Auðunn illskælda (Old Norse "the bad skald"[1]) was a 9th-century Norwegian skald. Skáldatal lists him as one of Harald Finehair's skalds.[2] Egils saga Skallagrímssonar notes that he was Harald's oldest skald, and had earlier been a skald for Harald's father Hálfdan svarti. He was called illskælda because he had once in a drápa about Harald copied a refrain from another skald called Úlfr Sebbason. The drápa was subsequently called Stolinstefja "the drápa with the stolen refrain".[3] Only a few stanzas of his works are known today.[1]
The Hauksbók contains a tale called the Skaldasaga Haralds harfagra ("Saga of the Skalds of Harald Fairhair") describing an expedition to Sweden undertaken by Olvir Hnufa, Thorbjorn Hornklofi, and Auðunn to expiate an offense. Its historicity is disputed.[4]
Notes
edit- ^ a b Aschehoug & Gyldendal Store norske leksikon vol. 1 (2005:596). Entry on Audun illskælda[permanent dead link].
- ^ Skáldatal chapter 8.
- ^ Nordisk familjebok (1904:385). Entry on Audun Illskälda.
- ^ Harris, George William and Halldor Hermannsson et al., eds. Islandica: an Annual Relating to Iceland and the Fiske Icelandic Collection Vol. 1. Cornell University Library 1908, p. 63.
References
edit- Aschehoug & Gyldendal (2005). Store norske leksikon, vol. 1, 4th ed. Kunnskapsforlaget. ISBN 82-573-1536-2
- Meijer, Bernhard (ed.) (1904). Nordisk familjebok. Stockholm: Nordisk familjeboks tryckeri.