Contextualizing the 'Knútsdrápur': Skaldic Praise-Poetry at the Court of Cnut

M. Townend

doi:10.1017/S0263675101000072

Contextualizing the 'Knútsdrápur': Skaldic Praise-Poetry at the Court of Cnut

M. Townend

English and Related Literature

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

It is generally recognized that during the reign of Cnut the Danish king's court came to represent the focal point for skaldic composition and patronage in the Norse-speaking world. According to the later Icelandic Skáldatal or ‘List of Poets’, no fewer than eight skalds were remembered as having composed for Cnut: Sigvatr Þórðarson, Óttarr svarti, Þórarinn loftunga, Hallvarðr háreksblesi, Bersi Torfuson, Steinn Skaptason, Arnórr Þórðarson jarlaskáld, and Óðarkeptr. Comparing this list with the extant poetic remains, one arrives at the following collection of skaldic praise-poems (some fragmentary) in honour of Cnut: Sigvatr Þórðarson's Knútsdrápa; Óttarr svarti's Knútsdrápa; Hallvarðr háreksblesi's Knútsdrápa; Þórarinn loftunga's Ho[ogonek]fuðlausn and Tøgdrápa; and (probably) a fragment by Arnórr jarlaskáld. Of the other poets cited in Skáldatal, no verse in honour of Cnut is extant by Bersi Torfuson, and none at all by Steinn Skaptason and Óðarkeptr.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	145-179
Number of pages	34
Journal	Anglo-Saxon England
Volume	30
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263675101000072
Publication status	Published - Dec 2001

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10.1017/S0263675101000072

http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0263675101000072

Cite this

@article{69536be53ea74b1694237b16ec516135,

title = "Contextualizing the 'Kn{\'u}tsdr{\'a}pur': Skaldic Praise-Poetry at the Court of Cnut",

abstract = "It is generally recognized that during the reign of Cnut the Danish king's court came to represent the focal point for skaldic composition and patronage in the Norse-speaking world. According to the later Icelandic Sk{\'a}ldatal or {\textquoteleft}List of Poets{\textquoteright}, no fewer than eight skalds were remembered as having composed for Cnut: Sigvatr {\TH}{\'o}r{\dh}arson, {\'O}ttarr svarti, {\TH}{\'o}rarinn loftunga, Hallvar{\dh}r h{\'a}reksblesi, Bersi Torfuson, Steinn Skaptason, Arn{\'o}rr {\TH}{\'o}r{\dh}arson jarlask{\'a}ld, and {\'O}{\dh}arkeptr. Comparing this list with the extant poetic remains, one arrives at the following collection of skaldic praise-poems (some fragmentary) in honour of Cnut: Sigvatr {\TH}{\'o}r{\dh}arson's Kn{\'u}tsdr{\'a}pa; {\'O}ttarr svarti's Kn{\'u}tsdr{\'a}pa; Hallvar{\dh}r h{\'a}reksblesi's Kn{\'u}tsdr{\'a}pa; {\TH}{\'o}rarinn loftunga's Ho[ogonek]fu{\dh}lausn and T{\o}gdr{\'a}pa; and (probably) a fragment by Arn{\'o}rr jarlask{\'a}ld. Of the other poets cited in Sk{\'a}ldatal, no verse in honour of Cnut is extant by Bersi Torfuson, and none at all by Steinn Skaptason and {\'O}{\dh}arkeptr.",

author = "M. Townend",

year = "2001",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1017/S0263675101000072",

language = "English",

volume = "30",

pages = "145--179",

journal = "Anglo-Saxon England",

issn = "0263-6751",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Contextualizing the 'Knútsdrápur': Skaldic Praise-Poetry at the Court of Cnut

AU - Townend, M.

PY - 2001/12

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N2 - It is generally recognized that during the reign of Cnut the Danish king's court came to represent the focal point for skaldic composition and patronage in the Norse-speaking world. According to the later Icelandic Skáldatal or ‘List of Poets’, no fewer than eight skalds were remembered as having composed for Cnut: Sigvatr Þórðarson, Óttarr svarti, Þórarinn loftunga, Hallvarðr háreksblesi, Bersi Torfuson, Steinn Skaptason, Arnórr Þórðarson jarlaskáld, and Óðarkeptr. Comparing this list with the extant poetic remains, one arrives at the following collection of skaldic praise-poems (some fragmentary) in honour of Cnut: Sigvatr Þórðarson's Knútsdrápa; Óttarr svarti's Knútsdrápa; Hallvarðr háreksblesi's Knútsdrápa; Þórarinn loftunga's Ho[ogonek]fuðlausn and Tøgdrápa; and (probably) a fragment by Arnórr jarlaskáld. Of the other poets cited in Skáldatal, no verse in honour of Cnut is extant by Bersi Torfuson, and none at all by Steinn Skaptason and Óðarkeptr.

AB - It is generally recognized that during the reign of Cnut the Danish king's court came to represent the focal point for skaldic composition and patronage in the Norse-speaking world. According to the later Icelandic Skáldatal or ‘List of Poets’, no fewer than eight skalds were remembered as having composed for Cnut: Sigvatr Þórðarson, Óttarr svarti, Þórarinn loftunga, Hallvarðr háreksblesi, Bersi Torfuson, Steinn Skaptason, Arnórr Þórðarson jarlaskáld, and Óðarkeptr. Comparing this list with the extant poetic remains, one arrives at the following collection of skaldic praise-poems (some fragmentary) in honour of Cnut: Sigvatr Þórðarson's Knútsdrápa; Óttarr svarti's Knútsdrápa; Hallvarðr háreksblesi's Knútsdrápa; Þórarinn loftunga's Ho[ogonek]fuðlausn and Tøgdrápa; and (probably) a fragment by Arnórr jarlaskáld. Of the other poets cited in Skáldatal, no verse in honour of Cnut is extant by Bersi Torfuson, and none at all by Steinn Skaptason and Óðarkeptr.

U2 - 10.1017/S0263675101000072

DO - 10.1017/S0263675101000072

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