Tag: language
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Concerning ‘Red Gold’
When you look at gold, what color do you see? Probably some shade of yellow. Why, then, do Old Norse texts often mention ‘red gold’? Is it different from normal gold? If so, what is it? I was asked this question on Tumblr recently, so I took a moment to dig up an answer. Here’s…
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Introducing the Elder Futhark
When it comes to runes, the Elder Futhark are certainly the most popular; they are the most romanticized, as well as the most common runic…
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A Brief Introduction to Runes
This part of the Hall contains basic information regarding five runic alphabets, which are named based on their time, place, and first six runes (futhark, futhorc, futhork, etc.). It is important to keep in mind that runes were generally meant to be written based on their sound, not just their letter equivalent. If you encounter…
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Old Norse 1.1
Please gather around and join me by the hearth if you wish to learn more about the Old Tongue! The theme of our current festivities shall be “Njáll hét maðr…”, which will be concerned with how great heroes are introduced in the sagas! During our next few gatherings, we will learn more about this theme,…
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Old Norse Preface
Preface Introducing the Language “The term ‘Old Norse’ has been used in various ways. For some it is a broad concept covering the language of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, as well as Iceland and the other Scandinavian colonies, throughout the Viking Age (c. 750–1050) and the early and high Middle Ages (c. 1050–1350). At the…
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Language in Medieval Iceland
“There was a man named Thorarin who lived at Sunnudale. He was an old man with failing eyesight. He had been a fierce viking in his youth and though he was now old he was still not easy to deal with.” (Þorsteins þáttr stangarhöggs – Miller, 52.) They called their language the Dönsk Tunga, the Danish Tongue.…
