Játgeirr Torfason — Játg^II

Játgeirr Torfason (Játg) was an Icelander who, according to Skáldatal, composed poetry in honour of the Norw. kings Ingi Bárðarson (r. 1204-17) and Hákon Hákonarson (r. 1217-63), as well as about Duke Skúli Bárðarson (d. 1240) and the Dan. king Valdimarr II Valdimarsson (r. 1202-41) (see SnE 1848-87, III, 256-8, 264-5, 267-8, 278-9, 282, 284). Nothing survives of Játgeirr’s poetic oeuvre except the lv. below (Játg Lv). In 1222, on the occasion when he recited that st., Játgeirr was in the company of Skúli Bárðarson in Tønsberg. He returned to Iceland in 1224, but in 1236 he was back in Norway serving as Skúli’s envoy, and he was one of the hostages given by Skúli to Hákon Hákonarson. After Skúli proclaimed himself king of Norway in 1239, he sent Játgeirr with letters and gifts to Sweden to solicit the support of King Eiríkr Eiríksson. Játgeirr’s mission was intercepted, however, and he fled to Denmark where he was killed by Hákon’s envoy, Bjarni Móíseson, in 1240. Nothing is known about Játgeirr’s family, but some scholars suggest that he could have been the uncle of the poet Óláfr svartaskáld ‘Black Skáld’ Leggsson (Ólsv^III) (see SnE 1848-87, III, 674; LH 1894-1901, II, 91).

References

1. Bibliography
2. SnE 1848-87 = Snorri Sturluson. 1848-87. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar: Edda Snorronis Sturlaei. Ed. Jón Sigurðsson et al. 3 vols. Copenhagen: Legatum Arnamagnaeanum. Rpt. Osnabrück: Zeller, 1966.
3. LH 1894-1901 = Finnur Jónsson. 1894-1901. Den oldnorske og oldislandske litteraturs historie. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Gad.
4. Internal references
5. R. D. Fulk 2017, ‘(Biography of) Óláfr svartaskáld Leggsson’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 311.
7. Kari Ellen Gade 2009, ‘ Játgeirr Torfason, 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. 652-3. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1283> (accessed 27 April 2024)
8. Not published: do not cite ()