[Northkeep] Norse whale names

Wed Jun 8 14:34:14 PDT 2005

All I could find was through Brindin press (www.brindin.com) and it listed a
poem by the name of "The Whale" (the translation is below).  Apparently
"fastitocalon" and "aspidocalon" were somewhat synonymous. Hope this helps.
The Viking Answer Lady might know...:

from "THE WHALE" lines 1-56 
Anon. trans. Louis Rodrigues (from Anglo-Saxon) 

Nu ic fitte gen ymb fisca cynn
wille woðcræfte wordum cyþan
þurh modgemynd bi þam miclan hwale.
Se bið unwillum oft gemeted,
frecne ond ferðgrim, fareðlacendum,
niþþa gehwylcum; þam is noma cenned, 
fyrnstreama geflotan, Fastitocalon.
Is þæs hiw gelic hreofum stane,
swylce worie bi wædes ofre,
sondbeorgum ymbseald, særyrica mæst, 
swa þæt wenaþ wægliþende 
þæt hy on ealond sum eagum wliten, 
ond þonne gehydað heahstefn scipu 
to þam unlonde oncyrrapum,
sælaþ sæmearas sundes æt ende, 
ond þonne in þæt eglond up gewitað 
collenferþe, ceolas stondað 
bi staþe fæste, streame biwunden. 
Ðonne gewiciað werigferðe,
faroðlacende, frecnes ne wenað,
on þam ealonde æled weccað,
heahfyr ælað hæleþ beoþ on wynnum, 
reonigmode, ræste geliste.
Þonne gefeleð facnes cræftig
þæt him þa ferend on fæste wuniaþ, 
wic weardiað wedres on luste, 
ðonne semninga on sealtne wæg 
mid þa noþe niþer gewiteþ 
garsecges gæst, grund geseceð,
ond þonne in deaðsele drence bifæsteð 
scipu mid scealcum. Swa biþ scinna þeaw, 
deofla wise, þæt hi drohtende 
þurh dyrne meaht duguðe beswicað, 
ond on teosu tyhtaþ tilra dæda,
wemað on willan, þæt hy wraþe secen,
frofre to feondum, oþþæt hy fæste ðær 
æt þam wærlogan wic geceosað. 
Þonne þæt gecnaweð of cwicsusle 
flah feond gemah, þætte fira gehwylc
hæleþa cynnes on his hringe biþ 
fæste gefeged, he him feorgbona 
þurh sliþen searo siþþan weorþeð, 
wloncum ond heanum, þe his willan her 
firenum fremmað mid þam he færinga,
heoloþhehne biþeaht, helle seceð, 
goda geasne, grundleasne wylm 
under mistglome, swa se micla hwæl, 
se þe bisenceð sæliþende 
eorlas ond yðmearas. He hafað oþre gecynd,
wæterþisa wlonc, wrætlicran gien. 
Þonne hine on holme hungor bysgað 
ond þone aglæcan ætes lysteþ, 
ðonne se mereweard muð ontyneð, 
wide weleras; cymeð wynsum stenc
of his innoþe. þætte oþre þurh þone, 
sæfisca cynn, beswicen weorðaþ, ...
.................
.................
 Now a fitt about a kind of fish 
I will frame by my wit, a song 
with words about the mighty whale.
To their sorrow he is often found
by seafarers, fierce and cruel 
to every man; this name is given 
to the ocean-floater: Fastitocalon. 
His shape is like a rough stone, 
as if great sea-weeds, girt
by sandbanks, floated by the shore, 
so that seafarers suppose 
their eyes behold an isle; 
and then secure their high-prowed ships 
by anchor-ropes to that false land;
stall their sea-steeds at the water's edge,
and then go up into that isle, 
stouthearted; their ships stand
fast by the shore, engirt by streams. 
Then the weary mariners
encamp, expecting no harm;
on that isle, they kindle fire,
build a great blaze; the men,
worn out, gladly long for rest.
When he, skilled in treachery, feels
the sailors settled firm upon him, 
encamped, enjoying the clear weather, 
then suddenly the ocean-spirit 
dives down with his prey 
into the salt wave, seeks the depths,
and in the death-hall tries to drown 
ships and crews. Such is the wont of demons, 
the way of devils, that, living, they 
betray men through dark might,
draw them to ruin of their good deeds,
entice them to pleasure; so that they seek
solace from foes, till they firmly choose 
a dwelling with the devil there. 
When from his hell-torment the false 
impious fiend knows that any one
of the human race is firmly fixed 
on his round form, he then becomes 
the slayer by artful sleights, 
of high and low, who, in wickedness, 
work his will here; with these he quickly,
helmet-hidden, void of virtue,
seeks hell, the bottomless surge,
under misty gloom, even as the mighty whale 
who sinks seafaring
men and ships. Bold water-rusher, he
has yet another wondrous trait.
When hunger harries him on the wave 
and the creature craves for food,
then the sea-warden opens his mouth, 
his wide lips; a winsome smell comes
from within him so that other kinds
of fish are thereby deceived.
.......................
.......................

Transl. copyright © Louis J. Rodrigues, 1996 - publ. Llanerch Publishers 

...buy this book next index translator's next 

-----Original Message-----
From: ravenrux at cox.net [mailto:ravenrux at cox.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2005 14:01
To: Northkeep at ansteorra.org
Subject: [Northkeep] Norse whale names

Greetings the list,

Do any of our Good Norse Gentles happen to know what the Norse called sperm
whales?

Thanks,

Masamune

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