The term
þulur(sing.
þula, cognate to Old Norse/Icelandic
þylja[“chant”, “murmur”, “speak”]) has traditionally been applied to a variety of poetic forms in the Middle Ages and post-Reformation period. In scholarly usage, a
þulais “a versified list of names” (Gurevich 2017, 651). However, such a basic definition does not suffice to describe either medieval or post-medieval poetry known as
þulur. This article discusses Old Norse/Icelandic
þulur(skaldic and eddic;
ONIÞ) and the Icelandic genre of folk poetry designated as post-medieval
þulur(
PMÞ) as well as related post-medieval poetic forms that have received little scholarly attention.
Gurevich (2017) discusses in particular “versified catalogues of poetic terms (heiti) for the main subjects of skaldic
3161 words
Citation: Helgadóttir, Yelena Sesselja. "Þulur". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 January 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=19660, accessed 06 October 2024.]