Þorbjǫrn svarti — ÞsvartII
skaldsVol. 2, 624-5 — — ed. Kari Ellen Gade
Poetry
Biography
Kari Ellen Gade 2009, ‘(Biography of) Þorbjǫrn svarti’ 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. 624-5.
Þorbjǫrn svarti ‘the Black’ (Þsvart) was one of the skalds residing with Jarl Rǫgnvaldr Kali Kolsson (Rv) in Orkney, and he accompanied Rǫgnvaldr on the crusade to the Holy Land (1151-3; see
ÍF 34, 204). Þorbjǫrn died of an illness in Acre (1152) and was likely buried there (
ÍF 34, 230-1;
Oddi Lv 4-5). Nothing else is known about Þorbjǫrn, and his ethnicity is also unknown—Finnur Jónsson tentatively calls him Orcadian (
LH 1894-1901, II, 44-5;
Skj), while Finnbogi Guðmundsson (
ÍF 34, 204 n. 3) thinks he may have been an Icelander. Only one
lv. by Þorbjǫrn survives (
Þsvart Lv).
References
- Bibliography
- ÍF 34 = Orkneyinga saga. Ed. Finnbogi Guðmundsson. 1965.
- LH 1894-1901 = Finnur Jónsson. 1894-1901. Den oldnorske og oldislandske litteraturs historie. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Gad.
- Internal references
- Kari Ellen Gade 2009, ‘ Þorbjǫrn svarti, Lausavísa’ 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. 624-5. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1479> (accessed 28 March 2024)
- Judith Jesch (ed.) 2009, ‘Oddi inn litli Glúmsson, Lausavísur 4’ 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, p. 618.
other information
Þorbjǫrn svarti (Þsvart)
12th century
Skj AI, 531; BI, 512
volume 2
main editor: Kari Ellen Gade