skohls (Was: Re: Hails)

[llama_nom]

Hails, Walawulf!

I can't see what direct etymological connection there could be between
ON 'skyrsi' and Go. 'skohsl'. If there is any kinship, perhaps it's
just shared sound symbolism [
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_symbolism ]. Grimm also mentions ON
'skass' = 'skars' "witch, troll". And compare OE 'sceocca', 'scucca'
"devil, monster" (Modern English 'shuck'), and derivatives of OE
'scín-' with connotations of magic, illusion, phantoms. But maybe such
names for frightning beings were liable to unusual changes if people
had a superstitious fear of using what they felt was the thing's true
name in case that attracted its attention; euphemistic names were
certainly used of dangerous animals such as wolves. Diefenbach
mentions Swedish wood spirits called 'skogsnerte' and 'skogsnufva',
and various Slavic names for spirits with the element -kus-, -kuz-,
-kud-, as well as the Slavic verb 'skakati' "to jump".

http://books.google.com/books?id=1LAJAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA954&lpg=PA954
http://books.google.com/books?id=ZqAFAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA1-PA260

Lama Nom


--- In gothic-l at yahoogroups.com, Valulfr_Vaerulsson at ... wrote:
>
> Hails Ualarauans,
> 
> Thanks for clearing that up, I think I picked up the association
from Grimm. 
> After looking into this further I found this from the
Cleasby-Vigfusson O.Ice.
> dictionary - 
> 
> SKYRSI, n. [akin to Ulf. skohsl; Germ. scheusal] :-- a portent,
phantasm, as
> also mischance arising from witchery; þeir þóttusk náliga brenna ok
óttuðusk
> þann atburð sem skussi (= skyrsi), as a bad omen,.....
> 
> Walawulfs
> 
> 
> 
> Quoting ualarauans <ualarauans at ...>:
> 
> > --- In gothic-l at yahoogroups.com, "Valulfr Vaerulsson" 
> > <Valulfr_Vaerulsson@> wrote:
> > >
> > > I have a question about the etymology of the word 'skohsl', is
this a
> > > word Ulfilas made up to denote 'a demon', and if not, where does it
> > > derive?
> > 
> > I think he just took the word already existent and changed its 
> > meaning. Adding the suffix –sl was not his way of forming new words 
> > afaik. It is generally believed that skoh-sl is derived from PIE
> > *(s)kek- "to jump", "to move quickly (= to run)", "to shiver"
> > (#922 in Pokorny). G. Köbler offers the same etymology.
> > Cf. also OSlav. skakati "to jump".
> > 
> > Looks like Go. skohsl could originally pertain to persons suffering 
> > from a certain mental desease, very reminiscent of OIrish geilt and 
> > related mythological motifs of "The Wild Man in the Wood". No wonder 
> > Wulfila picked up this term to refer to those possessed by the devils 
> > (Mt. 8:31) and *running* from the tombs (us hlaiwasnom rinnandans). 
> > 
> > > In the semantic field, this word came down into Old Norse as
> > > 'skógi', or 'forest'.
> > 
> > Very implausible. Theoretically, it could be vice versa. *Skôgaz > 
> > *skôh-sla, that is. "Wood thing" > "wood dweller" = "one banished
from 
> > the community and living in the periphery", "outlaw". Cf. ON vargr = 
> > heiðingi < *heið-gengi, "heath-walker", i.e. "one who dwells in the 
> > wasteland".
> > 
> > > Perhaps it was thought that 'things', spirits
> > > and so forth, living in the forest were to be avoided, not sure.
> > 
> > Forest was thought of as a dangerous place to go, no doubt.
> > 
> > Ualarauans

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