kumbl, kubl, n. This word is chiefly interesting because of its frequent occurrence on the old Dan. and Swed. Runic stones, where it is always used in plur.; the spelling varies, kuml, kubl, or kumbl; in old Icel. writers it only occurs a few times, and they even use the sing.; it is now quite obsolete:

I. prop. a sign, badge, mark, [A. S. cumbol; Hel. cumbal and cumbl = signum], a war badge, esp. used of any heraldic emblems; yet in the Scandin. language this sense is rare,—kuml konunga ór kerum valdi, Gh. 7; kumbla-smiðr, a ‘cumbol’ smith, Akv. 24; the compd her-kuml, the badge worn on the helmet; jötun-k., the giant’s mark, i. e. the badge of being the giant’s kinsman, Fas. ii. (in a verse); and lastly in ör-kuml, a lasting scar, maiming for life, cp. kumla below.

II. in Scandinavia, analogous to the Gr. σημα, kuml came to mean ‘a monument,’ a cairn, how; in the phrase, göra kuml (kubl), synonymous to göra mark, merki, which also occurs (e. g. Baut. 138, 214, 461, 722, 1143); kuml is the general term, opp. to stain, rúnar, which are special terms; thus distinction is made between stain and kuml, Baut. 771:

1. on Runic stones,

α. on Danish stones, Tuki raisþi stain þausi ok gaurþi kubl, Rafn 213; Asfriþr görþi kumbl þaun, Thorsen 43; kubl þusi, 23; Þurnumdr niout (i. e. njót!) kubls, Th. enjoy thy kuml! rest in peace! 265; Ala sunir garþu kubl þausi aft faþur sinn, Rafn 193; siþi sá mannr es þausi kubl upp briuti, a curse be on the man that breaks this k., 205; Usk garþi kumbl þisi, 202; Haraldr kunungr baþ gaurva kubl þausi at Gurm faþur sinn, 39, (Jellinge.)

β. on Swedish stones, garþi kubl þisi aftir Svin sun sinn, Rafn 35; garþu kuml sniallir sunir Hulmlaugar, Baut. 759; ma igi brautar kubl batra varþa, a better road kuml cannot be, 41, (see the remarks under bautasteinn); Ketill risþi kuml þiasi aftir Val, 1027; Finniþr garþi kuml þaisi aftir Gairbiurn faþur sinn, 824; kuml garþi þatsi Ketil slagr, 771; Usk let gaura kuml, likhus ok bru at sun sinn, 735, 1100; þau risþu (raised) kuml þisi, 886.

2. in Icel. a cairn; en mannföll þessi eru sögð eptir kumlum þeim er fundin eru, þar er bardagarnir hafa verit, Gullþ. 25; þar fell Þórarinn krókr, ok þeir fjórir, en sjau menn af Steinólfi, þar eru kuml þeirra, Landn. 128; þar féll Skeggbjörn ok átta menn aðrir, þar er haugr Skeggbjarnar á fitinni, en aðrir vóru jarðaðir í Landraugs-holti þar hjá fitinni, ok sér þar enn görla kumlin, Bs. (Kristni S.) i. 15; ok reimt þykkir þar síðan vera hjá kumlum þeirra, Ísl. ii. 115: in sing., þau liggja bæði í kumli í Laxárdal, Ld. 158; Þorkell vill nú bera aptr sverðit í kumlit, … saxit var ok upp tekit ór kumli Nafars, Rd. ch. 19; þá gekk hann í dalverpi lítið ok fann þar kuml manns, þar þreifaði hann niðr fyrir fætr sér, ok fann þar manns bein ok sverð eitt, Draum. 129. The worship of hows and cairns was forbidden even in the heathen age as being connected with sorcery, see haugr, hörgr, whence blætr kumbla, a worshipper of cairns, a wizard, warlock, a term of abuse, Eg. (in a verse); kumla brjótr, Korm. S., is also prob. a false reading for bljótr or blœtr.

III. in provinc. Icel. a low hayrick is called kuml; cp. also kumbaldi.