Heilagr

Heilagr is an Old Norse adjective meaning holy, sacred, or consecrated. It is used to describe gods, places of worship, sacred objects, and religious rites, as well as persons or things regarded as sacred within Norse religious and ritual life. In literature and on runestones, heilagr appears as an epithet or modifier in references to the sacred.

Etymology and relatives: The word derives from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz- (or *heilagaz-), a root that produced cognates in other Germanic languages, such as Old High German heilag, English holy, and Dutch heilig. The Old Norse form is part of the standard set of adjectives and is inflected for gender, number, and case like other adjectives of the language.

Usage: In sagas and eddas, heilagr appears in descriptions of gods, sanctified places, and ritual implements. After Christianization, the term continued to be used for sacred Christian objects or spaces, while retaining its core association with sanctity from the pre-Christian traditions. It also occurs in inscriptions and poetry to convey sacred or consecrated status.

Grammatical notes: As with other Old Norse adjectives, heilagr shows inflection according to gender, number, and case; the base form commonly appears in masculine nominative singular, with other forms used in different grammatical contexts.

Modern context: Today, heilagr is primarily of linguistic and historical interest, studied within Old Norse language, Norse religion, and medieval literature. Its cognates across Germanic languages help illuminate medieval concepts of sanctity and the linguistic relationships among related languages.