Skaldic poetry (Icelandic: dróttkvæði, "court poetry") is Old Norse poetry composed by known skalds, as opposed to the anonymous Eddaic poetry. The most prevalent metre is dróttkvætt. The subject is usually historical and eulogic, detailing the deeds of the skald's king.

The skaldic poems have the following characteristics.

• The author is usually known.
• The meter is ornate, usually dróttkvætt or a variation thereof.
• The syntax is complex, with sentences commonly interwoven.
• Kennings are used frequently and gratuitously.

Skaldic poems

Most of the skaldic poetry we have are poems composed to individual kings by their court poets. They typically have historical content, relating battles and other deeds from the king's carrier. Examples:

• Vellekla - The deeds of Hákon Hlaðajarl.
• Bandadrápa - The deeds of Eiríkr Hlaðajarl.

A few surviving skaldic poems have mythological content.

• Þórsdrápa - A drápa to the god Thor telling the tale of one of his giant-bashing expeditions.
• Haustlöng - Relates two tales from the mythology as painted on a shield given to the poet.
• Ragnarsdrápa - Relates four tales from the mythology as painted on a shield given to the poet.
• Húsdrápa - Describes mythological scenes as carved on kitchen panels.
• Ynglingatal - describes the origin of the Norwegian kings and the history of the House of Yngling. It is preserved in the Heimskringla.

To this could be added two poems relating the death of a king and his reception in Valhalla.

• Hákonarmál - The death of king Hákon and his reception in Valhalla.
• Eiríksmál - The death of king Eiríkr and his reception in Valhalla.

And some other were composed as circumstance pieces, such as those by Egill Skallagrímsson

• Sonatorrek - A lament on the death of Egill's sons
• Höfuðlausn - a praise for King Eiríkr Bloodaxe , that saved its author's head
• Arinbjarnarkviða - In praise of the poet's friend Arinbjörn

External links

• Skaldic poetry in Old Norse from «Kulturformidlingen norrøne tekster og kvad» Norway.
• Index of Old Norse/Icelandic Skaldic Poetry at the Jörmungrund database
• Lexicon Poeticum at the Jörmungrund database

Skaldic poems | Icelandic literature

Poesía escáldica | Poésie scaldique | Skaldska poezija | Скальдическая поэзия