Toponyms in Two Poems by Sigvatr Þórðarson (Víkingarvísur and Austrfararvísur)

The analysis of two poems by Sigvatr Þórðarson (Víkingarvísur and Austrfararvísur) conduct-ed in the present article reveals the functional syncretism and differing roles of the topo-nyms used in them. Toponyms in Víkingarvísur reflect the geography of Olaf’s campaigns across Sweden, the Baltics, Denmark, Holland, the British Isles, France, and Spain, thereby performing the localising function of defining the boundaries of his conquests. Another function of cataloguing space expressed through lists of toponyms is to lend credibility to the depiction of Olaf’s battles. Toponyms participate in the composition of Víkingarvísur and help construct the biography of the Norwegian king, serving biographical and compositional functions. In Víkingarvísur, toponyms are imbued with historical and memorial functions, driven by the skald’s aim to record historical knowledge and preserve the memory of the ruler. Toponyms and ethnonyms in Víkingarvísur have the individualising function of trans-forming stereotypical battle motifs into a picture recognisable for the audience. The func-tional syncretism of toponyms and ethnonyms in Austrfararvísur is shaped by their seman-ticising, associative, and allusive functions, which are conditioned by their use in a context that combines panegyric, political, and entertainment purposes. The study of toponyms in Víkingarvísur and Austrfararvísur sheds light on the development of the skald’s mastery, the creation of new poetic techniques, the transformation of the canons of highly conservative skaldic form, the relationship between the traditional and the individual and the role of höfuðskáld in shaping the skaldic tradition.