Óttarr svarti
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Óttarr svarti (Óttarr the Black) was an 11th century Icelandic skald. He was the court poet first of Óláfr skautkonungr of Sweden, then of Óláfr Haraldsson of Norway, the Swedish king Anund Jacob and finally of Canute the Great of Denmark and England. His poems are significant contemporary evidence for the careers of Óláfr Haraldsson and Canute the Great.
Óttarr was the nephew of Sigvatr Þórðarson. A small þáttr (short story) on Óttar, Óttars þáttr svarta, is preserved in Flateyjarbók, Bergsbók, Bæjarbók and Tómasskinna.
[edit] Works
- Óláfsdrápa sœnska. Verses for the Swedish king Olof Skötkonung.
- Höfuðlausn (also spelled as Hǫfuðlausn).
- Knútsdrápa. Verses for King Cnut of England. Knútsdrápur composed by other poets include those of Sigvatr Þórðarson and Hallvarðr háreksblesi.
- Lausavísur.
The nursery rhyme London Bridge is Falling Down is claimed[citation needed] to derive from a piece of poetry by Óttarr, quoted in Heimskringla.
[edit] References
- Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages
- Óttarr svarti All extant poetry
- Óttars þáttur svarta (eftir Flateyjarbók)
