At 3:53:56 AM on Saturday, April 16, 2011, Deb Johnston
wrote:

> I was informed today that our group will be hosting an
> event and that I have until end of day to come up with
> name and budget and such for said event. Deciding I would
> like to go with a Viking theme (as it is camping), I came
> up with a (IMNSHO) clever idea for a name, but I need to
> ensure I am not butchering ON in so doing before
> submitting it to the populace. :)

> The name I was thinking is

> /Norðrljós Skora a hólm /

> which I have been led to believe should translate
> something akin "Northern Lights chosen place of combat"
> which would be perfect for a tournament name... in theory.

<Norðrljós> is indeed the Old Norse term for the aurora
borealis (northern lights); it appears ca. 1250 in the
'The King's Mirror' (Latin 'Speculum Regale', Old Norse
'Konungs Skuggsjá'). E.g., AM 243, Fol. B has:

En sa lutr er þu hæfir opt æpter spurt hvat wæra man þat
er grœnlændingar calla norðrlios þa em ec æigi um þann lut
froðaztr oc hæfi ec þa mænn funnit iðulega er langar
stunnder hafa ágrœnalannde wærit oc þyckiaz þeir þar æi
sannfroðer um wæra.

In normalized spelling:

En sá hlutr er þú hefir opt eptir spurt, hvat vera man þat
er grœnlendingar kalla norðrljós, þá em ek eigi um þann
hlut fróðastr, ok hefi ek þá menn funnit iðuliga er langar
stundir hafa á grœnalandi verit, ok þykkjask þeir þar ei
sannfróðir um vera.

But that thing that you have often asked about, what will
be that which Greenlanders call northern lights, then I am
not most well-informed about that thing; and I have
frequently met men who have spent a long time in
Greenland, and they do not think themselves to be truly
informed about them.

'Chosen place of combat' would sound as unnatural in Old
Norse as it does in English. I'm guessing from your
terminology that it's an SCA event of some kind, and as the
original Pelican King of Arms Emeritus I'd really like to
nudge you towards something with at least a modicum of
authenticity. I suggest simply 'battlefield of the northern
lights' or perhaps 'battlefield under the northern lights'.
The first is <Vígvöllr Norðrljósa>; the second, <Vígvöllr
undir Norðrljósum>.

A <hólmr> is simply a small island; its association with
combat comes from the fact that duels were often fought on
such islets. Still, if this is an SCA event with mostly
single rather than mêlée combat, the term <hólmstaðr> 'a
place where a <hólmganga> (duel on an islet) is fought'
wouldn't be completely inappropriate. In that case you
might consider <Hólmstaðr Norðrljósa> or <Hólmstaðr undir
Norðrljósum>.

Brian