Bragi the Old

Norwegian poet

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Bragi the Old was a Norwegian skald, or poet, who lived in the latter half of the 9th century. Skaldic poetry, which originated in Norway and was further developed by Icelandic poets, is characterized by its strict syllabic meter, ornate language, and the use of heiti (poetic nouns) and kennings (metaphorical circumlocutions). While the god Bragi is known as the deity of poetry and eloquence in later sources, some scholars speculate that the god and the poet Bragi the Old might be the same individual, as there is no record of a cult dedicated to the god. The poems of skalds, often praising kings, provide valuable historical information despite their complex language.123

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Icelandic literature
Skaldic verse
The earliest known poet was Bragi the Old, who probably wrote in Norway in the latter half of the 9th century. Harald I (died c. 940) of Norway was eulogized by several poets, among them Þórbjǫrn Hornklofi, whose poem the Haraldskvæði (“Lay of Harald”) was partly Eddaic and partly skaldic…
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The earliest known poet was Bragi the Old, who probably wrote in Norway in the latter half of the 9th century. Harald I (died c. 940) of Norway was eulogized by several poets, among them Þórbjǫrn Hornklofi, whose poem the Haraldskvæði (“Lay of Harald”) was partly Eddaic and partly skaldic…
Read More