Blóta

Old Norse Dictionary - blóta

Meaning of Old Norse word "blóta" in English.

As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:

blóta Old Norse word can mean:

blóta: in old use a strong (and originally a redupl.) verb, blóta—blét—blétu—blótinn; pres. blœt, and with the suffixed negative blœtka (I worship not), Stor. 22 (the Ed. wrongly blotka, without change of vowel); this form also occurs K. Þ. K. (Kb.) ch. 7, the Ed. 1853 has wrongly blœt(a)r, but a few lines below blótar (weak), probably altered from blœtr; pret. sing. blét, Hkr. (Yngl.) 56, 269; pl. blétu, 56; subj. blétim, 623. 61; imperat. blótt, Am. 75; part. blótinn, and sup. blótið are freq., Hkr. i. 34, 35, 239, Landn. 47, FaS. i. 255: more freq. weak, blóta, að; pres. blótar, blótast, FaS. i. 87, Fbr. 78; pret. blótaði, Landn. 224, 291, 322, BS. i. 6 (Kr. S.), Nj. 272, Gísl. 140, Fær. 272, FaS. i. 463, 531, Bret., FmS. ii. 263, Hkr. i. 34, 35, Ísl. ii. 109, FS. 50; only the weak sup. and part. are rare in old writers; blótuð, Hom. 153 (Norse); blótað (sup.), BS. i. 5 (paper transcript); in Yngl. S. Hkr. i. 34, 35, Unger’s Edition has the old form blét, blótið, but Cod. Fris. l. c. the later mod. form.: [Ulf. blotan (redupl. verb) = λατρεύειν, σέβεσθαι, cp. guþbloteins = παράκλησις, guþblostreis = θεοσεβής; A. S. blôtan = immolare; O. H. G. blozan; the root is probably akin to bletsian, Engl. to bless]:—gener. to worship, to worship with sacrifice; with acc. of the being worshipped, but dat. of the object sacrificed; thus b. hof, lund, fors, goð, álfa, vættir, to worship temple, grove, force, gods, elves, beings; but b. mönnum, þrælum, kvikendum, to sacrifice with men, thralls, beasts, i. e. to sacrifice, slay them: also used absol.:

blóta: I. with acc. or absol. to worship; skal Þórólfr b. ok leita heilla þeim bræðrum, Eg. 257, 623. 61, Landn. 40, Hkr. i. 34 sqq., FS. 41; heiðnar vættir, Nj. 272, Fær. 139, cp. Bret. 84, 94, Landn. 36, Ib. ch. 7, BS. i. 25; b. til friðar, sigrs, langlífis, árs, byrjar, to make a sacrifice for peace, victory, long life, good season, fair wind, Hkr. i. 239, 34, 56, 11. 97, FS. 173: of the worship of natural objects, at Giljá stóð steinn (a stone), er (acc.) þeir frændr höfðu blótað, BS. i. 5, Harð. S. Ísl. ii. 109; hann blótaði lundinn, he worshipped the grove (cp. Tacitus, sacrum nemus), Landn. 224; hann blótaði forsinn, 291: worship of men (rare), Gríms sonar þess er blótinn var dauðr fyrir þokkasæld ok kallaðr Kamban, 47, Fb. ii. 7; þau vóru bæði blótuð, Edda 83: b. hof, in the phrase, heiðnir menn hof b., Grág., Ísl. ii. 381; blót er oss ok kviðjat, at vér skulum eigi b. heiðit goð, né hauga né hörga, n. G. l. i. 18: worship of animals, Ögvaldr konungr blét kú eina, Hkr. i. 269, FaS. i. 255.

blóta: β. with dat. (extremely rare); blótar hann einum gölt (sic!), prob. corrupt = einn (acc.) gölt, FaS. i. 187 a paper transcript.

blóta: II. with dat. to sacrifice; sacrifices of men are recorded, Hkr. i. 34, 35, 56, 239, Gísl. 140, Eb. l. c., FaS. i. 452 (Hervar. S.): slaves and criminals were esp. sacrificed, thus representing the executions of modern times; heiðingjar blóta enum verstum mönnum, ok hrinda þeim fyrir björg ok hamra …; enir heiðnu menn höfðu þá stefnu, ok tóku þat ráð at b. tveim mönnum ór hverjum fjórðungi, BS. i. (Kr. S.) 23: captives, Ó. H. ch. 131; kom þat ásamt með þeim at hafa Hallfreð til blóta, FS. 102; b. þrælum, FmS. x. 323; b. mönnum ok fé, FS. (Vd.) 50, Am. 75, FmS. i. 174: a sort of self-immolation is recorded Fb. ii. 72.

blóta: III. to curse, swear, vide blót II; with dat. or absol., hann blótar hestunum, Fbr. 78; eigi kvíði ek því þótt biskup blóti mér eðr banni, BS. i. 708; blótuð verð þú, Hom. 153: reflex, blótask, to go about swearing, FmS. viii. 294: vide Maurer, Bekehr. ii. 195 sqq.

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᛒᛚᚢᛏᛅ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements

Abbreviations used:

absol.: absolute, absolutely.

acc.: accusative.

A. S.: Anglo-Saxon.

ch.: chapter.

Cod.: Codex.

cp.: compare.

dat.: dative.

Engl.: English.

f.: feminine.

freq.: frequent, frequently.

Fris.: Frisian.

gener.: generally.

gl.: glossary.

i. e.: id est.

imperat.: imperative.

l.: line.

l. c.: loco citato.

m.: masculine.

mod.: modern.

n.: neuter.

O. H. G.: Old High German.

part.: participle.

pl.: plural.

pres.: present.

pret.: preterite.

redupl.: reduplicative.

S.: Saga.

sing.: singular.

subj.: subjunctive.

sup.: supine.

Ulf.: Ulfilas.

L.: Linnæus.

prob.: probably.

esp.: especially.

Works & Authors cited:

Am.: Atla-mál. (A. II.)

Bret.: Breta Sögur. (G. I.)

Bs.: Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)

Fas.: Fornaldar Sögur. (C. II.)

Fbr.: Fóstbræðra Saga. (D. II.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Fs.: Forn-sögur. (D. II.)

Fær.: Færeyinga Saga. (E. II.)

Gísl.: Gísla Saga. (D. II.)

Hkr.: Heimskringla. (E. I.)

Hom.: Homiliu-bók. (F. II.)

Kb.: Konungs-bók. (B. I, C. I, etc.)

Kr. S.: Kristni Saga. (D. I. III.)

K. Þ. K.: Kristinn-réttr Þorláks ok Ketils = Kristinna-laga-þáttr. (B. I.)

Landn.: Landnáma. (D. I.)

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

Stor.: Sona-torrek. (A. III.)

Yngl. S.: Ynglinga Saga. (C. II.)

Edda: Edda. (C. I.)

Eg.: Egils Saga. (D. II.)

Fb.: Flateyjar-bók (E. I.)

Grág.: Grágás. (B. I.)

Harð. S.: Harðar Saga. (D. II.)

N. G. L.: Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)

Eb.: Eyrbyggja Saga. (D. II.)

Hervar. S.: Hervarar Saga. (C. II.)

Ó. H.: Ólafs Saga Helga. (E. I.)

Vd.: Vatnsdæla Saga. (D. II.)

➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

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This headword also appears in dictionaries of other languages descending from Old Norse.