Gripla - 01.01.1975, Page 85

81
ÍSLENDINGADRÁPA AND ORAL TRADITION
some description of their outstanding deeds and eventual fates. The
main heroes may be numbered as being twenty-seven in all:
Brodd-Helgi
Geitir [Lýtingsson]
Bjarni Brodd-Helgason
Þorkell Geitisson
Helgi Droplaugarson
Helgi Asbjarnarson
Grímr Droplaugarson
Þórólfr Skalla-Grímsson
Egill Skalla-Grímsson
Glúmr Geirason
Hallfröðr [vandræðaskáld]
Þórálfr Skólmsson
Finnbogi rammi
Ormr Stórólfsson
Bjarni skáld
Grettir [Ásmundarson]
Þorleifr [jarlsskáld]
Ormr skógarnef
Gaukr Trandilsson
Gunnarr [Hámundarson]
Miðfjarðar-Skeggi
Síðu-Hallr
Þorsteinn Síðu-Hallsson
Hólmgöngu-Bersi
Kormakr [Ögmundarson]
Þórarinn kappi Steinarsson
Hólmgöngu-Starri
In addition, a number of men are
connected with those just listed:
Sörli Brodd-Helgason
Aðalsteinn [sigrsæli]
[Haraldr] Gunnhildarson
[Hákon] Aðalsteinsfóstri
Eiríkr jarl [Hákonarson]
mentioned as having been closely
Hákon jarl [Sigurðarson ?]
Þorbjörn [öxnamegin]
Óláfr [völubrjótr]
Gizurr [hvíti]
[Hrólfr] kraki
and Þórhaddr who was slain by Þorsteinn Síðu-Hallsson. Fitjar, a
district in Norway and the sword Sköfnungr are also mentioned in the
drápa.
The author of the drápa is otherwise completely unknown. It has
been supposed that he was the grandson of Hreinn Styrmisson, Abbot
of Hítardalur and Þingeyrar, and that his mother, Valdís Hreinsdóttir,
was married to Magnús Þorláksson of Melar. According to this, our
poet should have been alive in the second half of the twelfth century,
and possibly somewhat beyond the year 1200; the problem, however,
is that this is no more than the purest guesswork, supported only by
the fact that the name Valdís is extremely rare. Another doubtful sug-
gestion identifies him with a certain Víga-Haukr who flourished in
the beginning of the thirteenth century. Scholars have, in any case,
not been in complete agremeent as to the composition date of the
Islendingadrápa.
Gripla 6