--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "Terje Ellefsen"
<radiorabia@...> wrote:

>
> Hvárt segir man Hreiðgotaland eða Reiðgotaland?
> Ok hvat þýðir Hreið/Reið?
>

Hi Terje,
I just checked with the Hervararsaga, and found that they
write it with R there (from Guðni Jónsson I think):

« 6. Heiðrekr fekk staðfestu í Reiðgotalandi

En er Heiðrekr hefir skamma hríð farit, þá hittir hann menn nokkura
ok einn bundinn. Spyrjast þeir tíðenda, ok spyrr Heiðrekr, hvat þessi
maðr hefði gert, er svá var við búit. Þeir segja, at hann hefir
svikit lánardrottin sinn. Heiðrekr spyrr, ef þeir vili taka fé fyrir
hann, en þeir játa því. Hann fær þeim hálfa mörk gulls, en þeir láta
hann lausan. »

The meaning of Hreid/Reid has been debated without arriving
at any definite conclusion. My personal favorite is the
idea that it is the plains near Hungary where people
used a lot of horses. The phrase "gothic horse" after
all occurs on the Swedish rune-stone at Rök, and even in
the Edda "Goti" is the name of a horse. So I think it
means those parts of the land of the Goths, where you
had really good horse-country.

Here is an extract from Zoëga's relevant entries for
the "reið-" variant:

reið (pl. -ar), f. (1) ride, riding (var honum þá fenginn hestr til
reiðar); vera einn í r., to ride alone; þeir vóru beztir hestar at
r., they were the best of riding-horses; var þá ok sén r. þeirra,
they were seen riding; (2) vehicle, carriage, chariot (Þórr á r. þá,
er hann ekr, en hafrarnir draga reiðna); (3) clap of thunder (því
næst flugu eldingar ok reiðar).
reiða (-dda, -ddr), v. (1) to cary on horseback; hverr reiddi yðr
yfir Markarfljót, who put you across M.?; (2) r. e-t um (of) öxl, to
carry a thing (poised) on one's shoulder (heinn hafði hann fyrir vápn
ok reiddi of öxl); (3) to make one rock, shake, push (reiðit hana af
baki, svá at hún falli í lœkinn ofan); (4) to toss, of wind and waves
(bátinn undir honum reiddi vindr ok straumr norðr með landi); impers.
to be tossed about (reiddi þá ymsa vega); tók þá at r. saman skipin,
the ships began to drive against one another; e-u reiðir e-n veg af,
it ends (turnsout) in a certain way (vóru þá margir hræddir um,
hversu af mundi r.); (5) to carry about, spread abroad (kann vera, at
þeir menn reiði orð mín úvitrlig fyrir alþýðu); (6) to brandish,
swing, raise in the air (hann greip øxina ok reiddi upp); (7) to
weigh in a balance (r. silfr, fé); (8) to pay (r. fé af hendi, r.
verð fyrir e-t).
reiða, f. (1) attendance, service (vist ok öll r.); vinna e-m reiðu,
to serve, attend; (2) accomodation (á þeim skógi var svá hörð reiðan
þeirra, at ekki var at eta, nema börk af viði); (3) vera til reiðu,
to be ready at hand (til reiðu er yðr hér vetrvist); konungr lét þat
þegar til reiðu, the king granted that at once; (4) henda reiður á e-
u, to notice, heed (jarl spurði, hvert hann fœri þaðan; þeir kváðust
eigi reiður hafa á hent).
reiða-lauss, a. without rigging.
reiðar-duna, -þruma, f. clap of thunder (eldingar ok –þrumur).
reiðast (dd), v. refl. to become wroth, get angry, e-u, at a thing
(konungr reiddist Þórr jötninum).
reið-fara, -fari, a., verða vel –fara, to have a good voyage (urðu
þeir vel –fara ok tóku Þrándheim);
-gata, f. riding-way, bridle-path;
-góðr, a. good for riding (of a horse);
-hestr, m. riding-horse.
reiði, m. (1) tackle, rigging (allr var r. vandaðr mjök með skipunu);
(2) harness of a horse, riding-gear.
reiði, n. = reiði, m. (knörr með rá ok reiði; hestr með öllu reiði).
reiði, f. wrath, anger; r. hleypr (rennr) á e-n, one gets angry; r.
rennr e-m or af e-m, one's anger passes off; biðja af sér r. e-s, to
ask one's pardon.
reiði-bola, f. fit of anger.
reiði-duna, f. thunder, = reiðarduna.
reiði-hugr, m. wrath, anger;
-liga, adv. angrily, frowningly;
-ligr, a. angry-looking, frowning;
-mál, n. angry language (var þat meirr –mál en sannyrði);
-mæli, n. = -mál.
reiðing, f. (1) uproar, wild confusion; (2) spreading (of a report).
reiðingr, m. harness, riding-gear.
reiðinn, a. prone to anger, hot-tempered (kappsamr mjök ok r.).
reiði-raust, f. angry voice;
-sproti, m. rod of anger;
-svipr, m. angry look, frown;
-verk, n. a deed done in anger;
-þokki, m. = -svipr.
reiði-þruma, f. clap of thunder.
reið-klæði, n. pl. riding-clothes.
reið-lyndi, n. irascibility;
-lyndr, a. prone to anger, hot-tempered.
reiðr, a. passable on horseback, ridable (var þar reitt at fjörum).
reiðskjóta-maðr, m. groom.
reið-skjóti, -skjótr, m. riding-horse.
reiðsla, f. = reizla.
reiðu-búinn, pp. ready, prepared;
-liga, adv. readily, promptly.
reiðu-liga, adv. angrily, with an angry frown;
-ligr, a. angry-looking, frowning, scowling.
reiðu-peningr, m. ready, money;
-stóll, m. easy chair (?).


Other ideas than riding and nest included, as I
recall, also something related to the English
word "ready". Somewhat flimisily akin to the
motto of the Boy's Scouts "Be Prepared", the
Goths were always "ready".

Yet another idea is that of a ship's harbour.
"Skipet ligger på reden". But I do not recall
the details of the argument any more. (dessuten
"rederi")

Or could it have something to do with
a "wagon"? Like the ones used on the Prairie
(chuck-wagon) or maybe akin to those used on
the steppes in Mongolia?

Best regards
Xigung

>
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> MSN Messenger http://www.msn.no/messenger - Den korteste veien

mellom deg og

> dine venner