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22 - Rímur

from PART V - Beyond Iceland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 February 2024

Heather O'Donoghue
Affiliation:
University of Oxford
Eleanor Parker
Affiliation:
University of Oxford
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Summary

The subject of this chapter is rímur (rhymes), long narrative poems intended to be delivered orally, which were the most important secular poetic genre in Iceland from the late Middle Ages to the end of the nineteenth century. The chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the genre, beginning with a brief introduction to the rímur and the terminology used to describe them, before focusing in detail on their metrical form and linguistic features. It then discusses the relationship of the rímur with their different kinds of source material, since almost all are based on pre-existing narratives, particularly the riddarasögur and fornaldarsögur. It surveys what is known of the poems’ authorship, performance and dating, as well as describing the manuscripts in which they are preserved. Finally, it outlines the critical and editorial history of the rímur, arguing that their unusual linguistic and metrical features, their long-lasting popularity and the significance of their interactions with other genres of Old Norse-Icelandic literature means they deserve more scholarly attention than they have typically received.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Rímur
  • Edited by Heather O'Donoghue, University of Oxford, Eleanor Parker, University of Oxford
  • Book: The Cambridge History of Old Norse-Icelandic Literature
  • Online publication: 08 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108762618.023
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  • Rímur
  • Edited by Heather O'Donoghue, University of Oxford, Eleanor Parker, University of Oxford
  • Book: The Cambridge History of Old Norse-Icelandic Literature
  • Online publication: 08 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108762618.023
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Rímur
  • Edited by Heather O'Donoghue, University of Oxford, Eleanor Parker, University of Oxford
  • Book: The Cambridge History of Old Norse-Icelandic Literature
  • Online publication: 08 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108762618.023
Available formats
×