A metrical unit in Old Norse poetry, typically four or eight lines.
In Old Norse poetry the stanza is the fundamental unit of composition. The eddic poems use simpler stanzas such as fornyrðislag and ljóðaháttr, while skaldic verse is built on the more complex dróttkvætt stanza with internal rhyme and alliteration.
Each stanza is semantically and metrically self-contained and may be quoted individually. This modular structure allowed individual stanzas to be preserved orally and inserted into sagas as evidence or citation.
Attestations
- Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál, inledningen
- Introduction to skaldic verse forms and their terminology.