Önd-vegi

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

önd-vegi Old Norse word can mean:

önd-vegi (ǫnd-vegi)

and önd-ugi, n. [from and- (opposite) and vegr]:—an ‘opposite-seat,’ high-seat, so called because two seats are placed opposite to one another; in ancient timbered halls the benches were placed longways, running along the walls of the halls (sec bekkr), with the two seats of honour in the middle facing one another; the northern bench facing the sun, was called öndvegi it æðra, the higher or first high-seat, the opposite or southern bench being it úæðra, the lower or second high-seat; the two high-seats were the most honoured places in the hall, and a chief guest used to be placed in the southern high-seat. In England the master and mistress sitting opposite one another at each end of the table may be a remnant of this old Scandinavian custom. The sides of the high-seat were ornamented with uprights (öndugis-súlur) carved with figures, such as a head of Thor or the like; these posts were regarded with religious reverence; many of the settlers of Iceland are said to have taken the high-seat posts with them, and when near Iceland to have thrown them over-board to drift ashore, and where they found them, there they took up their abode. When a man of rank died, the son, after all rites performed, solemnly seated himself in his father’s seat, as a token of succession: in Vd. ch. 23, the sons sat not in the father’s seat before they had avenged his death.

önd-vegi (ǫnd-vegi)

B. References in illustration of this: Þorgerðr sat á tali við Þorstein bróður sinn í öndvegi, Ísl. ii. 200; var þeim Illuga ok sonum hans skipat í öndvegi, en þeim brúðguma á annat öndvegi gegnt Illuga, konur sátu a palli, 250; Guðmundr sat í öndvegi, en Þórir Helgason gagnvart honum, en konur sátu á palli, brúðr sat á miðjan pall, etc., Lv. 37; á hinn úæðra bekk gagnvert öndugi mínu (better, ‘útar frá öndnginu,’ v. l.), Nj. 129; þat var forn siðr í Noregi ok svá í Danmörk ok Svíþjóðu, at konungs hásæti var á miðjan langbekk í veizlustofum, sat þar dróttning til vinstri handar konungi, var þat kallat konungs öndvegi …, annat öndvegi var á hinn úæðra pall, etc., Fms. vi. 439; af öllum hirðmönnum virði konungr mest skáld sín, þeir skipuðu annat öndvegi, Eg. 24; konungr tekr blíðliga við Hjálmari, ok skipar í öndvegi gegnt sér, Fms. iii. 79; þér mun skipat á inn óæðra bekk gegnt öndugi Rúts, Nj. 32; reis hann þá upp or rekkju ok settisk í öndvegi, Eg. 644; eta at ölkrásim ok í öndugi at senda, Akv. 36; nú skal presti bjóða ok konu hans til erfis, sitja skal hann í andvegi ok kona hans í hjá honum, n. G. l. i. 404; hann gékk í höllina ok sá þar sitja í öndugi Baldr bróður sinn, Edda 38; jarl gékk inn í stofuna, var þar fjölmenni mikit, þar sat í öndugi maðr gamall … jarl settisk öðrum-megin gagnvart Þorgný, Ó. H. 66; hann sá mann mikinn ok vegligan í öndvegi, Glúm. 336; ef maðr verðr dauðr, þá skal arfi í öndvegi setjask, Js. 75; heim skal búanda stemna ok til húss fara … stemni hann honum inn til andvegis, n. G. l. i. 217, 219: the saying, eigi verðr öllum í öndvegi skipað, it is not for all to sit on the high-seat, cp. Horace’s non cuivis homini contingit adire Corinthum.

önd-vegi (ǫnd-vegi)

COMPDS: öndugishöldr, öndvegissúla, öndvegissæti.

Orthography: The Cleasby & Vigfusson book used letter ö to represent the original Old Norse vowel ǫ. Therefore, önd-vegi may be more accurately written as ǫnd-vegi.

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

Also available in related dictionaries:

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

• Old Icelandic - Geir Zoëga's Dictionary
• Old Norwegian - Johan Fritzner's Dictionary