Andersson, Theodore M.. Skalds and Troubadours.

• Author: Anderson, Theodore M.
• Title: Skalds and Troubadours
• Published in: Mediaeval Scandinavia 2
• Year: 1969
• Pages: 7-41
• E-text:
• Reference: Anderson, Theodore M. "Skalds and Troubadours." Mediaeval Scandinavia 2 (1969): 7-41.

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Annotation

Anderson researches possible influences the troubadour tradition in Provence, France, and french epic might have had on Old Norse skaldic poetry. He draws the conclusion that Old Norse skaldic poetry was not influenced by those genres, in spite of Rögnvaldr kali visiting Provence and the similarities certain poems share. He claims the roots of early skald biographies lie in the Kings sagas, and that Egils saga is one of those.

Lýsing

Anderson rannsakar hugsanleg áhrif frá trúbadorhefð frá Provence, Frakklandi og franskri epík á norræna dróttkvæðahefð. Hann kemst að þeirri niðurstöðu að þrátt fyrir heimsókn Rögnvaldar kala til Provence og ákveðin líkindi einstakra kvæða sé ekki um slík áhrif að ræða, heldur séu rætur elstu skáldsagnanna í Konungasögunum, þar á meðal Egils sögu.

References

Chapter 56: hefir þú fólgið nafn hennar í vísu þessi: "When Egill secretes his lady's name in a stanza, it is not a senhal, and when Þormóðr rededicates a love poem, it is not a chanson de change. Indeed, one could argue that the similarities between Norse and Provençal love poetry are no greater than the similarities between the Norse níðvísa and the Provençal sirventès or the Norse erfidrápa and the Provençal planh. The chief difficulty involved in Bjarni Einarsson's equation is therefore the absence of really significant correspondences between the conventions of love poetry in medieval Iceland and Provence." (p. 17).

Links

• Written by: Hildur Ýr Ísberg
• Icelandic/English translation: Hildur Ýr Ísberg