Old Norse verse form alternating long lines with shorter full lines, common in wisdom poetry.
Ljóðaháttr is one of the three main verse forms in eddic poetry alongside fornyrðislag and málaháttr. The stanza is built of two half-long lines followed by a short full line, with alliteration as the structural principle.
The metre is used in Hávamál, Sigrdrífumál, and Skírnismál and is particularly associated with didactic and magical verse. Its rhythmic structure is thought to reflect an oral performance tradition with melodic elements.
Attestations
- Hávamál, Poetisk Edda (ca. 1270, Codex Regius)
- The most extensive example of ljóðaháttr in the eddic corpus.