Cookies on our website

We use cookies on this website, mainly to provide a secure browsing experience but also to collect statistics on how the website is used. You can find out more about the cookies we set, the information we store and how we use it on the cookies page.

Continue

skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

Menu Search

Gizurr svarti (gullbrárskáld) — GizsvI

skalds

Vol. 3, 192 —  — ed. Diana Whaley

Poetry

Biography

Diana Whaley 2017, ‘(Biography of) Gizurr svarti (gullbrárskáld)’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 192.

It is not certain whether Gizurr svarti ‘the Black’ (Gizsv) is the same man as Gizurr gullbrá(r) (‘Gold-eyelash’) or gullbrárskáld (‘Gold-eyelash’s poet’) or Gullbrárfóstri (‘Foster-kinsman of Gullbrá’, Flat 1860-8, II, 226). Skáldatal in the 761aˣ redaction (SnE 1848-87, III, 252, 253) lists Gizurr svarti as poet to Óláfr sœnski ‘the Swede’ Eiríksson and Gizurr Gullbrá as poet to Óláfr inn helgi Haraldsson (S. Óláfr), while the U redaction (ibid., 261 and n. 2) lists ‘Gizurr gullbr.’ under Óláfr Tryggvason, which has been taken as an error. A helmingr preserved in SnE and edited in SkP III (Gizsv FragIII) is attributed merely to ‘Gizurr’ and celebrates ‘Óláfr’, which does not help to disentangle the Óláfrs but may suggest that there is only one Gizurr, and this is supported by the fact that Gizurr svarti in ÓHLeg equates with Gizurr gullbrár elsewhere, and that the chronology is compatible. Gizurr gullbrá is introduced in ÓHHkr (ÍF 27, 358) as the foster-father of Hofgarða-Refr, which, as Finnur Jónsson mentions (LH I, 567), would make him a man of at least fifty when he followed King Óláfr Haraldsson to Garðaríki (Russia) in the late 1020s (Flat 1860-8, II, 315) and fought for him at Stiklastaðir (Stiklestad) in 1030. Gizurr’s death in the battle is mentioned along with that of his fellow skald Þorfinnr munnr (ÓHHkr, ÍF 27, 381), and his heroic defence is commemorated in Refr Giz 1III.

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. Flat 1860-8 = Gudbrand Vigfusson [Guðbrandur Vigfússon] and C. R. Unger, eds. 1860-8. Flateyjarbók. En samling af norske konge-sagaer med indskudte mindre fortællinger om begivenheder i og udenfor Norge samt annaler. 3 vols. Christiania (Oslo): Malling.
  4. LH = Finnur Jónsson. 1920-4. Den oldnorske og oldislandske litteraturs historie. 3 vols. 2nd edn. Copenhagen: Gad.
  5. ÍF 26-8 = Heimskringla. Ed. Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson. 1941-51.
  6. SkP III = Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Ed. Kari Ellen Gade in collaboration with Edith Marold. 2017.
  7. Internal references
  8. Edith Marold 2017, ‘Snorra Edda (Prologue, Gylfaginning, Skáldskaparmál)’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols [check printed volume for citation].
  9. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Óláfs saga helga (Legendary)’ 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. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=31> (accessed 19 March 2024)
  10. Diana Whaley 2012, ‘(Biography of) Óláfr Tryggvason’ 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. 383.
  11. (forthcoming), ‘ Heimskringla, Óláfs saga helga (in Heimskringla)’ 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. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=152> (accessed 19 March 2024)
  12. Russell Poole 2012, ‘(Biography of) Óláfr inn helgi Haraldsson’ 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. 515.
  13. Diana Whaley 2012, ‘(Biography of) Þorfinnr munnr’ 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. 844.
  14. Diana Whaley 2017, ‘ Gizurr svarti (gullbrárskáld), Fragment’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 192. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1206> (accessed 19 March 2024)
  15. Edith Marold (ed.) 2017, ‘Hofgarða-Refr Gestsson, Poem about Gizurr gullbrárskáld 1’ in Kari Ellen Gade and Edith Marold (eds), Poetry from Treatises on Poetics. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 3. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 254.
  16. Not published: do not cite ()

other information

Gizurr svarti (gullbrárskáld) (Gizsv)

11th century

Skj AI, 316; BI, 292-293

volume 1

main editor: Diana Whaley

Close

Log in

This service is only available to members of the relevant projects, and to purchasers of the skaldic volumes published by Brepols.
This service uses cookies. By logging in you agree to the use of cookies on your browser.

Close