Eddic, Skaldic, and Beyond: Poetic Variety in Medieval Iceland and Norway (Fordham Series in Medieval Studies)

Eddic, Skaldic, And Beyond Shines Light On Traditional Divisions Of Old Norse-icelandic Poetry And Awakens The Reader To Work That Blurs These Boundaries. Many Of The Texts And Topics Taken Up In These Enlightening Essays Have Been Difficult To Categorize And Have Consequently Been Overlooked Or Undervalued. The Boundaries Between Genres (eddic And Skaldic), Periods (viking Age, Medieval, Early Modern), Or Cultures (icelandic, Scandinavian, English, Continental) May Not Have Been As Sharp In The Eyes And Ears Of Contemporary Authors And Audiences As They Are In Our Own. When Questions Of Classification Are Allowed To Fade Into The Background, At Least Temporarily, The Poetry Can Be Appreciated On Its Own Terms. Some Of The Essays In This Collection Present New Material, While Others Challenge Long-held Assumptions. They Reflect The Idea That Poetry With Medieval Characteristics Continued To Be Produced In Iceland Well Past The Fifteenth Century, And Even Beyond The Protestant Reformation In Iceland (1550). This Superb Volume, Rich In Up-to-date Scholarship, Makes Little-known Material Accessible To A Wide Audience-- Explores The Blurring Of Boundaries Between Genres (skaldic And Eddic), Periods (viking Age, Medieval, Early Modern) And Cultures (icelandic, Scandinavian, English, Continental) In Old Norse-icelandic Poetry-- Introduction -- Gunnlaugr Leifsson's Uses In Merlínússpá Of Twelfth-century English Sources Additional To The De Gestis Britonum Of Geoffrey Of Monmouth -- Russell Poole -- The Genesis Of Strengleikar: Scribes, Translators, And Place Of Origin -- Ingvil Brügger Budal -- Einarr Skúlason, Snorri Sturluson, And The Post-pagan Mythological Kenning -- Christopher Abram -- Skáldskaparmál As A Tool For Composition Of Early Skaldic Poetry -- Mikael Males -- Háttatal Stanza 12 And The Divine Legitimation Of Kings -- Kevin J. Wanner -- Creating Tradition: The Use Of Skaldic Verse In Old Norse Historiography -- Rolf Stavnem -- Rattus Rattus As A Beast Of Battle? Stanza 12 Of Ragnars Saga -- Rory Mcturk -- Wit And Wisdom: The World View Of The Old Norse-icelandic Riddles And Their Relationship To Eddic Poetry -- Hannah Burrows -- Devotional Poetry At The End Of The Middle Ages In Iceland -- Martin Chase -- Love And Death In The Icelandic Ballad -- Paul Acker -- Steinunn Finnsdóttir And Snækóngs Rímur -- Shaun F. D. Hughes -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index. Edited By Martin Chase. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Acknowledgments ix Introduction / Martin Chase 1 The Sources of "Merlínússpá": Gunnlaugr Leifsson's Use of Texts Additional to the "De gestis Britonum" of Geoffrey of Monmouth / Russell Poole 16 The Genesis of "Strengleikar": Scribes, Translators, and Place of Origin / Ingvil Brügger Budal 31 Einarr Skúlason, Snorri Sturluson, and the Post-Pagan Mythological Kenning / Christopher Abram 44 "Skáldskaparmál" as a Tool for Composition of Pseudonymous Skaldic Poetry / Mikael Males 62 "Háttatal" Stanza 12 and the Divine Legitimation of Kings / Kevin J. Wanner 75 Creating Tradition: The Use of Skaldic Verse in Old Norse Historiography / Rolf Stavnem 87 "Rattus rattus" as a Beast of Battle? Stanza 12 of "Ragnars Saga" / Rory McTurk 102 Wit and Wisdom: The Worldview of the Old Norse-Icelandic Riddles and Their Relationship to Eddic Poetry / Hannah Burrows 114 Devotional Poetry at the End of the Middle Ages in Iceland / Martin Chase 136 Love and Death in the Icelandic Ballad / Paul Acker 150 Steinunn Finnsdóttir and "Snækóngs Rímur" / Shaun F. D. Hughes 162 Notes 191 Bibliography 253 List of Contributors 277 Index 279