Heiti

The Heiti ( Old-norse Heiti " name ", plural Heiti ) is one of the old Icelandic alliterative poetry ( Edda, Skald ) that were found style figure. It describes an object or name with a single-term pictorial expression that sometimes appears far-fetched and understanding presupposes an accurate knowledge of myths and legends of the Germanic culture.

The Heiti function is that of a differentiating metaphor. So when choosing the language image a certain aspect is stressed, for example,

• Eber and Walt end for a prince
• The greedy for the wolf or the fire,
• Great orator, Army father and All-Father Odin.

The origin of the Heiti is less poetically as ritually motivated. It is based on a taboo. The Norse religion called when the invocation of gods or tabooed things or persons, the respective specific property as a justification for uttering the name. The rich tradition of Heiti for gods name ( only 150 examples of the god Odin ) reflects this. A collection of the most important Heiti Snorri Sturluson wrote in Bragar mál, a treatise on the poetic language of the bards, in the Snorra Edda.

Heiti may only be described as a multi-unit expressions in the translation into modern languages ​​mostly, which makes a clear distinction of the Kenning.