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VÆTTVANGR -- VÖLVA. 721
skírn þin betri enn vættugi, better than naught, Karl. 460; hafa at vettugi, Gþl. 254. vætt-vangr or vétt-vangr, later vett-fangr, changing v into f; vatfangr, Nj. 100, is simply an error; [from vangr = a field, spot; the former part, vett or vætt, is less clear, but prob. from váttr, vætti, = the place of witness or evidence, or from vega = locus actionis?] :-- a law term, the place of summons, locus actionis, where an act or deed, such as a battle, assault, manslaughter, has taken place, cp. Grág. i. 349, cited below; chiefly used of the summoning of witnesses; the vettvang was the space within a bow-shot (örskot) from the spot all around, see Grág. ii. 19 (Vígsl. ch. 14); ef maðr hefnir sín á öðrum vettvangi en til hans var hlaupit á, 91; á þeim vettvangi, 9; hvárt sem þeir eru á véttvangi eðr annars-staðar, 23; búa skal kveðja níu búa heiman frá vettvangi, i. 349 (in case of adultery); þá er næstir eru vetfangi, 461; á öðrum vettvangi, Kb. i. 158; skal kveðja heiman frá vettvangi, ii. 48; þat vórti þá lög, at vígsakar skyldi sækja á því þingi er næst var vettvangi, Jb. 8; kveðja um áljóts-ráð þau er á vettvangi eru ráðin, Giág.; á þeim vettvangi, Nj. 230; Helgi fékk bana á þeim vettvangi, or vættvangi, 218; vetfangi, 110; ef maðr er veginn á vetvangi, N.G.L. i. 163; hann kemr á vettfanginn, ok sér þar ný tiðendi, ok þó mikil, Ísl. ii. 371; Þórðr kom á vættfang, Sturl. ii. 92 C; sótti þá Saul fram af vætfanginum (from the battle-place) með ópi ok eggjan, Stj. 453 (1 Sam. xiv. 20); ríðr Sámr austr á heiðina ok at þar er vetfangit (sic) hafði verit, Hrafn. 28, and passim in the laws and Sagas. COMPDS: vettvangs-bjargir, f. pl. the aiding or abetting an assault, on the very spot, which was a fineable offence, Sturl. ii. 234 (Cod. C. vættfang); um fjör-ráð ok vetfangs-bjargir, i. 145. vettvangs-búi, a, m. a neighbour to the place of action, to be summoned as búi, Grág. ii. 17; vætt-fangsbúar, Nj. 100. vöðla, að, to twist up into a wisp; vöðla e-n saman. vöðull, m. = vaðall, in Vöðla-þing. VÖÐVI, a, m. [Germ. waden -- calf of the leg], a muscle; skal hann sár bótum bæta eyri þar sem vöðva skerr, N.G.L. i. 67; kykva-vöðvi, Hkr. i. 99, Þiðr. 187; hjó á lærit, svá at ór tók allan vöðvann, Grett. 136 A; þat er margra manna siðr at vinda vöðva klæðum ok kalla þat soðit, Fas. ii. 525, the word is very freq. in mod. usage; afl-vöðvi, the biceps-muscle; vöðva-sár, a flesh-wound, N.G.L. i. 172, Grág. i. 18; vöðva-skeina, a flesh-wound, Fbr. 212. vöflur, f. pl. stammering, confusion; það kómu vöflur á hann, he became confounded, from guilt. vög, f., pl. vagar, vagir, plur. vegr, Fms. viii. 430; vögur (as from vaga), see vagar. vöggr, m. [see vagga], apparently much the same as vöggu-barn, an infant in the cradle; a nickname, Landn. 314; a pr. name, Edda; litlu verðr Vöggr feginn, 'with little are babies fain,' 81 (a saying which originally may have meant that children are easily pleased); cp. lítil-þæg eru börnin. vöggu-, see vagga, a cradle. VÖGN, f. (also vagna, u, f.), pl. vagnir, a kind of whale, delphinus orca; plur. vagnir, Sks. (Gronl. Hist. M. iii. 291, v.l.), Edda (Gl.), Lex. Poët.; vögnu láð, the sea, Ód. COMPDS: vögn-bráð, f. the blubber of the whale, Fsm. vögn-hvalr or vögnu-hvalr, m. = vögn, described in Sks. 29 new Ed. VÖK, f., gen. vakar, n. pl. vakar and vakir, with art. vökna = vökina, Bs. i. 346; [Dan. vaage] :-- a hole, opening in ice; hann hratt hestinum í vök eina, Fms. i. 211; þeir riðu vakar nökkurar, x. 388; í vök þiðri, vii. 2; höggva vakir á ísinum, 272; stórar vakir. Sks. 178; ef menn finna hval í vökum, Grág. ii. 386; vakum, Sks. 175 B; ok fægja vökina eptir sér, Fms. viii. 416; í vökinni, vi. 337, Bs. i. 346; rekjald mikit í vök, Fs. 145; draga þeir skipit milli vakanna, 180; passim in mod. usage. vökna, að, to become wet; búa um svá at aldri mátti vökna. Fms. vii. 225; áðr hón vöknaði, ii. 280; ek fleygði mér á ána, vöknaða ek þá allr, Karl. 167; þat vöknar allt ok klöknar, 545; freq. in mod. usage, eg hefi vöknað í fætrnar, I have got wet in the feet. vökóttr, adj. full of holes, of ice, Fms. i. 210. vökr, adj. moist; vökvir eða vátir, Stj. 98; vökva jörð, a moist soil, Stj.; vera vökrar náttúru, MS. 732. 17. vöku-, see vaka. vökull, adj. [vaka], wakeful, vigilant. Art. 76, v.l. VÖKVA, að, to moisten, water; áin Nilus vökvar þat ok frjóvar meðr sinni döggvan, Stj. 77; vökva mun hann fót sinn í viðsmjörvi, 348; gróðrseti ok veykvi, fági ok prýði, 677. 10, freq. in mod. usage; vökva sig, to water oneself, to drink, slake one's thirst. 2. vökva sér blóð, to make blood flow. Fas. iii. 376; see vekja. vökva, u, f., gen. vöku, moisture, juice; vökva reyfisins, Stj. 397; vökva ok úhreinindi, MS. 677. 22; jarðligrar vöku, 415. 5; (sólin) slær ofan vöku sinni ... skýtr tunglit sinni vöku á hafit. 732. 1, 4; af hafsins vökum ok vætum, Stj. 18; kviðr tekr við veku sem sær við vötnum, Eluc. 19; en sumt féll á hellu ok þornaði, því at þat fékk enga vækku (sic), Hom. 67. COMPDS: vöku-mikill, adj. moist, juicy. Stj. 17. vöku-samr, adj. moist; vökusamt vátlendi, Stj. 201. vöku-skortr, m. a lack of moisture, Stj. 291. vökvan, f. a moistening, watering, Stj. 88, Rb. 478; in mod. usage, vökvan = beverage, of milk. vökvi, a, m. = vökva, a moisture, fluid, Barl. 18, 118, H.E. i. 480, Fas. ii. 378, Pr. 474; and so in mod. usage. völdugleikr, m. power, authority, Stj. 83 (v.l.), 298. 2. as a title; yðar v., your highness, Mar. völdugr, mod. völdugr; that völd- is the better form is shewn by the old form valdugr, Barl., as also by the derivation from vald; [Ulf. wulþags = GREEK; Germ. ge-waltig; see valda] :-- mighty, powerful; þrír völdugir konungar, Fms. i. 259; inn valdugasti, Barl. 102: vitr ok valdugr, 113; inn valdugi stjórnari, 106; eigi mundi hann vera svá voldugr, at ..., Orkn. 138; vollduga menn ok vel guðhrædda, Stj. 298; ins voldugasta manns, 185; voldugari, 163 (völdugari, v.l.); mjök voldugir ok mikils ráðandi, Fb. ii. 535, Luke i. 52. völdugskapr, m. authority, Stj. 83. völduliga, adv. proudly; láta v., Finnb. 300, v.l.; konungr reið nú v. at borginni, Fms. vii. 87; ríkmannliga ok v., 94. völduligr, spelt valduligr, adj. powerful, Barl. 187. VÖLLR, m., gen. vallar, dat. velli; pl. vellir, gen. valla, acc. völlu, mod. velli; [Icel. völlr and Germ. wald = wood seem to be the same word; the change in the sense from wood to field being much the same as in mörk] :-- a field; knáttu Vanir völlu sporna, Vsp. 28; vaxinn völlum hæri, 36; völlu algræna, Akv. 13; þar vóru víða vellir sléttir, Fms. vii. 56; þeir sátu úti at skemtan sinni á völlum nökkurum, vi. 141; þar var torfa ristin ór velli ... fastir í vellinum, Ld. 58; kasta sér niðr við vellinum, flat on the ground, Nj. 58; leggja e-n við velli, to lay one level with the ground, Fms. v. 236; or at velli, Nj. 117; hús min liggja við velli, lies on the ground, is demolished, Fms. iii. 144; hasla e-m völl, Eg. 273 (see hasla); lauss á velli, loose in the ranks, not steady, Eg. 293; fastr á velli, firm, steady. Fms. xi. 246; vígligr á velli at sjá, warlike to look at, Eg. 475; so, fríðr, mikill ... á velli, of fine, stout ... appearance; miklir at vallar-sýn. big in outward appearance, Nj. 66, v.l.; víg-völlr, a battle-field; þing-völlr, q.v.; þreskj-öldr. 2. a close or paddock; at úsánum ok úbreiddum völlum, unsown and unmanured fields, Jb. 193; reiða á völl, Grág.; slá átta stakka völl, Fb. i. 522; tún-völlr, Korm. II. freq. in local names, Völlr and Vellir, Rangár-vellir. COMPDS: vallar-garðr, m. a paddock-fence; réttsýni upp á fjall, ok yfir í vallar-garð fram á Skjaldar-stöðum, Dipl. v. 19. VÖLR, m., gen. valar, dat. veli; pl. velir, acc. völu; [Ulf. walus = GREEK, Luke ix. 3; whence valtr, velta, cp. also vala: the root word is Goth. walwian; Lat. volvere]:-- a round stick, staff, Bév. 9 b; bítað þeim vápn né (enn?) velir, Hm.; Gríðar völr, Edda; in many compds, snar-völr, rið-völr (q.v.), hjálmun-völr, stjórn-völr, a helm, tiller; vánar-völr, a beggar's staff; víg-völr, a weapon; torf-völr, q.v. 2. also of a blunt, oval edge; in egg-völr, q.v.; cp. the mod. phrase, það er völr fyrir egginni, when the edge is not thin and keen, but thick and blunt. völsa, að, [akin to völdugr], to make a great bustle, pride oneself; menn þegar eg stolta sé sem völsa mikið í veröldinni; en vita hvorki á né bé, Hallgr. Völsi, a. m. [evidently the same word as Gr. GREEK], the name of a heathen phallus-idol, as to which see the curious story in Fb. ii. 331-336 (called Völsa-þáttr). Völsungr, m. the name of an ancient myth. king, whence Völsungar, see Völsunga Saga, the Edda, Hkv.; Völsunga drekka, to drink of the Wolsungs, i.e. poison, Bragi; the word is thought to be from a Slavonic idol Wolos. Völsunga-kviða, u. f. the lay of the Wolsungs, Sæm. 112. völt or völtur, f. pl. [valtr, velta], a roller, a thing belonging to the fittings of a ship, Edda (Gl.) Völundr, m. [A.S. Wêland; Germ. Wieland; hence too comes Engl. gallant, from Teut. Fr. galant; prop. an appellative(?), like höfundr]:-- Wayland the Smith, Germ. Welant, a myth. hero common to all Teutonic people, Edda, Þiðr. 82, 185; the legends about him are contained in the old lay Völundar-kviða, Sæm. 88-94 (List of Authors A. II), and the Þiðr. S. ch. 57 sqq. 2. as appell. a master smith, a great artist, = GREEK; bækr þinar ofnar völundum, woven by Waylands, Hðm. 7 (cp. Gr. GREEK); Hrafn var völundr at hagleik, bæði at tré ok at járni, Bs. i. 640; Fróði konungr átti tvá smiði er völundar vóru at hagleik, Fms. i. 14; völundr rómu, the master of battle, i.e. Odin, ix. (in a verse); and so in mod. usage, hann er mesti Völundr, he is a great Völund, a great master, of a smith. Völundar-hús, n. 'Wayland's house,' a labyrinth, Stj. 85; en feti þó hvergi burt úr Völundar-húsi, Lil. 92; this myth. word is still in use in Icel. VÖLVA, u, f., also spelt völfa, gen. völu, pl. völur; völfu. or also völfur or voluur; gen. pl. does not occur; the nom. Vala is erroneous: [the etymology as well as the origin of this word is uncertain; but may not the Norse Völva and the Gr. GREEK be relations? the identity in sense at least is very striking; the Gr. word first occurs in Aristoph., and then in Plato; may it not have been adopted from some Scythian tribe, for a word like this, if Greek, could hardly fail to occur in Homer? in