Skapti Þóroddsson

Skapti Þóroddsson (d. 1030) was an Icelandic lawspeaker and skald. He became lawspeaker in 1004, succeeding his uncle Grímr when the latter's voice failed him. He held office till his death in 1030, longer than anyone else. According to "Íslendingabók" he instituted judicial reform by establishing the "fifth court", a national court of appeals.

According to "Skáldatal", Skapti was a court poet of Hákon Sigurðarson but no details on that career are known. According to Heimskringla, he composed a poem on king Óláfr Haraldsson and sent his son Steinn to perform it for the king.

The only piece of poetry by Skapti which has come down to us is decidedly Christian and can not have been composed at Hákon's court. Snorri Sturluson cites the following half-stanza by Skapti in a discussion of Christian kennings in "Skáldskaparmál".

Skapti is mentioned in some of the Icelanders' sagas, for example "Njáls saga" where he has a minor role.

References

* [http://www.heimskringla.no/dansk/finnurjonsson/islendingabok/tekstmedkom.php Íslendingabók] Finnur Jónsson's edition
* [http://www.heimskringla.no/dansk/finnurjonsson/islendingabok/lovsigemandraekken.php Lovsigemandsrækken]
* [http://www.hi.is/~eybjorn/ugm/skindex/skapti.html Skapti Þóroddsson]
* [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/pre/pre05.htm Skáldskaparmál] Brodeur's translation
* [http://www.snerpa.is/net/snorri/ol-helg.htm Ólafs saga helga]