Figure
|
Names in medieval languages
|
Historical origin
|
Name meaning
|
Relationships
|
Early and English Attestations
|
Norse Attestations
|
German Attestations
|
Eadgils
|
Old English: Ēadgils,
Old Norse: Aðils,
Latin: Adillus or Athislus
|
Beowulf is generally considered to be based on historic people and events.
[61]
|
OE Ēadgils and ON Aðils don't correspond exactly. OE Ēadgils is derived from PGmc *Auða-gīslaz, while Aðils is derived from PN *Aþa-gīslaz, and the reason for the difference is probably the fact that Ēadgils was the closest match known to Anglo-Saxons. *Aþa- is from *aþal- meaning "noble", "prominent", *auða- means "wealth", "happiness". *Gīsl means "arrow shaft" or "hostage".
|
Eadgils and his brother
Eanmund, are the sons of the Swedish king
Ohthere, but they are exiled when their uncle
Onela (Àli) assumes power. They seek refuge with the Geatish king Heardred who accepts them, which causes a war with Onela. Eanmund and Heardred are killed in the war. The new king Beowulf supports Eadgils and the war ends at the
Battle on the Ice that is retold in Scandinavian sources as well, but with Danish involvement. After a visit by his queen
Yrsa's son
Hrólfr kraki he is severely wounded by him trying to recuperate the gold the fleeing Hrólfr has stolen from him. He was the father of
Eysteinn.
|
Beowulf
|
Ynglinga saga, Historia Norwegiæ, Islendingabók, Skjöldunga saga, Skáldskaparmál, Hrólfr kraki's saga, Gesta danorum, and Chronicon Lethrense and Annales Lundenses
|
|
Eadgils of the Myrgings
|
Old English: Eadgils,
Latin: Athislus
|
The legend about
Offa is probably based on historical inter-tribal rivalries before the Anglo-Saxon settlement of England.
|
See Eadgils, above.
|
Eadgils is mentioned in Widsith as the ruler of the
Myrgings. In the Danish accounts, he is conflated with the Swedish king Athislus (
Eadgils, see above) who invades the Schleswig region and kills its governor
Frowinus in single combat.
Wermund appoints Frowinus' sons
Ket and Wig as his successors, and they avenge their father by ambushing and killing Athislus in Sweden. The cowardly murder brings disgrace on their tribe that will only be redeemed by their brother-in-law
Offa who defeats two men in single combat, which appears in Widsith (line 42) as a fight against Myrgings.
|
Widsith (lines 93–96)
|
Gesta Danorum (IV), Brevis historia regum Dacie
|
|
Eaha
|
Old English: Eaha
|
|
The name is a doublet of eoh and means "horse", from PGmc *eχwaz ("horse"). However,
Möller considered the name with an intervocalic h to be impossible and emended it to
Eawa, which is attested as the name of king
Penda's brother. However, there are attestations of similar Old English forms of the name: Echha, Aehcha and the female name
Acha.
|
During the battle of Finnsburg when Hnæf and his men are attacked by the Frisians, his men run to the doors of the hall to defend it. Eaha stands together with Sigeferth at one of the doors with the swords drawn, while Hengest, Ordlaf and Guthlaf stand at the other doors. However, unlike the other men involved nothing else is known about Eaha.
|
Finnsburg Fragment
|
|
|
Eadwacer
|
Old English: Ēadwacer
|
|
The first element is from PGmc *auda- ("wealth"), and the second element is from PGmc *wakraz ("watchful, vigilant").
|
Eadwacer is mentioned in the lament ''Wulf and Eadwacer that is notoriously difficult to interpret.
|
Wulf and Eadwacer
|
|
|
Eadwine1
|
Old English: Ēadwine
|
The 6th c. Lombard king
Audoin.
|
The first element is auda- ("wealth"), and the second element is wini ("friend"), from PGmc *weniz.
|
He is mentioned in Widsith, line 74 as the father of Ælfwine (
Alboin).
|
Widsith (74, 117)
|
|
|
Eadwine2
|
Old English: Ēadwine
|
|
See Eadwine1
|
Appears in Widsith, line 98 as the father of Ealhild (see Svanhild).
|
Widsith
|
|
|
Ealhhild
|
|
|
|
see Svanhild.
|
|
|
|
Eanmund
|
Old English: Ēanmund,
|
Possibly fictive as the name Ēanmund is well known from England, but not attested from Scandinavia. However, it could be an adaptation of a Scandinavian name such as Āmund or Ēmund.
|
Possibly an OE adaptation of PN *Aiwa-munduʀ, from PN *aiwa- ("ever") and *munduʀ ("protector").
|
A Swedish prince of the Scylfing (Yngling) dynasty. The sons of the Swedish king Othere, Eanmund and his brother Eadgils are exiled when their uncle Onela (Àli) assumes power. They find refuge at the court of Geatish king Heardred, but this causes a war with Onela, and in the ensuing battles, Eanmund and Heardred are killed. Eanmund is slain by Wihstan, Wiglaf's father who is fighting for Onela. In Scandinavian tradition, he may be remembered as Eymundr, and ally of
Halfdan, in Hyndluljóð (15) and as Hømothus in Gesta Danorum.
|
Beowulf
|
Possibly in Hyndluljóð (15) and Gesta Danorum (IV)
|
|
Eastgota
|
Old English: Ēastgota
|
The 3rd c. Gothic king
Ostrogotha.
|
The Old English form means "East Goths" and is in the plural, although it doubtlessly refers to king Ostrogotha.
|
Appears in Widsith, line 113 and he is called "learned" and "good" which agrees with the positive mention he has in Getica.
|
Widsith, Getica
|
|
|
Ebenrot
|
Middle High German: Ebenrôt,
Old Norse: Avæntroð
|
|
The name may derive from MHG âbentrôt ("sunset"), or it may be a corruption of Eckenot, another brother of Ecke and Fasolt who appears later in the Eckenlied.
|
The brother of Ecke and Fasolt. In the Þiðreks saga, he is the giant son of Nordian1 and is killed by Vildiver (Wisselau).
|
|
|
Eckenlied, Þiðreks saga
|
Ecglaf
|
Old English: Ecglāf
|
Beowulf is generally considered to be based on historic people and events.
[61]
|
For the first element Ecg-, see Ecgþeow, below. The second element is *-laibaz which means "descendant" or "heir".
|
He is the father of Unferth (Beowulf, line 499).
|
Beowulf
|
|
|
Ecgþeow
|
Old English: Ecgþēow
|
Beowulf is generally considered to be based on historic people and events.
[61]
|
PN: *Agiþewaz. The first element is either the same as Gothic agis meaning "fear", and ON agi meaning "disturbance", or derived from PGmc *agjō ("edge"), meaning "sword". The second element is *þewaz meaning "servant".
|
Ecgþeow was probably a Swedish warrior who belonged to the ruling Scylfing dynasty. Consequently, he could marry the only daughter of the Geatish king
Hreðel and became the father of Beowulf, who had Hreðel as foster-father from the age of seven. He killed a Wulfing named Heaþolaf and received the protection of the Danish king Hroðgar who also paid the wergild. Ecgþeow became an old man but was dead by the time his son Beowulf visited Hroðgar.
|
Beowulf
|
|
|
Ecgwela
|
Old English: Ecgwela
|
Beowulf is generally considered to be based on historic people and events.
[61]
|
For the first element Ecg-, see Ecgþeow, above. The second element wela means "wealth, prosperity, riches".
|
The Scyldings are called the "sons of Ecgwela" (Beowulf, line 1710).
|
Beowulf
|
|
|
Ecke
|
Middle High German: Ecke,
Old Norse: Ekka
|
Probably created to explain the origin of the name of Dietrich von Bern's sword Eckesachs.
|
PGmc *agjō- ("sharp").
|
A young giant who is sent by Queen Seburg to seek Dietrich von Bern. He is dressed by her in the golden armor of king Ortnit. Ecke finds Dietrich in Tyrol; Dietrich is unwilling to fight him, but Ecke forces him to. When Dietrich defeats him but kills and beheads Ecke when Ecke refuses to swear homage. Dietrich then takes Ecke's armor and sword and ties his head to his saddle. In one version, he throws Ecke's head at Seburg's feet. In the Þiðreks saga, Ecke is sent by the widow of king Drusian, who dies of grief at Ecke's death. Dietrich defeats him after his horse, Valke, kicks him, breaking his back.
|
|
|
Eckenlied, Þiðreks saga.
|
Eckehart
|
Middle High German: Eckehart,
Old Norse: Fritila
|
|
First element PGmc *agjō- ("sharp"), second element PGmc *hardu ("hard").
|
The son of Hache. He is the protector of the Harlungen and associated with Breisach and Alsace. He fights with Dietrich against Ermanaric; in the Heldenbuch-Prosa, he kills Ermanaric and then stands in front of the
Venusberg, warning people not to go in until the end of the days. In the Þiðreks saga, he is called Fritila.
|
|
|
Þiðreks saga, Dietrichs Flucht, Alpharts Tod, Rosengarten zu Worms, Heldenbuch-Prosa. Possibly in Ermenrichs Tod.
|
Eckenot
|
Middle High German: Eckenôt
|
Possibly the same figure as Ebenrot.
|
For the element Ecke-, see Ecke and Eckehart. The element -nôt means "need", from PGmc *nauđiz.
|
A giant, brother of Ecke and Fasolt. Dietrich von Bern kills him.
|
|
|
Eckenlied
|
Eckewart
|
Middle High German: Eckewart,
Old Norse: Ekkivorðr
|
Possibly derived from Eckehard I (died 1002) or Eckehard II (died 1046), both margraves of Meissen.
|
First element PGmc *agjō- ("sharp"), second element PGmc *wardu ("guardian").
|
A margrave who accompanies Kriemhild to Attila's court after her marriage to Attila. He warns the Burgundians about the trap.
|
|
|
Nibelungenlied, Þiðreks saga, Dietrichs Flucht, Rabenschlacht
|
Egil1
|
Old Norse: Egill.
Old English: Ægil on the
Franks Casket, possibly
Old High German: Aigil on the
Pforzen buckle.
|
|
PGmc Agilaz. The first element is either from PGmc *agjō ("edge"), or derived from Gothic agis meaning "fear", which is the same as ON agi meaning "disturbance". The second element is a diminutive -l- suffix. Egil1's historical basis may have been named *Aigil, based on the Pforzen buckle. This name derives instead from PGmc *aigo- ("possessor").
|
Brother of Wayland and Slagfiðr. He and his brothers see three swan maidens bathing and capture them by stealing their swan-skins. Egil1 marries Alruna, who, however, leaves after seven years so that he must look for her. In the Þiðreks saga, he is also a masterbowman and is forced to shoot an apple off the head of his brother Wayland by king Nithhad. He helps Wayland flee from Nithhad.
|
Franks Casket
|
Völundarkviða
|
Þiðreks saga, Pforzen buckle
|
Egil2
|
|
|
|
See Ongentheow, for the Swedish king
|
|
|
|
Eitil
|
Old Norse: Eitill
|
|
The word eitill has meanings like "nodule in stone" and "iron" as in the expression harðr sem eitill ("hard as flint"). de Vries derives it from eitr meaning "poison" or "rage", from PGmc *aitran ("poison").
|
Eitil and his brother Erpr1 were the sons of Atli (
Attila) and
Gudrun. Attila had killed her brothers Gunnar and Högni2, so she exacted vengeance by killing, cutting up, cooking and serving their sons for him to eat.
|
|
Dráp Niflunga, Atlakvíða, Hamdismál
|
|
Ekivrid
|
Latin: Ekivrid
|
|
For the first element, see Ecki. The second element is frithu, from PGmc *friþuz ("peace").
|
The fourth of Gunther's men killed by Walter of Aquitaine. He is an outlaw for having killed a man in Saxony.
|
|
|
Waltharius
|
Ella
|
Old Norse: Ella,
Latin: Elli
|
|
A Scandinavian adaptation of the OE name Ælla.
|
He appears at the massive
Battle of Brávellir as one of the Danish king
Harald Wartooth's warriors against the Swedish king
Sigurd Ring. Seeing his friend Hun, killed by
Starkad, Ella wants to avenge his friend and takes on the giant warrior, only to be killed as well. Gesta Danorum only mentions him in a list of warriors sequentially killed by Starkad before he cuts off the hand of the shield-maiden Visna.
|
|
Sögubrot, Gesta Danorum (VIII)
|
|
Elgfróði
|
Old Norse: Elgfróði
|
|
The name means "elk-wise". (In Europe, elk refers to what in North America is called the
moose.
[125])
|
The son of Bjorn and Bera and brother of Bodvar Bjarki and Thorir Hound's Foot. He has the body of an elk below the naval. He becomes a robber and advises Bodvar to join Hrólfr Kraki's heroes.
|
|
Hrólfs saga kraka
|
|
Elsa
|
Old English: Elsa
|
|
See Else1, below.
|
Appears in Widsith, line 117, where he appears to be a
Lombard. He is not known from other sources.
|
Widsith
|
|
|
Else1
|
Middle High German: Else,
Old Norse: Elsungr
|
|
The name Else is possibly based on PGmc *ali- ("other, strange").
|
The ruler of a Bavarian march on the right bank of the Danube and brother of Gelpfrat in the Nibelungenlied. He and his brother attack the Burgundians after the cross the Danube. In the Þiðreks saga, he is a jarl who tries to take vengeance on Dietrich von Bern for killing his father.
|
|
|
Nibelungenlied, Þiðreks saga, Biterolf und Dietleib
|
Else2
|
Middle High German: Else
|
|
The element Els- is common in river names and Gillespie suggests a connection to Elsbaum ("alder tree"), which is a tree important in folk medicine.
|
A monstrous woman who overcomes Wolfdietrich. She is revealed to be a beautiful maiden after Wolfdietrich agrees to marry her or to give her one of his brother's marry her, depending on the version. She gives Wolfdietrich various magical gifts.
|
|
|
Wolfdietrich
|
Else3
|
Middle High German: Else,
Old Norse: Elsungr
|
|
See Else1
|
The father of Else1 and Gelpfrat - in the Þiðreks saga, he is killed by Dietrich von Bern's grandfather Samson.
|
|
|
Þiðreks saga, Biterolf und Dietleib
|
Emerca, Embrica, Imbreke
|
|
|
|
See Harlungen.
|
|
|
|
Eofor
|
Old English: Eofor
|
Beowulf is generally considered to be based on historic people and events.
[61]
|
PN: *Eburaz meaning "wild boar".
|
In Beowulf, a Geatish warrior who killed the Swedish king
Ongentheow, in battle. He received the richest possible reward, the only daughter of king
Hygelac. He may appear in Ynglingatal killing Ongentheow's cognate Egil2, but this seems to have been misunderstood by Icelanders due to dialectal differences of the word farri ("boar" vs. "bull").
|
Beowulf
|
Possibly Ynglingatal
|
|
Eomer
|
Old English: Ēomǣr
|
|
The name means "horse famous", and the first element eoh ("war horse") is from PGmc *eχwaz ("horse") and mǣre is from PGmc *mērjaz ("famous").
|
In Beowulf (lines 1960–1962), he is mentioned as the son of
Offa of Angel, and related to Heming and Garmund. Together with Offa and Garmund (Wermund), he also appears in the genealogy of King
Æðelred of Mercia (675–704).
|
Beowulf
|
|
|
Eric1
|
Old Norse: Eiríkr or Eirekr,
Latin: Ericus
|
May be based on a historic 5th c. Swedish king.
|
Eirekr is from PN *aina- ("one", "alone") or *aiwa- ("always"), and the adjective ríkr from PGmc rīkia- ("rich", "powerful", "prominent") but it may also partly go back to *rīk(a)z ("ruler", "prince"), cf. Gothic reiks ("ruler").
|
According to the Ynglinga saga, a Swedish king of the
Yngling dynasty who succeed his father
Agne, together with his brother
Alrekr. However, according to Historia Norwegiæ and Íslendingabók,
Agne (Hǫgni) was the successor. They were skillful horsemen and competed in riding and having the best horses. One day they did not come back, but were found dead with crushed heads, and as they were unarmed, they were assumed to have killed each other with their bridles. In Gesta Danorum, Ericus is an ally of
Gestumblindi (
Odin) and kills the Swedish king Alricus in battle. In Gautrek's saga, Eric rules Sweden for a long time after Alaric's death and in the sequel Hrólfs saga Gautreksonar, Eric's daughter Thorbjörg is a shield-maiden.
|
|
Íslendingabók (27), Ynglingatal (10), Historia Norwegiæ, Ynglinga saga (19-20), Gautrek's saga, Hrólfs saga Gautreksonar, Gesta Danorum (V)
|
|
Eric2
|
Old Norse: Eiríkr or Eirekr
|
|
See Eric1, above.
|
According to Ynglinga saga, he was the son of the king of Sweden,
Yngvi1, and he spent many years raiding with his brother
Jorund, but he fell in a battle on the
Fýrisvellir near
Uppsala against the sea-king
Haki1 who taken over his father's throne.
|
|
Ynglinga saga
|
|
Eric3 (weather hat)
|
Old Norse: Eiríkr or Eirekr,
Latin: Ericus Ventosi Pillei
|
|
See Eric1, above.
|
The son of
Ragnar Lodbrok and
Thora and the full brother of Agnar4. In Ragnarssona þáttr, the two brothers came to
Mälaren and sent a message to
Uppsala and told
Eysteinn, their father's subking, that Eric would take over and marry his daughter Borghild2. When the Swedes opposed this, they met Eric and Agnar in battle after which Agnar died and Eric was taken prisoner. Eysteinn offered him safe conduct and the hand of his daughter but Eric only wanted to die lifted and left to die on raised spears, which was granted. In Ragnars saga loðbrókar, they attack after their father had cancelled a visit to Eysteinn and the latter had ended the friendship. Agnar and Eric were not only met by the full force of the Swedish army, the king also let loose his
sacred cow, Sibilja, which wreaked havoc on their army, and Agnar fell while Eric was captured. The ending is the same, but Eric also sent a ring to his loving step-mother with a poem. In Gesta Danorum (IX), Ragnar has a son named Ericus Ventosi Pillei (Eric Wind Hat) by his wife Svanlaug, and his father appoints him king of Sweden but he is later killed there by a man named Eysteinn (Ostenus). He corresponds to Erik Väderhatt (Eric Weather Hat) in Swedish folk tradition whose hat made the wind blow in the direction where it was pointed, recorded in the Swedish Chronicle.
|
|
Ragnars saga loðbrókar, Ragnarssona þáttr, Krákumál, Ad catalogum regum Sveciæ annotanda, Gesta Danorum (IX), Swedish Chronicle
|
|
Eric4 Anundsson
|
Old Norse: Eiríkr Anundsson, Emundarson, Eymundarson
|
|
See Eric1, above.
|
The Hervarar saga tells that when the Swedish king
Björn at Haugi died, his brother
Anund of Uppsala's son Eric succeeded him. It further relates that Eric was a contemporary of
Harald Fairhair, and his son
Björn Eriksson would be the father of
Eric the Victorious. However, the reading of the name as Anund is not uncontested, because some translators of the manuscripts of Hervarar saga have read Emund instead of Anund, which agrees with
Snorri Sturluson's Kings' sagas, where this king is not the son of Anund, but of Eymund or Emund. In Haralds saga hins hárfagra,
Harald Fairhair conquers petty kingdoms and creates
Norway because a beautiful girl named
Gyda would not marry him unless he became as powerful as king Eric at
Uppsala. In the rest of the saga, Eric is mentioned as a competitor for the petty kingdom of
Värmland, and as long as Eric lived there were battles in
Götaland. In Óláfs saga helga, it is mentioned that Eric used to raise the Swedish levy every summer to pillage overseas.
|
|
Hervarar saga, Óláfs saga helga, Haralds saga hins hárfagra
|
|
Eric5 Björnsson
|
Old Norse: Eiríkr Bjǫrnsson
|
|
See Eric1, above.
|
The Hervarar saga tells of an Eric who was the son of
Björn Ironside and grandson of
Ragnar Lodbrok. He succeeded his father as the king of Sweden, but ruled only for a short while. He was succeeded by his brother
Refil's son
Erik Refilsson, whom the saga makes the fourth king in the line of Swedish kings before
Eric the Victorious.
|
|
Hervarar saga
|
|
Eric E(y)mundarson
|
|
|
|
See Eric4 Anundsson
|
|
|
|
Eric6 Refilsson
|
|
Old Norse: Eiríkr Refilsson
|
See Eric1, above.
|
The Hervarar saga tells that Eric succeeded his uncle
Eric Björnsson as the king of Sweden. He was a powerful king and a great warrior, and he was the father of
Björn at
the Barrow and
Anund at
Uppsala. He is also mentioned in the Prose Edda (Skáldskaparmál) as the patron of the skald Alf the Small.
|
|
Hervarar saga, Skáldskaparmál
|
|
Eric7 the Eloquent
|
Old Norse: Eiríkr inn málspaki,
Latin: Ericus Disertus
|
|
See Eric1, above.
|
In the Prose Edda, Eric the Eloquent is mentioned among other legendary characters, and as a member of the Ylfing (
Wulfing) dynasty (Codex Regius version) or the
Yngling dynasty (Uppsala Edda version), but nothing else is told about him. In Gesta Danorum (V), he is one of the most important characters of book V. There he is a Norwegian who through his way with words becomes the chief adviser of the Danish king Frothi. The style of the account is so similar to that of Icelandic sagas that
Axel Olrik probably accurately commented that there must have been a lost Norse saga, where Eric was the hero.
|
|
Prose Edda,Gesta Danorum (V)
|
|
Ermanaric
|
Old English: Eormanrīc,
Old Norse: Jörmunrekr or Erminrikr (Þiðreks saga),
Latin: Iarmericus (Gesta Danorum),
Middle High German: Ermenrîch
|
Historical Gothic king, died 376
|
"Universal-ruler", from PGmc *ermana- ("universal") and PGmc *rīk- ("ruler, powerful")
|
Father of Randver, uncle of Dietrich von Bern and the Harlungen, husband of Svanhildr. He kills his son, wife, and/or nephews at the instigation of Sibeche, and forces Dietrich von Bern into exile on the advice of Sibeche. In the OE poem Widsith, the narrator visits Ermanaric and lists his retinue. In Dietrichs Flucht, he has his nephews the Harlungen hanged and forces Dietrich to leave Lombardy by threatening to otherwise kill the prisoners he has taken although Dietrich has captured his own son. In the Þiðreks saga, dies after a long illness and Sibeche usurps the throne. In the Old Norse tradition, he hangs his son for supposedly sleeping with his new wife Svanhildr, while having her torn apart by horses. Svanhildr's brothers maim but do not kill him in his sleep.
|
Widsith, Beowulf
|
Guðrúnarhvöt, Hamðismál, Gesta Danorum, Völsunga saga
|
Annals of Quedlinburg, Þiðreks saga, Dietrichs Flucht, Rabenschlacht, Alpharts Tod, Ermenrichs Tod.
|
Erpr1
|
Old Norse: Erpr
|
|
The same name as the
Chattish Arpus,
Frankish Erpo and Erpa. It is also found in
Gothic Erpamara and
Old English Earpweald. The phonetics point to a
West Germanic origin, and it is cognate with ON jarpr, both from PGmc *erpaz ("dark brown"). The name could ultimately be a Germanic adaptation from a Hunnish name such as Arpad.
|
Erpr and his brother Eitil were the sons of Atli (
Attila) and
Gudrun. Attila had killed her brothers Gunnar and Högni2, so she exacted vengeance by killing, cutting up, cooking and serving their sons for him to eat.
|
|
Dráp Niflunga, Atlakvíða, Hamdismál
|
|
Erpr2
|
Old Norse: Erpr,
Latin: Adaocarus (Annals of Quedlinburg)
|
Not historical.
|
For Erpr, see above. Adaocarus may be a mistake for Odoacer.
|
Erpr is the son of Jonakr and the half-brother of Hamdir and Sörli, whose mother is Gudrun. Through their mother Hamdir and Sörli have a half-sister named Svanhild who has been trampled to death by Ermanic. At Gudrun's urging, they set off to kill Ermanaric in revenge for his killing of Svanhildr. When Hamdir and Sörli encounter Erpr, they kill him thinking he will not help them, but this means they only maim Ermanaric, who has them killed. According to the
Prose Edda, they have the same mother, Gudrun, and they kill him because they are upset with her taunting and him being her favourite.
|
|
Ragnarsdrápa, Guðrúnarhvöt, Hamðismál, Völsunga saga
|
Annals of Quedlinburg
|
Erpfe3
|
|
|
|
See Orte and Scharpfe (Erpfe)
|
|
|
|
Ethgeir
|
Old Norse: Æðgeirr
|
|
Æð- means "blood vein", while geirr means "spear".
|
One of the four giant sons of king Nordian1, he adds king Oserich/Osantrix against King Milias. He flees with his brother Aspilian to Austriki (Austria) after Attila defeats Osantrix. Osantrix then sends Ethgeir to King Isung in Bertangaland, and he guards the border. When Dietrich goes to Bertangaland with his champions, Widige (Vithga) finds the giant sleeping, wakes him, and challenges him to a duel. When Widige has gained the upper hand in the duel, Ethgeir offers to ransom himself with treasure from an underground chamber. Widige thinks that Ethgeir will try to trap him in the chamber, so tells Ethgeir to go in first and then beheads him.
|
|
|
Þiðreks saga
|
Etzel
|
|
|
|
See Attila
|
|
|
|
Eugel
|
Early New High German Eugel
|
|
Possibly a descriptive name meaning "little eye" (cf. German Äuglein).
|
A dwarf, son of Nibelung, whose treasure has been stolen by a dragon. Siegfried defeats him and afterwards he helps Siegfried defeat the giant Kuperan. Siegfried takes his treasure thinking it belongs to the dragon, and Eugel prophesies Siegfried's marriage to Kriemhild and murder.
|
|
|
Lied vom Hürnen Seyfrid
|
Eyfura
|
|
|
The name means "island
fir". The first element is from PN *awjō ("island") and the second from PGmc *furχwōn- ("fir")
|
The wife of Arngrim. Either the daughter of Svafrlami (Hervarar saga) or Froði (Gesta danorum).
|
|
Hervarar saga, Gesta danorum, Hyndluljóð.
|
|
Eygrímr Bólmr
|
|
|
|
See Grímr.
|
|
|
|
Eyjolf
|
Old Norse: Eyjólfr
|
|
The first element is from
PN *auwjō meaning "happiness" and the second element is from úlfr which means "wolf".
|
Eyjolf was the son of a king named Hunding who was killed by
Sigmund's son
Helgi, who thus earned himself the cognomen Hundingsbane. Helgakviða Hundingsbana I tells that Helgi refused to give his sons compensation, and so they attacked him but were defeated and killed.
[179] The Völsunga saga names them Alf2 and Eyjolf, Hervard2 and Hagbard2, but Helgakviða Hundingsbana I and II call them Alf2 and Eyjolf, Hjorvard3 and Havard.
[181] Helgakviða Hundingsbana II adds a brother named Heming,
[182] and the Völsunga saga adds yet another brother called king Lyngvi who killed Sigmund in battle. Norna-Gests þáttr tells that in the first battle against Helgi Hundingsbane, Eyjolf, Hervard and Hjörvard were slain, but Lyngvi, Alf and Heming escaped to be killed later in battle against Sigurd.
|
|
Helgakviða Hundingsbana I, Helgakviða Hundingsbana II, Völsunga saga, Norna-Gests þáttr
|
|
Eylimi
|
Old Norse: Eylimi
|
|
The first element ey- is from PN *awjō ("island"), *auja ("happiness", "luck") or *aiwa ("ever"), and the second element limi means "broom" or "rod of twigs. According to
Müllenhoff, the name means "evergreen" or "always with branches", and
de Vries adds that it may have meant "luck-bringing branches".
|
In
Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar, king Eylimi is the father of the
Valkyrie Sváfa1, his only daughter who marries Helgi, the hero of the lay.
[187] According to
Hyndluljóð (26), he was a scion of the
Ödling dynasty, and it mentions another daughter named
Hjördís and a relative named Hrauthung.
[188]
Frá dauða Sinfjötla, tells that his daughter Hjördís marries
Sigmund, and together they have the son
Sigurd the dragon slayer.
[189]
Grípisspá adds that beside Hjördís he has a son named Gripir who ruled a kingdom and was very wise.
[190] According to Grípispá (9) and
Reginsmál (15), he was killed by the sons of
Hunding.
[191] In the Völsunga saga, he is a rich and powerful king and both Sigmund and Hunding's son Lyngvi want to marry his beautiful and clever daughter Hjördís. Eylimi asks his daughter to choose and she wants Sigmund, because although he is very old, he is most famous. Later the angry Lyngvi attacks Eylimi and Sigmund and kills both, but he can't find Hjördís, who later bears Sigurd.
|
|
Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar, Frá dauða Sinfjötla, Grípisspá, Hyndluljóð, Reginsmál, Völsunga saga, Norna-Gests þáttr
|
|
Eymod
|
Old Norse: Eymóðr
|
Probably based on
Eymund.
|
The first element ey- is from PN *awjō ("island"), *auja ("happiness", "luck") or *aiwa ("ever"), and the second element is móðr ("state of mind", "wrath", "courage"), from PGmc mōðaz.
|
In Guðrúnarkviða II and Völsunga saga, Eymod appears as one of
Gudrun's suitors together with
Yaroslav the Wise. In his translation of Guðrúnarkviða II, Hollander considers the mention out of place and moves it to the notes,
[194] and Finch comments that it probably refers to
Eymund who helped
Yaroslav the Wise against his brother.
|
|
Guðrúnarkviða II, Völsunga saga, Eymundar þáttr hrings, Yngvars saga víðförla
|
|
Eysteinn
|
Old Norse: Eysteinn
|
|
The first element is from PN *awjō ("island"), auja ("happiness", "luck") or aiwa ("ever"), and the second element means "stone".
|
Eysteinn succeeded his father
Eadgils (Aðils) as king of Sweden. During a banquet at Lófund (probably
Lovön) he was surprised with all his men by the sea king
Sölve and burnt to death inside the hall. He was the father of the later king
Ingvar Harra.
|
|
Historia Norwegiæ, Ynglinga saga, Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar
|
|
Eysteinn Beli
|
Old Norse: Eysteinn Beli,
Latin: Eysten and Ostenus
|
|
For the meaning of Eysteinn, see above. The cognomen Beli means "roarer".
|
According to Hervarar saga, he was the son of
Harald Wartooth and ruled Sweden until he was killed by the sons of
Ragnar Lodbrok. In Ad catalogum, he ruled Sweden when Ragnar was absent from his kingdom. In Ragnarssona þáttr, he was the viceroy of Ragnar Lodbrok in Sweden. Ragnar's sons Agnar4 and Eric3 arrived and declared that Eric3 would take over and marry his daughter Borghild2. When the Swedes opposed this, they met Eric and Agnar in battle after which Agnar died and Eric was taken prisoner. Eysteinn offered him safe conduct and the hand of his daughter but Eric only wanted to die lifted and left to die on raised spears, which was granted. Eric and Agnar's half-brothers
Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye,
Björn Ironside,
Hvitserk2,
Ivar the Boneless and their mother
Aslaug1 attack Sweden and kill Eysteinn. In Ragnars saga loðbrókar, the two brothers attack after their father broken up his engagement to Eystein's daughter and the latter had ended the friendship. Agnar and Eric were not only met by the full force of the Swedish army, the king also let loose his
sacred cow, Sibilja, which wreaked havoc on their army, and Agnar fell while Eric was captured. The ending is the same, after which
Ivar the Boneless attack in revenge killing every living thing until they had slain Eysteinn. Krákumál specifies the location of his death as
Ulleråker.
[203] Eric3 (Ericus) having been killed in Sweden by a man named Eysteinn (Ostenus) is also mentioned in Gesta Danorum (XI).
|
|
Hervarar saga, Ragnars saga loðbrókar, Ragnarssona þáttr, Krákumál, Gesta Danorum (XI), Ad catalogum regum Sveciæ annotanda
|
|
Eysteinn Halfdansson, or Eysteinn Fart
|
Old Norse: Eysteinn Hálfdansson
|
|
See Eysteinn, above
|
Eysteinn was the son of king
Halfdan Whiteshanks, and succeeded him in
Romerike and
Vestfold (the West-fold). He married Hildr, the daughter of Eric Agnarsson, the former king of the Vestfold. Eric's father Agnarr was the son of king Sigtrygg of
Vendel. Since Eric had no son, and died while Halfdan Whiteshanks was still alive, father and son took over. Eysteinn went east to
Varna (formerly a part of
Østfold, "the East-fold") to pillage. Its ruler Skjǫldr was a skilled warlock and when he arrived to the shore and saw the departing ships, he took his cloak and blew into it after waving it around. When Eystein's ships rounded
Jarlsø, he was sitting at the rudder and another ship came so close that a boom knocked him overboard. His drowned corpse was retrieved, and buried at
Borre. He was the father of
Halfdan the Mild. The Historia Norwegiæ only talks of his death as a sailing accident as Eysteinn Fart was passing between two islands.Ynglingatal calls him "
Geatish" which is in a manner of speaking correct as his father came from
Värmland.
|
|
Íslendingabók, Ynglingatal, Af Upplendinga konungum, Historia Norwegiæ, Ynglinga saga
|
|
Eysteinn, king of Vestmarr
|
Old Norse: Eysteinn
|
|
See Eysteinn, above.
|
In Sögubrot, which is a surviving fragment of the Skjöldunga saga, the sons of Gandalf ask
Sigurd Ring, the king of Denmark and Sweden, to ride with them in a war between their kingdom
Alfheim and king Eysteinn of Vestmarr (modern day
Westfold), across northern
Skagerrak. Sigurd Ring had been married to their late sister Alfhild. There the fragment ends. The continued story on Sigurd Ring is preserved in Ad catalogum, but there Sigurd is already present with his troops in Vestmar and engages in a fated love story with Alfsol.
|
|
Sögubrot, Ad catalogum regum Sveciæ annotanda
|
|
Eyvindr
|
Old Norse: Eyvindr skinnhǫll
|
|
For the first element see Eysteinn, above. For the second element there have been several explanations. It is probably from a PGmc *-winðuz, from a
PIE
agent noun *ṷen-tu-s, in turn derived from the root *ṷen- with meanings such as "to win, to be victorious". The cognomen skinnhǫll has not been satisfactorily explained, but may be from skinnhæll ("leather heel", "skin"), but the explanation is not very helpful.
|
Eyvindr is a suitor of Æsa the fair, the daughter of the Danish king Alf4. He is Danish, prominent, powerful, wealthy and handsome. When he proposes Æsa's father has just been killed in revenge by Hildibrand1, and so she asks for the advice of her friends instead. Asmund, the son of her father's champion Aki1 and unbeknownst to him the half-brother of Hildibrand1, answers that she should marry him instead. She decides that she will marry the man who has the most beautiful hands after the summer's raiding season. When the autumn arrives, Eyvindr has stayed with the cooks and protected his hands in gloves, while Asmund's hands are leathery and full of scars, and tanned with the blood of the men he has slain. Seeing Eyvind's white and soft hands, she declares that they cannot compare in beauty to Asmund's manly hands. She will marry Asmund, but first he has to avenge her father.
|
|
Ásmundar saga kappabana
|
|