Lævateinn

Lævateinn is the only weapon capable of defeating the cockerel Viðofnir, as explained by Fiölsvith "the very wise" porter in the poem Fjölsvinnsmál.{{sfnp|Einar Ól. Sveinsson|1971–1973|pp=300–301}} Lopt, the sword's maker, refers to Loki.

Hævateinn, the untampered form of the weapon's name as occurs in manuscript, has been glossed as "sure-striking dart/arrow" by Árni Magnússon in 1787,{{efn|{{langx|la|spiculum in feriendo certum}}.}} and rendered "an arrow's name /That never disappoints the aim" by A. S. Cottle in 1797.{{harvp|Cottle tr.|1797}}. "The Fable of Fiolsuid". {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=WTwJAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA278 |2=p. 278}}

Lævateinn, the emendation made by changing the first letter from H to L, was proposed by Sophus Bugge in 1860/1861, later printed in Bugge's edition of the Poetic Edda (1867 ), and construed to mean 'Wounding Wand', or 'damage twig', {{sfnp|Simek|2007|p=185}} or "Wand-of-Destruction".

To be fair, Lævateinn or læ-wand can have three possible senses of meaning,{{sfnp|Wanner|2009}} and the latter three English glosses exploit only one of them. The three meanings of læ (the nominative case of læva) are: "cunning", "deception", and "injury".{{Refn|Jan de Vries (1961), Wörterbuch. Cited by {{harvp|Wanner|2009}}.}}Cf. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=ne9fAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA403 læ]" s.v. Cleasby=Vigfusson's Dictionary (1874). The weapon's name is glossed as "wand of non deceit" in passing without further explanation by Einar Ólafur Sveinsson.{{sfnp|Einar Ól. Sveinsson|1971–1973|pp=300–301}}{{harvp|Pettit|2019|pp=206–210}}, note 41

The weapon is mentioned briefly thus in the poem Fjölsvinnsmál:

{{Verse translation|lang=non |attr1=Fjölsvinnsmál, str. 26–27. Árni Magnússon pub. (1787) |attr2=Benjamin Thorpe translation

|

Segþv mer þat, Fjölsviþr!

Hvart ſe vapna nockvt

þat er knegi Viþofnir for

Hníga á heljar ſjót?“

Hæva-teinn heitir hann;

Enn hann gerþi Loptr Rúinn

Fyr ná-grindor neþan,

I ſæg iárnkeri liggr han

Hia Sin-mörv;

Oc halda njarþ-láſar nío.{{harvp|Magnæus|1787}}. "Fiöl-svinns mál" str. 26–27. [https://books.google.com/books?id=BU4_AAAAcAAJ&pg=RA1-PA294 1: 294–295]

|

Tell me, Fiölsvith! etc.

whether there be any weapon,

before which Vidofnir may

fall to Hel´s abode?

Hævatein the twig is named,

and Lopt plucked it,

down by the gate of Death.

In an iron chest it lies

with Sinmoera,

and is with nine strong locks secured.{{harvp|Thorpe tr.|1907}}. "The Lay of Filolsvith" str. 26–27. {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=KOk5L601x0YC&pg=PA98 |2=pp. 98–99}}

}}

Bugge proposed that this poem Fjölsvinnsmál should be treated as Part II of Svipdagsmál (sequel to Part I Grógaldr), and the sword's name was emended to Lævateinn by him.

The poem underwent further modifications. The phrase "{{lang|non|í sæg iárnkeri}}" ('placed in an iron vase'){{harvp|Magnæus|1787|p=294}} "{{langx|la|In sino, ferreo vase}}".{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|Or, if parsed as "{{lang|non|sæ-gjarn}}" becomes construable as 'sea lover'.}} was modified by Hjalmar Falk to "{{lang|non|í Lægjarns keri}}", where Lægjarn denoted 'Lover of Ill', a nickname of Loki.{{harvp|Bellows tr.|1923|pp=245–246}}. Notes to "Svipdagsmol (II Fjolsvinnsmol)" str. 42.

{{Verse translation|lang=non |attr1=Fjölsvinnsmál, str. 25–26. Sophus Bugge ed. (1867){{Efn|with an emendation by Falk shown in brackets}} |attr2=Henry Adams Bellows translation

|

Vindkaldr kvað:

Segðu mér þat, Fjölsviðr!

er ek þik spyrja mun

ok ek vilja vita:

hvárt sé vápna nökkut,

þat er knegi Viðofnir fyr

hníga á Heljar sjöt?

Fjölsviðr kvað:

Lævateinn hann heitir,

en hann gerði Loptr rýninn

fyr nágrindr neðan;

í seigjárnkeri [í Lægjarns keri]{{harvp|Falk|1894|p=51}}. "{{lang|da|Mimetræts hane}} (Cockerel of the Mímameiðr--Mímir's tree)" str. 26. {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=jfI8AQAAIAAJ&pg=PA51|2=p. 51}}.

liggr hann hjá Sinmöru,

ok halda njarðlásar níu.{{harvp|Bugge|1867}}. "Svipdagsmál II: Fjölsvinnsmál" str. 25–26. {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=1VsAAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA347|2=pp. 347–348}}.

|

Svipdag spake:

"Now answer me, Fjolsvith, the question I ask,

For now the truth would I know:

What weapon can send Vithofnir to seek

The house of Hel below?"

Fjolsvith spake:

"Lævatein is there, that Lopt with runes

Once made by the doors of death;

In Lægjarn[Loki]'s chest by Sinmora lies it,

And nine locks fasten it firm".{{harvp|Bellows tr.|1923}}. "Svipdagsmol (II Fjolsvinnsmol)" str. 41–42. [https://archive.org/details/poeticedda00belluoft/page/244/ p. 245]

}}

The Laeva- stem of the weapon's name is considered the genitive form of Lae-, as occurs in Loki's nickname Lægjarn, where lae means 'deceit, fraud; bane', and so forth.{{sfnp|Wanner|2009}}

The identification of the type of weapon is not in agreement among commentators and translators.

The Hævateinn was interpreted to be a dart/arrow ({{lang|la|{{linktext|spiculum}}}}) by Árni Magnússon and A. S. Cottle in the 18th century as already noted.

Whereas Finnur Jónsson glossed it as a sword, along with other editors at the beginning of early 20th century,{{Refn|Sijmons, Barend; Gering, Hugo ed. (1903–31) Edda 1:207. Cited by {{harvp|Wanner|2009}}.}} and it was specifically claimed to be the same as the flaming sword of the giant Surtr by Henrik Schück.

Or, the Hævateinn or Lævateinn was probably a magic wand crafted by Loki according to others, e.g., Albert Morey Sturtevant, and a paper on seiðr magic staffs citing Rudolf Simek.{{harvp|Gardeła|2009|p=199}}, citing Simek (2006), p. 185.{{efn|Leszek Gardeła notes magic staff gambanteinn which also has a -teinn stem meaning 'twig'.}}

Henry Adams Bellows glossed Lævateinn as meaning 'wounding wand', but rejected identification with the {{linktext|mistilteinn}} or "mistletoe with which Baldr was killed". To complicate matters, the argument is also made by e.g. Lee M. Hollander that although Lævateinn is literally renderable as a "Wand-of-Destruction", it is etymologically considered to be a kenning for a sword.{{sfnp|Simek|2007|p=185}}

In Adolfo Zavaroni and Reggio Emilia's conception of the poem, Lævateinn is a cudgel ("Evilcudgel"), while it is Viðofnir who owns a collection of rods (divining rods) whereamong he maintains his sickle. In fact, the word völr in the text literally means "rounded rods",{{sfnp|Zavaroni|Emilia|2006|p=72}} although translators have figuratively interpreted the word to be the rooster's plumage.e.g. {{harvp|Bellows tr.|1923}}. "Svipdagsmol (II Fjolsvinnsmol)" str. 46. [https://archive.org/details/poeticedda00belluoft/page/246/ p. 246]: "sickle.. mid Vithofnir's feathers found".{{efn|In Zavaroni and Emilia's picture, Viðofnir is not a mere bird, but "one of the aspects or hypostases of the [god] Hœnir".{{sfnp|Zavaroni|Emilia|2006|p=72}}}}

{{notelist}}

{{reflist|30em|refs=

{{cite book |last=Bugge |first=Sophus |author-link=Sophus Bugge |chapter=Hr. Bugge holdt folgende Foredrag om Forbindelsenn mellem de norrøne Digte Grógaldr og Fjölsvinnsmál oplyst ved Sammenligning med den dansk-svenske Folkevise om Sveidal |title=Forhandlinger i videnskabs-selskabet i Christiania |volume=1860 |year=1861 |page=139 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h18FAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA139}}

{{harvp|Finnur Jónsson|1905}} p. 216 , and index, {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=RQn6BuCj6q4C&pg=RA5-PA524 |2=p. 524}}

{{harvp|Hollander tr.|2011}}. str. 26–27. {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=KAQbCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA148 |2=p. 148 and note}}.

{{cite book|last=Schück |first=Henrik |author-link=Henrik Schück |title=Studier i nordisk litteratur- och religionshistoria |volume=2 |location=Stockholm |publisher=Hugo Geber |year=1904|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YpVLAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA124 |page=124}}

{{cite journal |last=Sturtevant |first=Albert Morey |author-link= |title=A Note on the Sigrdrífumál |journal=Publications of the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study |volume=2 |number=2 |date=March 1915 |page=83 |jstor=40914942}}

}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Bellows tr.|1923}}|translator-last=Bellows |translator-first=Henry Adams|translator-link=Henry Adams Bellows (businessman) |chapter=Svipdagsmol II: Fjolsvinnsmol |title=The poetic Edda |location=New York |publisher=American-Scandinavian Foundation |year=1923|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/poeticedda00belluoft/page/244/ |pages=239–251}}
• {{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Bellows tr.|2004}}|translator-last=Bellows |translator-first=Henry Adams|translator-link=Henry Adams Bellows (businessman) |translator-mask=2 |chapter=Svipdagsmol II: Fjolsvinnsmol |title=The poetic Edda |location=Mineola, New York |publisher=Dover Publications |year=2004 |pages=239–251 |isbn=0-486-43710-8}}
• {{cite book|editor-last=Bugge |editor-first=Sophus |editor-link=Sophus Bugge |chapter=Fiölsvinnsmál |title=Sæmundar Edda hins Fóda: Norroen Fornkvaedi |location=Christiana |publisher=P. T. Mallings |year=1867 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1VsAAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA343 |pages=343–351}}
• {{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Cottle tr.|1797}}|translator-last=Cottle |translator-first=A. S.|translator-link=Amos Simon Cottle |chapter=The Fable of Fiolsuid |title=Icelandic Poetry, Or The Edda of Saemund |location=Bristol |publisher=Joseph Cottle |year=1797|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WTwJAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA272 |pages=265–286}}
• {{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Hollander tr.|2011}}|translator-last=Hollander |translator-first=Lee M. |translator-link=Lee M. Hollander |chapter=The Lay of Svipdag: The Lay of Fjolsvith |title=The Poetic Edda |edition=2nd |volume=1 |location=Austin |publisher=University of Texas |year=2011 |orig-year=1962 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KAQbCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA148 |pages=143–153|isbn=9780292764996 }}
• {{cite book|editor=Finnur Jónsson |editor-link=Finnur Jónsson |chapter=Fiölsvinnsmál |title=Sæmundar-Edda: Eddukvæði |location=Reykjavík |publisher=Sigurður Kristjánsson |year=1905 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RQn6BuCj6q4C&pg=PA211 |pages=211–221}}
• {{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Thorpe tr.|1907}}|translator-last=Thorpe |translator-first=Benjamin| translator-link=Benjamin Thorpe |chapter=The Lay of Fjolsvith |title=The Elder Edda of Saemund Sigfusson |location=London |publisher=Norrœna Society |year=2004 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KOk5L601x0YC&pg=PA95 |pages=95–101 |isbn=0-486-43710-8}}
• {{cite book|editor-last=Magnæus |editor-first=Legatus [Arnas] |editor-link=Árni Magnússon |chapter=Fiöl-svinns mál |title=Edda Sæmundar hinns Fróda. Edda rhythmica seu antiquior, vulgo Sæmundina dicta |lang=la|volume=1 |location=Hafniæ |publisher=Gyldendal |year=1787 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BU4_AAAAcAAJ&pg=RA1-PA275 |pages=275–310}}

• {{citation|author=Einar Ól. Sveinsson |author-link=Einar Ólafur Sveinsson |title=Svipdag's Long Journey: Some Observations on Grógaldr and Fjölsvinnsmál |journal=Béaloideas |volume=39/41 |date=1971–1973 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3nwsAAAAMAAJq |pages=298–319|doi=10.2307/20521363 |jstor=20521363}}
• {{citation|last=Falk |first=Hjalmar |author-link=Hjalmar Falk |title=Om Svipdagsmál |journal=Arkiv för nordisk filologi |volume=10 |date=1894 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jfI8AQAAIAAJ&pg=PA26 |pages=26–82 |lang=da}}
• {{citation|last=Gardeła |first=Leszek |author-link= |title=A Biography of the Seiðr-Staffs. Towards an Archaeology of Emotions |editor1-last=Słupecki |editor1-first=Leszek P. |editor1-link= |editor2-last=Morawiec |editor2-first=Jakub |editor2-link= |work=Between Paganism and Christianity in the North |location=Rzeszów |publisher=Rzeszów University |date=2009 |url=https://www.academia.edu/347081 |pages=190–219 |isbn=9788373384651}}
• {{cite book|last=Pettit |first=Edward |author-link= |chapter=8. Lævateinn and the Maelstrom-Giantess |title=The Waning Sword: Conversion Imagery and Celestial Myth in 'Beowulf' |location=Cambridge |publisher=Open Book Publishers |year=2019 |chapter-url=https://www.openbookpublishers.com/htmlreader/978-1-78374-827-3/ch8.xhtml |pages=197–224|isbn=978-1783748273}}
• {{citation|editor-last=Simek |editor-first=Rudolf |editor-link=Rudolf Simek |translator=Angela Hall |translator-link= |title=Dictionary of Northern Mythology |publisher=D.S. Brewer |date=2007 |orig-year=1993 |url= |pages=190–219 |isbn=0-85991-513-1}}
• {{cite journal |last=Wanner |first=Kevin J. |author-link= |title=Cunning Intelligence in Norse Myth: Loki, Óðinn, and the Limits of Sovereignty |journal=History of Religions |volume=48 |number=3 |date=February 2009 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ig9LAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA83 |page=216 and n18|doi=10.1086/598231 |jstor=10.1086/598231|s2cid=161860193 }}
• {{cite book |last1=Zavaroni |first1=Adolfo |author1-link= |last2=Emilia |first2=Reggio |author2-link= |chapter=Mead and 'Aqua Vitae': Functions of Mímir, Oðinn, Viðofnir and Svipdagr |editor1-last=Langbroek |editor1-first=Erika |editor1-link= |editor2-last=Quak |editor2-first=Arend |editor2-link= |editor3-last=Roeleveld |editor3-first=Annelies |editor3-link= |editor4-last=Vermeyden |editor4-first=Paula |editor4-link= |title=Amsterdamer Beiträge zur älteren Germanistik |volume=61 |publisher=Rodopo |date=2006 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o0N7Sjh7EvoC&pg=PA72 |pages=65–86 |isbn=9042018593}}

{{refend}}

{{Norse mythology}}

{{Notable swords}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laevateinn}}

Category:Medieval European swords

Category:Mythological Norse weapons

Category:Mythological swords

Category:Loki

Category:Viking swords

Category:Wands