How to Become a Skald

Anonymous asked:

what does it take to be a skald? what special things do i need to do? Much thanks

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I must say that I am no skald. Although I have chosen to bear the title, I have not actually earned it. I hope to be able to eventually say otherwise, though. Yet, it really does all depend on how we choose to treat the ‘profession’ today. Back in the Viking Age, though, the requirements were quite steep and often required a lifetime of dedication. Being a skald was actually a prestigious position to have in society. 

Also, both men and women (Jórunn Skáldmær being my favorite) could be considered a skald, although it was more common for men than it was for women (though, we might be able to debate that, given that sources could have had a bias against truly considering all of the women, but perhaps that could be a discussion for a later time).

I am no expert about skalds, nor their poetry. I am far better with prose and the Icelandic sagas. Still, I will tell you what I know, and perhaps that will at least give you a place to begin this journey. I may leave certain things out, but hopefully nothing that is too crucial.

The Expectations of a Skald:

Anyway, to be a skald (in historical terms), there are a few essential requirements:

1. A skald must memorize various poetic meters so that he or she may recite verse instinctively. Many skalds are able to conjure up insults and praises without any immediate preparation.(1.)
2. A skald must have intimate knowledge of mythological material, so that he or she may make use of the hundreds of kennings and heiti(2.) that aid in maintaining proper meter and rhyme. Yet, these kennings did not always have to pertain to myth.
3. A skald must memorize historical events and people, especially that which would be relevant to those currently in prestigious positions. They would be your patrons, after all.
4. A skald must know various genealogies, most importantly those of the most prestigious people within society.
5. A skald must often have many key stories and popular poems memorized, such as that of Sigurd, the slayer of Fafnir.
6. A skald must have intimate familiarity with language (Old Norse), so that he or she is able to create new kennings and use synonyms to maintain proper meter.

In short, a skald is a person who is well-versed in mythology, history, and lore. After that, the skald is expected to be able to recite those stories in poetic form, which would have involved singing and sometimes performance. This meant a lot of memorization and a strong command of language. A skald would be responsible for historical knowledge, especially in terms of specific people and their families. Skalds were also a critical part to the allocation of fame and honor within society. A person’s reputation depended on the songs a skald would sing, after all.

Reevaluating the Skald:

Regardless, those requirements are rather steep. Yet, I think we should take a moment to reassess what it means to be a skald in our own time, rather than being so strict to the standards of a past age. If we don’t, then the title of skald would nearly be unobtainable. The emphasis on memorization and spontaneity, for example, may not be as crucial in our current age.

There are two options: we can be strict and maintain the ‘sacredness’ of the tradition by leaving it unchanged, or we can lessen the strict need for memorization in favor for general familiarity and a focus on the quality of knowledge and artistic interpretation. The answer is not mine alone to determine, but I would favor a ‘modernized’ approach, with caution.

Today, I tend to consider a skald as someone who is familiar with history and lore, but also with language. Given those requirements, there is actually some degree of flexibility, then, to who could become a skald. The poetry itself is important to maintain without much change, but the approach to composing that poetry can be more open (being able to write it out in advance, rather than speaking it off the top of your head all the time).

How to Develop these Skills:

As mentioned above, you should know a considerable amount of history and lore. As a skald, you would be expected to know stories from the past, both for retelling and for references in other works. Start by reading mythological material, folklore, and even history books. Yet, the history you are after is not how society functioned, but rather the stories told about powerful people, or even people you admire enough to sing or compose about.

Yet, we skalds-in-training are in luck! A good man by the name of Snorri Sturluson just happened to write a book that is essentially a handbook for skalds. The entire Prose Edda, which you have likely already heard of before, has two sections specifically for skalds: Skáldskarpamál and Háttatal. Each of these sections tells us how various aspects of mythology are to be used in skaldic verse, as well as discussing the details and structures involved therein.

I recommend the Anthony Faulkes translation, which can be found either online (for free) or in a book format.

I recommend you start there.

Regarding Language:

While studying history and lore, work on language. Old Norse is likely the language of choice for most contemporary skalds that work with traditional material, though, technically the term ‘skald’ still applies to modern languages and modern poets. After all, skáld is still used in Icelandic for poet, for example. 

Personally, I feel that we should compose skaldic verse in living languages, so that we may keep the tradition alive and well, rather than keeping it confined in the past. Though, I can understand the other sides of that debate. In the end, the choice of language is yours to make. 

Personally, I prefer to compose in Icelandic, but you could technically pick whatever Scandinavian language you prefer. Honestly, you could even compose in English, if that is what you would prefer. I may be a bit too flexible about it, but do what will make you the most happy and comfortable. English would also expand your audience. I would compose in Icelandic and offer a translation, but, again, it is up to you, my friend.

Conclusion:

The only special requirements, then, would be reading up on history, lore, and language. Start there and see where it takes you. Gradually you will find yourself becoming more and more like the traditional skalds of the Viking Age. It takes time, but don’t lose courage. Honestly, I have played with the thought of starting a ‘skaldic school’ of sorts, but that would be something more of a community for lovers of Norse lore and language to gather and help one another to learn and improve themselves. Although that is nothing that currently exists, you can always feel free to send me a message. I would be more than happy to discuss any of these things with you at any time, if that is something you would find helpful.

Otherwise, I wish you the best of luck. If you need anything along the way, please do let me know.

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FOOTNOTES:

1. Here is a breakdown and an example of dróttkvætt (Court-meter): 

• Each segment has eight lines.
• There are two four-lined stanzas that make it up, called helmingar.
• Each line features six syllables.
• Three of these per line are stressed syllables.
• Three alliterative staves per line pair (bolded below):
  • þung til þessar göngu,
  • þinn, kinnalá minni.
• All vowels alliterate with one another.
• Even lines have one alliterative stave — höfuðstafr (head stave).
• Odd lines have two alliterative staves.
• There are two rhyming syllables per line.
• The second rhyme always falls on the last stress.
• Odd lines have half-rhyme (the vowel can change, but not consonant clusters).
• Even lines have full rhyme.
• Word order can be quite flexible.

Here is a full example of skaldic verse in dróttkvætt:

Títt erum verð at vátta,
vætti ber ek at ek hætta 
þung til þessar göngu,
þinn, kinnalá minni.
Margr velr gestr þar er gistir, 
gjöld, finnumsk vér sjaldan, 
Ármóði liggr, œðri, 
ölðra dregg í skeggi. 
— Egill Skallagrímsson

Translation: I’m eager to acknowledge your meal with my cheek-surge (kenning for vomit). I bear heavy witness in venturing to come here. Many a guest pays a dearer price where they stay; we seldom meet. The dregs of ale lie in Ármóðr’s beard.

Source: Debbie Potts, “Introduction to Skaldic Poetry,” Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, University of Cambridge.

2. Kennings and heiti are round-about ways of referring to things. An example of a kenning would be using the word ‘water-horse’ or even ‘fjord-serpent’ (my personal favorite) to refer to a ship. With kennings, there are many ways to refer to the same object. These could get quite complicated, such as ‘the wound-sea’s reed’, where ‘wound-sea’ refers to blood and a ‘reed of blood’ is a sword. Heiti are similar, but use other references to refer to the same figure. An example of this might be using Ygg for Odin, instead of just saying Odin.