Eiríksmál
Also known as: Eiriksmal, Lay of Eirik, Eiríksmál hin forna
A short skaldic praise-lay narrating Erik Bloodaxe’s arrival in Valhalla, where Odin orders preparations for the fallen king and his men. Divine dialogue frames the royal hero’s martial virtues.
Description
Eiríksmál is a commemorative court poem likely commissioned after the death of Eiríkr blóðøx (Erik Bloodaxe). In a vivid afterlife scene, Odin commands the benches in Valhalla to be set for the incoming king and his retinue, and divine figures greet the new arrivals with questions about the noise and the company that approaches. The poem blends courtly encomium with mythic staging: the slain ruler is honored not by mortals but by the gods, folding political memory into sacred space. Its compact dramatic exchanges, conventional martial epithets, and focus on Valhalla anticipate later praise of royal dead and invite comparison with Hákonarmál, though Eiríksmál is shorter and more austere. The surviving text is preserved within later saga compilations, reflecting its transmission through medieval historiography.
Historiography
The poem survives embedded in kings’ saga tradition, particularly associated with Fagrskinna’s account of Erik Bloodaxe. It is anonymous and generally dated to the years immediately after 954, perhaps composed in a Norwegian courtly milieu. Manuscript preservation is secondary and prose-framed, which likely shaped stanza order and minor readings. Modern editions discuss its relationship to the later Hákonarmál and its role in constructing royal memoria through Valhalla imagery.
Date Notes
Composed shortly after King Eiríkr blóðøx (Erik Bloodaxe) fell at Stainmore in 954; preserved in later kings’ sagas manuscripts.
Major Characters
- Eric Bloodaxe
- Odin
- Bragi
- Hermod
- Valkyries
Myths
- Odin Summons the Einherjar
- The Welcoming of Eiríkr to Valhalla
Facts
- Commemorative skaldic lay for King Erik Bloodaxe after his death at Stainmore in 954.
- Anonymous authorship; often linked to a Norwegian courtly milieu and royal commemoration.
- Dramatizes Valhalla as a royal reception, with Odin orchestrating hospitality.
- Frequently compared with Eyvindr skáldaspillir’s later Hákonarmál for thematic parallels.
- Preserved within later saga compilations, notably associated with Fagrskinna’s narrative.
- Compact dialogue structure emphasizes mythic frame over catalogue or genealogy.
- Key interlocutors include Odin and the courtly poet-god Bragi, marking a meta-poetic dimension.
- Valhalla imagery functions as political legitimation and posthumous praise.
- Textual transmission through prose contexts likely influenced stanza order and readings.
- Serves as an early exemplar of Norse royal memoria using mythic afterlife scenes.