Króka-Refs rímur
Króka-Refs rímur, by Hallgrímur Pétursson, is one of several verse retellings of the medieval Icelandic saga Króka-Refs saga in the form known as rímur.[1]
Composition
The date of composition is uncertain, with proposals ranging from when Hallgrímur was in his twenties (1634–44) to the mid-seventeenth century.[1]: 257 Hallgrímur's other rímur are adapted from non-Icelandic sources, but within Króka-Refs rímur, Hallgrímur intimates that "he wants to show his country the respect it deserves by choosing from its literary creations".[1]: 258 Lea D. Pokorny has commented that "it might seem curious that he chose Refur over some of the other saga protagonists but perhaps he felt connected to the witty and well-versed trouble maker, who not only composes poetry but also plays with words continuously throughout the saga".[1]: 258 In Pokorny's view, "it may be assumed that Króka-Refs rímur were amongst others enjoyed by multiple layers of Icelandic society, spanning from professionals to people without formal education."[1]: 269
The poem survives in at least eighteen manuscripts.[1]: 258
Editions
- Hallgrímur Pétursson. Króka-Refs rímur og Rímur af Lykla-Pétri og Magelónu eftir síra Hallgrím Pétursson. Edited by Finnur Sigmundsson. Rit Rímnafélagsins 7. Reykjavík: Rímnafélagið, 1956.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pokorny, Lea D. (2026). "The Manuscript Tradition of Hallgrímur Pétursson's Króka-Refs rímur". In Eggertsdóttir, Margrét; Parsons, Katelin Marit; Guðmundsdóttir, Aðalheiður (eds.). The Sacred and the Profane in Premodern Icelandic Literature, ca. 1500–1800. The Northern Medieval World: On the Margins of Europe. Berlin: de Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9781501518508. ISBN 978-1-5015-2226-0.