Ulf the Brave (''Úlfr inn óargi'') was a
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
*Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
*Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including the ...
hersir
A Hersir was a local Viking military commander of a ''hundred'' (a county subdivision) of about 100 men and owed allegiance to a jarl or king. They were also aspiring landowners, and, like the middle class in many feudal societies, supported the k ...
who lived in
Namdalen
Namdalen ( sma, Nååmesjevuemie) is a Districts of Norway, traditional district in the central part of Norway, consisting of the municipalities Namsos, Grong, Overhalla, Røyrvik, Nærøysund, Høylandet, Flatanger, Lierne, Leka, Norway, Leka, ...
in the eighth century CE. He was the father of
Hallbjörn Half-Troll and
Hallbera Ulfsdóttir
Hallbera Ulfsdóttir was a Norse woman of the early ninth century CE. She was the daughter of Ulf the Brave
Ulf the Brave (''Úlfr inn óargi'') was a Norwegian hersir who lived in Namdalen in the eighth century CE. He was the father of Hallbjà ...
, who was the mother of
Kveldúlfr Bjálfason. Thus Ulf the Brave was the ancestor of the clan of
Egill Skallagrimsson
Egil or Egill is a masculine given name derived from Old Norse. It may refer to:
Characters
* Egil (Hymiskvida), farmer in the poem ''Hymiskvida''
* Egil, brother of Volund, hero of Völundarkviða and the Thidreks saga
* Egil One-Hand, hero from ...
. He is briefly mentioned in ''
Egils Saga
''Egill's Saga'' or ''Egil's saga'' ( non, Egils saga ; ) is an Icelandic saga (family saga) on the lives of the clan of Egill SkallagrÃmsson (Anglicised as Egill Skallagrimsson), an Icelandic farmer, viking and skald. The saga spans the years ...
''.
According to ''
Skáldatal ''Skáldatal'' (''Catalogue of Poets'') is a short prose work in Old Norse. It is preserved in two manuscripts: DG 11, or ''Codex Uppsaliensis'', which is one of the four main manuscripts of the ''Prose Edda'' (first quarter of the 14th century), an ...
'' B (''Codex Upsaliensis'') Ulf was a
skald
A skald, or skáld (Old Norse: , later ; , meaning "poet"), is one of the often named poets who composed skaldic poetry, one of the two kinds of Old Norse poetry, the other being Eddic poetry, which is anonymous. Skaldic poems were traditionally ...
and composed, in one single night, a ''
drápa
A skald, or skáld (Old Norse: , later ; , meaning "poet"), is one of the often named poets who composed skaldic poetry, one of the two kinds of Old Norse poetry, the other being Eddic poetry, which is anonymous. Skaldic poems were traditionally ...
'' praising his own heroic deeds; after that accomplishment, he died before dawn came.
[''Úlfr inn óargi var hersir ágætr à Nóregi, à Naumudali, faðir Hallbjarnar hálftrolls, föður Ketils hæings. Úlfr orti drápu á einni nótt ok sagði frá þrekvirkjum sÃnum. Hann var dauðr fyrir dag.']
''Skáldatal''
Ulf No-Coward was a noble hersir in Norway, in Namdalen, the father of Hallbjörn Half-Troll the father of Ketil Salmon. Ulf created a long praise-poem in one night, telling about his own mighty deeds. He was dead before day came. (Translated by Ben Waggoner, ''The Hrafnista Sagas'', 2012, p 198. )
The ''drápa'' is not preserved.
References
9th-century Norwegian people
Year of death unknown
Year of birth unknown
{{Norway-bio-stub