Íslenzk tunga - 01.01.1960, Page 33

IIRINGTÖFRAR í ÍSLENZKUM ORÐTOKUM
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SUMMARY
The artiele above deals with some Icelandic phrases and phrase variants
containing the word baugr (,ring‘), and their possible connection with belief in
magical rings. In Olcel. literature we find instances of the phrase ciga þann
(slíkan) á baugi ,to have (a single) chance left‘ and the variant sá er á baugi
with the meaning ,there is no other chance* or ,there is a chance' according to
the context.
The author discusses the attempts which have been made to explain the origin
of the phrase. In the Glossary to the Latin translation of Njáls saga from 1809
il is maintained that the word baugr seems to signify ,fate‘. In Cleasby-Vigfús-
son’s Dictionary it is hinted that there might be a connection between the ring
(baugr) in VölundarkviSa and the above mentioned phrase. The present
author tries to solve the problem af the origin of the phrase on similar lines.
According to his view the phrase originated in the belief in magical rings, wliich
was very common among Germanic nations. The ring in VölundarkviSa is only
one example of this wide-spread belief, of which many other instances are
mentioned in the article. In this connection the Old Swedish proverb alt ir
baugum bundit (from Gutasagan) is discussed and found to mean .everything
is dependent on fate‘.
The result of the investigation is thal the originai meaning of the phrase eiga
þann (slikan) á baugi is ,to have that (such a) chance dependent on the power
of fate‘. The phrase variant sá er á baugi has in the same way had the meaning
,that chance is determined by fate‘ or ,is in accordance with fate‘. Baugr has, in
other words, become a symbol of fate.
ln the last part of the article the history of the phrase in later Icelandic is
discussed, hoth as regards its form and semantic changes.