Halldórr skvaldri
Icelandic skald
Halldórr skvaldri (Old Norse: [ˈhɑlːˌdoːrː ˈskwɑldre]; Middle Icelandic: Halldór skvaldri [ˈhalˌtouːr ˈskvaltrɪ]; Halldórr Prattler, or Halldór the Talkative) was an Icelandic skald who lived in the first half of the twelfth century.
He composed the poem Útfarardrápa about the feats of Sigurðr Jórsalafari during his voyage to the Holy Land. After Sigurðr's death he probably served Magnus Barefoot. He is also known to have composed for nine powerful men, including the Swedish jarls Sone Ivarsson (c. 1107), Karl Sonesson (c. 1137) and for the Swedish kings Sverker I of Sweden (c. 1150) and Jon Jarl.
In the assessment of Jan de Vries, Halldórr was an able craftsman ('ein gewandter Verseschmied') but lacked poetic genius.
Biography and works
Halldor was born early enough to compose an elegy for Magnus Barefoot of Norway, who died in 1103, but he also composed one for Inge I of Norway, who died in 1161.
According to Snorri Sturluson's Skáldatal, Halldór wrote elegies (in the Skaldic verse forms of the drápa and flokkr) for:
Sóni Ívarsson, jarl of Götaland (c.
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