Heri
Encyclopedia
Heri, is a male given name
in the Faroe Islands
. The earliest mention of the name is in the Flateyjarbók
(in which the spelling is 'Héri'), partly concerning the Viking age history of the Faroe Islands
, written around 1380 in Iceland
. In this story Heri Sigmundsson is the youngest son of Sigmundur Brestisson
.
Heri is a very common name in the Faroe Islands today, probably not surviving as a traditional name, but more likely revived and put into use again in later times from historical accounts like Flateyjarbók.
There are two explanations for the meaning of the name Heri.
The more likely is that it means 'hare
' (lepus europaeus), for which the common modern Icelandic name is still Héri. In the Faroes the name is Hara, but it is probably a Norwegian loanword taken into the Faroese language at the time of the introduction of the hare to the Faroe Islands. There is one problem with this explanation. Flateyjarbók was written by men who had clearly never been to the Faroe Islands and neither Heri nor Héri seem to have ever been given names in Iceland (so this is also connected to the problem of whether or not Flateyjarbók is a reliable historical account).
The less likely is that Heri is an abbreviation of Norse names beginning with Her-, like Herálfur, Herleifur, Hergeir etc. Very many Faroese and Icelandic given male names have common abbreviations ending on an -i, but this explanation does not account for the original spelling with the accent over the 'e', Héri.
Prominent Faroese men named Heri include:
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
in the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
. The earliest mention of the name is in the Flateyjarbók
Flateyjarbók
The Flatey Book, is an important medieval Icelandic manuscript. It is also known as GkS 1005 fol. and by the Latin name Codex Flateyensis.- Description :...
(in which the spelling is 'Héri'), partly concerning the Viking age history of the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
, written around 1380 in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. In this story Heri Sigmundsson is the youngest son of Sigmundur Brestisson
Sigmundur Brestisson
Sigmundur Brestisson introduced Christianity to the Faroe Islands in 999. He is one of the main characters of the Færeyinga saga.According to the Færeyinga Saga, emigrants who left Norway to escape the tyranny of Harald I of Norway, settled in the islands about the beginning of the 9th century...
.
Heri is a very common name in the Faroe Islands today, probably not surviving as a traditional name, but more likely revived and put into use again in later times from historical accounts like Flateyjarbók.
There are two explanations for the meaning of the name Heri.
The more likely is that it means 'hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
' (lepus europaeus), for which the common modern Icelandic name is still Héri. In the Faroes the name is Hara, but it is probably a Norwegian loanword taken into the Faroese language at the time of the introduction of the hare to the Faroe Islands. There is one problem with this explanation. Flateyjarbók was written by men who had clearly never been to the Faroe Islands and neither Heri nor Héri seem to have ever been given names in Iceland (so this is also connected to the problem of whether or not Flateyjarbók is a reliable historical account).
The less likely is that Heri is an abbreviation of Norse names beginning with Her-, like Herálfur, Herleifur, Hergeir etc. Very many Faroese and Icelandic given male names have common abbreviations ending on an -i, but this explanation does not account for the original spelling with the accent over the 'e', Héri.
Prominent Faroese men named Heri include:
- Heri Joensen, vocals and guitar of Faroese metal band Týr
- Heri Vestergaard, strongest man of the Islands
- Heri Joensen, priest
- Heri Thomsen, businessman
- Heri Ziska, athlete
- Heri Eysturlíð, musician