In historical Germanic society, ' (Old Norse, pronunciation: , in runic: , ; ) was a term for a social stigma implying the loss of honour and the status of a villain. A person affected with the stigma is considered a nithing' (, in runic: , , ).
Article
9 sectionsContents
- Níð and ergi
- Scolding and níðstang
- Legal implications
- Níð and seiðr
- Association with physical disability
- Association with effeminacy
- Runestones
- See also
- References
In historical Germanic society, ' (Old Norse, pronunciation: , in runic: , ; ) was a term for a social stigma implying the loss of honour and the status of a villain. A person affected with the stigma is considered a nithing' (, in runic: , , ).
Middle English retained a cognate , meaning 'envy' (compare modern Dutch and modern German ), 'hate', or 'malice'.