Old Norse Pronunciation
WARNING: Do not cite this page as a reference. This page is on this wikispace only to make the content "searchable" and easier to find. If you find the information you seek here, go to the original sources as linked below to verify the information and use them for your documentation.
Hints from the Viking Answer Lady: Pretty much all Old Norse stress falls on the first syllable. All consonants are pronounced, even when you have a doubled consonant. so that the "nn" in Old Norse minna is pronounced like the two "n"s in "run now".
The formal rules: http:www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/eieol/norol-1-X.html#Nor01_GP01/ (Scroll down to the Grammar section.)
Wikipedia has a reasonable section on Old Norse phonology using IPA:http:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Norse#Phonology where you can click through to the page for each IPA symbol and listen to sound files of the pronunciation.
Try listening to passages being read aloud while you refer to the text: Atlakviða Text: @http://heimskringla.no/wiki/Atlakviða Recording: @http://folk.uio.no/arnet/urnordisk_teksta.wmv
Vǫluspa Text: @https:''notendur.hi.is''~eybjorn/ugm/vsp3.html Recording: mp3@64kbps (1.8MB) @http://www.archive.org/download/multilingual_poetry_collection_001_librivox/old_norse_voluspa_anonymous_jcj_64kb.mp3 mp3@128kbps (3.7MB) @http://www.archive.org/download/multilingual_poetry_collection_001_librivox/old_norse_voluspa_anonymous_jcj.mp3 ogg vorbis (2.0MB) @http://www.archive.org/download/multilingual_poetry_collection_001_librivox/old_norse_voluspa_anonymous_jcj.ogg
First Stanza of Krákumál Text and Recording: @https://notendur.hi.is/haukurth/norse/sounds/krakumal.html
Norrønt Grammatikkøvinger Text and Recording: @http://www.lazarus.no/aschehoug/grip_teksten/Norront/main.html Click on a selection under "Norrøne texkster" then click the little "horn" icon in the popped up text to hear it read aloud.
As a cheater method, Modern Icelandic pronunciation is still pretty close to Old Norse. You can get a GENERAL idea using Google translate. Just put "Icelandic" on both sides, and put in your Old Norse word (replace ǫ with ö and ø with ey). On the right, there will be a little speaker icon. Click to listen to that word being pronounced.
Examples:
- Hervǫr: http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Hervör
- Hervarðr: http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Hervarðr
- Bjartmar: http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Bjartmar
- Arngrimr: http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Arngrimr
- Samsø: http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Samsey
- Munarvagar: http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Munarvagar
- Hjǫvarðr: http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Hjövarðr
- Angantyr: http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Angantyr
- Tofa: http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Tofa
- Hrani: http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Hrani
- Svafrlami: http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Svafrlami
- Tyrfingr: http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Tyrfingr
- Heiðrekr: http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Heiðrekr
- Hjalmar: http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Hjalmar
- Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks: http://translate.google.com/#is/is/http:translate.google.com/#is/is/Hervarar%20saga%20ok%20Hei%C3%B0reks
Sources:[edit | edit source]
Academy of St. Gabriel "Medieval Names Archive" - [[1]] Database of medieval names (from the Medieval Names Archive) - http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/database/
Laurel Name Articles - http:heraldry.sca.org/laurel/
IGI Searches, batches beginning with C, J, K, M (except M17 and M18), or P are acceptable - http://familysearch.org
Precedents:[edit | edit source]
Precedents of the SCA College of Arms - [[2]] Morsulus Heralds Website - [[3]] (to search the LoARs and Precedents)
From the <month> <year> LoAR: