A man is periphrased by masculine tree-names — pole, grove, fir, boxwood, ash, maple, tree, staff, thorn — combined with battle, weapons or gold. Nine verse examples, among them Úlfr Uggason's Húsdrápa on Þórr's fishing.

Maðr er kenndr til viða, sem fyrr er ritat, kallaðr reynir vápna eða víga, ferða ok athafnar, skipa ok alls þess, er hann ræðr ok reynir. Svá kvað Úlfr Uggason:

A man is periphrased by trees, as written before, called the tester of weapons or battles, of journeys and activity, of ships and of all that he rules and tests. Thus spoke Úlfr Uggason:

Viðr ok meiðr, sem kvað Kormákr:

Viðr and meiðr [tree, pole], as Kormákr spoke:

Lundr, svá kvað Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld:

Lundr [grove], thus Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld spoke:

Hér er ok þollr nefndr. Búss, svá kvað Arnórr:

Here a fir (þollr) is also named. Búss [boxwood], thus Arnórr spoke:

Askr, sem Refr kvað:

Askr [ash], as Refr spoke:

Hlynr, sem hér er:

Hlynr [maple], as here:

Börr, sem Refr kvað:

Börr [tree], as Refr spoke:

Stafr, sem Óttarr kvað:

Stafr [staff], as Óttarr spoke:

Þorn, sem Arnórr kvað:

Þorn [thorn], as Arnórr spoke:

Skaldic quotations

Úlfr Uggason, Húsdrápa (man = folka reynir, härarnas prövare)

En stirðþinull starði storðar leggs fyr borði fróns á folka reyni fránleitr ok blés eitri.

But the stiff head-band [the World-Serpent], gleaming-eyed, stared over the gunwale at the tester of hosts [Þórr] and blew venom.

Kormákr (man = meiðr, stång)

Meiðr er mörgum æðri morðteins í dyn fleina; hjörr fær hildibörrum hjarl Sigurði jarli.

The pole [man] is higher than many in the din of arrows [battle]; the sword wins land for the battle-eager jarl Sigurðr.

Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld (man = rækilundr, vård-lund)

Askþollum stendr Ullar austr at miklu trausti rækilundr inn ríki randfárs brumaðr hári.

The mighty caring-grove [man] of shield-harm [battle], budded with hair, stands in the east as a great protection to the ash-firs [warriors] of Ullr.

Arnórr jarlaskáld (man = reggbúss, skepps-buxbom)

Rökr öndurt bað randir reggbúss saman leggja, rógskýja helt, Rygja, regni haustnótt gegnum.

At early dawn the ship-boxwood [seafarer] of the Rygir bade the shields be laid together; he held out through the autumn night against the rain of the strife-clouds [arrows].

Refr (man = askr, ask)

Gekk í gulli stokkna gjöfrífr, Háars drífu askr viðr ærinn þroska, as-Freyr sæing meyjar.

The gift-generous ash [man] of Hár's [Óðinn's] snow-drift [battle] went, with ample maturity, to the bed of the gold-strewn maiden.

Anonym (man = hlynr, lönn)

Heill kom þú, handar svella hlynr kvaddi svá brynju.

»Welcome!« so the maple [man] of the hand's ice [the gold-ring] greeted [the one] in mail-coat.

Refr (man = börr hjörva, svärdens träd)

Alls böðgæðis bjóða, börr ræðr til þess hjörva, ógnstöðvar hefi ek ægi einráðit Þórsteini.

Since I alone have determined ... the tree [man] of swords ... I offer the terror of the battle-field to Þorsteinn.

Óttarr svarti (man = ógnarstafr, skräckens stav)

Heltu, þar er hrafn né svalta, hvatráðr ertu, láði, ógnarstafr, fyr jöfrum, ýgr, tveimr, við kyn beima.

You held the land against two princes, where the raven did not starve; you are bold in counsel, fierce staff [man] of terror, against the kin of men.

Arnórr jarlaskáld (man = auðar þorn, rikedomens torn)

Hlóð, en hála téðu hirðmenn ara grenni, auðar þorn fyr örnu ungr valköstu þunga.

The young thorn [man] of wealth heaped up heavy corpse-piles before the eagles, while the retainers fed the eagle-feeder [the raven].