The sword’s edge

*mēkijas agjō

by C Ryan Moniz

original research· spring 2013 - harvest 2021
updated & published· spring 2022

philology

Mjǫðr Óðins· Reconstructing Germanic verse formulae


This formula means ‘the sword’s edge,’ most widely with a reflex of the word *mēkijaz ‘double-edged sword,’ though there is a West Germanic variant using a reflex of Proto-West-Germanic *swerd and a related formula which pairs the word ‘edge’ (functioning metonymically for a sword) and a reflex of Proto-West-Germanic *oʀd ‘sharp point’ (standing in for a spear).


*mēkijas agjō

Old English

mǽces ecg

Béowulf 1812a, 2614a, 2939b; The Fortunes of Men 48a

méces ecge | méces ecgum | méces ecg

Old Norse

mækis egg

Hlǫðskviða 20; Hamðismál 15; Vǫlundarkviða 33

mækis eggjum | mækis eggjar | mækis egg

Old Saxon

mâkeas eggia

Hêliand 2806b, 4875b

mâkeas eggiun

 

PWG *swerdas aggju

Old English

sweordes ecg

Béowulf 1106a

sweordes ecg

Old Saxon

swerdes eggia

Hêliand 4898b

swerdes eggiun

 

PWG *oʀd andi aggju

Old English

ecg… ord

Maxims I 202

ecg on sweorde   ⁊ ord spere

Old Saxon

ord ⁊ eggia

Hêliand 3697a

ordos ⁊ eggia

 


Mjǫðr Óðins· Reconstructing Germanic verse formulae


philology