The dominant verse metre in skaldic poetry with strict rhyme and alliteration.
Dróttkvætt is the most complex and prestigious verse form in Old Norse poetry, with strict requirements for alliteration, half-rhyme, and internal rhyme within each eight-line stanza. Each line contains six syllables arranged in a fixed rhythmic pattern.
The form demands that the skald command a rich store of kennings and heiti to fill the metre without sacrificing meaning. It was the court's official metre and is associated with the great skaldic names such as Egill Skallagrímsson and Kormákr.
Attestations
- Háttatal 1
- Snorri exemplifies dróttkvætt and its rules in Háttatal.