gandr

m.:—the exact sense of this word is somewhat dubious; it is mostly used in poetry and in compds, and denotes anything enchanted or an object used by sorcerers, almost like zauber in Germ., and hence a monster, fiend; thus the Leviathan of northern mythology is called Jörmun-gandr, the great ‘gand;’ or Storðar-gandr, the ‘gand’ of the earth: a snake or serpent is by Kormak called gandr or gandir, Korm. ch. 8: wildfire is hallar g., a worrier of halls, and selju g., a willow-worrier, Lex. Poët.: the wolf Fenrir is called Vonar-gandr, the monster of the river Von, vide Edda.

☞ Some commentators render gandr bv wolf, others by broom; but the sense no doubt lies deeper. Gunnar Pálsson (died 1793) says that gandr is used in Icel. of the helm of a ship; but no such word is known, at least in the west of Icel.