. 123, Fb. i. 186: höggva strandhögg, Eg. 81.

3. to fell trees; höggva skög, Grág. ii. 294; h. keyrivönd, id.: absol., hann hefir höggit í skógi mínum, Nj. 98, passim: to cut grass (rarely), ef maðr höggr hey á hlut annars manns, N. G. L. ii. 112; upp höggvit gras, cut grass, Dipl. iv. 9, Jm. 7, (else always slá of mowing.)

4. to bite, of snakes (högg-ormr); Miðgarðsormr hjó hann til bana, Edda 155; naðran hjó fyrir flagbrjóskat, 76: of a wound from a boar’s tusk, ef svín höggr mann, Gþl. 190: the phrase, h. hest sporum, to prick a horse with the spur, Mag. 9.

II. with prepp.; höggva af, to hew or cut off; h. af kampa ok skegg, to cut off the beard, K. Þ. K.; h. af lim, Sks. 555; to kill, slaughter, h. af fé, Ld. 64; höggva af sér, to parry off, Fms. v. 13:—h. niðr, to cut down, i. 38; to kill, butcher, vii. 261, Orkn. 120; hjuggu þeir niðr mungát sitt (by cutting casks to pieces), Fms. vii. 249:—h. upp, to cut down a tree, Greg. 48, Matth. iii. 10; h. upp skip, to break a ship up, Fms. iii. 228, ix. 381; h. upp hús, to break a house up, viii. 166:—h. ór, to cut out, metaph. to make even; vóru margar greinir þær er ór þurfti at h. milli biskups ok leikmanna, Bs. i. 751; láta konung ok erkibiskup ór h. ( smooth) sagðar greinir, 773.

III. reflex. to be cut, hacked; hjósk skjöldr Helga, Dropl. 24.

2. recipr. to exchange blows, fight; þeir hjuggusk nokkura stund, Háv. 56; þeir h. til í ákafa, Bret. 74.

3. metaph., höggvask í mitt mál, to begin abruptly, in the middle of a sentence; taka heldr at upphafi til, en höggvask í mitt mál, Landn. 275, v. l.; ef enn höggsk nokkurr í ok mælir svá, cuts in, objects, Skálda 168: þótti honum nú taka mjök um at höggvask, things looked hard, Grett. 142; þótti honum hart um höggvask, Bs. i. 423.

m., a proper name, John.

* * *

m. (Jónn, Fb.), a pr. name, contraction of the older dissyllabic Jóann, John, Johannes, see Íb. 17: of the same origin are Jóhann, Jóhannes, Jens, which have come into use since the Reformation, whereas Jón or Jóan appears in Icel. at the middle of the 11th century, and soon afterwards became so popular that in the K. Á. (of 1276) it is made to serve for M. M. (N. or M.) in the baptismal formula, as also in the law formula, yfir höfði Jóni, against M. M., see Njála. Jóns-bók, f. John’s book, the code of laws of 1281, named after John the lawyer (lögmaðr), who brought the book from Norway to Icel., Ann. 1281, Árna S.

II. St. John Baptist’s Day (June 24) is in the northern countries a kind of midsummer Yule, and was in Norway and Sweden celebrated with bonfires, dances, and merriment; and tales of fairies and goblins of every kind are connected with St. John’s eve in summer as well as with Yule-eve in winter. The name of the feast varies,—Jóns-dagr, m., Jóns-messa, u, f., Jónsvöku-dagr, m. the day, mass of St. John = the 24th of June; Jóns-nótt, f., Jóns-vaka, u, f., St. John’s eve, ‘John’s-wake,’ Rb. 530, Sturl. iii. 59, N. G. L. i. 340, 343, Fms. viii. 357, ix. 7: Jónsvöku-skeið, Fms. x. 49: Jónsvöku-leyti, id. In Norway the feast is at present called Jonsoka = Jónsvaka, and the fires Jonsoku-brising (cp. the Brisinga-men of the Edda). The origin of this feast is no doubt heathen, being a worship of light and the sun, which has since been adapted to a Christian name and the Christian calendar. For the fairy tales connected with this feast, see Ísl. Þjóðs., which tales again call to mind Shakspeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream: Jónsmessu-öl, n. ale brewed for St. John’s day, N. G. L. i. 137; þá var sumar-tíð ok hátíð mikil Jónsvöku-nótt, Bær. 17. 2. Jóns-dagr, Jóns-messa are also used to signify the day or mass of the Icel. bishop John (died A. D. 1121), April 23 and March 3, see Bs.: Jóns-höfuð, Jóns-skript, f. the head, tablet of St. John, B. K., Vm., etc.: Jóns-stúka, u, f. chapel of St. John, Sturl. i. 125.