The Icelandic Rune Poem

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "The Icelandic Rune Poem"

Wilfrid Wiggins
6 years ago
Views:

1 The Icelandic Rune Poem Aibhilin inghean Daibhidh BR Division I: Dramatic Performance/Poetic Recitation Iceland 1500 Setting: Middle Class/education

2 Summary The Icelandic Rune Poem is a mnemonic poem based on the first 16 characters of the Runic Alphabet. It is dated to the 15 th century, with the earliest known manuscript dating to circa The poem consists of 16 stanza, each including the Rune name followed by 3 kennings (metaphorical phrases) which describe the poem. Some have interpreted the poem as a type of riddle, however, this metaphorical language was representative of Skaldic poetry (a type of poetry developed in Iceland which followed strict rules and used dense metaphorical language). The Icelandic Rune Poem is written in Old Icelandic, however, it is important to note that at this time period, there was little to no distinction between Old Norse and Old Icelandic. Icelandic evolved out of Old Norse around this time period, but the changes in the language have been so minor that modern day Icelandic speakers can still read Old Norse with only moderate difficulty. The poem will be performed not as a poet performs a poem, due to the limited information on poets and poetry during this time period, but instead as a scholar reading through manuscripts might read aloud a poem he found for another scholar to share an interesting find.

3 Table of Contents Summary...2 Icelandic Poetry...4 Eddic Poetry...4 Skaldic Poetry...4 Rímur...4 Icelandic Rune Poem...5 The Runic Alphabet...5 The Manuscript...5 Icelandic Rune Poem and Translation...6 Old Icelandic...8 Early 16th century Scandinavian Attire...9 Performance Style...10 Difficulties, Compromises, and Commentary...10

4 Icelandic Poetry There are three major types of Icelandic poetry. Eddic poetry, Skaldic poetry, and Rímur. Eddic poetry is simpler in both style and language. Skaldic poetry, on the other hand is highly stylized with strict rules, complicated meters, and highly metaphorical language. Finally, Rímur is a style of rhyming poetry that developed out of Eddic and Skaldic poetry. Eddic Poetry Eddic poetry is an older form of poetry used from early in the Norse area and likely came to Iceland when the original Norse settlers did. Poetry by Eddic authors is often anonymous and contains exciting tales of Norse gods and ancient heroes. The meter is simple and the language used more straightforward. While Eddic poetry was less metaphorical and more literal, it did rely heavily on alliteration rather than an end rhyme popular in other cultures. Skaldic Poetry Skaldic poetry, like Eddic poetry, relied heavily on alliteration. However, unlike Eddic poetry, Skaldic poetry was exemplified by complicated metaphorical passages known as kennings. Kennings consist of phrases composed of two nouns that represent another noun, or another concept. For example, instead of saying rain, a Skaldic poety may say tears of the gods and instead of saying grass a poet may say hair of the earth. Kennings may also have deeper levels, and instead of being descriptive of a noun, they may describe a different idea of phrase. For example, the kennings 'enemy of gold' refers to a man who does not like gold and gives it away: a generous man (Hurstwic). Beyond the use of methaphorical Kennings, Skaldic poetry also had strict meter requirements and rules governing use of alliteration. In a set of lines, there must be alliteration between elements, a certain stress pattern forming the meter, and internal rhyme elements. An example used by Hurstwic is below: Hrammtangar lætr hanga The stressed syllables are underlined; the alliteration is hrynvirgil mér b ryn ju boldfaced; and the internal rhyme is italicized. (From Egils saga Skallagrímsson on Hurstwick) This example shows a couplet following several rules such as: there must be 6 syllables per line, 3 stressed and with the final syllable unstressed; there must be two alliterative elements on the first line; there must be internal rhyme in each line (Hurstwick). The stress pattern is followed as the two lines follow the pattern Stress, Unstressed, Unstressed, Stress, Stress, Unstress (3 stresses, final syllable unstressed). The h sound is alliterated twice in the first line and ones in the second. There is internal rhyme between the first word of each line with the last word of each line. Rímur Rímur developed in the 14 th century out of Skaldic and Eddic poetry. Unlike Skaldic and Eddic poetry, which did not follow an external rhyme scheme (Skaldic had only internal rhyme), Rímur used rhyme. Most Rímur were epic poems, often based on stories that were already written. This style grew in popularity through the end of period, whereas Skaldic and Eddic poetry became less popular after the 14 th Century. Iceland until this time had been relatively isolated, and in the 14 th century, it was marginally under the rul of Norway. Later in the 14 th century, Norway, and with it Iceland, came under

5 the rule of the Danish crown, and was heavily influenced by the works of other countries (Central Bank of Iceland). Icelandic Rune Poem The Icelandic Rune Poem, written in Old Icelandic, is one of 3 poems written as a mnemonic device for remembering the Runic Alphabet, also known as the Futhark (after the first 6 letters). It is similar to more modern alphabet rhymes, such as Tom Thumb's Alphabet which begins A was an archer, who shot at a frog. B was a butcher, and had a great dog. The other two Rune poems are in Old Norse (The Norwegian Rune poem), which is the earliest recorded Rune Poem and the shortest and most simple, and in Old English (The Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem), which is the longest Rune Poem. It is possible that these Rune poems shared a common 'ancestor' and were further developed in these different cultures languages prior to being written down (Dickins). However, each Rune poem was first recorded in different years and has distinctly different elements, despite many similarities. The Icelandic Rune Poem was written in the 15 th century. It was first recorded in a manuscript dating circa The poem addresses the first 16 characters in the Runic alphabet, in order, though other letterss existed by this time period. Thus there are 16 stanza. Each stanza follows the same format and consists of three kennings. The lines are connected via alliteration of the first and second kenning, while the third kenning has internal alliteration. Each of the kennings offers ideas and elements that describe the stanza's rune. Some have referred to this style almost as a riddle from which the rune name can be derived (Page). For example, the first rune name fe means 'wealth'. This rune is then described as discord among kinsmen and fire of the sea (Svenson). The connections are more abstract than they are literal, befitting the Icelandic poetic style. Some stanzas contain slightly more literal descriptions, but even those have the underlying metaphorical complexities, such as the second stanza rune name Ur (shower) described as lamentation of the clouds (Svenson). The Runic Alphabet The Runic Alphabet, also known as the Futhark, is an early writing system dating from as early as the 1 st century, with a majority of examples from around the 11 th century. Many runic inscriptions are short statements carved into stone or wood. Typical early examples of the Runic Alphabet include short written statements such as 'Hrothgar was here or Belongs to Hrothgar, grave inscriptions and religions inscriptions. The Norwegian Futhark is provided below (Omniglot). The Manuscript There are four manuscripts dated from the 17 th century and earlier than contain this manuscript. The earliest version is from AM 687d, 4to, dated to the 15 th century which contained the Rune Poem without the names of the Runes explicitly stated (see the manuscript in Appendix B). This manuscript offers some difficulties in transcription, as the final stanza of the poem (the rune Yr meaning yew ) is unreadable (Page). The next earliest manuscript dated from the 16 th century is AM 461, 12mo which,

6 unfortunately, is of no help determining the final line of the poem as it omits the Yr letter completely (Page). This manuscript also used the names of the Rune only, but not the actual futhark (Svenson). The two final manuscripts date from the 16 th and 17 th centuries respectively, AM 413, folio, pp , 140ff, and AM 749, 4to. The latest manuscript contains both the Runic characters and their respective names. Transcriptions based on these manuscripts often contain the 16 th Yr stanza, however, the exact words are not documented in any early forms. It is reasonable to believe that this stanza definitely existed, but that any modern transcription is the creation of a author of late 16 th or 17 th century origin, at earliest. Icelandic Rune Poem and Translation The following transcription and translation of the poem is from Svenson. Fé er frænda róg ok flæðar viti ok grafseiðs gata aurum fylkir. Úr er skýja grátr ok skára þverrir ok hirðis hatr. umbre vísi Þurs er kvenna kvöl ok kletta búi ok varðrúnar verr. Saturnus þengill. Óss er algingautr ok ásgarðs jöfurr, ok valhallar vísi. Jupiter oddviti. Reið er sitjandi sæla ok snúðig ferð ok jórs erfiði. iter ræsir. Kaun er barna böl ok bardaga [för] ok holdfúa hús. flagella konungr. Hagall er kaldakorn ok krapadrífa ok snáka sótt. grando hildingr. Nauð er Þýjar þrá ok þungr kostr ok vássamlig verk. opera niflungr. Wealth Shower Giant God Riding Ulcer Hail Constraint source of discord among kinsmen and fire of the sea and path of the serpent. lamentation of the clouds and ruin of the hay-harvest and abomination of the shepherd. torture of women and cliff-dweller and husband of a giantess. aged Gautr and prince of Ásgarðr and lord of Vallhalla. joy of the horsemen and speedy journey and toil of the steed. disease fatal to children and painful spot and abode of mortification. cold grain and shower of sleet and sickness of serpents. grief of the bond-maid and state of oppression and toilsome work.

7 Íss er árbörkr ok unnar þak ok feigra manna fár. glacies jöfurr. Ár er gumna góði ok gott sumar algróinn akr. annus allvaldr. Sól er skýja skjöldr ok skínandi röðull ok ísa aldrtregi. rota siklingr. Týr er einhendr áss ok ulfs leifar ok hofa hilmir. Mars tiggi. Bjarkan er laufgat lim ok lítit tré ok ungsamligr viðr. abies buðlungr. Maðr er manns gaman ok moldar auki ok skipa skreytir. homo mildingr. Lögr er vellanda vatn ok viðr ketill ok glömmungr grund. lacus lofðungr. Ýr er bendr bogi ok brotgjarnt járn ok fífu fárbauti. arcus ynglingr. Ice Plenty Sun Týr Birch Man Water Yew bark of rivers and roof of the wave and destruction of the doomed. boon to men and good summer and thriving crops. shield of the clouds and shining ray and destroyer of ice. god with one hand and leavings of the wolf and prince of temples. leafy twig and little tree and fresh young shrub. delight of man and augmentation of the earth and adorner of ships. eddying stream and broad geysir and land of the fish. bent bow and brittle iron and giant of the arrow.

8 Old Icelandic Old Icelandic is a member of the Germanic family of language and is pat of the North Germanic branch. In the late 9 th century, the Norwegians settled Iceland, thus Old Icelandic descended directly from Old Norse as the Icelandic people diverged from the Norwegians. Iceland was responsible for a large majority of literature written in Old Norse, and the evolution into Old Iceland occurred gradually between the 14 th and 16 th centuries and contained only minor changes from Old Norse (thus the difficulty in determining a 'date' to being Old Icelandic) (Robinson). In modern day, Icelandic is the closest language to something spoken in the Medieval time period, and modern Icelandic speakers are able to read Old Norse with only minor difficulties. Thus, I have provided both the Old Norse and modern Icelandic alphabets below (from Omniglot) to show the similarities. Old Norse Icelandic

9 Early 16 th century Scandinavian Attire It is difficult to find records of clothing for 16 th century Iceland. The only extant example I was able to find is the below tapestry dated to the 16 th Century which is found in the Draflastadir Church (Icelandic Embroidery). My best assumption for clothing, then, is a long tunic with long sleeves over which a coat/cloak is worn. Some of the images show hats of various types.

10 Performance Style There is limited information on actually poets from this time period. However, due to the nature of the poem as a mnemonic device, I decided to take a different approach for performance. I will be performing as a scholar looking through manuscripts and discovering this poem. I will be performing it as a reading as if sharing the poem with another scholar. Thus, the presentation will be characterized by a slow delivery style which would allow the listener to decipher the kennings used, as this style of poetry had fallen into disfavor. Additionally, this seems to be an appropriate way to present a poem interesting for it's double use as a mnemonic device rather than an epic saga or story of some kind. Difficulties, Compromises, and Commentary This piece offered many challenges in research. I chose the piece because I thought that the poem as a mnemonic for the runes was really cool, unfortunately, the information about this time period caused me to rethink this decision many times. The difficulties were in finding 1) reliable transcriptions of the poem, 2) information pertaining to poetry (and poets) in this time period, 3) information pertaining to clothing and culture of the time period. None of the oldest manuscript offer a perfect transcription of the poem. The manuscript in Appendix B has many areas that are unreadable. Other manuscripts add and leave out elements as they choose. Thus, it is difficult to know what the original poem might have been. On the other hand, if this poem were based on a much older poem, the multiple versions may be accurate if many authors had their own interpretation of this older poem. Even though certain elements were unreadable, and may or may not document from period, I decided to leave them in under the assumption that it was very likely that they did exist due to the various references in manuscripts and due to comparisons to the Norwegian and Anglo-Saxon rune poems. An example of this is the final Yr stanza I chose to leave it in even though it is unreadable in the manuscript in Appendix B. Though it may be a more modern creation, it seems appropriate to the style of the poem and could be an actual period creation. Additionally, I struggled to find adequate information on poetry in this time period. There is ample information on Eddic and Skaldic poetry, however, these styles of poetry were not often used in the 16 th century (and starting as early as the 14 th century). The Rune Poem does use some elements of Skaldic poetry, which suggests the poem may originate during this time period, however, due to lacking information on poetry in this time period (Rimur being the only reference, and as it is described as a relatively simple and externally rhyming style, it does not fit the Icelandic Rune Poem), I was not able to delve as deeply into the poem as I would have liked. Additionally, I could find no information on poets in this time period. It is possible more information would be available if I were able to understand Icelandic, as modern Iceland still maintains Icelandic as it's only Official language and most sites are available only in Icelandic, limiting my abilities to search even relying on website translators. Finally, finding information on the overall culture of this time period, including clothing, proved to be next to impossible. Most information on Scandinavian cultures focuses on the earlier Viking Age and there is very little about the later periods. The happened to stumble upon the tapestry used in the clothing section after hours of searching, but I have no idea of whether the people in the tapestry were a specific group, or if the entire population would have dressed this way. I can use the assumption that they likely would have dressed in similar fashions to other Scandinavian countries, as Iceland was under the rule of Norway which was, in turn, under the rule of the Danish Crown, however, the information on these cultures is often just as difficult to acquire in this time period. Most information focuses on the High German cultures with little attention paid to the Low German peoples.

11 Works Cited Brittanica. Tom Thumb's Alphabet. Alphabet. June 11, 2011 Baynes, Thomas Spencer. The Encyclopaedia Brittanica: A Dictionary of Arts, Science and General Literature, Volume XII. Henry G. Allen and Company. New York Central Bank of Iceland. Iceland, the Republic. %20culture.pdf. June 11, Dickins, Bruce. Runic and Heroic Poems of the Old Teutonic Peoples. University Press, Cambridge June 11, Hurstwic. June 11, Icelandic Embroidery. June 11, Omniglot: writing systems and languages of the world. June 11, Page, R.I. The Icelandic Rune-Poem. NU Printers, University of Nottingham June 11, Robinson, Orrin W. Old English and its Closest Relatives: A Survey of the Earliest Germanic Languages. Stanford University Press. Stanford, CA Skaldic Project Academic Body. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages. June 11, 2011.

12 Appendix A: Manuscript From: The Arnamagnæan Collection, Den arnamagnæanske samling, Nordisk forskningsinstitut, University of Copenhagen and Stofnun Árna Magnússonar í íslenskum fræðum, Reykjavík Located Online at Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

Using our powerful words to create powerful messages

Using our powerful words to create powerful messages A form of literary art that uses visual and rhythmic qualities of language to create a meaningful message. It typically relies upon very strong and