Talk:Hamingja

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Hamingja is an icelandic term meaning "luck" or "success". Unlike the Warden or Fylgja, it is not a personified entity, but a blind force, a measure of which a person may be gifted with more or less. It is a cognate of norse hám (joy) and the diminuitive -ing, and may be translated to modern English as a "share of success".

This is not entirely correct. Hamingja, an Icelandic term, just means "happiness". Hamingjusamur is a verb meaning "to be happy". Therefore, the word hamingja does not have any other translation or meaning than the English word "happiness". I don't know why someone would make a whole page making this sound so complicated.

-Hulda Sif, an Icelander

Ok, I restore my own version from Nordisk familjebok, and I hope that one makes more sense.--Wiglaf 9 July 2005 19:17 (UTC)

The Icelandic meaning

The modern use of the word hamingja means "happiness" or "joy". In the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century it used to mean "luck" or "fortune". That leads us to believe that one could not control their own hamingja, when some have much of it and others little. This belief most probably comes from the oldest meaning of the word hamingja, that is verndarvættur (protective spirit), heilladís (a fairy of luck) and fylgja (as described in Wikipedia). The use of this meaning of the word can be found in Icelandic folklore.

Fer þá skapanorn hans og hamingja og sækir geit þá er mjólkurmest var á kvíunum „ég óska mér engra launa“ svaraði kerling, „því ég er hamingja þín“ (Trans.: Then his skapanorn [witch or norn of fate] and hamingja leaves and goes to get the goat that had the most milk. "I ask of no paiment", the old woman said, "For I am your hamingja".)

The word hamingja comes from ham-(g)engja, that is hamur and ganga, meaning a spirit that takes a certain form or appearance, that is fylgja. Possibly the word hamur can here mean the tissue that covers fetuses, and therefore hamingja is probably a spirit that accompanies a person from birth.

There are still sayings in Iceland where the hamingja is addressed, like: „Það má hamingjan vita“ ("that the hamingja knows", meaning "who knows") eða „Hamingjan hjálpi mér!“ ("may the hamingja help me", said when one is really surprised at something and even shocked).

-Hulda Sif an Icelander

Here on the mainland, we have completely forgotten about the Hamingja. You are very welcome to work on this article, and improve it as you see fit. If you can add links and a bibliography it would be even better.--Wiglaf 21:17, 9 July 2005 (UTC)