--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, Victor Hansen <victor_akl_nz@...>
wrote:

>
> I have been hunting around for Old Norse battle-cries and wondered

to ask here.


"War-cries were certainly used ... Slogans were doubtless used as
well. Sverri's men at the end of the 12th c. chanted something like
'Onward Chist's men, cross-men, holy King Olaf's men', while one
source that we cannot verify, says that King Olaf's followers at
Stiklastad in 1030 gave tongue with 'Knýjum, knýjum, konungs liðar,
harðla, harðla bóanda menn!' - 'Press on, press on, prince's fighters,
hard and hard on farming men', which sounds good though it was the
farmers who actually won" (Foot & Wilson: "The Viking Achievement", p.
283).

According to Óláfs saga helga, an ancient heroic poem (Bjarkamál in
fornu) was recited to inspire the king's men at this same battle. The
account in Fagrskinna of the Battle of Stamford Bridge (1066) also
mentions poetry being recited before the battle, in this case
supposedly composed ex tempore by the Norse leader, Haraldr Harðráði.

> Apparently from what I have read the nautical Ahoy, or, as it

appears in old MSS., "aoi," was the battle-cry of the Norse and Danish
vikings when they rushed their galleys upon the enemy. Can someone
tell me the meaning of this word (and a close idea of its pronounciation)?


The Oxford English dictionary just says that it's nautical in origin,
but makes no mention of Old Norse precursors. So I don't know.

>
> The use of these words were for appropriate use to yell out during

re-enactment Norse battles. Perhaps something to evoke courage,
strength or prowess etc. or invoke powers/qualities of Norse dieties
etc. I'd be very intetested to know of any mention of various
battle-cries that might have been used in the Sagas also that anyone
knows of.

>
> I've so far heard of Valhalla hal (unsure what this means) and

Eulalia, pronounced yoo-lah-lee-ah, meaning victory in ancient Norse.
Are these correct?


'Eulalia' means "good speech" in Greek; the internet tells me it was
the name of two Spanish saints who were martyred in the persecutions
of Diocletian. The claim about it being and Old Norse battle cry
meaning "victory" is attributed by the Wikipedia page "Battle cry" to
the fantasy writer Brian Jacques. The typical ON word for victory is
'sigr'. I haven't been able to find anything about 'Valhalla hal'.
Where did you hear of it?