Beyla

Old Norse

Etymology

Uncertain, speculations include: a derivation from beyla (“hump”), from baula (“cow, barn woman”) and from baun (“bean”) through a Proto-Germanic *baunilō which would make her a fertility goddess, cf. Byggvir.

Pronunciation

(9th century West Norse) IPA^(key): /ˈbøy.lɑ/
(12th century Icelandic) IPA^(key): /ˈbøy.la/

Proper noun

Beyla

(Norse mythology) A goddess, wife of Byggvir, servant of Freyr
- 12th century, Lokasenna:
  "Þegi þú, Beyla,
  þú ert Byggvis kvæn
  ok meini blandinn mjök,
  ókynjan meira
  kom-a med ása sonum;
  öll ertu, deigja, dritin."
  2025 translation by Jackson Crawford, The Poetic Edda: Expanded Second Edition
  ..."Silence, Beyla.
  You're Byggvir's wife—
  and you have plenty of other faults.
  There's no greater beast
  among the Aesir,
  you lowly milkmaid."
a female given name

Declension

This entry needs an inflection-table template.

References

Orðsifjabók.Árnastofnun
Lokasenna at Heimskringla
Jackson Crawford, 2025, The Poetic Edda: Expanded Second Edition, 2nd ed., Hackett Publishing, ISBN- 978-1-64792-249-8