2. Content of verses: chronology
This is not currently part of the peer-reviewed material of the project. Do not cite as a research publication.
We probably have to assume that events were treated in logical sequence, e.g. that a journey will make geographical sense, or that a chain of events or set of phases within an individual battle or other event will be in chronological order. Sigvatr’s Víkingarvísur, for instance, is a classic example of this straightforward structure; though the extent to which it can be taken as a norm is uncertain.
Verses containing no chronological indicators and preserved independently of historical narratives (especially in SnE) present particular problems of ordering. Unless there is evidence for a particular ordering (which might include comparison with better-preserved poems), such verses are probably best grouped together after the sequence that can be determined chronologically.