Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A medieval Scandinavian poet, especially one writing in the Viking age.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Same as scald.
  • noun See scald.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun See 5th scald.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun historical a Nordic poet of the Viking Age

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Old Norse skāld; see sekw- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old Norse skald.

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Examples

  • This led to problems since Durand is really a rather clueless young man and needed the infodumps almost as badly as the reader – so Keck introduces Heremund the Skald a skald is a medieval Scandinavian bard or minstrel – I had to look it up.

    Review: In the Eye of Heaven by David Keck Neth 2007

  • This led to problems since Durand is really a rather clueless young man and needed the infodumps almost as badly as the reader – so Keck introduces Heremund the Skald a skald is a medieval Scandinavian bard or minstrel – I had to look it up.

    Archive 2007-11-01 Neth 2007

  • Which was the sort of issue that led me to 'skald'....

    Archaic terminology in historical fiction Carla 2006

  • Tradition maintains that a band of these rovers discovered America centuries before Columbus.] [Footnote 2: A skald was a Norse poet who celebrated in song the deeds of warriors.] [Footnote 3: A saga is an ancient Scandinavian legend or tradition, relating mythical or historical events.] "Take heed, that in thy verse

    Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 5 Charles Herbert Sylvester

  • I'm discovering that I like Danilaw a lot -- he's got the ability to extemporize political speeches like a trained skald and he's also pretty funny.

    don't expect your good heart to save your neck stillsostrange 2009

  • He flicked an ear but reared up again, striking relentlessly at the skald.

    Raven Speak Diane Lee Wilson 2010

  • From the other side of the byre she watched in queasy horror as the dun horse savaged the skald.

    Raven Speak Diane Lee Wilson 2010

  • The skald managed to twist out of the way and take a few running steps, but Rune chased after him, his teeth clacking like iron on iron.

    Raven Speak Diane Lee Wilson 2010

  • Aelfhere seems to be a scop, called skald, in this story, singing the tale of Beowulf for his grandson.

    Archive 2008-06-01 Mary Kate Hurley 2008

  • Aelfhere seems to be a scop, called skald, in this story, singing the tale of Beowulf for his grandson.

    Saving Beowulf Mary Kate Hurley 2008

Comments

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  • "A pagan skald chants a dark saga (a Mahabharata), as a papal cabal blackballs all annals and tracts, all dramas and psalms: Kant and Kafka, Marx and Marat."

    Eunoia by Christian Bök (upgraded edition), p 12

    May 20, 2010