» Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:51 am Ullr hrím Nórr hár
Direct translations of this runic name may be difficult to achieve. Usually, the skaldii (or skalds, bards of the north) used to carve stones and write runes telling the tales of old and immortalizing the epics. To achieve this, much of the language retained a form of mythic construction, just like a riddle for each line that you have to decode. For this reason, I present a collection of the direct translations for each part of the name. See the bottom of the text for a final attempt at translation. There are characters that do not show correctly because of uncommon accents/phonetic accents.
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Ullr - in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ullr
In early Germanic paganism, *Wultuz ("glory"; Old Norse Ullr) appears to have been a major god, or an epithet of an important god, in prehistoric times. The term woltu- "glory", possibly in reference to the god, is attested on the 3rd century Thorsberg chape (as owltu-), but medieval Icelandic sources have only sparse material on Old Norse Ullr.
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Thorsberg chape - in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorsberg_chape
The inscription reads:
owltutewaz / niwajemariz
The first element owltu, for woltu-, means "glory," "glorious one," cf. Old Norse Ullr, Old English wuldor. The second element, -tewaz, means "slave, servant." The whole compound is a personal name or title, "servant of the glorious one" or "servant/priest of Ullr."
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hrím - See also hrim
Icelandic Etymology (compare Old English hrim):
Noun
hrím n (hrím-s)
hoarfrost, rime
Derived terms
hrímhvítur m, hrímhvít f, hrímhvítt n
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hrímhvítur - in: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hr%C3%ADmhv%C3%ADtur
Icelandic Etymology:
From hrím + hvítur.
Adjective
hrímhvítur m, hrímhvít f, hrímhvítt n
rime-white, snow white
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hrim - Old English - Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *hr?maz. Cognate with Middle Dutch rijm (Dutch rijm), Old Norse hrím (Danish rim and Icelandic hrím).
Pronunciation
IPA: /hri?m/
Noun
hrim m
frost, rime, hoarfrost
Hrim hrusan bond h?gl feol on eortan.
Frost bound the land, hail fell on earth.
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hvítur - in: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hv%C3%ADtur
Faroese and Icelandic Etymology:
From Old Norse hvítr, from Proto-Germanic *hwitaz.
Adjective
hvítur (feminine hvít, neuter hvítt, comparative hvítari, superlative hvítastur)
white
Hún var hvít sem snjór.
She was white as snow.
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Nohr - in: http://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Nohr
Male name.
Usage: Danish and Swedish.
Origin and Meaning: Variant spelling of Nor.
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Nor - in: http://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Nor_m
Male name. (This name is used both as a female and a male name. See Nor f for the female version of this name.)
Usage: Swedish, Danish and Norwegian.
Origin and Meaning: 1) Modern form of Nórr. 2) New name invented to sound like Bror and Tor.
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Nórr - in: http://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/N%C3%B3rr
Male name.
Usage: Old Norse.
Origin and Meaning: Old Norse norer = 'north', related to the country name Nóregr (= Norway) (see also NOR)
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NOR - in: http://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/NOR
Origin and Meaning: Germanic name element.
Old Norse: norer = 'north'
Old High German: nord = 'north'
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Noremaer - in: http://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Nor%C3%B0ma%C3%B0r
Male name.
Usage: Old Norse.
Origin and Meaning: Old Norse name. Combination of NOR and MANN
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hár - in: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/h%C3%A1r
Etymology 1
From Old Norse hár, hór, from Proto-Germanic *hauhaz.
Adjective
hár (feminine há, neuter hátt, comparative h?rri, superlative h?stur)
high:
Múrinn er hár.
The wall is high
tall:
Gue minn almáttugur! Tú ert oreinn svo hár!
My god! You've gotten so tall!
Derived terms
há-
Etymology 2
From Old Norse hár, from Proto-Germanic *heran.
Noun:
hár n (genitive singular hárs, plural hár)
hair
Tú hefur fallegt hár.
You have pretty hair.
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haar - in: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/haar
Etymology: Scots
Noun:
haar, coastal fog along certain lands bordering the North Sea
haar, (uncountable): sea fog
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haar - in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haar_%28fog%29
In meteorology, haar is a coastal fog along certain lands bordering the North Sea; the term is primarily applied in eastern Scotland.
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haar - in: http://tinyurl.com/44b6vbo
Germanic etymology:
Proto-Germanic: *xera-n
Meaning: hair
Old Norse: har n. `Haar'
Old English: har (her), -es n. `hair, a hair'
Old Frisian: her
Old High German: har (8.Jh.)
Middle High German: har st. n. 'haar'
German: Haar n.
Indo-European etymology:
Proto-IE: *k'er?-
Meaning: to comb; hair
Baltic etymology:
Proto-Baltic: *cer-ia- c., *cir-ia- c., *car-a- c., *cer^- (1) vb. tr.
Meaning: hair, bristle
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har - in: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/har
(sometimes used with an accent, only utf8 displays properly.)
Old English Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *hairaz from Proto-Indo-European *kei-, *koi-. Cognate with Old High German her (German hehr (“august, holy”)), Old Norse hárr (“grey”), Gothic ???????? (hais, “torch”), Old Saxon her. Non-Germanic cognates include Sanskrit ???? (ketu, “light, torch”).
Pronunciation
IPA: /ha??/
Adjective
har
Grey-haired, old and grey, venerable.
Old High German
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *heran.
Noun
har n
hair
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Translation Notice:
"Ullr", draws directly from the ancient god of the same name. However, it does not have to literally mean that we are talking about a god (almost all runic riddles have this kind of conundrum). It roughly means "Glorious-one", "he who retains honour". "Enlightened in the image of Ullr" seems to be appropriate. This may as well mean "the one who maintains a coherent morality" or, simply, one who does not deviate from the path of a righteous code of ethic. This indicates warrior virtues in the form of a warrior's code of honour. The equivalent of the "way of life", found in the medieval ages, in the form of chivalry, in Europe, and the Samurai's Bushido in feudal Japan.
The usage of "hrím", translating to "Hoarfrost", can have different meanings. When you read the runes you can decode a lyrical sense that does not literally translate to our language. The use of the mythical conotations indicate that "hoarfrost" is used in the sense that translates to "power of the cold". In the context of The Elder Scrolls, that "power" may as well translate to some kind of magica or ability to manipulate the "ether of the northern land".
Moving on, "hrím" toghether with the next half of the name, "Nohr", roughly means "Hoarfrost Norer". Hoarfrost in this sense may not associate directly with the physical property of being cold, or even indicate any magical powers. This serves as indication of ruggedness, as in having a sturdy build or strong constitution. Much like "he who lives in the cold" or "able to live in the north". "Norer", or nord, when written in runic toghether with "haar" can also directly translate to "Noremaer", Normand or Norman, literally "man of the north".
Direct translation also applies in "haar", as in the "gray haired nord". "Northern-haired" is also possible, if you translate the runes as "Nóhr" plus "haar". But there's more to it.
"Hár" roughly translates to "tall". However, you can literally translate "haar" - listen here http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Nl-haar.ogg - written as "har" with a little circle above the "a". The wikipedia has more information about pronounciation here http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/h%C3%A5r or use this direct to listen the contemporary Swedish equivalent: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Sv-h%C3%A5r.ogg
In the context of the Old Norse, maybe the correct pronunciation sits between the two vocalizations exemplified above. "Haar" roughly means something in the lines of "fair haired", "foggy haired" or "grey (white?) haired". Whether you use "haar" or "hár", either translation can be traced to imply "fair-gray haired". Used toghether with the rune "Nóhr", which is masculine, implies "gray-bearded northern". In the Elder Scrolls lore, this name may directly translate to "Greybeard" - as in elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Greybeards - "An ancient and honoured people (assumed to be Nords) who dwell primarily in High Hrothgar, which is located on the highest mountain peak in Skyrim: the Throat of the World."
We shall meet again. I am sure. For, as I am talking to you right now, you may have already become part of the Elder Scrolls themselves.
Regards,
The Tall-Nordic Grey-bearded Glorious-one.
