Hǫfuðlausn (Óttarr Svarti)
Hǫfuðlausn (‘''head-ransom''’) is the title of several Old Norse Skaldic poems: * Hǫfuðlausn by Egill Skallagrímsson * Hǫfuðlausn by Óttarr svarti * Hǫfuðlausn by Þórarinn loftunga Þórarinn loftunga was an Icelandic skald active during the first half of the 11th century. He composed ''Tögdrápa'', a poem in praise of King Canute. Like Sigvatr Þórðarson's poem in praise of the same king, ''Knútsdrápa'', the ''Tøgdr ...

Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their Viking expansion, overseas settlements and chronologically coincides with the Viking Age, the Christianization of Scandinavia, and the consolidation of Scandinavian kingdoms from about the 8th to the 15th centuries. The Proto-Norse language developed into Old Norse by the 8th century, and Old Norse began to develop into the modern North Germanic languages in the mid- to late 14th century, ending the language phase known as Old Norse. These dates, however, are not precise, since written Old Norse is found well into the 15th century. Old Norse was divided into three dialects: Old West Norse (Old West Nordic, often referred to as ''Old Norse''), Old East Norse (Old East Nordic), and Old Gutnish. Old West Norse and O ...
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Skaldic Poetry
A skald, or skáld (Old Norse: ; , meaning "poet"), is one of the often named poets who composed skaldic poetry, one of the two kinds of Old Norse poetry in alliterative verse, the other being Eddic poetry. Skaldic poems were traditionally composed to honor kings, but were sometimes ex tempore. They include both extended works and single verses ('' lausavísur''). They are characteristically more ornate in form and diction than eddic poems, employing many kennings, which require some knowledge of Norse mythology, and heiti, which are formal nouns used in place of more prosaic synonyms. ''Dróttkvætt'' metre is a type of skaldic verse form that most often use internal rhyme and alliteration. More than 5,500 skaldic verses have survived, preserved in more than 700 manuscripts, including in several sagas and in Snorri Sturluson's ''Prose Edda'', a handbook of skaldic composition that led to a revival of the art. Many of these verses are fragments of originally longer works, and t ...
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Hǫfuðlausn (Egill)
''Hǫfuðlausn'' ( ) or ''‘Head-ransom is a skaldic poem attributed to Egill Skalla-Grímsson in praise of king Eirik Bloodaxe. It is cited in Egils Saga (chapter 61), which claims that he created it in the span of one night. The events in the saga that lead up to the composition and recitation of the poem can be summarized in the following way. Egil falls into king Eirik's hands after being shipwrecked in Northumbria. Faced with the decision to either dishonorably flee and risk being exposed as a coward or to directly face his adversary and ask for reconciliation, Egil chooses the latter. The two men are enemies during the saga, which makes Egil's decision especially bold. Earlier in the saga Egil goes as far as to construct a Nithing pole, a sign of disrespect in medieval Scandinavian society. For this and other reasons King Eirik tells Egil not to expect any outcome other than death for his arrival in his court. This would be the end for Egil, however, one of his allies, who ...
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Egill Skallagrímsson
Egil Skallagrímsson ( ; Modern Icelandic: ; 904 995) was a Viking Age war poet, sorcerer, berserker, and farmer.Thorsson, 3 He is known mainly as the anti-hero of '' Egil's Saga''. ''Egil's Saga'' historically narrates a period from approximately 850 to 1000 AD and is believed to have been written between 1220 and 1240 AD. Life Egil was born in Iceland, to Skalla-Grímr Kveldúlfsson and Bera Yngvarsdóttir; he was the grandson of Kveld-Úlfr (whose name means 'evening wolf'). Another of his ancestors, Hallbjörn, was Norwegian- Sami. Skalla-Grímr was a respected chieftain, and mortal enemy of King Harald Fairhair of Norway. He migrated to Iceland, settling at Borg where his father Kveld-Úlfr's coffin landed after being ritualistically set adrift as Skalla-Grímr's boat approached Iceland. Skalla-Grímr and wife Bera had two daughters, Sæunn and Þórunn, and two sons, Þorolfr and Egil. Egil composed his first poem at three years old. He exhibited ...
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Hǫfuðlausn (Óttarr Svarti)
Hǫfuðlausn (‘''head-ransom''’) is the title of several Old Norse Skaldic poems: * Hǫfuðlausn by Egill Skallagrímsson * Hǫfuðlausn by Óttarr svarti * Hǫfuðlausn by Þórarinn loftunga Þórarinn loftunga was an Icelandic skald active during the first half of the 11th century. He composed ''Tögdrápa'', a poem in praise of King Canute. Like Sigvatr Þórðarson's poem in praise of the same king, ''Knútsdrápa'', the ''Tøgdr ...

Óttarr Svarti
Óttarr svarti ("Óttarr the Black") was an 11th-century Icelandic skald. He was the court poet first of Óláfr skautkonungr of Sweden, then of Óláfr Haraldsson of Norway, the Swedish king Anund Jacob and finally of Cnut the Great of Denmark and England. His poems are significant contemporary evidence for the careers of Óláfr Haraldsson and Cnut the Great. Óttarr was the nephew of Sigvatr Þórðarson, and Óttarr clearly based the poem '' Hǫfuðlausn'', his encomium for Óláfr Haraldsson, on Sigvatr's ''Víkingarvísur'', which tallies the king's early Viking expeditions. A small ''þáttr'' (short story) on Óttarr, '' Óttars þáttr svarta'', is preserved in Flateyjarbók, Bergsbók, Bæjarbók and Tómasskinna. Works #'' Óláfsdrápa sœnska''. Verses for the Swedish king Olof Skötkonung. #''Höfuðlausn'' (also spelled as ''Hǫfuðlausn''). #'' Knútsdrápa''. Verses for Cnut the Great. ''Knútsdrápur'' composed by other poets include those of Sigvatr à ...
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Hǫfuðlausn (Þórarinn Loftunga)
Hǫfuðlausn (‘''head-ransom''’) is the title of several Old Norse Skaldic poems: * Hǫfuðlausn by Egill Skallagrímsson * Hǫfuðlausn by Óttarr svarti * Hǫfuðlausn by Þórarinn loftunga Þórarinn loftunga was an Icelandic skald active during the first half of the 11th century. He composed ''Tögdrápa'', a poem in praise of King Canute. Like Sigvatr Þórðarson's poem in praise of the same king, ''Knútsdrápa'', the ''Tøgdr ...