- Ragnarsdrápa
Ragnarsdrápa is a skaldic poem composed in honour of the Scandinavian hero
Ragnar Lodbrok . It is attributed to the oldest knownskald Bragi Boddason who lived in the 9th century, and composed for the Swedish kingBjörn at Haugi [http://25.1911encyclopedia.org/S/SW/SWEDEN.htm] . Bragi describes the images on a decorated shield which Ragnar had given to him. The images included:*the attack of
Hamdir and Sorli against King Jörmunrekkr
*the never-ending battle betweenHedin and Högni .
*Thor's fishing forJörmungandr
*Gefjun 's ploughing ofZealand from the soil of SwedenThe extant fragments of "Ragnarsdrápa" are preserved in
Snorri Sturluson 'sProse Edda . The episodes of Hamdir and Sorli, and Hedin and Högni are explicitly ascribed to "Ragnarsdrápa" while the other parts are inferred by scholars to belong to the same poem.The poem is often compared with "
Húsdrápa " and "Haustlöng " which also describe artworks depicting mythological scenes.External links
* [http://www.heimskringla.no/original/skaldekvad/ragnarsdrapa.php Ragnarsdrápa] in Old Norse from «Kulturformidlingen norrøne tekster og kvad» Norway.
* [http://www.hi.is/~eybjorn/ugm/skindex/rdr.html Two editions of the original text]
* [http://www.hi.is/~haukurth/norse/sounds/ragnarsdrapa.html The first two half-stanzaz read aloud]
* [http://www.hi.is/~eybjorn/ugm/hymir/rahym.html Translation and discussion of six half-stanzas]
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