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received as poet lauréats in all the
three northern courts.
Nor is it lefs remarkable, that fome
o f thefe Icelandic Skalds were taken
into pay at the Englifli court, by
kings Altheilan and Ethelred : this
Avoiild require an examination to difcover
bow their Skaldjkaparmai, or
poetical language, could be under-
ilood in a foreign country, as both
languages, without thefe poetical
figures, diiTer fo widely from each
other, as is evident from the remains
of both.
It is laftly aiked, i f there are any
internal or external marks, from
which it might be gueifed that the
three parts of the Edda mentioned by
me belong to one another, and form
one work? but this queftion is an-
fwered by the title quoted above,
wherein all the parts are clearly enumerated.
In regard to the third part, called
Liodfgreimir, Mr. Schlozer defires to
know how this title ftiits to an ars
poetica ?
I have already in fome meafure an-
fwered this queftion in my letter to
Mr.
[ 317
Mr. Lagerbring, by citing the ftrange
titles the antients fometimes prefixed
to their books. Flowever, that a
more clear idea may be formed of
what relates to this appellation, it
iliould be obferved, that Sturleibn
immediately in the beginning divides
all founds or tones into three kinds.
The firft he cails vittlaus hliod, or
the found o f inanimate things, as
o f thunder, waves, wind, and the
like ; to the fecond he reckons the
founds o f irrational animals ; and
, to the laft, the articular founds o f
men, which are produced by means
of the tongue, lips, palate, &c. He
then fpeaks o f the found of the letters,
how fome are long, others iliort ; fome
confonants, and others vowels and
diphthongs : and then proceeds to the
rules o f profody, and whatever elfe
belongs to the Icelandic fialdfiap or
poetry.
From hence it may be feen what
has given rife to this appellation ;
Liodfgreimir literally fignifying no
more than diftinclion of founds.
Sturlefon has given as ftrange a title to
this
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