HRINGR

nafnorðkarlkyn

m., pl. hringar, in mod. usage sometimes hringir: [A. S., Hel., and O. H. G. hring; Engl., Germ., Dan., and Swed. ring, ringlet]:

I. a ring, circle; tungl hvert gengr sinn hring, Rb. 53 (1812); h. jarðar, the earth’s circumference, Hom. 20; slá hring um e-n, to make a ring around one, Stj. 312, Fms. viii. 67; hann hefir lykkju af ái en hringinn af ói, of the circle or bight of the letter , Skálda 161; hann þóttisk sjá þangat hring ok elds-lit á, Nj. 194.

2. í hring, adv. in a ring or circle; þeir lögðu þann sjá í hring utan um hana, Edda; sól gengr umhverfis í hring, Rb. 66 (1812); standa umhverfis í hring, to stand round in a ring, Fms. iv. 160, (mann-hringr, a ring of men); hann sveiflaði sverðinu í hring um sik, he swept with his sword all round him, Sturl. iii. 220; hann fór í hring um (swam in a circle around) skipit, Ld. 56; lagðir steinar í hring utan um, Eg. 486; nú snúask þessi merki í hring um heiminn á hverjum tveim dægrum, Rb. 104; hann gékk þá í hring hjá konungi, Fms. vi. 206.

3. as an adverb. phrase, með (at) hringum, all around, altogether, taka allt með hringum, Arnór; hann lét leggja eld í kirkju ok bæinn ok brendu upp með hringum, Fms. vii. 212; brenna bæinn upp at hringum, x. 389 (Ágrip).

II. a ring, Lat. annulus:

1. a ring at the end of a chest, Fms. i. 178, kistu-h.; in a door, Rm. 23; hurðar-h., Ísl. Þjóðs. ii: the ring at the end of the hilt to which the friðbönd (q. v.) were fastened, Hkv. Hjörv. 9: the chain or links in a kettle chain (hadda), Hým. 33: an anchor ring (akkeris-h.)

β. the rings in a coat of mail, the Sagas and Lex. Poët. passim, whence hringa-brynja, u, f. a coat of ring-mail, see brynja, Fms. i. 43, vi. 416–421, ix. 27, Karl. 542, the Sagas passim, see Worsaae, No. 474; hring-kofl, m., hring-skyrta, u, f., hring-serkr, m. a shirt of rings, coat of ring-mail, Lex. Poët.: a coat of mail is called hring-ofin, adj. woven with rings.

2. but esp. a ring on the arm, finger (gull-h., silfr-h., járn-h.), passim; rauðir hringar, the red rings, Þkv. 29, 32; men ok hringar, Vsp. 23, passim; and hence gener. = money, see baugr. A lordly man is in poetry called hring-berandi, -bjóðr, -brjótr, -broti, -drífir, -hreytandi, -lestir, -mildr, -miðlandi, -rífr, -skati, -skemmir, -snyrtir, -stríðandi, -stýrir, -tælir, -varpaðr, -viðr, -þverrir, the bearer, breaker … or spender of rings, Lex. Poët.: a woman from wearing rings, hring-eir, -skögul, -þöll, -varið; and a man, hring-þollr, etc.

III. a ship is called Hringr (also in present use), Eg. (in a verse); hringr Ullar, the ship of Ull, i. e. his shield, Akv. 30; cp. Hring-horni, the mythol. ship of the Edda: Hringr is the pr. name of a man, Fb. iii, Landn.