Hi
I'm new to the group, but have been studying Old Norse for a couple of
years, and lately Anglo-Saxon with a linguist friend of mine. I have just
been going through Beowulf trying to get a fairly satisfactory
translation and with his help muddled out a bit of what they might have meant by
the name Beowulf.
The Bee Wulf > Bear is an incorrect folk etymology.
Beo [bēon f. nap.] + Wulf > stinging wulf which is a descriptive way
of saying, I believe, Strong Wolf. That's just my two pence
worth.
pam wisniewski
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2002 12:23
Subject: RE: [norse_course] Hello
again
I thought the word
'beo' meant 'bee.' Bee-wolf?
Jamie
> Is there any
saga that has a mage (or
> anyone else realy)singing to the spirits,
asking them to aid him and or
> singing their praises.
Hmph.
Maybe something from the 'gyðja' in Örvar-Odds saga.
Maybe
this:
Hjálpi Æsir
ok Ásynjur
gervöll regin
gyðju
sinni.
(May the gods and the goddesses
- all the powers - help
their priestess.)
Or this:
Auð þættumst ek
eiga
nógan,
ef ek inn ítra
Álf of fyndak;
blót gefk
honum
ok bú fjögur;
hann mun yðr alla
í eld draga.
I would consider myself to have enough wealth
if I found the
glorious Álfr. I give sacrifice
to him and four farms - he will draw you
all
to fire.
> Is the Old Norse word for bear Beowulf?
No, it is not. The general word is 'björn';
thought to be derived
from the same stem as 'brown'
with the original IE-stem (lat. ursus)
being lost
due to a
taboo.
Kveðja,
Haukur
Sumir hafa
kvæði...
...aðrir spakmæli.
- Keth
Homepage: http://www.hi.is/~haukurth/norse/
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Sumir hafa kvæði...
...aðrir spakmæli.
-
Keth
Homepage: http://www.hi.is/~haukurth/norse/
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