Þórðr Kolbeinsson

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Þórðr Kolbeinsson (Thordr Kolbeinsson) was an 11th century Icelandic skald, or poet. He was the court poet of Eiríkr Hákonarson and some 17 stanzas of his poetry on the earl are preserved in the kings' sagas. The following example is from Eiríkr's campaign in England with Canute the Great.

Gollkennir lét gunni

(grœðis hests) fyr vestan

(Þundr vá leyfðr til landa)

Lundún saman bundit ;

fekk regnþorinn Rökkva

rann, of þingamönnum,

ýglig högg, þars eggjar

Ulfkell, bláar skulfu.

Eiríksdrápa 11, Finnur Jónsson's edition

West of London the warrior

went out to war,

the famed sea, farer

fought for land;

sharp cuts had Ufkel

when clashing over the carles

steel-blue swords shone: so

smoothly my stanzas, flow.

Hermann Pálsson's translation

West of London town we passed,

And our ocean-steeds made fast,

And a bloody fight begin,

England's lands to lose or win.

Blue sword and shining spear

Laid Ulfkel's dead corpse there,

Our Thingmen hear the war-shower sounding

Our grey arrows from their shields rebounding.

Samuel Laing's translation

Þórðr is one of the two main characters of Bjarnar saga, where many lausavísur are attributed to him. Þórðr's son, Arnórr Þórðarson jarlaskáld, also became a prestigious poet.