The Prosimetrum of Old Norse Historiography – Looking for Parallels

The present paper charts the development of the prosimetrum in the Old Norse kings' sagas. An introductory section illustrates the two main kinds of poetic citations found in the kings' sagas and presents the stated rationale for the inclusion of poetry in the kings' sagas. Section tw...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Jonas Wellendorf
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: University of Milan 2022-12-01
Series:Interfaces: A Journal of Medieval European Literatures
Online Access:https://riviste.unimi.it/interfaces/article/view/18048
Description
Summary:The present paper charts the development of the prosimetrum in the Old Norse kings' sagas. An introductory section illustrates the two main kinds of poetic citations found in the kings' sagas and presents the stated rationale for the inclusion of poetry in the kings' sagas. Section two gives a diachronic overview of the material showing how the balance between the two basic kinds of poetic citations changes across time and proposes a developmental model. Section three looks beyond the Old Norse materials and considers possible parallels to the Old Norse prosimetrum in the Medieval Latin and Arabic traditions.
ISSN:2421-5503