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I, being Icelandic and having read loads of stuff about draugar, don't agree with most of what is said here. Not all draugar are able to increase their size. I haven't read one draugasaga with a sizealtering draugur. Sorry. 85.220.97.48 22:42, 26 April 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Another possible etymology
According to Eric V. Gordon's Introduction to Old Norse, the word draugr can also mean "log". The Völuspá ("Seer's Prophecy", a poem in the Elder Edda) includes a creation story in which the gods create the first humans from trees; Norse poetry also uses many tree-related kennings for people in general. Comparing a log (a fallen tree) to a corpse (a fallen body) makes sense, given those beliefs and practices; even though some unknown power animates a draugr, it usually remains in the grave like other fallen bodies. ISNorden 21:11, 1 July 2006 (UTC)
- I believe in that work it implied 'draugr' was a poetic term for a "stump" as in tree stump; a felled object, dead, but still remaining without much deterioration. This was probably simply the common teutonic practice of poetically refering to something as something seperate but of the same properties, in this case a tree stump being called a 'zombie'. Rather than having the actual meaning of "log" or felled tree. Nagelfar 07:13, 26 August 2006 (UTC)
There is no reason to have two articles on the subject. Consequently Draug should be merged into this article.--Berig 07:24, 8 May 2007 (UTC)
- Since no one objects, I will merge Draug into the folklore section of Draugr, today.--Berig 09:58, 21 May 2007 (UTC)
It is stated that the "Duergar"(Not deurgar) from the D&D game resembles draugar. How so? Duergar are just a different way of spelling dvergar (dwarfs in norwegian), the pronunciation is the same, they are dwarfs and not draugar. Anyhow, I don't really see any reason for it's inclusion here, right or wrong. ~~ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.186.73.7 (talk) 13:39, 25 February 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Other translations of Hel-blár
If you check your Icelandic dictionaries, you will find 'blár' can be translated as blue or black. And 'hel' means Hell, not death. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.97.195.187 (talk) 19:41, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
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- Concerning blár: Well, blár may have meant both "blue" and "black", but the use of common sense meant that people did not expect a medieval nobleman like Joar Blå to be bluish in colour. Rather it referred to the fact that he stood out with his unusual black hair. Since people are usually not bluish in colour, the translation "black" looks like the most natural interpretation, even if the draugar were supernatural.--Berig (talk) 20:08, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
- Concerning hel: The name hel was used in referring to death, hence the modern Swedish expression i hjäl which means "to death".--Berig (talk) 20:08, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
