Chapter CLXXIII: Section XII: Gerda

Freyr’s beautiful wife, whose loveliness was reflected by land and sea, was Gerda, a word coming from _gerdhi_ or _gerthi_, to gird round, and thus denoting the enclosed cornfield, the emblem of peace and blessing.

And, on the other hand, _gerd_ was sometimes poetically used for the entire girding or harness of a warrior prepared for battle, and in both these senses, as well as of the dedication to the goddess, Gerdur was a favourite feminine in the North; and Gerda has still continued in use in Norway and Iceland, besides supplying a great many terminations, chiefly to Germany, in Ermengard, Hildegard, &c.

Its original source is exceedingly old, and conveys the idea of turning round, as in γῦρος (gyros), _curvus_, &c., and all their derivatives in the classical languages.

In the northern tongues arose gjorde (Nor.), gyrden (A. S.), whence all the varieties of girth and gird. Thence came the Danish Gyrthr, which, when borne by the best and most faithful of the sons of Earl Godwin, was rendered into modern English as Gurth, and thus was bestowed by Scott upon the honest thrall of Cedric of Rotherwood. This name, then, properly means the warrior girt for battle.

_Gard_ is part of a man’s name in the North; _e.g._, Gardar, who was the Swede who first sailed round Iceland, came from Gardhar, house-warrior, or perhaps patriot; Gardmund and Gardbrand, one the hand, another the sword of the country, are also found; but, in general, this is a termination, as with Finngard, Thorgard, Valgard.

Other names of men ending with _gerd_ are generally corruptions of words from _geir_.[116]