This is page 722 of An Icelandic-English Dictionary by Cleasby/Vigfusson (1874)

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722 VÖLUSPA -- VÖRR.

völva an initial s, we suppose, has been lost (qs. svölva); in the Greek the &i-short; would be an inserted vowel] :-- a prophetess, sibyl, wise woman; vöa, seiðkona, spákona (qq.v.) are synonymous. The ancient Sagas contain many remarkable records of the heathen wise-women or sibyls, who were held in honour and reverence; at the great feasts and sacrifices in the autumn, the völva (often a woman of rank) went with her troop of maidens through the country, where she, so to say, crowned the feast; she was seated on a high seat (seiðhjallr) in the hall, where she wrought her spells and sang her 'weird-songs' (varðlokur), after which the guests went past her one by one, and she told each his fate, or whatever else one wanted to know, e.g. the course of the coming winter and the like. The former part of the Völuspá is evidently conceived as the inspired song of a völva, seated on her high seat, and addressing Odin, while the gods listen to her words; and the latter part of the poem appears to be a kind of necromancy, or the raising of a dead völva, as also is the lay Vegtamskviða; sú kona var þar í bygð er Þorbjörg hét, ok var kölluð lítil völva, hón hafði áttar sér níu systr, ok vóru allar spákonur, en hón var ein þá á lífi, þat var háttr Þorbjargar um vetrum, at hón fór á veizlur ok buðu þeir menn henni mest heim er forvitni var á at vita forlög sín eða árferð, Þorf. Karl. Names of such wise women, Gróa völva, Edda; Heimlaug völva, Gullþ.; Heiðr völva, Landn. 173; Huldr völva, Yngl. S., Hkr. i. 21; to which add the 'Weleda' of Tacitus: class. passages are Þorf. S. ch. 3 (exceedingly interesting), Örvar-Odds S. ch. 3 (Fas. ii. 506), Vd. ch. 10: völu vél-spá, Vsp.; eru völfur allar frá Víðólfi, Hdl.; völva ok vís kona. Vtkv.; þá kom til völva sú er Gróa hét, Edda 58; var á því landi spákona sú er sagði fyrir örlög manna, ... þeir fara til móts við völunna, Fb. ii. 28; ek fór í skóg til þín í völvu líki, Fas. i. 135; þóttusk menn vita at þar mundi verst hafa völu-leiði, Ld. 328; þá reið Óðinn fyrir austan dyrr þar er hann vissi völu leiði, Vtkv.; úrsvöl Gýmis völva, of Rán the goddess, Edda (in a verse); at hás völva valdi því bölvi, Kormak; in a bad sense, völva and skollvis kona, Hkv. 1. 34; Tacitus (Germ. ch. 8, 46, and Hist. iv. 61, 65, v. 22, 24) speaks of these practices, as also does Plutarch, Caesar ch. 19, -- GREEK. COMPDS: Völu-spá, f. the song of the V., the name of an old lay, Edda; Völuspá in skamma = Hyndlu-ljóð, Edda i. 44. Völvu-staðir, Icel. local name, Gullþ. S.

VÖMB, f., gen. vambar; [Ulf. wamba = GREEK; A.S. wamb; Engl. womb; Scot. wame; Germ. wamme, wanst; Lat. venter; Gr. GREEK] :-- a womb, belly, but mostly in a low sense, especially of beasts (the Engl. womb is in Icel. kviðr); þenja vömbina, to fill the belly. Fms. viii. 436: kýla vómb sína á miði ok mungáti, Fs. 4, Fas. i. 493; ok aum í vömb, Bjarn. (in a verse); sauðar-vömb, kýr-vömb, gor-vömb, Vambar-ljóð, the name of a lay, Maurer's Volksagen 317. COMPDS: Vambar-dalr, in. a local name, Bs. ii. Vambar-hólmr, m., Fms. vii.

vömm, f., gen. vammar, pl. vammir, for the references see vamm, n.

vöndla, að, to wind up into a vöndull; v. e-t upp, Þorst. Síðu H. 11.

VÖNDR, m., gen. vandar, dat. vendi, pl. vendir, acc. vöndu, later and mod. vendi, Sks. 443 B; [from vinda, as svigi from sveigja; Ulf. wandus = GREEK, 2 Cor. xi. 25; Engl. wand; Dan. vaand] :-- a wand, switch; af korninu vex rót en vöndr af rótinni en af vendi aldin, Eluc. 14; Jacob tók græna vöndu, ... birkti hann suma vönduna ... mislita vönduna, Stj. 177, 178 (Genesis xxx); skjót at honnm vendi þessum, Edda 37; þá færi þit mér vóndu rétta ór skógi, 656 C. 42; smá-vendi (acc, pl.) af kvistum, Sks. 443 B; út mun ganga vöndr af kyni Jesse, 686 B. 13; tams vendi ek þik drep, Skm.; vatn hljóp ór hellunni er Moyses laust á vendi sínum, ... vöndr Arons, Ver. 22; hann sat ok telgdi vönd einn með knífi, Hom. 116; hreinsa hveiti með vendi (vinza), Stj. 397; reiða vönd ok staura til garðs, N.G.L. i. 241; mál-vöndr, a measuring-wand, yard; poët. ben-vöndr, a 'wound-wand;' hjalt-vöndr, a 'hilt-wand,' i.e. a sword; blóð-v., morð-v., slíðr-vöndr, fólk-vöndr, hríð-vöndr, hvít-vöndr, benja-, brynju-, hjaldrs-vöndr, id.; ríkis-vöndr, a sceptre, Lex. Poët.: a rod, for punishing, strýkja með vendi, ljósta mar vendi, Kormak; vöndr hrökk, Mork. (in a verse); cp. vand-styggr, vandar-högg. 2. a roller, on which tapestries were hung; tjöld um miklu-stofu, ábóta-stofu, conventu ok málstofu, ok hér méð vendir til allra, Vm. 109; mátum vér í skuldina, tvær bækr, vönd, pall-klæði, Dipl. iii. 13. 3. in the phrase, snúa vönd í hár e-m, a way of beheading a culprit, by twisting a stick in his hair and holding the head steady to receive the stroke (instead of laying it on the block), see Ó.H. 191, Jómsv. S. ch. 47, Fms. xi: cp. vand-bálkr, vand-draga, vand-laupr, vand-styggr. 4. metaph. a stripe, in cloth, Edda (Gl.) i. 584; segl stafat vendi, Eg. 68, Ó.H. 113, 124, 170 (see segl and stafað'r). COMPDS: vanda-hús, n. a wicker-house, Ó.H. 20, Edda ii. 200 (where vandar-hús). vandar-högg, n. a 'wand-stroke,' flogging, Bs. i. 871; in mod. usage a Law term for flogging as a punishment for theft or other such misdeeds; M.N. á að sæta ... vandar-hagga refsingu, a standing law phrase in mod. Icel. sentences. vandar-leggr, m. a wand-stick, Mar. 223. vandar-veif, n. a wand's waving; vera á vandarveifi, Ísl. ii. 317.

vöndull, m., dat. vöndli, a wisp, of hay; gefa vöndul heys af kýrfóðri hverju, Bs. i. 137; tóku þeir vöndul heys fyrir hvern hest, Sturl. iii. 164; hafi vöndul fyrir hross, Jb. 430; á kirkja vöndul af sex sútum heys hverjum of alla sveit, Ám. 37.

vönn, f., pl. vannir (or vön?); [prob. some corruption for vin, f., q.v.] :-- a hunting track; seldi ek þeim ... útan garðs ok innan vönn ok veiði-staði er til hefir legit, D.N. ii. 159; en ef hann görir aðrar van(n)ir yfir land manns þar sem íkorna-skogr er, bæti mörk silfrs ... ok landnám á ofan, N.G.L. ii. 143.

vönsundr m. the wind, Edda (Gl.)

vönuðr, m. a waner, diminisher; in vell-v., hodd-v., Lex. Poët,

vörð, f., pl. varðir and verðr, [Engl. ward], prop. a woman under tutelage, a wife; only in the allit. phrase, vörðr and verr, wife and husband, a wedded pair; eigut þær varðir vera, these women have no husbands, Gsp.; mik veiztu verða (i.e. varða, gen. pl.) ver-gjarnasta, Þkv, 13; þótt varðir vers (wedded women) fái sér hós eða hvars, Ls. 33; at ek þatki vannk er vörð (vörðr Ed.) né ver vinna knátti, I had no intercourse of wife and husband with him, i.e. no hjúskapar-far, Gkv. 3. 3; þá er Var ok Syn verðr (acc. pl.) at nefna, then are V. and S. the fairies to be named, Edda (Gl.)

VÖRDR, m., gen. varðar, dat. verði, pl. verðir, acc. vörðu (mod. verði); [varða; Ulf. wards, in daura-wards = GREEK, and wardia = GREEK, Matth. xxvii. 65; A.S. weard; Engl. ward, warden; Germ. wart] :-- a warden, warder, Lat. custos; vörðr goða, of Heimdal, Gm.; hann hafði fengit njósn hvar verðir þeirra vóru, Fms. viii. 354: myrkvastofu-vörðr. Post. 645. 89, Stj. 200; Heimdalr, hann er vörðr goða, Edda; vita-vörðr, hús-vörðr, dyra-vörðr, land-vörðr. qq.v. 2. a guard, watch and ward, Lat. custodia; ganga á vörðinn, Eg. 88; ef hundr er bundinn til varðar, Grág. ii. 119; halda vörð, i. 32 (varð-hald); hafa vörðu á e-m, of a prisoner, Fas. ii. 230; svá mikla vörð(u) hélt hann á þeim, iii. 529; gefa vörð móti e-u, to give ward, protect, Sks. 300 B; veita e-u vörð, to keep, take care of, Grág. ii. 409 (hence varð-veita, q.v.)

vörð-sætr, adj. 'watch-sitting,' i.e. fit to be watchman, Gþl. 86.

VÖRN, f., gen. varnar, pl. varnir, [from verja; Dan. værn] :-- a defence; til varnar, for the sake of defence, Sks. 397 B; með vörn, 226; þeir höfðu engan liðs-kost til varnar, Eg. 79; eigi mun þykkja of þunn-skipat til varnarinnar, ... sýna vaskliga vörn, Bs. i. 525, 526, 531; at þessi vörn hafi allfræg verit, 532, Gísl. 72, Nj. 117, passim. II. as a law phrase, defence, opp. to sókn, q.v.; sókn skal fara fyrr fram hvers máls en vörn, Grág. i. 59; sá skal þess kviðar kveðja, er vörn hefir fyrir hann, 41; mundi þat Njáll ætla, at ek myndi hafa nökkura vörn í málinu, Nj. 93: ek mun taka við vörn, 225; bjóða til varna, to call on the defendant to begin his pleading (the plaintiff having done), 36; ef sakir nökkurar görðisk af vörninni, því at þat er opt annars máls vörn er annars er sókn, 225; færa vörn fram fyrir mál, to act for the defendant, 223. 2. a point for the defence, exception; sér þú nökkura vörn í málum þessum, Nj. 231; Ásgrími tóksk svá til sem sjaldan var vant, at vörn var í máli hans (i.e. there was a flaw in his suit), en sú var vörnin at hann hafði nefnt fimm búa, þar sem hann átti níu at nefna, nú hafa þeir þetta til varna, 92, 93; verja mál með lögum, ef varnir verða til, 222; Þorgils gékk at dóminum, hann leitaði til varna í málinu, Grett. 64 new Ed. COMPDS: varnar-aðili, a, m. the defendant in a suit, opp. to sóknar-aðili (see aðili), Grág., Nj., passim. varnar-eiðr, -gögn, -kviðr, m. an oath, evidence, verdict for the defence, Grág. i. 55, 61, 78, Nj. 225. varnar-lauss, adj. defenceless, Al. 84. varnar-maðr, m. a defender, Fms. v. 273, xi. 32, Fb. iii. 445, N.G.L. i. 88, passim.

vörnuðr, m. a warning; bjóða vörnuð, to bid one beware, Akv. 8, Sighvat.

vörpuðr, m. a thrower, one who hurls, Lex. Poët.

vörpu-ligr, adj. of stout, stalely appearance; v. ok mikilúðligr, Fms. xi. 78; konungr spurði hverr sá væri inn vörpuligi maðr, Ld. 312, Finnb. 308 (v.l.), Ó.H. 155, Þorst. Síðu II. 15.

vörpu-mannligr, adj. id., Ísl. ii. 438, v.l.

VÖRR, f., gen. varrar, pl. varrar, varrir; in rhymes rr, vörr er hvöss á harra, Sturl. (in a verse); sprarri varra, Hkr. i. (in a verse): the mod. form is vör, varar, dropping one r throughout: [Ulf. uses a diminutive, wairilo = GREEK; A.S. weleras = labia, a masc. formed by metathesis of r and l, qs. werelas; old Fris. were] :-- the lip, Lat. labium; varrar jarls vóru ókyrrar, Fms. viii. 98; vörr in neðri, the lower lip, Dropl. 25; vörr in efri, the upper lip; bíta á vörrinni, Nj. 68; hann beit varrarnar, ... rifja saman varrarnar, Edda 71; ef varrar eru eigi heilar, Skálda; skarð í vör (vörr), Sd. 175; hverjum vörrum skal ek hans blezaða fulltings biðja, Th. 6; varra-skrap, Sks. 438; varrar þínar, Stj. 644; báðar varrirnar, Bs. i. 360; varrarnar, Sks. 560.

B. [Ivar Aasen vor; A.S. wær; Engl. weir], a fenced-in landing-place; á steini þeim er næstr var vörum (v&aolig;rons Cod.), Bs. i. 337; dró þat eptir skipinu í vörina, Fas. iii. 317; Vermundr kom nú til Grímseyjar, ok dró upp skip í varir Áskels, Rd. 250; varar fýsir skip, a saying, a ship longs for the vórr, Edda (Ht.); cp. njóti svá bauga, sem Bragi auga, vagna vara, may he enjoy wealth, as Bragi [enjoys] the eye, or the ship the haven, Höfuðl. (fine); sigla or vörum, to leave the harbour, Bs. i. 460; ok er staddr í vörum um kveldit þá er Hallr kom at landi, Ld.