Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1999, Síða 139

UM ELSTA FØROYSKA JARÐARBÝTIÐ
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is named Stallur. Matras (1933: 264) ex-
plains the place-name, Stallur, which is
found in several other places, as “a project-
ing part of a mountain, ledge in a slope or
mountain side.” This description fits well
for many other Stallur place-names in the
Faeroes, but not as well for the mountain
Stallur, as this place-name refers to a
whole, large mountain. Partridge (1983:
659) explains the Indo-European origin of
the word, stall, as “a stand, a station, fixed
position”. From this original meaning,
many other words are derived: in German:
stelle, stellen (position, to put upright); in
Old Norse: stallr (a support, pedestal, i.e.
the foot of a stall); in Danish: stylte, stol
(stilt, chair or pew). Furthermore, it is relat-
ed to Greek: stele (an upright gravestone).
Kluge (1963) explains: “Grundbedeutung
‘Standort’ ... stallr ‘ Sockel fiir Gottter-
bilder, Altar; Krippe”. Nordland (1982, vol
17: 38) explains that stalli (or stallr) is a
structure (altar) used in worship in heathen
times. He also refers to the Norse god,
Oðin (Woden), who was called: Vinr stalla
(friend of the stalls).
My hypothesis is that the place-name,
Stallur, must be connected with some kind
of a sacred place. Thus, on or nearby Stall-
ur mountain, which is relatively high, but
quite unproblematic to ascend from the
eastem side, there has been a temple, a
single-stone monument or an offering
place.
The Old Path, Hórisgøta
From the old farm at Oyrareingir, the path
that connects the northem and southem part
of Streymoy ascends steeply up to the
plateau between Kollafjørður and Kald-
baksfjørður. This is one of the few paths in
the Faeroes that has a special name. The
paths are traditionally named after the vil-
lage or place to which they lead. Slættanes-
gøta and Sundsgøta on Vágar, Leynavegur-
in south of Hvalvík towards Leynar, Havn-
argøta north of Kvívík towards Vestmanna
(-havn). The path name, Hórisgøta, thus
falls into a special group. It derives from
Pórisgøta, as it is called in the Hunda-
brævið (the Dog Letter) from the middle of
the 14th century (Helgason, 1951: 11),
where the first element is the name Pórir,
or perhaps the name of the god, Pór.
Winther (1875), who did not know the text
of Hundabrævið, commented on the path
name, Hórisgøta. He spells it Háryggsgø-
ta (87, note 1), or the High Ridge Path.
However, he continues: “But possibly it is
Hofryggsgøta, i.e. the path on the mountain
ridge, where there has been a house of God
(hof, hov)”. This is a remarkable passage,
because it seems like Winther is seeking for
an explanation of this place-name by con-
necting it to legends of a hof or a house of
God, but without telling us about these leg-
ends.
The River, Skeiðsá
Between the mountains, Stallur and Som-
felli, is the pass Skeiðsskarð, and from this
pass flows the river, Skeiðsá, towards the
east. But on the plateau between Kolla-
fjørður and Kaldbaksfjørður it turns south
and mns into Kaldbaksfjørður as Fjarðará.
Neither Jakobsen (1957) nor Matras
(1959), both of whom discuss river names
in the Faeroes, mentions this name. Both