Hjǫrtr
skaldsVol. 2, 344-7 — — ed. Kari Ellen Gade
Poetry
Biography
Kari Ellen Gade 2009, ‘(Biography of) Hjǫrtr’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 344-7.
Very little is known about Hjǫrtr (which, if translated, would mean ‘Deer’). According to Hemings þáttr Áslákssonar (Hem in Hr and Hb), he was an Icelander who was sent by Haraldr harðráði Sigurðarson as an envoy to Russia in 1065-6 to retrieve a bag of goatskin filled with gold which Haraldr had left with his wife, Ellisif (Elizabeth) (see Hb 1892-6, 331-3; Fellows Jensen 1962, 37-9). He is also mentioned in the first part of the þáttr in Flat, where his patronymic is given as Óláfsson (Flat 196-8, III, 401). Because that information is lacking in the other versions (see Fellows Jensen 1962, 1), it is likely a Flat innovation.
References
- Bibliography
- Fellows Jensen, Gillian, ed. 1962. Hemings þáttr Áslákssonar. EA B 3. Copenhagen: Munksgaard.
- Hb 1892-6 = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1892-6. Hauksbók udgiven efter de Arnamagnæanske håndskrifter no. 371, 544 og 675, 4° samt forskellige papirshåndskrifter. Copenhagen: Det kongelige nordiske oldskrift-selskab.
- Internal references
- Kari Ellen Gade 2009, ‘(Biography of) Haraldr harðráði Sigurðarson’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 35-56.
- Russell Poole (ed.) 2012, ‘Guthormr sindri, Hákonardrápa 8’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 168.
other information
Hjǫrtr (Hjǫrtr)
11th century
Skj AI, 403; BI, 372-3
volume 2
main editor: Kari Ellen Gade