Wulf

m. I. a wolf :-- Wulf lupus, Wrt. Voc. ii. 113, 32 : i. 77, 77 : licos, 22, 61 : lupa, ii. 51, 29. Hwonne of heortan hunger oððe wulf sáwle and sorge somed ábregde, Cd. Th. 137, 20; Gen. 2276. Wulf sceal on bearowe, Menol. Fox 496; Gn. C. 18. Sceal hine wulf etan, hár hǽðstapa, Exon. Th. 328, 5; Vy. 12. Se hára wulf, 291, 15; Wand. 82. Wulfes gehléþan, 499, 30; Rä. 88, 23. Reáfiende wulfas, Mt. Kmbl. 7, 15. Ic (the shepherd) stande ofer míne sceáp mid hundum ðe læs wulfas forswelgen hig, Coll. Monast. Th. 20, 15. Wulfa geþot ululatus, Wrt. Voc. i. 287, 24. Sume wurdon tó wulfan; ða ðuton ðonne hí spræcan sceoldon, Bt. 38, 1; Fox 194, 36 : Met. 26, 79. Swá sceáp gemang wulfas, Mt. Kmbl. 10, 16. Wineleás, wonsǽlig mon genimeþ wulfas tó geféran, Exon. Th. 342, 25; Gn. Ex. 147. ¶ in battle-scenes the wolf is a frequent figure :-- Ne wæl wépeþ wulf se grǽga, morþorcwealm mæcga, ac hit á máre wille, Exon. Th. 343, 3; Gn. Ex. 151. Ðæs se hlanca gefeah wulf in walde, Judth. Thw. 24, 25; Jud. 206. Ðæt grǽge deór, wulf on wealde, Chr. 937; Erl. 115, 14. Fyrdleóð ágól wulf on walde, Elen. Kmbl. 55; El. 28. Wulf sang áhóf, holtes gehléða, 224; El. 112. Wulfas sungon atol ǽfenleóð ǽtes on wénan, Cd. Th. 188, 7; Exod. 164. Se mǽsta dǽl ðæs heriges læg, hilde gesǽged, wulfum tó willan, Judth. Thw. 25, 36; Jud. 296. ¶ an early admiration for the wolf seems shewn by the frequency of wulf in proper names; see e. g. Txts. 554 sqq. ; and its presence in early England is marked by the numerous place-names; see e. g. Cod. Dip. Kmbl. vi. Index. I a. in the phrase wulfes heáfod (used in reference to outlaws :-- Si postea repertus fuerit et teneri possit, vivus regi reddatur, vel caput ipsius, si se defenderit; lupinum enim caput geret a die utlagacionis sue, quod ab Anglis uuluesheued nominatur. Et hec sententia communis est de omnibus utlagis, L. Ed. C. 6; Th. i. 445. 4. [Gamelyn woluesheed was cryed and maad, Gam. 700. Cf. wearg, and see Grmm. R. A. 734.] II. applied to a cruel person :-- Se biscop cwæþ tó ðæm hǽþnan kásere : 'Ne gang ðú ná on Godes hús; ðú hafast besmitene handa, and ðú eart deófles wulf,' Shrn. 58, 9. Se áwyrgda wulf (the devil), Exon. Th. 16, 21; Cri. 256. [Goth. wulfs : O. Sax. wulf : O. H. Ger. wolf : Icel. ulfr.]