Cussing in Old Norse and Beyond
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- Опубліковано 18 сер 2020
- Cuss words--intended to shock, or anger, because of their reference to taboo subjects--aren't quite a universal phenomenon. This video makes some general notes on how these words come to gain and lose their power, and then examines some particular words that apparently shocked or angered an Old Norse audience.
Jackson Crawford, Ph.D.: Sharing real expertise in Norse language and myth with people hungry to learn, free of both ivory tower elitism and the agendas of self-appointed gurus. Visit jacksonwcrawford.com/ (includes bio and linked list of all videos).
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Jackson Crawford’s translation of Hávamál, with complete Old Norse text: www.hackettpublishing.com/the...
Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Poetic Edda: www.hackettpublishing.com/the...
Audiobook: www.audible.com/pd/The-Poetic...
Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Saga of the Volsungs: www.hackettpublishing.com/the...
Audiobook: www.audible.com/pd/The-Saga-o...
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Only Jackson Crawford could make a polite video about profanity .
That's because he's a Gentleman Scholar.
:'D
Good video its hard to talk about subjects your not comfortable with.
What a drengr
And have it remain a scholarly, educational video.
Ah yes, 20 minutes of a cowboy either speaking in a language no one understands, or trying not to swear while talking about swearing.
This is the content I came here for.
Modern Icelanders understand this language because Old Norse is very similar to modern Icelandic
Isn't he just the cutest...
@@hrafnkellhardarson9206 I thought it was norwegian that was close to old norse
@@gotmemes7090 No, Icelandic is a lot closer to old norse than norwegian.
Norwegian has been influenced by danish, and had much closer contact with the rest of Europe. While Iceland was more isolated for a very long time.
But I am Norwegian and understand quite a lot to.
@@gotmemes7090 When christianity was beeing forced upon norway there was ofc much fighting.
but the chistianity won in the end, but those that would not accept this fleed to this new land that was discovered in west and funded iceland.
And this land was not under dansih control later so the original language was perserved better.
Jackson Crawford is the protagonist of Red Dead Language Redemption
This is an uncomfortably accurate comment.
Okay, keep yer hair on!
In Dutch the word for breeding is "fokken". There was this great moment when the Dutch foreign secretary met with JFK and, when asked about his hobbies, he told JFK that he "Fokked horses".
That's hilarious!
@@sarcastaball yes it is
@@sarcastaball are you upset about something.
@@joachimvanwijck310 yes it is
@@sarcastaball One month later, it very much is, in fact, hilarious
I love the uncomfortable single dad explaining sex to his children energy hes putting off. Also a great explanation on how taboo informs curse words in more of a bending and changing of context rather than inherent meaning. Keep up the great work.
Today's Old Norse video is sponsored by the ghost of George Carlin.
lol
I had that same thought several times during his presentation…
Hail Georgie.
Mine was sponsored by Gwent
George probably wouldn't warn you.
I took a drink as you said "heimer's daughters had you as a urinal and they pissed in your mouth". Nearly spat it everywhere. What a wonderfully creative insult.
"there's a lot of piss in old Norse" is hilarious to me
Reminds me of the perhaps apocryphal story from WWI that there was so much cussing in the trenches, when orders were given with no cursing everyone knew the matter was very serious.
CentraI InteI Agcy
ALRIGHT BOYS JACKSON CRAWFORD IS GONNA TEACH US SOME NO-NO WORDS!
He is taking his time about it .........
"I slept with you, I'll never pay Thor for it"
lmao I'm dead 🤣
The funniest bit was the off-handed delivery, though! Henceforth, when reading it, I will always picture Loki delivering it just so. XD
"Go where the trolls can have you" has taken on a new meaning, I think... Unfortunately for us, this is exactly where we all are D:
I just... I just think of Berserk. And... And that's a deep, dark curse.
"If I thought more than 3 people would watch" I would literally pay to listen to this man speak in Old Norse for several hours
It's interesting, since in Australia the C word has lost its 'aww/shocking' vibe vs in other areas of the English speaking world it has a huge effect.
He was right about racial slurs moving to the forefront of the taboos. I will drop the C bomb if I'm angry, but the N word is something I can't tolerate.
Britain too, but experiences vary. I know of older Australians that still find it pretty offensive, and a few Brits (although it seems to be really common). In NA it is still generally pretty offensive.
As an Aussie I can safely tell you I've been in trouble and had people crying at me a few times because I may have dropped the C bomb at them and didn't realise they weren't Aussies, Brits or kiwis haha
@@Lowlandlord I heardd that scotland it's mostly a term of endearment.
@@blakey9089 Australia: Where you call your friends "c*nt", and your enemies "mate". ;)
This man proves exactly what my dad always said. There are more intelligent things you can say other than cussing
Cultural note: Given the high number of seafarers in Norse society, with husbands and wives separated for a very long time, one can see why the notions of promiscuous women and men tempted to their peers might loom large in their fear-catalogue.
A gentleman’s depiction of cursing so eloquently done that offense is impossible. Well done.
The first thing people do when sharing each other's languages is to teach each other insults, obscenities, and profanities... you know, trash-talking.
1 vote here for a deep dive into Lokasenna.
40 votes
There's 13 more down there-vvv That's 53 for a deep dive😁
Do it!
+1
Yes, Lokasenna deep dive!!!!!
Not sure what was more entertaining...the words or Dr. Crawford struggling through this. He definitely didn't want to be here for this one.
i was worried for a while that he would jump off the cliff
I love how you hear him audibly prepare himself to swear
I actually think more people than you think would enjoy a deep dive into Lokasenna than you might think. I had a ball reading through your poetic Edda when I got there. It might have been the best roast I ever heard of!
He's made some in depth videos over it now!
I’m Norwegian. Kinda funny to see that “miga” hasn’t changed that much over the years. it’s still a pretty ugly word for piss.
Is bikkja still used?
@@ArchYeomans Yeah, very common where I live, but in the cities they'd probably find the word ugly and use "hund" instead.
Still use bikja and mige
@@ArchYeomans yes i use it
I doubt it's changed very much in millennia, to be honest. The word 'miga' (or very close formal derivatives of the same root, at least) is found throughout the Indo-European-speaking world. Just a few examples, all meaning 'to piss' or 'to urinate': 'mìžati' in Serbo-Croatian, 'mēiō' in Latin, 'omeíkhō' in Ancient Greek, 'méhati' in Sanskrit, 'mixtan' and other byforms in Persian, 'mizel' in Armenian, etc. The Ancient Greek and Sanskrit forms are identical to the Germanic (Old Norse/Norwegian) one.
Skitby, a village in Cumbria is translated as 'filthy farm' in older place-name dictionaries.
I mean... that's quite nice of them. It literally means "Shitvillage" in modern Swedish, in case you did not already know. :)
@@probablythedm1669 Google 'Skitby,' There's a nice restaurant there now.
I love how you turn a highly requested topic on swearing in Old Norse into an amazing lesson on the context of words and a great lesson overall. I would have loved to have taken one of your classes and I wish that you taught at my college. Please keep up the amazing content! I learn so much from you and you have such an exceptional way of presenting it. Thank you so much for the amazing learning experience!
hearing him curse is like seeing a priest smoking....adorable and funny little bit
This man is so polite, he doesn't even know how to properly threaten someone
I actually gasped at the first one! You don't mess with Frejya!!
Ät mina kortbyxor!
(Which would be “eat my shorts” in modern Swedish. And no, this sadly isn’t something we actually use...)
Funnily, that phrase (eat my shorts) survived in American English into the 20th century, you can hear/see it in media of that period.
Bart Simpson Homersson
When Dr Crawford says the F*word it's actually adorable.
The idea that the Lokasenna is just a huge roast battle is hilarious and I'm here for it. I'd thoroughly enjoy a deep dive into the poem.
Even if they don't get many views, the Old Norse deep dives are invaluable to students such as myself, and I hope you keep them up.
This video made me realize we kept all the swear words form Old Norse in Swedish.
pre-video headcannon: Dr Jackson Crawford was taking his students out into the mountains, nobody really knew what to expect but suddenly he started to curse at one of the students in strange words and someone asked what the blibbering he was yelling at them, and so Dr Jackson Crawford being the excentric professor he was, invited everyone to follow him if they wanted to know more and gave someone a camera to record whatever he was going to say. This seminar was never released but let's just say Dr Crawford wasn't allowed on future field trips anymore.
You got me😅😅
I was hoping there’d be an insult where they’d call someone’s mother a hamster, and that there father had the scent of elder berries on his breath...
The worst thing you could say to a man back then was anything having to do with unmanliness or pertaining to homosexuality. Saying a person's breath smelled like elderberries would be a compliment, lol!
That's meant to be an old French insult...
Stormbreaker
"Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries"!
"I spit at your aunties and fart in your general direction!"
I came for the linguistic curiosity I had reading the title, but I must confess I often sidetracked mentally to how adorable he actually looks/sounds hahahaha
Hang in there brother....make a living, but never lose the love you have for teaching old Norse. You have the gift
Very informative. By the way, "mige" is still used in some parts of Norway, especially here in rural parts of Innlandet. Gausdal (I'm half gausdøl) and Gudbrandsdalen feature dialects which use "mige" more often than "pisse" or "tisse".
The part about Hymi's daughters using someone as a urinal and pissing in their mouth was hilarious!
"Your father was a fish that your mother ate." Is this perhaps an insinuation that the subject is some sort of troll rather than his father's son? (She ate a fish, swallowed a leaf, ate some corn, etc., and then she was pregnant.) Just a thought.
Intelligent observation, indeed! It would be very prehistoric then. From the time when people where unaware of the role of the male in getting children.
Reminds me of the Salish story of raven and the sun. Where raven tricks winter into thinking he's his grandson by transforming into a pine needle his daughter swallowed (then gives birth to raven as the 'grandchild'). I grew up hearing this story countless times, so it's fun to see similar thematic elements.
@@DNA350ppm I think people have always put two and two together regarding man + woman have sex = woman with child later. It's more the how - the sperm, ejaculation, etc. - that people weren't altogether certain about.
I mean, in Henry VIII's day, it was believed insemination wouldn't occur without the man giving the woman an orgasm. At the same time, they also thought women had at least some agency over birth outcomes.
I still like the fact that a diss tract has so much power back in the day
The online gamer generation has kinda reinvigorated "go to hell" with "go die in a fire"
Pausing here... watched probably 5 or 6 videos and I've gotta say coolest channel I've found in weeks! Thanks doc👍🙌
“There was a time”
Well Dr Crawford was a savage
Lokasenna is a favorite of mine because of how funny it is, I'd love to see your analysis on it. I've actually read parts of it outloud to my friends, trying to modernize the antiquated language of the online translations so seeing it in your words would be great. I really gotta get around to buying your book...
Yeah, you need to get the book. I recommend the Audible version. If I'm stuck with a print version of something like that I usually end up reading it aloud, because it really needs to be heard, rather than read.
@@Cjinglaterra i like audiobooks because then I can draw or work while I listen, but I also like having a physical book, especially if I want to find quotes later on in the future. Maybe I'll buy the audiobook and put the physical copy on my wishlist :)
I remember reading it and at the beginning when the servant said something like, "you won't find friends in the gods. And note that if you're going to take out your anger on them they might take it out on you". And loki just said, "then for both of our sakes you better get going, lest you stoke my anger even further"
Nice video and discussion on the topic of swearwords in old Norse. I somehow got a feeling that when bards/skaldr were throwing shade at each other through poetry, it felt like that would be their version of rap battles. Not that different, now that I compare what they did back then and what rappers do these days. Thank you for this insight, it was an interesting ride.
I love swearing in other languages. I used to be able to swear in Klingon. Good for freaking people out.
nerd
@@drugleman601 u do know what video ur on right?
@@Sam-wh3ik yeah
I'd LOVE to see a video with a focus on magick/ Norse shamanism!
🤣🤣🤣im icelandic and we still talk like this so this is so funny
UA-cam recommending the finest random content per usual.
It's kind of funny, his later descriptions of the nature of insults reminds me of how the squirrels would angrily chirp at me
I think many people would enjoy a deep dive into Lokasenna, especially since there is a lot of more mainstream interest in Loki (thanks to Tom Hiddleston xD)
Great Slepnir's nosebag! You outdid yourself with this one.
The most eloquent video about dropping the F-bomb I have ever seen.
Thank you! How fun! As native finnish and swedish speaker, I also speak Danish ( i live in Denmark, I am a Swede born in Finland) - it is fun to hear and het a glimpse in Joe tjese delicate words have a quite common origin: huora, a whore in Finnish, comes from “hadr”/ “ huotra”, a sheath, meaning simply a d-k sheath. The word is the same in Danish and Swedish. The word for female genitalia is about the same in all Scandinavian languages- except Danish where the word has an origin in cow genitalia. Words for devil are alike. Words for male genitalia varies a lot, Finnish having a vast amounts of them for cussing, in Swedish too. I think these words criss- crossed in early days. Of course some of the spicy words I have no glue what the etymology might be: slampa, lutka, strigle are words for a cheap woman, Swedish, Finnish and Danish respectively...Danes male lot of fun about Swedish sayings, which are quite humorous in Danish. Example: “Barn, ni ska vara knäpptysta” ( children, you are to be silent) translates as “ children you are to be silent as a f-k” in Danish. Words for human sevage are the same through Scandinavia. By the way ragr is RAGATA in modern Swedish and used only for women, needles to teach my father how to f-k as we put it in scandinavia😉😂🇫🇮🇩🇰🇸🇪you know certainly more of this than I do, these are just my personal layman theories.
Best comment ive seen today. No wonder the danes’ word for female genitalia comes from cows…lol
//fellow swede
21:20 so Dr. Crawford actually did write an insulting sonnet for someone?! "I won't read you the whole sonnet, but there was a time" Absolutely iconic
There seems to be a fair bit of overlap between trolls and the devil in Scandinavian culture. For example, the phrase "speak of the devil" has an almost exist parallell, except it's "talk of trolls". In alter Scandinavian folklore, trolls also seem to acquire a lot of devilish attributes, notably that they're often said to be repelled by church bells, unable to enter hallowed ground, pursue unbaptized children and things of that nature. Conversely, the devil sometimes appears in the same folklore as a trickster or bogeyman that tries to kill or ensnare people and must be defeated through skill or cleverness in much the same way you might expect a troll or fairy to be portrayed.
That's 100% intentional on the part of preachers and missionaries. There are countless parallels, going well beyond just trolls and the devil. Christianity is notoriously syncretic, which isn't even slightly coincidental with how quickly it spread to become such a seemingly integral part of pretty much all Europe. I say seemingly because the traditions are much the same, just less blood sacrifice and the official names were changed to God and Jesus and Satan and such. There's extremely little in modern Christianity that wasn't adopted fully or partly from other religions, which makes it all the weirder how fundamentalist most Christians tend to be.
"You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas."- Davy Crockett
I enjoy your videos, Jackson. I'm also an academic, I also teach literature(s) in another language. and I appreciate your work. Keep going. This period is difficult for everyone with a brain.
Long have I awaited this post!
I love these videos! Thank you so much for making them!
This is absolutely beyond wholesome. I love it.
That was quite entertaining, good luck in your new endeavors!
Checking in from Norway to say thanks for yet another enlightening video.
I was unaware I wanted to know that, but am happy to have heard it.
This is really cool! Thank you for posting these videos!
Man this is the first video of yours I am seeing! Love the interesting insight! I loved Lokisenna! Waaaah I want to hear a deep dive!
Thank you for the information and your time.
Years ago while in Salt Lake City I picked up a local newspaper (many years ago) and read a story about a city official that, following a fender bender in which his car was pretty banged up, shockingly uttered "the H-word." The story was about how offended the motorists and passengers involved were at this government official cursing publicly. Meanwhile, it took me several minutes to figure out what "the H-word" even was. The article didn't dare print it and, to me, "Hell" isn't even a curse word. It's just a word.
I love this channel so much
Man this video was really enlightening. Really appreciate all the Hard work you put into these buddy, keep it up👍🇺🇸
Thanks for everything you do..
dr. crawford i absolutely love your videos omg
Glad to hear you're going to be making one of the Great Courses! Congrats to you!!
I look forward to learning even more from you about my ancestors. Thanks for all your efforts.
Keep on keepin' on, Mr. Crawford!
I'm fascinated by the 1 dislike that always pops up as soon as Dr. Crawford uploads a video.
I wonder if he does that himself :P
Now this is the quality content I subscribed for!! (In a more serious note it’s actually super cool that you cover all parts of the language including the crude bits, you don’t see that often!)
This is quality content, indeed! Also, I think the differences between American and Scandinavian tolerance levels for profanities in everyday speech are interesting, from a social anthropological point of view.
Perfect! Time to make a Dr. Crawford soundboard.
Been following you for years. THANK you for your service. Eternally yours, -a tech nerd
Nice post really enjoy your videos.
So glad to hear you're heading to Great Courses. What a terrific resource for us who enjoy learning. Will be keeping a good thought for you as you prepare. Be sure to remind us now and then! 👍
I love your videos! I've only been watching a few, but I'm really interested in Nordic languages and lingustics (being Norwegian myself), so your account was a godsent!
Thank you, Dr Jackson Crawford, for making a genuinely interesting and entertaining video about an important part of speech, miraculously without glorifying cursing or insulting.
Dr. Crawford, kudos for having a straight face throughout the entire video
Finally, a useful video on UA-cam!
I dont know if I should be sad youre not teaching there anymore, or happy for you. Either way, these video's and your books have been a great source of formal information to me Thank you sir.
I really enjoyed this. Thanks
I would like to the title would be warning enough.
Thanks for a wonderful ongoing series of education. I love your edda book. Thank you.
I am so glad I found your channel! From South Africa. All the best, keep going, blessings!🇿🇦🌷
It is nice to listen to someone speak that uses their entire vocabulary in their daily vernacular.
this is awesome, this video is funny insight to old norse era, love that.
Many thanks for such an interesting & informative video, which I feel is somewhat rare on UA-cam these days. Not only is your knowledge of both written & spoken language evident, but your voice & the scenery is pleasant on the ears & eyes. Instantly subscribed, so I can watch more in the future. Wishing you good health & fortune from the UK.
Very interesting! Thank you for sharing
I have been wanting to read a translation of the Poetic Edda for some time but thought it might still be a struggle to understand them; after coming across this video by chance I will now be watching your analysis of them (and others). I have read about flyting from the Medieval times onwards but don't remember hearing of Lokasenna before, it sounds like something I'd enjoy too. Thank you.
Hi from new Zealand jst came across your channel. Great stuff mate 👍
curiousity: there are so many people I know of who are doing weddings that are a bit more culturally significant to them (I say this as a white person with a very Nordic lineage), and I was wondering if you'd do a video on marriage / courting rituals or ... whatever they may have done! I think it would reach out to a lot of people. I've searched some but I'm not sure what is factual or what is made up junk from video games/books.
I would definitely watch a video where you delved deep into lokasenna! I always wanted to do a stanza by stanza modern rap version of lokasenna.
I would absolutely watch/listen to this, whether it’s in more modern English or more Middle English/Shakespearean English.
Insightful comments at the end. "They never call lightning down from the sky."
You're a hero. Best video.
Your "all the best" is an anti-curse. A benediction, even. Right back at you.
You know, praises are actual insults in the Scandinavian cultures. You're the best, and you're really good at this, I could never do better...
But "Bless your heart" is a very polite curse
The view at the end is gorgeous.
My favourite swear word isn’t even a real swear word, I use prick a lot. It’s got such scope to be really offensive. Probably a lot of people here know that saying helvete in Swedish is still pretty offensive. I taught my other half about fan and she didn’t get it. It’s good ‘cause you can really emphasise the effff at the start.