Rognvald’s Compass: Navigating Inspiration from Orkneyinga Saga’s Imprint
Skaldic bard Earl Rognvald Kali Kolsson bequeathed a twelfth-century legacy of poetry woven into Orkneyinga Saga; this thesis explores the relationship with contemporary writers who have produced their own saga-inspired work based on his original imprint. The central argument addresses a particular research gap, evaluating writers who are native to Orkney and those who are from farther afield. The analysis is further unique by examining the relationship between modern poetry and the strict dróttkvoett stanza form that the Earl composed in, revealing loyalty to this Norse poetic form in which native Orcadians see as a rite-of-passage initiation to contribute to that style.1 This study is uniquely positioned as it analyses inspired work through the lens of Ian Crockatt’s 2014 translations of Rognvald’s poetry. This involves a thorough and detailed investigation, comprising breaking down each poetic device and lexical components within the historical, cultural, and biographical context to assist the enquiry. By applying these research strategies, it is possible to glean a present-day panoramic view of the Orkney saga-inspired literary milieu and other Orkney-centric contributors. Furthermore, this treatment assesses, from the researcher's viewpoint, how living in Orkney can inspire creativity, as a comparative experiment with the writers analysed. The analysis is as much about a sense of place and creative engagement as it is about the poetry itself. The thesis argument sits within the critical analytical framework of practitioners, namely: Simon W. Hall, Jon Stachura, Joshua Prescott, and Julian D’Arcy, whose existing work complements the themes and aspirations of this thesis. This study builds upon the previous research done in this field, bridging over a decade of analysis and affecting the skaldic saga-inspired conversation.
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