Rímur

In Icelandic literature, a "ríma" (literally "a rhyme", pl. "rímur") is an epic poem written in any of the so-called "rímnahættir" ("rímur meters"). They are rhymed, they alliterate and consist of two to four lines per stanza. There are hundreds of these meters, counting variations, but they can be grouped in approximately ten "families". The plural, "rímur", is either used as an ordinary plural, denoting any two or more rímur, but is also used for more expansive works, containing more than one ríma as a whole. Thus "Ólafs ríma Haraldssonar" denotes an epic about Ólafr Haraldsson in one ríma, while "Núma rímur" are a multi-part epic on Numa Pompilius.

The earliest "rímur" date from the 14th century. "Ólafs ríma Haraldssonar", preserved in "Flateyjarbók", is sometimes considered the oldest "ríma" while "Skíðaríma" and "Bjarkarímur" are other examples of old "rímur". "Rímur" evolved out of skaldic poetry with influences from continental epic poems. For centuries they were the mainstay of epic poetry in Iceland. In the large majority of cases the "rímur" cycles were composed on a subject which a written story already existed about.

In the 19th century the poet Jónas Hallgrímsson published an influential critique on a rímur cycle by Sigurður Breiðfjörð and the genre as a whole. At the same time Jónas and other romantic poets were introducing new continental verse forms into Icelandic literature and the popularity of the "rímur" started to decline. Nevertheless many of the most popular 19th and 20th century Icelandic poets composed "rímur", including Bólu-Hjálmar, Sigurður Breiðfjörð, Einar Benediktsson, Steinn Steinarr, Örn Arnarson and Þórarinn Eldjárn. In the late 20th century Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson was the best known "rímur" poet.

The scholar Sigurður Nordal wrote on the rímur.

:Icelandic "rímur" are probably the most absurd example of literary conservatism that has ever been noted. It can be said that they remain unchanged for five whole centuries although everything around them changes. And although they frequently have little poetic value and sometimes even border on complete tastelessness, they have demonstrated with their tenacity that they satisfy the needs of the nation peculiarly well. [Neijmann 1996, p. 28.]

Notes

References

* Neijmann, Daisy L. (1996). "The Icelandic Voice in Canadian Letters : The Contribution of Icelandic-Canadian Writers to Canadian Literature." McGill-Queen's Press. ISBN 0886293170

Samples

* - Rimur (Icelandic folk music) from the Library of Congress' "California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties Collection"; performed by Sigurd Bardarson on April 29, 1940 in Carmel, California
* [http://music.calarts.edu/KVAEDASKAPUR/main.html "KVÆDASKAPUR: Icelandic Epic Song"] , by Hreinn Steingrímsson. Includes recordings of a number of performers.
* [http://www.rimur.is/ Kvæðamennafélagið Iðunn] Eponymous homepage of a society devoted to the revival of traditional Icelandic singing; includes information in Icelandic on traditional performance styles, and an online edition of "Bragfræði og Háttatal" by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson which catalogues the meters used by "rímur" poets, with examples performed by the author.
* [http://sagnanet.is/saganet/?MIval=/NextPage&Manuscript=100077&imgpage=158&language=english Fridþiófs rímur] A "rímur" cycle based on Friðþjófs saga ins frœkna
* [http://saga.library.cornell.edu/saganet/?MIval=/SinglePage&Manuscript=101050&Page=57&language=english Skikkju rímur] 15th century "rímur" based on a French Fabliau.
* [http://www.heimskringla.no/original/fornislenskir-rimnaflokkar/index.php Fernir forníslenskir rímnaflokkar] "Four Old Icelandic Rímur Cycles" ("Lokrur", "Þrymlur", "Griplur", "Völsungsrímur"), about Norse gods and heroes, edited by Finnur Jónsson.
* [http://www.skolavefurinn.is/lok/almennt/ljodskald_man/Torarinn_Eldjarn/Kvaedi/Ur_Disneyrimum/Ur_Disneyr_ljod.htm Úr Disneyrímum] An extract consisting of the final stanzas of Þórarinn Eldjárn's "Disneyrímur", first published in 1978, which recounts the life of Walt Disney in the style of the old epics. Includes a reading by the author.