--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Piotr Gasiorowski <gpiotr@...> wrote:
>
> On 2008-11-04 15:06, A. wrote:
>
> > Have we any means now left of getting at the sense of this obscure
> > root Eor?
> > The description of the rune in the AS. poem gives only a slight
hint, it runs thus:
> >
> > Eor is horrible to every knight,
> > when the corpse quickly begins to cool
> > and is laid in the bosom of the dark earth.
> > Prosperity declines, happiness passes away
> > and covenants are broken.
>
> It's properly <e:ar> (the name of the <e(:)a> rune), presumed to be
> identical with OIc. aurr 'soil, sand, dust' (or some such meaning),
> hence the poetic expression <hylja auri> 'inhume, lay sb. in the
grave".
>
> Piotr
>
Piotr,
My thanks for the clarification. Grimm seems to prefer Eor, although
as far as I know, the modern authors on runelore agree with you.
Grimm also comments:
"One might be led to imagine that in Ertag the Earth (Erde according
to the forms given at the beginning of ch. XIII) was meant. But the
ancient way of thinking placed the earth in the centre of the world,
not among the planets; she cannot therefore have given name to a day
of the week, and there is no such day found in any nation, unless we
turn Venus and Freyja into the earth."
Not that I necessarily agree.
But the primary question remains; from what do Irtag, Ertag, Erchtag,
etc derive? Is it from ARHOS hHMERA > *Arjaus dags or *Areins dags ?
Or could it be from Erde-tag?
Or is there another possible explanation....
Sincerely,
Aydan