Vikings

[extern76]

would vikings have had or used Roman names ? i.e. Octavius. If so how did this come about ?

[zmudge]

There are Oddbj�rn, Oddgeirr, Oddmar, �blau�r, �li, �r�kja, �spakr, �sv�fr and �tryggr. But no Octavius.

[zmudge]

P.S.  I had forgotten the God Odin, leader of the Aesir. Odin had a myriad of other names including Allfather, Ygg, Bolverk and Grimnird. But again, alas, no Octavius.

[Sludge]

There is also Oddbj�rg, Oddfr��r, Oddlaug, Oddleif, Ormhildr and �sk. Octavius Norse sounds a bit wimpish. In this area the big man was Igorra, and Igorra Norse is more like it.

[jno]

It sounds very unlikely. The Vikings were great traders and explorers, going not only to America but across the Mediterranean, and also via rivers from the Baltic to the Black Sea and the Byzantine empire. The ancient Romans were long gone by this time. But it might just be possible that some who settled in Italy or further east picked up some antique Roman names for their kids. But very unlikely.

[Octavius]

Octavius is latin for 'eighth child'.

In Old Norse, it was very common to give children the names of honored relatives, for the Northmen believed that children would partake of the virtues of the ones whose names they bore. Relatives recently dead, in particular, were thus remembered by their kindred, a custom resulting from a half belief that the spirit of the beloved dead lived again in the little child.

Although there are many 'latinized' or greek origin versions of names found in Old Norse, (Fillipu from Phillipos, Andreas from Andrew, Johannes from Johan/John, Matheus - Matthew, Marteinn - Martinus etc etc), Octavius is very unlikely.

Presuming you are of English origin, I guess in comparison, it would be almost like you calling your son Olaf, Pierre or Giuseppe, instead of Oliver, Peter or Joseph.  Although acceptable, it is generally not done.

[X111]

You certainly caused me to laugh a little when I saw your posting, Sludge. Igorra Norse? Good grief. Prince Monolulu a Viking? What a thought !

[Sludge]

Ah, yes, X. Prince Monolulu. A name that brings back happy memories. The Viking association goes something along the lines that Prince Monolulu's great-great-great-great-great grandmother was Thorgerda daughter of Thorstein the Red who was Olaf the White's son, Ingialld. Ingialld's mother was Thora, daughter of Siggurd Snake-i'-the-eye who was Ragnar Hairybreek's son. Deeply-wealthy was Thorstein the Red's mother; she was daughter of Kettle Flatnose, who was Bjorn Boun's son, Sogn. Around the same time Harold Grayfell married Helgi Grim Prince Monolulu's distant aunt; Harold was the son of Eric Bloodaxe, who was the son of Harold Fair-hair whose mother's name was Gunnhillda, a daughter of Auzur Toti. Gunnhilda's sister married Onund, the son of Ofeig Clumsyfoot, who was the son of Ivar Horsetail. Onund was the brother of Gudbjorg, the mother of Gudbrand Knob, the father of Asta, the mother of Olaf the Saint. Asta Balki married Blaeing Sotanesand their son was Orm the Wealthy and their daughter was Hallvard. It was Hallvard who wrote the family song:-

P� Dovrefjell i Norge l� der kjemper uten par,
dronning Ingeborgs br�dre de alle var.
Men hvem skal f�re v�re runer n�r vi selv ei m�?
Den f�rste kunn vende veiret med sin hand,
den andre kunne stille det rinnende vann.
Den tridje han for under vannet som en fisk,
den fjerde fattes aldri mat p� disk.
Den femte han kunne gullharpa sl�
s� alle de dansede som h�rte der p�.

which all Monolulu's sing to this day. Something like that.


 
 
 

[Octavius]

You know, you make me wanna shout