The king in rhyme: Some observations on Óláfs ríma Haraldssonar as a reworking of Snorri’s Óláfs saga helga

Abstract

The oldest extant example of the rímur genre is Óláfs ríma Haraldssonar, which is preserved only in Flateyjarbók and in a number of paper manuscripts derived from it. According to a commonly shared opinion, this ríma is based on Snorri’s Óláfs saga helga. The aim of the present study is to make some observations on Óláfs ríma Haraldssonar as a reworking of Snorri’s account of St Óláfr’s life in Heimskringla in order to discuss some of its major characteristics at the content level. In particular, the attention will be directed at some thematic aspects of the ríma, with special reference to the illustration of the king’s qualities and to the depiction of the relationship between the king and members of the two opposing armies before and during the battle at Stiklastaðir