At 2:39:14 PM on Wednesday, March 9, 2005, João Simões Lopes
Filho wrote:
> Who were these people?
> What are the correct spelling?
> What are their etymologies/meanings?
> From Vitholf are all witches sprung;
> the trible of warlocks, from Vilmeith all;
> the soothsayers, from Svarthofthi
> and all etins are of Ymir's kin
> What were the ON words for "witch", "warlock" and
> "soothsayer"?
Eru vo,lur allar
frá Viðólfi,
vitkar allir
frá Vilmeiði,
en seiðberendr
frá Svartho,fða,
allir io,tnar
frá Ymi komnir.
'Witches' translates <vo,lur>, singular <vo,lva>
'prophetess, sibyl, wise woman, witch'; 'warlocks'
translates <vitkar>, singular <vitki> 'wizard'; and
'soothsayer' translates <seiðberendr>, singular
<seiðberandi> 'sorcerer', a compound of <seiðr> 'spell,
charm, enchantment, incantation' and the present participle
of <bera> 'to bear, to carry'.
<Svartho,fði>: <svartr> 'black' and <ho,fuð> 'head'.
<Viðólfr>: <viðr> 'a tree, a wood' and <úlfr> 'a wolf'.
<Vilmeiðr>: <Vil-> presumably goes with <vili> 'will, wish,
desire; mind' and <meiðr> 'a tree; a gallows-tree; a
longitudinal beam; a sledge-runner; a pole, a log'.
Brian