Skáldskaparmál
Encyclopedia
The second part of Snorri Sturluson
's Prose Edda
the Skáldskaparmál or "language of poetry" (c. 50,000 words) is effectively a dialogue between the Norse god of the sea, Ægir
and Bragi
, the god of poetry, in which both Norse mythology
and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined. The origin of a number of kenning
s are given and Bragi
then delivers a systematic list of kennings for various people, places and things. Bragi then goes on to discuss poetic language in some detail, in particular heiti
, the concept of poetical words which are non-periphrastic e.g. steed for horse, and again systematises these. This in a way forms an early form of poetic thesaurus.
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
's Prose Edda
Prose Edda
The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda or simply Edda, is an Icelandic collection of four sections interspersed with excerpts from earlier skaldic and Eddic poetry containing tales from Nordic mythology...
the Skáldskaparmál or "language of poetry" (c. 50,000 words) is effectively a dialogue between the Norse god of the sea, Ægir
Ægir
Ægir is a sea giant, god of the ocean and king of the sea creatures in Norse mythology. He is also known for hosting elaborate parties for the gods.Ægir's servants are Fimafeng and Eldir.- Description :...
and Bragi
Bragi
Bragi is the skaldic god of poetry in Norse mythology.-Etymology:Bragi is generally associated with bragr, the Norse word for poetry. The name of the god may have been derived from bragr, or the term bragr may have been formed to describe 'what Bragi does'...
, the god of poetry, in which both Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined. The origin of a number of kenning
Kenning
A kenning is a type of literary trope, specifically circumlocution, in the form of a compound that employs figurative language in place of a more concrete single-word noun. Kennings are strongly associated with Old Norse and later Icelandic and Anglo-Saxon poetry...
s are given and Bragi
Bragi
Bragi is the skaldic god of poetry in Norse mythology.-Etymology:Bragi is generally associated with bragr, the Norse word for poetry. The name of the god may have been derived from bragr, or the term bragr may have been formed to describe 'what Bragi does'...
then delivers a systematic list of kennings for various people, places and things. Bragi then goes on to discuss poetic language in some detail, in particular heiti
Heiti
A heiti is a synonym used in Old Norse poetry in place of the normal word for something...
, the concept of poetical words which are non-periphrastic e.g. steed for horse, and again systematises these. This in a way forms an early form of poetic thesaurus.