--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, Haukur Þorgeirsson
<haukurth@...> wrote:

> The one from Ohio suggests "vuh-loo-SPAH" and
> the one loyal to the Queen suggests "vurloo-spore".
>
> Pseudo-phonetic transcriptions like that must translate
> wonderfully over the Atlantic :D
>
> I'll throw my modern pronunciation into the mix:
> http://www.hi.is/~haukurth/norse/sounds/voluspa.wav

The one from Thule has a point. Atlantic or no Atlantic, with the
finely honed phonetic tool that it English spelling, they could come
out sounding like anything. Maybe Wallow Spa would be slightly
better... Oh, something I forgot to include: the first vowel is
long now, as in Haukur's recording, but was short in the Middle
Ages, thus

1) Modern Icelandic [v9:lYspau] "vuuuuurlew-spow"
2) late 13th century [v9lUspO:] "vurloo-spore"
3) mid 12th century [wOlospa:], [wOlUspa:] "wallow-spa"

Llama Nom