Tryggvaflokkr
Encyclopedia
Tryggvaflokkr was an Old Norse poem
about Tryggve the Pretender
, an 11th-century Viking
chieftain who purported to be the son of Olaf Tryggvason and tried to conquer Norway in 1033. It is usually attributed to Sighvat Thordarson, a skald
and court poet of Canute the Great
. The only surviving portion of the poem is that quoted by Snorri Sturluson
in the Heimskringla
:
Old Norse poetry
Old Norse poetry encompasses a range of verse forms written in Old Norse, during the period from the 8th century to as late as the far end of the 13th century...
about Tryggve the Pretender
Tryggve the Pretender
Tryggvi "the Pretender" was a Viking chieftain who lived in the early eleventh century, and came from "west across the sea"...
, an 11th-century Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
chieftain who purported to be the son of Olaf Tryggvason and tried to conquer Norway in 1033. It is usually attributed to Sighvat Thordarson, a skald
Skald
The skald was a member of a group of poets, whose courtly poetry is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic leaders during the Viking Age, who composed and performed renditions of aspects of what we now characterise as Old Norse poetry .The most prevalent metre of skaldic poetry is...
and court poet of Canute the Great
Canute the Great
Cnut the Great , also known as Canute, was a king of Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden. Though after the death of his heirs within a decade of his own and the Norman conquest of England in 1066, his legacy was largely lost to history, historian Norman F...
. The only surviving portion of the poem is that quoted by Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
in the Heimskringla
Heimskringla
Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...
:
- For fame eager, forth fared
- from the north King Tryggve,
- whilst Svein from the south forth
- sailed to join the battle
- From fray not far was I.
- Fast they raised their banners
- Swiftly then-rang sword 'gainst
- sword-began the bloodshed.