m. [Goth. hilms; A. S., Engl., Hel., O. H. G., and Germ. helm; Dan.-Swed. hjalm; Ital. elmo; old Fr. heaume; a Teut. word prob. derived from hylja, to hide]:—a helm, helmet; distinguished from stálhúfa, a steel hood; luktr hjálmr, a closed, shut helm, only occurs in very late writers, e. g. D. N. i. 321; steyptir hjálmar, Gkv. 2. 19, cannot mean cast-iron helmets, but must be helmets coming over the face, as cast-iron was unknown in the Middle Ages, see Aarb. for Nord. Oldk. 1868, p. 9; aringreypir hjálmar, helms shaped like an eagle’s beak, Akv. 3; gull-h., a gilt helm; ár-hjálmr, a brazen helmet, Hkm.: the word âr is A. S., since helmets were of English workmanship, as is seen also in Valskir hjálmar, foreign helmets, which are mentioned by Sighvat.

2. in the mythology Odin is called Hjálm-beri, a, m. helm-bearer, Gm.; he and the Valkyrias were represented as wearing helmets, Edda, Hkm. 9, Hkv. 1. 15; whence the poets call the helmet the hood of Odin (Hropts höttr): the vault of heaven is called the ‘helm’ of the wind, sun, etc., lopt-h., vind-h., sólar-h., Lex. Poët.: the head is called hjálm-stofn, hjálm-staup, hjálm-stallr, hjálm-setr, the stem, knoll, seat of the helm: the weapons, hjálm-angr, -grand, -gagarr, -gríðr, -reyr, -skass, -svell, are called the bane, ogre, etc. of the helm: battle is hjálm-drífa, -grap, -hríð, -rödd, -skúr, -þrima, the storm, gale of the helm: a warrior is hjálm-lestir, -njótr, -njörðungr, -rækjandi, -stafr, -stýrandi, -týr, -þollr, -þróttr: it appears in adjectives, hjálm-faldinn, helm-hooded; hjálm-göfugr, -prýddr, -samr, -tamiðr, decked with, wearing a helm, Lex. Poët.

3. metaph. and mythol.; huliðs-hjálmr, a ‘hiding-helm,’ cap of darkness, Germ. tarn-kappe, which in the popular tales makes the wearer invisible, in Alm. the clouds are so called; ægis-hjálmr (ýgrs-h.), cp. the Αιγίς of the Greek, helm of terror, properly used of serpents, Sæm. 13 (prose), Edda 73, Fas. i. 175: in the phrase, bera ægishjálm yfir e-m, to bear the ægis over or before another, i. e. to hold him in awe and submission, Fm. 16, 17, Ld. 130, Fms. viii. 101, Fas. i. 162, Sd. 155, Hrafn. 19, cp. Ad. 4: in mod. usage, hafa ægis-hjálm í augum, to have an ægis in one’s eyes, i. e. a magical overawing power of eye; cp. hjalm = horror, Ivar Aasen: in pr. names, Hjálmr, Hjálmarr, Hjálm-geirr, Hjálm-grímr, Hjálm-gunnarr, Hjálm-týr, Hjálmr-gerðr, not freq., Landn., Fbr. iii, Edda; suffixed in Vil-hjálmr, William.

II. of helmet-shaped things:

1. a rick of barley, hay, or the like (bygg-h., hey-h., korn-h., q. v.); hlaða korni í hjálma, Ó. H. 30, Stj. 413, N. G. L. ii. 358: also a hay-house, barn, hjálma ok hús, i. 38; cp. hjálm-hús.

2. kerta-hjálmr, ljósa-h., a chandelier.