Part 5

The names by which Slagfinn is found in our records are accordingly Iði, Gjúki, Dankrat (Þakkráður), Irung, Aldrian, Cheldricus, Gelderus, Hjúki. We have yet to mention one more, Hengest (Hengist), to which I shall return below. Of these names, Gelderus (Geldr), Cheldricus, and Aldrian form a group by themselves, and they are possibly simply variations of the same word. The meaning of the name Hengest, "a gelding," is connected with the same group, and particularly to the variation Geldr. The most important Slagfinn epithets, from a mythological standpoint, are Idi, Gjuki, Hjuki, and Irung.

The names of Völund (Wieland, Veland) in the various records are, as we have seen, Þjazi, Ajo (Aggo), Anund (Önundur), Rögnir, Brunni, Ásólfur, Vargur, Fjallgyldir, Hlébarður, Byr, Gustur, Loptur, Haquinus (Aki, Ecke). Of these names and epithets Ásólfur, Vargur, Fjallgyldir, and Hlébarður form a group by themselves, and refer to his animal-symbol, the wolf. The other brothers also have animal-symbols. Egil is symbolised as a wild boar and a bear by the names Aurnir, Ebur, Ísólfur. Slagfinn is symbolised as a horse in Hengest, and also in the paraphrase öndr-Jálkur, "the gelding of the skis". Like his brothers, he is a runner on skis. The Völund epithet, Brunni, also alludes to ski-running. Rögnir and Reginn are names of Völund and his brothers in their capacity of artists. The names Ajo, Anund, and Thjazi (the sparkling) may have their origin in ancient Aryan times.

The names of the third brother, Egil, are Gangur, Örvandill, Egill, Agelmund, Eigel, Euglin, Höðbroddur, Toko, and Avo the archer; Ebur (Ibor, Wild-Ebur, Villefer, Ebbo), Aurnir, Ísólfur. Of these names Egill, Agelmund, Eigel, and Euglin form a separate group; Örvandill, Höðbroddur, Toko, and Avo sagittarius form another group, referring to his fame as an archer; Ebur, Aurnir, and Ísólfur a third, referring to his animal-symbols.