Ulf the Brave

Ulf the Brave (Úlfr inn óargi)^[1] was a Norwegian hersir who lived in Namdalen in the eighth century CE.^[2] He was the father of Hallbjörn Half-Troll and Hallbera Ulfsdóttir, who was the mother of Kveldúlfr Bjálfason.^[3] Thus Ulf the Brave was the ancestor of the clan of Egill Skallagrimsson. He is briefly mentioned in Egils Saga.^[4]

According to Skáldatal B (Codex Upsaliensis) Ulf was a skald. In one single night he composed a drápa praising his own heroic deeds. He died before dawn.^[5]

The drápa is not preserved.

References

1. óargr; óargi (hinn) means "no-coward". (Finnur Jónsson, Tilnavne i den islandske oldlitteratur, København 1908, p 251. Ben Waggoner also suggested that "probably the most accurate translation would be something like 'Ulf Not-a-Pussy'". The Hrafnista Sagas, 2012, p 198. ISBN 978-0-557-72941-8) Cf. Ergi
2. Finnur Jónsson, Den oldnorske og oldislandske litteraturs historie, I, 2 udg., København 1920, p 413
3. Egils Saga, chapter 1.
4. Palsson, Hermann; Edwards, Paul, trans. (1976). Egil's Saga. London: Penguin. p. 21. ISBN 978-0140443219.
5. Úlfr inn óargi var hersir ágætr í Nóregi, í Naumudali, faðir Hallbjarnar hálftrolls, föður Ketils hæings. Úlfr orti drápu á einni nótt ok sagði frá þrekvirkjum sínum. Hann var dauðr fyrir dag. Skáldatal Ulf No-Coward was a noble hersir in Norway, in Namdalen, the father of Hallbjörn Half-Troll the father of Ketil Salmon. Ulf created a long praise-poem in one night, telling about his own mighty deeds. He was dead before day came. (Translated by Ben Waggoner, The Hrafnista Sagas, 2012, p 198. ISBN 978-0-557-72941-8)