Dictionary

arval en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree Old Norse arfr Old Norse öl Old Norse erfiǫlder. Middle English arvellder. English arval From Middle English arvell, from Old Norse erfiǫl (“a funeral feast”), from arfr (“inheritance”) + öl (“ale”). Cognate with Danish arveøl (“a wake, funeral feast”). More at erf, ale.

Meanings

1. (Northern-England, Scotland, archaic) A funeral feast or wake at which bread and ale was served, traditional in Scotland, the North of England, and among the Norse.
   • It was customary in the north to have an arval or funeral dinner after an interment. 1867, Memoirs of the Life of Mr. Ambrose Barnes, Late Merchant, page 65:
   • “Is there to be an arval dinner?” The arval was the traditional funeral feast celebrated throughout the Land Between the Lakes. It was customary to invite all who had known the deceased. 2008, Susan Wittig Albert, The Tale of Briar Bank, →ISBN:
   • Only one better feast do I remember, and that was when we gave the arval for the old master when he died of the dropsy. That was a feast if you like. Such a one had never been heard of in the Valley. 2001, Christiaan Louis Leipoldt, Trevor Emslie, “Gallows Gecko”, in The Valley: a trilogy, page 204:
2. (historical, rare) The ale served at such a wake, the drinking of which was a ritually significant act in Norse culture.
   • Hlod rode from the east, heir of Heidrek, he came to the court claiming his birthright, to Arheimar, the homes of the Goths; there drank Angantyrr arval for Heidrek. And so Hlod came to Arheimar […] 1960, Christopher Tolkien, The saga of King Heidrek the Wise, page 27:
   • Now for a sealing and making fast of this solemn covenant between you I see no likelier rede than that ye all join with me here this day in good friendship to forget your quarrels in drinking of the arvale of King Gorice XI., than whom hath reigned none mightier nor more worshipful in all this world, and thereafter depart in peace to your native lands. 1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 29:
   • […] Then quoth Hamtheow, etc.: 'We shall never come back to our mother [when we have slain the King of Goths]. Thou shalt drink the arval for us all together, for Swanhild and thy sons.' 1883, Guðbrandur Vigfússon, Frederick York Powell, Corpus Poeticum Boreale: Eddic poems, page 55:
   • And so we shall drink the arval for Ragnar, drink like heroes. 1994, Harry Harrison, The Hammer & The Cross, →ISBN, page 35:
3. (qualifier:Lancashire) The money given to hunters, at the death of a fox, in order to buy ale.

Forms

Deriveds

arval-bread · arval-cake · arval-dinner · arval-supper