mækis egg

Old Norse

Etymology

From mækir + egg. Has parallels in Old English mǣċes eċġ and Old Saxon mākies eggia, possibly stemming from a Proto-Germanic *mēkijas agjō.

Noun

mækis egg f

1. (poetic, poetic formula) "sword's edge"
   • Hlǫðskviða, verse 20:

     Mey veit ek Heiðreks, / fyr mækis eggjum,
     systur þína, / svigna til jarðar;
     hafa Húnar / hana fellda
     ok marga aðra / yðra þegna.

     I know that Heiðrekr's daughter, by sword's edge, your sister, has fallen to the ground. The Huns have felled her, and many others of your thanes.