a, m. [the word is prob. related to Goth. sauls = στύλος; Icel. súl, meaning a prop, stay], a king, prince; this word occurs only once in old poets, viz. in compd himin-sjóli, heaven-prop, heaven-defender (?), an epithet of Thor, Þd. 9; it does not even appear in Edda (Gl.) among the synonyms of kings and heroes; the word then re-appears in Skíða R. 50 = king; and (from that poem?) in Run. Gramm. Island.; it became freq. in mod. lays and rímur, e. g. Úlf. 1. 21; 2. 76, 81, 88, 3. 18, 44, 4. 20, 50, 5. 10, 7. 21.

2. sjóli occurs once as a pr. name on a Swedish Runic stone.