Re: Shetland place names

'Papil'

this occurs also in iceland, that is, in icelandic literature. Papýli is
mentioned in Landnámabók, and has been debated somewhat extensively, just as
Papey. In Landnámabók it's said to show that there were Papar there, and the
explanation for the word Papýli is Papa-býli 'papa-farms, papa-homesteads'.
however, nothing has been proven about the papar being in iceland when the
norsemen arrived here, and it has been suggested, and argued rather
convincingly, that the word papar was used as a euphemism for the puffin,
puffin being a sailor's taboo word, as many other bird- and animal names
were. this is just a suggestion, though, and many people believe in the
'irish monk' theory.. so many, in fact, that icelandic children are taught
to view them as facts. but there is no proof. whatsoever. don't even try
this discussion, it leads straight to instant doom...

hmm.. i don't get any sense out of that either...

i think what i'm trying to say is that Papýli, and thus Papil too, is pretty
much a term that lacks proper explanation, or at least one that people have
not agreed on an explanation for.

myeah

i think my paper on this matter made me a little allergic to the subject..
it took too long to write the darn thing

berglaug

----- Original Message -----
From: "Haukur Thorgeirsson" <haukurth@...>
To: <norse_course@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2004 2:43 PM
Subject: Re: [norse_course] RE: Shetland place names


> Hinn 14. febrúar 2004 lét Gordon Johnston þetta frá sér fara:
> > Hello.
> >
> > There are two placenames here in Shetland, a former Norse colony as you
will
> > know , from the 800s to the 15th century. I'm interested in the
derivation
> > of two, the first is my village here, long called Cunningsburgh (in old
> > documents it is referred to as Konungsburg) I know the word means
'King's
> > fort or broch', but I've always been puzzled as I understood the term
> > 'King'
> > was not a word the Vikings used. They had 'Jarls' did they not?
>
> Kings as well. The relevant word is 'konungr'; genitive 'konungs'.
> The word 'borg' means "fort, stronghold". In Icelandic the meaning
> "fortified city" and then "city" became prevalent. Thus we can say:
>
> "Reykjavík er borg. Hún er höfuð-borg Íslands."
>
> Even though our "head-city" is certainly not fortified.
>
> In Faroese the word seems to retain its older meaning.
> I'm reminded of the lyrics to one of Eivør Pálsdóttir's songs:
>
> "Brostnar borgir, ið bløða á køldum illveðursdegi,
> hvør vónsvikin sál nú liggur í brennandi øskutrogi."
>
> brostnar borgir = broken castles
>
> In the Middle-English poem about Sir Gawain and the
> Green Knight Troy seems to be called a 'borg':
>
> "Siþen þe sege and þe assaut watz sesed at Troye
> þe borg brittened and brent to brondez and askez;"
>
>
> > The second word is 'Papil', which most people have assumed had
something to
> > do with the possible presence of Christian priests or 'papar, but what
about
> > the suffix 'il'.
>
> I don't know. What sort of place is Papil?
>
>
> > And would the pagan Vikings have killed these Papars?
>
> A difficult subject. In Íslendingabók Ari fróði says:
>
> "þeir fóru síðar á braut, af því at þeir
> vildu eigi vera hér við heiðna menn"
>
> Very innocent sounding words. "They went away because
> they didn't want to stay here among heathen people."
>
> They went away? Perhaps. But let's look at Ari's next words:
>
> "ok létu eftir bækur írskar, bjöllur og bagla.
> Af því mátti skilja, að þeir voru menn írskir."
>
> @: "And they left behind Irish books,
> bells and crosiers, from which could be
> gathered that they were Irish people."
>
> To me books sound like something too valuable
> and easily portable to be "left behind" just
> like that. Perhaps they had to leave in a hurry.
> Perhaps Ari is mistaken about this. Perhaps they
> were slaughtered to the last man.
>
> Kveðja,
> Haukur
>
>
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