Strazhnikov M.O. Earl Rǫgnvald’s vísa about skills: on interpretation. [Digital Resource] // Vox medii aevi. 2025. Vol. 2 (13). P. 66—86. URL: https://voxmediiaevi.com/2025-2-strazhnikov/
DOI: 10.24412/2587-6619-2025-13-66-86
Maksim Strazhnikov
Post-Graduate Student at the School of Philological Studies, Higher School of Economics (Moscow)
bairhtwalds@yandex.ru
Earl Rǫgnvald’s vísa about skills: on interpretation
The article is devoted to the vísa about skills contained in the Orkneyinga Saga that belongs to earl Rǫgnvald Kali, a famous ruler, skald, and a saint of the first half of the 12th century. The article provides a brief account of Rǫgnvaldr and highlights the particularities of his portrayal in the saga. It provides the text and interlinear translation of Rǫgnvald’s verse, as well as a similar verse by king Harald Hardrada, which served as a model for Rǫgnvaldr. The article points to the traditional interpretation of Rognvald’s verse as a list of skills compiled by the earl as an act of boasting. Through a comparative analysis of the two works and drawing on information from the Orkneyinga Saga and other ancient Norse sources, including epigraphic evidence (runic inscriptions from the Maeshowe cairn), the hypothesis is substantiated that Earl Rǫgnvald’s verse is a case of literary play. The proposed interpretation of the verse is placed in a broader context, highlighting its connection to other examples of humor in ancient Norse literature and culture, and its differences from the typical use of humor for vilification and insult. The author concludes that the available data do not allow a definitive discussion of the pragmatics of Rǫgnvald’s verse; however, the proposed alternative to the traditional interpretation enriches our understanding of it.
Keywords: dróttkvætt, Earl Rǫgnvaldr Kali; humour; irony; skaldic poetry.