skald

Skald is the term used for poets of the Norse and Icelandic world who composed skaldic poetry, active from roughly the late 8th to the 13th centuries. Skalds served at the courts of kings and chieftains, crafting verses in praise of their patrons and commemorating battles, lineage, legal deeds, and mythic narratives. Much of their work is preserved in medieval Icelandic manuscripts and in prose histories such as the sagas and the Prose Edda.

Skaldic poetry is noted for its elaborate diction, the use of kennings and heiti, and a highly structured metre, often dróttkvætt. Dróttkvætt features internal rhymes, alliteration, and intricate stanza endings, making the poetry dense and allusive. Forms include lausavísur, stand-alone occasional verses, and longer compositions.

Content and function: Skalds shaped public memory by blending history, legend, and myth, frequently linking a patron’s achievements to heroic or divine themes. They also supplied recited narratives at feasts, courts, and military campaigns, acting as cultural custodians and entertainers.

Legacy: Skaldic verse remains a principal source for Norse history and cosmology, though its dense language and kennings can be challenging for modern readers. Following the medieval period, the tradition waned with Christianization and changes in court culture, but Icelandic literature and scholarship continued to study and preserve skaldic poetry, influencing later Scandinavian literary traditions.