Íslenskt mál og almenn málfræði - 01.01.1987, Qupperneq 71

Um hendingar í dróttkvœðum hœtti
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SUMMARY
This article discusses the nature and origin of the hendingar (intemal rhyme) of the
Old Icelandic dróttkvætt metre. This is regular (line- and word-) intemal rhyme, with
full rhyme (aðalhendingar; eik : bleikir) in even numbered lines, and half rhyme, or
consonance (skothendingar; undrask: landa) in odd-numbered lines.
In Section two, it is emphasised that the linguistic system and the metrical system
are two separate entities. The metrical rules define the inetrical value of the linguistic
units. This is relevant both in rhythm and rhyme, and the mapping between the
linguistic system and the metrical one is not always simple.
Section three contains a fairly detailed discussion of the rules for the hendingar,
and it is shown that the rules are not easily stated in a simple way in terms of the
units and structures that would be set up by linguists. It is for example shown that
syllabic position is not relevant, since consonants in different syllabic positions can
rhyme together. Even though from a certain point of view it would be natural to ana-
lyse the half rhyme as consonance (since consonants are the same, but the vowels dif-
ferent), hendingar can be realised without the participation of any consonants, as in
half rhymes like: þó : hlóðir, if e.g. a morphological boundary can be used to separate
the consonant from the vowel. This „empty rhyme“ is reminiscent of vowel alliteration
in traditional Germanic poetry.
Section four considers the relation of the „empty rhyme“ and vowel alliteration, and
suggests that the rules for the empty rhyme in the hendingar may be to some extent an
imitation of the vowel alliteration. The rules for the hendingar look more artificial than
those for alliteration, and it seems possible that the fomier are influenced by the latter.
The final sections consider the possibility of foreign influence. It is concluded that
the hendingarcannot be seen as a pure imitation of e.g. Irish intemal rhyme or conson-
ance, although it is possible that the general idea was borrowed.