Kappatöl (sing. kappatal) were composed in Iceland from the late Middle Ages down to the nineteenth century, listing the principal heroes of medieval Icelandic literature. While some of these poems only mention heroes from the Íslendingasögur [Sagas of Icelanders], others mention heroes from a range of literary genres. Related to kappatöl, although not quite comparable, is a certain poem, Skíðaríma, that belongs to the genre of rímur. The poem is generally dated to the fifteenth century and is now preserved in paper manuscripts from the eighteenth century and later. It is, however, referred to in a paragraph that was added to the chronicle Gottskálksannáll around 1600, that notes that in the year 1194 Skíði had his dream (“dreymdi Skíða”). While the authorship of Skíðaríma is unknown, three possible poets have been suggested, most commonly Einar ...

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Citation: Guðmundsdóttir, Aðalheiður. "Skíðaríma". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 February 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40712, accessed 21 August 2026.]