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Posted By: wwh a very old word new to me - 12/28/01 05:53 PM
From introduction to English translation of Volsunga saga:
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/Volsunga/introduction.html

"`I make the solemn vow, and take who made me and rules over all things, to
witness that never shall I clip or comb my hair until I have subdued all Norway with scatt, and
duties, and lordships;"

"scatt" - translation, please

Posted By: Faldage Re: a very old word new to me - 12/28/01 06:11 PM
"scatt" - translation, please

Some words, Dr. Bill, have more than one meaning. In some cases we have separate words that are spelled the same or similarly and one word may not necessarily mean anything like another word that looks the same. Scat[t] is one of these words. In this case the definition would appear to be, from the Old Norse skatt-r, a tax or tribute.

YCLIU

Posted By: wwh Re: a very old word new to me - 12/28/01 06:49 PM
YCLIU Indeed, but it seemed nicer to give you a post you might enjoy making.

Posted By: wwh Re: a very old word new to me - 12/28/01 07:32 PM
Dear Faldage: IDLIU:: The Norse overlords did not make any attempt to change the Celtic system, but
apparently made use of it, and imposed a tax or scat of one ounce of silver on each of the Celtic ballys

Posted By: wwh Re: a very old word new to me - 12/28/01 07:57 PM
This site has answer to something that has long puzzled me. I had supposed that it was over-population that led the Norsemen to invade and keep so many different places.
Here it is said that King Harold wanted a beautiful girl to become his mistress (leman). She declined, taunting him that he was only one king among many.Instead of being angry, he thanked her for having shown him the course he should take. He conquered all the Scandinavian countries, and imposed permanent obligatory loyalty, and taxes. The very large number of Norsemen unwilling to accept this fled and conqured new kingdoms.

Posted By: wwh Re: a very old word new to me - 12/28/01 08:14 PM
Another old word new to me:

"but the south side of Yawning-gap lightened by the sparks and gledes that flew out of Muspell-heim

Posted By: wwh Re: a very old word new to me - 12/28/01 08:28 PM
We had a thread of Hyla's a long time ago, about snakes etc. with tails in their mouths, but I don't remember this one being mentioned:

"Among the children of Loki are Fenris-wolf and Midgards-worm; the
second lies about all the world in the deep sea, holding his tail in his teeth,"

Posted By: Faldage Re: Midgard Serpent - 12/28/01 08:44 PM
Norse version of Ourobouros who, as I remember, was mentioned.

Posted By: wwh Re: Midgard Serpent - 12/28/01 11:57 PM
Dear Faldage: if the Ourobouros did battle with the Midgaardsworm, which one would you bet on?

Posted By: Akatsukami Re: a very old word new to me - 12/30/01 10:46 PM
In a slightly modified form, the word survives in the phrase "scot-free".

Posted By: wwh Re: a very old word new to me - 12/30/01 10:58 PM
The Scots, however, are not scot free.

Posted By: Max Quordlepleen . - 12/30/01 11:30 PM
Posted By: Jackie Re: a very old word new to me - 12/31/01 02:52 AM
Does this mean that to work for the IRS one must be scatterbrained?
HA! Max, you have hit the nail on the head! The tax, rather...

Posted By: musick Re: a very old word new to me - 01/05/02 10:54 PM
...The very large number of Norsemen unwilling to accept this fled and conqured new kingdoms... and impose thier own *taxing.

Posted By: Faldage Re: a very old word new to me - 01/06/02 12:00 AM
I did some more research on this word, Dr. Bill and discovered that cats are deathly afraid of taxes. The mere mention of taxes sends them scurrying away to seek shelter.

Posted By: Keiva Re: a very old word new to me - 01/06/02 01:32 AM
faldage, you may be a bit confused, and words jumbled in your head into odd patterns:

cats are deathly afraid of taxes
perhaps cross-threading thoughts of Climax led you to "catastasis"

cats are deathly afraid of taxes ... sends them scurrying away to seek shelter.
nay: cats are deathly afraid of taxidermists, and their shelters are cat-houses (rather differently cross-threading to Climax).


Posted By: WhitmanO'Neill Re: a very old word new to me - 01/06/02 04:33 AM
cats are deathly afraid of taxidermists,

Yes...and especially catsidermists!

Posted By: wwh Re: a very old word new to me - 01/06/02 02:43 PM
I'm tempted to say "get stuffed". In a taxi.

Posted By: Keiva Re: cats (& dogs & sheep) & taxes - 01/06/02 05:56 PM
per bartleby, taxes appear to be linked to cats, dogs, and sheep:

taxonomy: Division into ... categories.
and reciprocally:
category: from Greek katgori, = accusation, charge. a charge, reminiscent of a tax

more animal found by bartlebying "category" back further:
category: kat-, kata-, = down, against; see cata– + agoreuein:
A) cata–: directs us to: kat- ... Suffixed form ... from Latin catulus, young puppy, young of animals (“dropped”).
B) agoreuein: bartleby directs us to ger- DEFINITION: To gather.
-1) extended form from Old English crammian, to stuff, cram reminiscent of "taxidermy"
-2) Reduplicated form ... from Latin grex herd, flock enter the sheep!


Posted By: Keiva Re: sheep & taxes - 01/06/02 06:02 PM
Furthermore, sheep include ewes, and yews are [botanically] taxus.

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