LiasWyrd

So you want to write Poetry like the Norse? (Blog)

If like me you have fallen in love with the alliterative style of the skaldic and eddic metres of Old Norse poetry you may be having a hard time learning and studying on your own. I get that, in fact I wrote this layperson's guide to the 4 metres I most use when I was teaching to make it easier for students to grasp the concepts and have a solid foundation for when they began experimenting writing their own, enjoy!

Ljóðaháttr:

Known as the incantation meter, it was often used for religious or mystical purposes such as invocations, prayer, and magical incantations. It does bear striking resemblance to its more complicated counterpart used in the Eddas named Fornyrðislag.

In Ljóðaháttr, each stanza has six lines with five syllables per line. Where and how alliteration happens in Ljóðaháttr depends on the specific line of the stanza.

Lines 1, and 2 share alliteration. Lines 4, and 5 do the same.

Then lines 3 and 6 have double internal alliteration but they do not share the same alliteration between lines.

Ljóðaháttr Example: 1.Thor-the-Son-of-Earth 2.Thun-der-god-smash-ing 3.Claw-ing-clang-ing-chains 4.Re-lease-from-so-rrow 5.Re-dress-for-ma-ny 6.Li-ber-ates-all-lives

Galdralagr:

Galdralag Rubric: In Galdralagr there is not a rhyme scheme, it's all alliteration.

Lines 1, 2, 4 , and 5 have 6 syllables. Only one instance of Letter alliteration one( ex. one W word for each line)

Lines 1 and 2 have one syllable alliterating that is the first syllable of a word.

Lines 4 and 5 have one syllable alliterating that is the first syllable of a word

Lines 3, 6, 7, and 8 (if you have an 8th) are 5 syllables.

Line 3 must have double internal alliteration

Lines 3, 6, 7, & 8 (if needed) all have one syllable alliterating that is the first syllable of a word.

Lines 6, 7, 8 must also have double alliteration that is mirrored in each line.

Galdralagr Example: 1.Ves-sel of sol-i-tude, 2.What lay filled with sor-row. 3.Fall-en tears fur-row 4.Deep-er in-to clean stone. 5.Slumb-er deep now know-ing, 6. A guar-di-an hard gained; 7.the great grave keep-er, 8.Guards and grants safe-ty.

Fornyrdislag:

Fornyrdislag (pronounced for-NEAR-dis-lag), the old story-telling meter, usually appears in the sagas of the Poetic Edda for telling tales of the lore. In Fornyrdislag,

Each Stanza is two halves of 4 lines

In the first line of each half there is double internal alliteration of stressed syllables

The second line of each halve alliterates with the first lines double alliteration

Lines 3 and 4 of each half share a singular alliteration.

Here is an example verse that shows how this works: 1, Come-on,-climb-on 2. Cour-age-ri-ses 3. Life-beck-ons-all 4. Lur-ing-for-ward

  1. Prom-ised-pri-zes
  2. Pe-al-ing-out
  3. Hard-is-the-way
  4. Hea-vy-the-load

Dróttkvætt: https://yeahwrite.me/writing-help-drottkvaett/ is a great page that really nails the process down in terms that are easily understood.