Talk:List of Icelandic-language poets

Start

A list of Icelandic poets was lacking, since we have a lot of them. I compiled the rudimentary list in the article mainly with the aid of the anthologies Sýnisbók íslenzkra bókmennta til miðrar átjándu aldar, compiled by Sigurður Nordal et al. and Íslenzk lestrarbók 1750-1930, compiled by Sigurður Nordal. Modern poetry is therefore absent (and, BTW, the poets are arranged in a chronological order). I would be very glad if some enthusiasts out there would fill in the gaps and create articles as needed. (It is too great an undertaking for one man.) Cheerio Io 20:28, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

We should make the chronological ordering explicit by providing birth/death/floruit dates for the poets. - Haukur 20:59, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

I agree. I'll get to work ASAP. Cheerio Io 21:58, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Personal preferences

I'll gladly admit that some of the poets listed here really don't belong on the list. One example would be Þórir jökull, whose fame rests on one stanza he composed just before being beheaded. Another would be Skáld-Sveinn, about whom almost nothing is known, and has only one (although admittedly truly great) poem attributed to him. Cheerio Io

Those are fine. We even already have an article on Þórir. - Haukur 21:01, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Category

I just made "Category:Icelandic poets" and added a bunch of people to it. It should be kept roughly in sync with this list. - Haukur 22:39, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Would you take it upon yourself to add names to the category to keep it in sync? Cheers Io 17:18, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Imposing personal preferences

I'm in the process of adding dates, as I can find them, and while I'm at it, trying to maintain a consistent format. First, I list a poet under his or her real name. Pen names or better known versions follow in italics. Second, I present the dates, when known in a normal style separated by space-ndash-space. If anyone objects, these things are of course open to debate, but consistency must be maintained. (Stephan G. Stephansson might be an exception.) I also added Kristján Eldjárn to the list (perhaps just for the heck of it. :-)). Anyone who can compose Unndórs rímur deserves to be called a poet. Cheers Io 16:35, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

That's fine by me. But note that Wikipedia naming conventions suggest that stage names or pen names be used for article titles when they are better known than the real names of the people. And our coverage of rímur is terrible. - Haukur 16:40, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I'll keep that in mind, which means I'll have to reverse some names. But the real tragedy about rímur is that it was mostly written by me, admittedly as a stop-gap measure. :) I wouldn't say so much that the coverage is terrible, rather virtually nonexisting. Cheers Io 17:10, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I didn't mean to slight you - having that article is much better than having nothing :) If we work through this list we'll eventually get to Bólu-Hjálmar and Sigurður Breiðfjörð; that will help the rímur coverage a bit. - Haukur 21:43, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Just so that we're clear on the subject: It takes a great deal more than that to offend me. I did introduce a smiley didn't I? :) Cheerio Io 13:36, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Conforming to Wikipedia rules and providing dates

I've exhausted the sources I have at home regarding dates. I have also followed the advice of Haukur to list the best known (not that abomination of the English language most well-known) name as the main entry. As far as I'm concerned that concludes my participation for now, except perhaps for the occasional foray. It's up to you, guys and girls. Cheers Io 18:19, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Disambiguation and younger poets

The page practically cries out for several disambiguation pages. Since I am a spent force for the moment, it's up to others to provide them. As for younger poets, I'm a conservative regarding poetry, so if anyone wants to add Sjón, Gerður Kristný, Jón úr Vör etc. please do so, but I will take no part in that. Cheerio Io 19:19, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

In my heart I agree with you. Þórarinn Eldjárn is a poet (e.g. Disneyrímur) and Steinn Steinarr was a poet (e.g. Hlíðar-Jóns rímur). Some of those other guys? Well... To each his own. - Haukur 19:43, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I agree on both counts, and I can even read Tíminn og vatnið with pleasure. As for Þórarinn Eldjárn, he had a four-liner in Morgunblaðið a few days ago. I don't know, how well you follow the news out there, but one of the books this Christmas is Jónsbók, a biography of Jón Ólafsson (no, not the musician, the other one :)) written by Einar Kárason. Þórarinn had this comment:

Höfundur skal eftir hetjunni skrá

og herma það sannleikans vinum,

en í Jónsbók þá má vart á milli sjá,

hvor meira lýgur að hinum.

Enjoy. Cheers Io 20:11, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Another thing, since we were on the topic of Þórarinn Eldjárn. Matthildur sure qualifies all three participants as poets of sorts. :) Cheers Io 20:24, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I'll revert you if you add Davíð :) - Haukur 20:36, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

OK, I won't. I suspect that Þórarinn composed what poetry there was in Matthildur anyway. :) Cheers Io 20:44, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Skáldatal

Then there is Skáldatal if we want some more of the old court poets. [1] - Haukur 20:07, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

We would, but here I again implore you to use whatever influence you have over Eybjörn to finish his project. Cheerio Io 20:11, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I took a quick look at Skáldatal and I believe we must be a bit selective there. For instance, who the **** was Erpr lútandi? :) Cheers Io 20:49, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Very much agreed. Eysteinn's index is a better guide for there we can see which poets have some substantial corpus preserved. - Haukur 20:53, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Should we perhaps divide the poets between us? One writes an article one day, citing relevant works, and then waits until the other has finished his? It might work. The corpus is too much of an undertaking for one, but a game of poetic ping-pong might be fun. (I've been itching to rewrite the article about Egill Skalla-Grímsson, for one thing, so that might be a part of the game.) Cheers Io 21:02, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

PS Don't take this as another one of my harebrained ideas. If we decide upon collaboration, then we will stick to the subject. It is only a matter of choice. As it happens, and as I've told you, I think we could do some nice work together. Cheers Io 21:42, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

This is a good idea and a nice manageable coöperation subject. You pick a poet and let me know when you're done. Then I'll do the next :) - Haukur 21:46, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

You tease me about using z and yet you spell cooperation as coöperation. Which one is more archaic? :) I'm off to watch TV for now. I'll pick a poet tomorrow, preferably one about whom not much is known, so it will be a short article, and then send you a message. Looking at all the poets in Jörmungrund there is a vast scope for expansion. Cheers Io 21:59, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

:D This is something I mostly do on Wikipedia. During the diacritics debates someone invariably brings up stuff like "coöperation" and "rôle" and I just can't resist :þ :) I'm checking out for the day too. See you tomorrow. - Haukur 22:05, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I pick Magnús prúði as a first project, partly because I own Pontus rímur with a fairly thorough introduction. Don't expect any results for a few days, though, since I'm sick for the moment, and if that abates the next days are earmarked for socializing. Cheerio Io 13:21, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

PS And, of course, the connection with Íslandsklukkan was too good to miss. Cheers Io 13:28, 15

December 2005 (UTC)

Lord have mercy. I've spent an hour or two actually reading this stuff. As usual, there's a good stanza or two submerged in a load of crap. Cheerio Io 16:56, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

I think I'll join you in editing that article. I'm just about to publish Pontus rímur myself on my website. I typed them in from the Rímnafélagið edition which I assume is the same one you have. I didn't like them so much on the first read but they've really grown on me now. - Haukur 17:01, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

It is the same edition, and since it was edited by Grímur Helgason, the edition may be considered flawless. But you typed the whole thing? You're a better man than I, Gunga Din. Cheers Io 19:16, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Since I was the first to pick Magnús, allow me to extract his biography from the introduction, and then we can agree or disagree whether to let any of his stanzas float by, and if yes, which ones. I must admit that there was quite a lovely patriotic bit in one of the earlier mansöngvar. Cheers Io 19:22, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Eyvindur

I wrote a stub on Eyvindur, he had about five incoming links so that was a good thing to do. - Haukur 20:36, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks. Eyvindur is one of my favourite characters in the ancient canon, and his Hákonarmál is one of the most sincere and beautiful poems you'll ever come across - skáldaspillir or not. Cheers Io 20:41, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes it is. Did Hornklofi too using Eyvindur as a template. Just a short stub, though. - Haukur 20:52, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Laxi

Does Halldór Laxness belong here. He was a great novelist, but as a poet? Just asking. Cheers Io 14:13, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

He was a decent poet though he didn't compose a lot. It's a question of taste - remove him if you like. - Haukur 21:10, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Stephan G.

Maybe it's the fever talking, but do you know of any translations of Stephan G. At least two of his works, Illugadrápa and Á ferð og flugi deserve to made available in their entirety. Cheers Io 17:19, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

I know nothing here. - Haukur 22:22, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Pontus rímur

This is getting so arcane that I'm switching to Icelandic. It's hard to discuss the finer points of rímur in English. If anyone gets very curious I can provide a summary.

---

Mér finnast Pontus-rímur býsna góðar þótt þær séu ekki uppáhaldsrímurnar mínar. Hérna er dæmi um góða vísu:

I. 71. Örva él að drífur dimmt; dýrar meyjar harma; vargar sóttu flokkum fimt fæðu sína varma.

Þetta er dæmigerð góð rímnavísa. Hún er vissulega mjög hefðbundin að hugmyndum en þarna eru klisjurnar þrjár sem notaðar eru fagurlega samansettar í eina vísu. Menn gerðu almennt ekki mikið betri bardagavísur öldum saman. Lestu síðan þessa vísu úr Ólafs rímu Einars Benediktssonar:

Margar aldir stopult stóð

stríðið - tapað, unnið.

Vargar kaldra búka blóð

bruddu kraparunnið.

Ég fæ gæsahúð. Þetta er einhver albesta rímnavísa sem til er. Hinni hefðbundnu hugmynd um varga sem bíta í heita búkana í valnum er þarna snúið á grænlenskar aðstæður. Þeir þurfa beinlínis að bryðja blóðið. Óhugguleg mynd.

Ég man eftir þessari vísu og skynjaði á sama hátt og þú. Aðrar tvær, áður en að óumflýjanlegun lokum kemur eru:

Dvergi skutuls færi frá

feigðar stuggar anda.

Hvergi utan marksins má

Maður ugglaus standa.

Bentu stingnum móti mér,

miðja bringu hittu.

Sentu hingað. Óhætt er

ungri glingurskyttu

Eftir þetta gort getur varla annað gerzt en þetta:

Fleinninn þungi hitti hart,

holsins iður smýgur.

Sveinninn ungi, vaxinn vart

veginn niður hnígur.

Sigurður Nordal var ekki par hrifinn af Ólafs rímu, en viðurkenndi þó, að tæplega hefðu önnur skáld komizt betur frá þessu tiltæki. (Tilvitnun eftir minni). Ég er ósammála þessu. Ólafs ríma er skáldverk og það mikið. Þótt ég beri mikla virðingu fyrir Nordal, dettur mér í hug vörn hans fyrir Grím Thomsen, þar sem hann segir: Eru ekki mörg þjóðkvæði vor stuðlalaus og skothend? Eigum vér annað fallegra til? Þessu svara ég hiklaust, já, það eigum við. Beztu kveðjur Io 18:09, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Bara til að minna á, að rímur eru ekki allar jafngóðar, þá kemur hér 58. erindi úr þrettándu rímu úr Úlfs rímum sterka.

Hrólfur snauður hníga vann,

hrundi úr undum dreyri,

sveigði hauður sveita þann,

síðan dauður liggja vann.

Þetta mun vera einhver afleitasti kveðskapur samanlagðrar bókmenntasögu. Kveðja Io 21:12, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Við þurfum að bæta Árna Böðvarssyni á listann. Brávallarímur eru mjög merkilegt verk. Hér eru tvær vísur að gamni.

IX. 23. Lengi börðust, málmar mörðust, meiðslin hörðust

hlaut af Svelnir höggvörðs lauta

Hauður auðs og rauðan dauða.

IX. 24. Ákaft veður, úlfa seður, undvarg meður

herinn gegn um þar næst þveran,

þótti ei dróttum rótt af ótta.

Hérna [2] er uppskrift mín að Pontus-rímum Magnúsar. Ég hef ekki (enn?) skrifað upp það sem Pétur og Ólafur ortu. Ég kann ekkert á Wikisource eða hvað það heitir. En efnið er vitanlega almenningseign ("public domain") og komdu því endilega sem víðast. Athugaðu þó að í þessum skjölum eru fáeinar athuganir frá mér innan hornklofa sem þyrftu að fjúka. Ég kem því vonandi í verk að setja þetta í html-form.

Ég held að Skíðaríma sé eina ríman sem á grein hérna eins og er. - Haukur 21:27, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Great job Haukur. To create is.wikisource.org it would seem we need people to sign here: [3]. People signing would probably have to create an account for wikisource.org at [4]. Stefán Ingi 22:19, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Fyrst ég nefndi Brávallarímur er rétt að minnast þess að Adam Oehlenschläger orti líka eins konar Brávallarímur og er þetta úr:

Hæren stod; da Hildetand i horn lod støde.

Mægtigt over marken brøde

malmets toner, hult de løde.

Hér má finna afganginn: [5] Það eru engir mansöngvar, þetta er heldur stutt og stuðlasetningin er oft vitlaus. Þó mætti vel kalla þetta rímur eða tilraun til að yrkja rímur. - Haukur 11:14, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Það verður að viðurkennast, að það kallar helzt á glott, þegar Danir eiga við stuðlasetningu. :) Cheers Io 20:14, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

PS Auk þess (og það er mín skoðun eingöngu) er danska tæplega tungumál, hvað þá skáldamál, fyrir fullorðna. Þjóðvísur sínar mega þeir eiga, en að yrkja á dönsku??? Beztu kveðjur Io 20:17, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Hákonarmál

There's some commentary and an English translation here: [6]

Hollander wasn't too bad. - Haukur 21:37, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

He wasn't. Could you, with your superior knowledge of formatting, put the translation there in two columns? Cheers Io 20:12, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Done. Also boringified your editorial commentary. Sorry :) - Haukur 16:19, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

The lacuna

Many a foreigner thinks that Icelandic poetry ended along with the sagas and, if said foreigner is very well educated, he believes it was somehow revived during the golden age starting in the 19. century and ending with the random sampling of dictionaries, which is called free verse. I'll be adding names from my newly gained lectures of Sigurður Nordal to fill in the gap between ca. 1350 - 1750. There is a continuity in Icelandic literature since its beginnings. I'll just provide the names as placeholders. Others can fill in - Wikipedia is, after all, for the long haul. Cheers 157.157.183.168 (talk) 18:59, 28 June 2010 (UTC)

Kristján Eldjárn

This is actually a question for the Icelandic speaking public. Everybody knows that Kristján Eldjárn was a poet or at least a very talented hagyrðingur, yet his authorship of the piece entitling him to a place here is a kind of "official secret". Neither it nor anything else in poetry is mentioned about him on his page here. How do we manage that? All the best Sorte Slyngel (talk) 23:45, 17 August 2015 (UTC)