Editing Cnut (section)

== Cnut's ''skalds'' ==
The Old Norse catalogue of [[skald]]s known as ''[[Skáldatal]]'' lists eight skalds who were active at Cnut's court. Four of them, namely [[Sigvatr Þórðarson]], [[Óttarr svarti]], [[Þórarinn loftunga]] and [[Hallvarðr háreksblesi]], composed verses in honour of Cnut which have survived in some form, while no such thing is apparent from the four other skalds [[Bersi Torfuson]], [[Arnórr Þórðarson jarlaskáld]] (known from other works), Steinn Skaptason and Óðarkeptr (unknown). The principal works for Cnut are the three ''[[Knútsdrápur]]'' by [[Sigvatr Þórðarson]], [[Óttarr svarti]] and [[Hallvarðr háreksblesi]], and the ''Höfuðlausn'' and ''[[Tøgdrápa]]'' by [[Þórarinn loftunga]]. Cnut also features in two other contemporary skaldic poems, namely [[Þórðr Kolbeinsson]]'s ''Eiríksdrápa'' and the anonymous ''[[Liðsmannaflokkr]]''.

Cnut's skalds emphasise the parallelism between Cnut's rule of his earthly kingdom and God's rule of Heaven.{{sfn|Lawson|2004|p=126}} This is particularly apparent in their refrains. Thus the refrain of Þórarinn's ''Höfuðlausn'' translates to "Cnut protects the land as the guardian of Byzantium [God] [does] Heaven" and the refrain of Hallvarðr's ''Knútsdrápa'' translates to "Cnut protects the land as the Lord of all [does] the splendid hall of the mountains [Heaven]".<ref>Frank 1999:116.</ref> Despite the Christian message, the poets also make use of traditional pagan references and this is particularly true of Hallvarðr. As an example, one of his half-stanzas translates to "The Freyr of the noise of weapons [warrior] has also cast under him Norway; the battle-server [warrior] diminishes the hunger of the [[valcyrie]]'s hawks [ravens]."<ref>Frank 1999:120.</ref> The skald here refers to Cnut as "Freyr of battle", a [[kenning]] using the name of the pagan god [[Freyr]]. References of this sort were avoided by poets composing for the contemporary kings of Norway but Cnut seems to have had a more relaxed attitude towards pagan literary allusions.<ref>Frank 1999:121.</ref>