logic error: Gapt [gothic-l]

[keth at ONLINE.NO]

Francisc wrote:
>Hi Dirk,
>
>--- In gothic-l at y..., dirk at s... wrote:
>> ...
>>  The name
>> Ase/Anse simply means wooden stave of which idols are made (related
>> to Ast in German?).
>
>No. it's related rather to Gothic ans "beam"

Hi Francisc and Dirk,

I should like to mention the corresponding Norwegian usage.
"Ås" currently has two meanings - a large hill and a horisontal beam.
The two meanings are clearly related, since a large hill more often
than not looks very similar to the roof of ahouse; in particular
since the roof of the traditional Norwegain hous was covered with
grass (turf) and that included little trees. (I have frequently had
to climb the roof of my 2nd house to remove the saplings of new trees
before they grow too large)

When a house is built the roof comes last (of course) and it is
made by balancing certain triangular wooden frames on top of the
finished walls. These are all placed perpendicular to the axis
of the house. When these are in place, the "beams" are placed
horisontally on top of the triangular frames and perpendicular
to the veritical planes of the latter. These horisontal roof-
beams are what we call "ås" (ås, åser, åsene). The uppermost
"ås" is the one that finishes the house, and it is called the
"mønsås". The vikings also had a long wooden pole they used
to keep the sail spread wide, and this was called "beitiáss".

When the famous "stavkirker" (=stave-churches) were built,
it was named thus after the _vertical_ timbers (=wooden
pillars) that were the basis of the construction. Thus one
distinguishes between "stav" which is vertical, and "ås"
which is horisontal. When you, for example see someone walking
atop a large hill in silhouette against the sky, a condition
that makes it possible to distinguish people that are quite
far away, we say "jeg så ham oppå åsen". When we say "oppi
åsen", it means something else, for in that case it means
"somewhere in the hillside". We also speak about an "åsrygg"
(In German probably "die Bergrücke")

But in Old Norse we also have "áss sg., æsir pl.", and the word
áss can then mean both a member of the ON pantheon, as well as
one of these horisontal beams. Why the relationship is not
between the gods and the vertical beams (or staves), I do not
know. To many it would seem more natural that way, because it
would relate the "æsir" more directly to the carved images.

Best regards
Keth





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