Gunnlaugr Ormstunga

Gunnlaugr Ormstunga

Gunnlaugr Ormstunga (i.e. "Serpent-Tongue") was an Icelandic poet, born ca. 983. His life is described in "Gunnlaugs saga", where several of his poems are preserved.

From an early age he proved himself impetuous, audacious, brave, and tough. He was also a skilled author of mostly derogatory poems, which earned him the cognomen "ormstunga", "wormtongue". After a quarrel with his father, Illugi, Gunnlaugr left his home at age twelve to stay for some time with Þorsteinn Egilsson at Borg, the son of Egill Skallagrímsson. There, he became acquainted with "Þorsteinn's" daughter, Helga the fair, reputedly the most beautiful woman in Iceland. Her hair was so ample that she could hide herself in it.

When Gunnlaugr was eighteen, he went abroad. At that time, Helga became his fiancée, on the condition that she would wait no more than three years for Gunnlaugr. He visited Norway, England, Ireland, Orkney and Sweden. In Sweden, he stayed with King Olof Skötkonung, and met his rival the Icelandic champion and skald Hrafn Önundarson

It would take four years (1005) for Gunnlaugr to return to Iceland and Helga. Since Gunnlaugr had been gone longer than his allotted three years, Helga was forced into an unhappy marriage to Gunnlaugr's enemy Hrafn. Gunnlaugr and Hrafn met at the althing of 1006 and Gunnlaugr challenged Hrafn to a holmgang. The duel ended in a draw, and was the last one allowed in Iceland. That day, "holmganga" were forbidden by law.

In order to settle their dispute in blood, the two champions met in Norway, in the spring of 1008. There, Gunnlaugr defeated Hrafn, but was fatally wounded. After a short time, he died at age 25. Helga later remarried, but never recovered from Gunnlaugr's death. Her greatest pleasure was to rest her eyes on a sumptious coat that Gunnlaugr had given her. One evening, she rested her head on her husband's shoulder, spread the coat in front of her, and watched it for a while. Thereafter, she fell back into her husband's embrace and was dead.

External links

* [http://www.northvegr.org/lore/love/00101.php "The Story of Gunnlaug the Worm-Tongue and Raven the Skald"] Translated by Eiríkr Magnússon and William Morris
* [http://runeberg.org/nfbj/0354.html Article from "Nordisk Familjebok" (in Swedish) on "Projekt Runeberg".]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Gunnlaugr Ormstunga — (littéralement « Gunnlaugr langue de seprent »), né vers 983 et mort en 1008 est un scalde islandais. Portail de l’Islande Catégories : Naissance en 983Décès en 1008 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Gunnlaugr ormstunga Illugason — (* um 983; † um 1008 in Norwegen) war ein isländischer Skalde (Ormstunga = Wurmzunge). Er ist die Hauptperson in der von einem unbekannten Verfasser der Gunnlaugr Ormstungas saga aus dem 13. Jahrhundert. Sie enthält viele seiner Gedichte.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gunnlaugr Ormstunga — Gunnlaugur Ormstunga (983 1008) fue un escaldo islandés. Su vida se describe en la Saga de Gunnlaugs ormstungu, donde se han preservado varios de sus poemas. A edad temprana demostró ser impetuoso, audaz, valiente, y resistente. Era un autor… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Gunnlaugr Ormstunga — Gụnnlaugr Ọrms|tunga,   isländischer Skalde des 10./11. Jahrhundert, gefallen im Zweikampf mit dem Skalden Hrafn Önundarson; unternahm Reisen nach Norwegen und England. Sein Leben schildert die »Gunnlaugs saga« (wohl 13. Jahrhundert), die… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Gunnlaugr Ormstungas saga — Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu ist eine Isländersaga und gehört zur „Altnordischen Literatur“. Die Saga ist eine Biographie aus der zweiten Hälfte des 13. Jahrhunderts über den isländischen Skalden Gunnlaugr ormstunga Illugason, der um 1000 gelebt hat …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Jarl Sigurd von Orkney — Sigurður Hlöðvisson (norwegisch Sigurd Lodvesson) (* ca. 960; † 1014) war von 991 1014 Jarl auf den Orkneys. Er war nördlich von Schottland ein bedeutender Machtfaktor. Er war verheiratet mit Plantula, der Tochter König Malcolms II. von… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Liste der Biografien/Gu — Biografien: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Hrafn Önundarson — (m. 1008) fue un escaldo y vikingo de Islandia y uno de los protagonistas de Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu. Skáldatal le menciona como poeta del jarl de Lade Eiríkr Hákonarson y del rey Óláfr sænski de Suecia. Fue el rival de otro escaldo Gunnlaugr… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Skúli Þorsteinsson — est un scalde et un guerrier islandais du XIe siècle. Il était le petit fils de Egill Skallagrímsson et fut notamment poète à la cour de Éric Håkonsson. Un petit aperçu de sa vie figure à la fin de la saga d Egill. Dans l œuvre de Oddr… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Gunnlaugs saga — ormstungu or the Saga of Gunnlaugr Serpent Tongue [ Gunnlaugr is sometimes Anglicized as Gunnlaug . The cognomen can also be translated as Worm Tongue or Snake Tongue .] is one of the Icelanders sagas. Composed at the end of the 13th century it… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”