The Skalds:

A Selection Of Their Poems

Plot

From Old Norse antiquity has come down to us the large body of verse which the skalds -- or court poets of Norway and Iceland -- composed to signalize a feat of arms or an act of generosity by the lords.The skalds were usually witty and ingenious young gentlemen of noble birth, who often composed their verses extemporaneously. Many such verses were preserved in the great sagas.Lee M. Hollander has here translated many of these colorful but complicated poems and has provided an excellent understanding of the vivid personalities, important historical events, religious mythology, and folklore of the period. Chapters are devoted to the life and works of more than a dozen of the greatest skalds. This book will be of great interest to students of comparative literature as well as to the general reader.