Re: Old Norse Battlecries

Oh, I forgot to mention, a battlecry is called 'heróp' in Old Norse.


Írar oepa þá heróp ok vaða út á sjóinn.
The Irish roar then a battlecry (or battlecries) and wade out into the
sea.
Laxdoela saga

létu hvárirtveggja blása lúðrum ok oeptu því mæst heróp.
each of them had trumpets blown and they roared battlecries as
loudly/fiercely/much as they could.
Sögubrot

--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "llama_nom" <600cell@...> wrote:
>
> --- 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?
>