[gothic-l] Ansuz, Anses, Aesir

[Anþanareiks]

> >>  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"

God, pl.
pGmc.  Ansuz
Gothic Anses
ON     Aesir





Anthanarik








> 
> 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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